Julian Rouas Paris

My mom and I are thrift store junkies. We go in looking for deals that you cannot find anywhere else. Sometimes we get extremely lucky, and other times we come out empty handed.

We hit this one local thrift store up weekly because they seem to have new inventory every Friday. Hitting the thrift store up on a Saturday can sometimes result in winning the mini designer lottery. At times we find two dollar designer clothes, bags, and sometimes; perfume.

I was not able to hit up the local spot this week, but my mom did.

She rushed inside with a paper bag filled with what appeared to be designer perfumes. I could hear them clanging against one another and I could not wait to see what she had gotten hold of. I looked inside of the bag, and she huddled around it, as if she had to protect her findings from me.

She hit the designer perfume gold mine, and she bought all she could find, no wonder she didn't want me looking in. She wanted them ALL for herself.

Inside I noted all types of brands that I knew I would like. From Chanel, to Donna Karan. Some of the bottles were half empty, and others still had their seals on them. Some we already had, and some we had never heard of.

Amarige by Givenchy was one perfume in particular that I had never heard of. I have heard of Givenchy in the past, but I was never familiar with the brand, or this particular scent.

Appearance:

Amarige came in its original red box, with gold lettering. A bit of dust had collected on the box, but inside the perfume was barely touched.

The bottle itself is shaped like a human heart (at least that s what it looks like to me). The bottles top looks like a soft serve ice cream swirl, which is actually sort of pretty, and unique.

My Use:

I sprayed some of the rusty water colored perfume on to my wrists, and immediately got hit with the overpowering scent of grandmothers. It was like a granny festival on my wrist. This crap stunk, and it stunk bad.

It has that first kick of granny, then a high impact punch of rotting dried up roses, and...rust.

Good find mom!

Pricing and Availability:

After sniffing this horrendous granny spray I of course had to look the brand up before writing this review. I wanted to bring to you the price of this gunk, and where to find (eh-hem...avoid) this perfume.

Amarige by Givenchy can be found at any local perfume store, ranging from $10 to a jaw dropping $70.00 (for the granny gift set).

Overall:

Amarige by Givency smells like your grandma. It stinks to the high heavens, and it lasts a really, really long time. If you want to test the scent, make sure you DO NOT spray it on your clothing, as it will stay...till you wash the clothing.

-I guess if you find it at a thrift store; barely used, something must be wrong.

Recommendation:

Negative.

Amarige by Givenchy is definitely not a perfume I would recommend. (Maybe for Granny, seeing how that's about the only person who would like this one).



energy drink
energy drinks

Julian Rouas Paris

Jennifer Aniston's new perfume line is the talk of the beauty circles right now. The actress, best known for her role in the hit 90's sitcom "Friends" (and the "Rachel" haircut) is now an entrepreneur. She really knows how to market her line, although just being herself is enough to sell sand in a desert.

Aniston reportedly posed topless for the ads that will be used to sell her lineup of fragrances. Before you get too excited, it's not a Hustler sort of nude...it's a more artistic, natural beauty sort of nude. She is featured wearing a low slung white skirt around her waist, and then nothing but her arms drape her chest. You can view the photos (which don't show anything inappropriate) at UK Daily Mirror by clicking here.

It's been a year and a half in the making. Aniston's perfume line is the collaboration between the actress and Falic Fashion Group. Although she's never done any of these special projects before, she jumped on this one as it gave her the chance to be involved with something from inception to fruition, and allowed her an avenue of creative expression.

According to the actress, her perfume is sexy and clean...floral but not too flowery

The line was previously leaked as "Lolavie" but now has a much more fitting name - a name that will sell itself. The perfume is now called just "Jennifer Aniston."

Floral fragrance not your thing? You can wait a few more months and get Katy Perry's new fragrance. It's going to be a fruity mixture. The singer told MTV that "All things edible for me are also intriguing. So if there are little dancing strawberries, I will be happy. Peppermint is cute; cotton candy is adorable. We like to keep it cute and classy,"

So whether you desire timeless, elegant fragrances or cute and classy you will have your choice available to you soon. Perry's fragrance, dubbed "Purr" after Katy's feline fetish, will only cost $36 and be available at Nordstrom's.

Although I could not find the price of Jennifer Aniston (the fragrance, not the person) online in USD, I did find a report which indicates that it comes at a tag of 36 GBP. This means that the price of this fragrance is about twice that of Katy Perry's fruity creation.

What do you think of celebrity fragrance lines? Are they just another way that cosmetic companies try to market their products?

Sources:

UK Daily Mirror

One India



Architectural Glass

Alcohol

Julian Rouas Paris

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab produces perfume oils unlike anything else on the market. Aiming for a "dark, romantic Gothic tone" the Alchemy Lab carries scents inspired by religions, literature, cities of the world, fairy tales and inside jokes. The general catalog contains hundreds of different perfumes, and limited edition scents are frequently provided. Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab is referred to as BPAL or the Lab by customers. These perfumes are unlike any other commercially produced scents.

The sheer volume can be overwhelming for a new customer. Fortunately BPAL offers Imp's Ears, samples of most general catalog scents. Samples are not available for limited editions and a few general catalog scents. Imps are standard 1/32oz perfume vials. They are $3 individually, and $16 for a half dozen. BPAL oils are packaged in small glass bottles with screw tops. These bottles are usually cobalt blue, though sometimes amber bottles are used. General catalog scents have simple black and white labels, but the limited edition labels are often elaborate and colorful. 5ml and 10ml bottles of scents cost from $12.50 to $25. Considering the perfume oil content of each blend is 85 to 100%, these prices make BPAL one of the most affordable perfume lines around. BPAL oils are 85 to 100% perfume oil, as compared to straight perfume (15-25%), eaudeparfum (8-15%) or eaude cologne (2-5%). No animal products are used in any BPAL fragrances. Elements such as civet are composites created from carefully mixed bouquets.

The general catalog is broken down into the following categories: Bewitching Brews, Funeral Oils, Dark Elements, Sin & Salvation, Love potions, Diabolus, Mad Tea Party, Illyria, Wanderlust, ArsDraconis, Rappaccini's Garden, The Salon, Excolo, Voodoo Blends, Tarot Oils, Sephiroth, The Chakras, Panacea, and Somnium. Some categories, such as the Tarot and Chakras are straightforward. ArsDraconis includes several scents using dragon's blood as a base. Illyria contains scents inspired by Shakespeare, and Mad Tea Party is a line influenced by Lewis Carroll's work. Wanderlust showcases perfumes named for cities and places both real and legendary. Many scents in the catalog are inspired by famous and obscure works of fiction or art. Dorian is a hugely popular scent named after Wilde's famous dandy. There's a scent named for Wilde as well. Many scents reference poetry, legends and religious myth. There are scents for gluttony, wrath, envy, sloth, greed, lust and pride in the Sin & Salvation category. It is often surprising to experience how well the perfumes suit their names and descriptions.

Limited edition scents are usually just placed in the Limited category. BPAL has a limited edition series titled "A Little Lunacy" that appears each month on the full moon. Lunacy scents are created around various names for full moons, such as Harvest Moon, Flower Moon, Snow Moon, Hungry Ghost Moon, and Honey Moon. Lunacy scents are only available for 24 hours on the day of the full moon. Other limited scents are often created for the season, such as the Halloween and Yule creations. Sometimes the Lab creates an entire line of limited edition scents available for a few months at a time. One of the first was Springtime in Arkham, a tribute to HP Lovecraft. The second was CarnavalNoir, an intriguing line of scents inspired by a suggestion regarding summer carnival food on the customer forum. one of BPAL's most popular scents ever was Midway, a sugary tribute to fried and sweet foods. Other limited edition lines A Demon in My View and Maelstrom. These limited edition lines allowed the Lab to create complex olfactory tributes to Edgar Allen Poe's short stories and poems.

An enormously popular limited edition offering was Chaos Theory. Each bottle of Chaos Theory was unique and untitled except for a roman numeral. Every single bottle was a different blend. The only rule to the edition was that there was no way to choose which bottle arrived. Chaos Theory was so popular it is now in its third round. in the third round, oils containing common allergens such as nuts were removed so that no bottles would cause any unexpected reactions.

Because scents are not transmitted through the internet, the BPAL customer forum is an essential tool for a shopper when selecting a scent. Most perfumes have a brief description o the major notes or inspiration for the oil. Because BPAL oils are mostly perfume oil and complex, they often react in different ways to the skin chemistry of different people. What smells like a bounty of lily and musk to one person may turn plastic and sour on another. The forum contains reviews written by customers about the oils. It is an excellent resource to use while learning which scents work best with one's personal preferences and body chemistry. Customers of the Lab learn to train a discriminating nose, and many reviews are elaborate affairs with complex analysis of the stages of the perfumes.

When BPAL scents don't work out, there is a lively secondhand market for imps and bottles. The customer forum has a subsection devoted to swapping and selling scents that just didn't work out. this softens the blow for any customer disappointed with their purchase, as it is quite easy to trade and sell on the forum. Moderators make an effort to address any issues with members who don't follow through with swaps, a practice known as "swap-lifting." There are also limits on the forum to prevent the prices of discontinued oils from spiking too high. eBay is another source for secondhand BPAL scents, with more freedom for pricing. However bidding wars for discontinued or limited edition scents can push the price up dramatically.

The Black Phoenix Trading Post (BPTP) is also affiliated with the Lab. Here one finds shirts, scent lockets and statues inspired by and for BPAL. Each month the Trading Post offers a shirt to correspond with the Lunacy update. Unlike the Lunacy blends, BPTP shirts usually stay up for sale for one week. There are several regular catalog shirts, as well as several heavy silver scent lockets designed by the Lab. BPTP plans to continue expanding their offerings over the coming year. Orders for BPTP products cannot be combined with orders from BPAL because they are separate entities.

BPAL is a small business, and has experienced a number of growing pains over the past few years. The wait time for shipments climbed dramatically, sometimes topping out at six to eight weeks. In 2006, shipping times have shortened and are now only a few weeks. On the customer forum, one of the most heavily trafficked threads chronicles the shipping notices received by customers. The Lab prides itself on excellent customer service and works quickly correct any problems. Because they are a small business, Lab staff have an unusually personal and friendly relationship with large chunks of their fan base. Lab staff are frequent contributors to the customer forum. Some offhand jokes in the forum have mushroomed into inspiration for BPAL blends, most notably the CarnavalNoir line in 2005, and the limited edition Enraged Orangutan Musk.

For scents to compliment lifestyles from the gothic to the geeky, the Black Phoenix Alchemy lab supplies quality perfumes. Few other companies can provide such nuanced and beautiful creations for such an inexpensive price. With a reasonable price for samples and an active secondhand market, it is easy to become hooked on BPAL oils.




Architectural Glass

Architectural Glass

Julian Rouas Paris

Casmir Perfume by Chopard Parfum Review: Introduction

Casmir perfume by Chopard parfum was launched onto the fragrance market in 1991. The creator of the Chopard perfume was Michel Almairac who has also designed fragrances for other top scent companies. The bottle designer of the Chopard perfume was Caroline Scheufele. Is this fragrance a worthy purchase that is perfect for every day use?

Casmir Perfume by Chopard Parfum Review: The Product & Packaging

The Casmir perfume by Chopard parfum comes in a red square box. The Casmir perfume label is printed in large black lettering with the Chopard parfum brand printed in gold cursive writing directly underneath. Eau de parfum is also printed at the bottom of the box in gold lettering. The Chopard perfume gold emblem is printed at the very top.

The Casmir perfume by Chopard parfum bottle is round or oval like in appearance. The Chopard perfume container is clear in which owners will see the amber colored fragrance that is within. The cap of the Chopard perfume is round, clear, and with an amber like tint. Around the neck of the Casmir perfume container is several engravings of the Chopard parfum emblem.

Casmir Perfume by Chopard Parfum Review: The Fragrance

Casmir perfume by Chopard parfum is made from top notes of mango, coconut, peach, and bergamot. The middle notes of this Chopard perfume are jasmine, geranium, and muguet. The base notes that top off the Casmir perfume fragrance are amber, musk, vanilla, sandalwood, and patchouli.

The Casmir perfume by Chopard parfum is all three: sweet, spicy, and warm from the combination of notes. The fruity notes of the Chopard perfume cannot be detected at all in the scent. The Casmir perfume by Chopard parfum opens up with an aroma of amber, musk, and vanilla from the bottom notes. This Chopard perfume is a perfect winter scent for anytime use for women of all ages. This Casmir perfume is classified as a oriental-spicy scent that lingers most of the day. The strength of the Chopard parfum is moderate compared to most other fragrance products and first application is not overbearing like some.

Casmir Perfume by Chopard Parfum Review: Conclusion

Casmir perfume by Chopard parfum comes in two sizes, the standard 3.4 fluid ounces and 1.7 fluid ounces. This Chopard perfume can be difficult to find in retail outlets; however, online shopping will not be a problem. Would be purchasers can expect to pay around $100 retail for the larger size of the Casmir perfume by Chopard parfum and around $40 online at discount prices. This Casmir perfume by Chopard parfum is perfect for women who are looking for a reasonably priced signature scent with a great longtivity.



Architectural Glass

5 Hour energy drink

Julian Rouas Paris

From a smoker’s point of view, the bans on smoking may be going to far. I can understand a ban on smoking indoors – I’m okay with that. But, what I can’t understand is a ban on smoking in the great outdoors. Most smokers are courteous and will walk away from a crowd in order not to offend anyone. But, what about people who follow you when you walk away from the crowd? Has this ever happened to anyone?

While attending my daughter’s softball game, I walked away from the crowd to smoke. I walked almost to the parking lot, where there was no one near me. I lit my cigarette and after a few minutes, a woman arrived pulling an oxygen tank. This woman saw me smoking and walked about 40 steps out of her way to walk near where I stood – for the single purpose of being able to make a comment about the fact that I was smoking in public!
So, my question is this. I understand why people who do not smoke do not want to be subjected to my second-hand smoke – and I respect that. But, what do you about people who choke you with their perfume? Where are the rights for people who suffer from migraines, asthma, and allergies?

I once worked in an office with 200-300 hundred other people. In the beginning, we had a smoking and a non-smoking break-room. The two break-rooms were on opposite ends of a hallway and well ventilated. But, that was not enough for the non-smokers. They wanted us outside of the building – exposed to the elements. But, this still wasn’t enough for them – because they liked to sit outside at the picnic tables in warm weather, and there we were. So, the non-smoker’s petitioned until the smoker’s had to completely leave the property in order to smoke. They won – or did they?

I suffer from migraines. One thing that causes the onset of a migraine is strong smells, especially in the form of perfume. I pulled into the parking lot one morning as another person was going in the front door. I stepped out of my car and was almost blown away in the wake of her perfume – a wake that followed her into the building. Sometimes, a migraine hits like a bomb – out of nowhere. One minute you are fine – the next minute, Wham! By the time I got to my desk, I could barely see – and a coworker had to drive me home. I lost a day of work because of perfume!

So, the smoker’s struck back – we petitioned until we succeeded in having perfume and strong colognes banned. And, I never had to miss work again. The smoker’s were still banned from the property, but so were the days of migraines for migraine sufferers and sneezing for allergy sufferers.

If you do not want to be around the smoke from my cigarette, just ask me politely. I will gladly walk away and enjoy my cigarette in peace. But, return the same courtesy. Don’t expose me to a migraine by wearing overpowering perfume or cologne. This infringes upon my rights – and the rights of all sufferers of migraines, asthma, and allergies. So, next time you bathe, before you cover yourself with that perfume or cologne that you think makes you more appealing, think about that person who may lose a day’s pay so that you can smell nice!




Architectural Glass

Red Bull

Julian Rouas Paris

Lush is a bath and cosmetic company that prides itself on making environmentally sound products. Their line of solid perfumes is a great go anywhere product for the person who is always running around.

I got this solid perfume for free. On first sniff I thought "Oh my god, this is cat pee perfume!" I put it away and a few days later bit the bullet and put some on. After a few minutes, I was in love. Some of Lush's products need to sit out and cure before you use them or they smell very different on you than in the package. This was totally the case with this one.

The smell is described on Lush's website as unisex. Organic olive oil and the fresh juice of mandarin oranges are the scents that make up Olive Branch. I definitely smell the oranges but I'm not so sure about the olive oil. It smells like a warm, clean scent to my nose. The scent is very calming to me. Most of the time the scent lasts for 6-8 hours. This is longer than any of my spray perfumes and I keep it in my purse for easy application anywhere.

If you live in a warm climate be careful how you store this product. Some of the ingredients make it very soft when heated. I also wouldn't store it in a pocket because of this. The waxes and coco butter do make your skin soft. The butter can make peple prone to acne break out so use caution if applying to your face. Here is the list of ingredients: Japan Wax, Perfume, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter (Theobroma Cacao), Carnauba Wax (Copernicia Cerifera), Hydroxycitronellol, Bergamot Oil (Citrus Aurantium bergamia), *Limonene, Organic Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis), Lemon Oil (Citrus limonum), Orange Flower Absolute (Citrus Dulcis), Mandarin Oil (Citrus nobilis), *Citral, *Geraniol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Linalool, Coumarin,.

The directions for the solid perfumes say to just rub it on your pulse points. An easier way to apply it is to take your fingernail and swipe it across the surface (away from you so the perfume isn't trapped under your nail) and rub on. There are many other solid perfume scents. Try them all and pick one depending on your mood!




Architectural Glass

Redbull

Julian Rouas Paris

Have you ever gotten ready in the morning, spritzed on your favorite scent, and a couple of hours later you got nothing? This can be exasperating. Why bother to apply scent if it's not going to last? In order to make sure that your uplifting scent lasts through the day or your sexy perfume lasts until the end of your romantic date, follow some or all of these suggestions.

First, be aware that there are different types of scent formulations. Each has a different concentration of fragrance oils. If you use body splash, it literally means to splash it on your body. It is the most diluted type of fragrance. Perfume is the strongest. Depending on the scent itself, it takes very little perfume. You could be having the opposite problem and overwhelming everyone. Be certain that you don't overdo it.

Second, be aware of pulse points. These are the areas of the body that have blood vessels very close to the skin. As the blood pulses, it produces heat. This in turn releases the scent of your perfume. The pulse points are located at the temples, behind the ears, the base of the throat, between the breasts, the wrists, the bend of the elbow, the backs of the knees, and the ankles.

Pay particular attention to the pulse points at the backs of the knees and the ankles. Since scent travels upward, these scent locations are very important. And most people skip these pulse points when applying perfume.

Another reason scent evaporates quickly is because of dry skin. Perfumes contain alcohol. So they can evaporate quickly. A way to prolong this is to apply lotion before perfume. A lotion that is the same scent is an excellent way to extend your perfume's lasting power. But if you don't have a matching lotion, apply an unscented lotion. If you decide to use a lotion with a different scent, make sure that it doesn't clash with your perfume. Often you can come up with unique and pleasing scent combinations. An example would be vanilla scented lotion applied before using a musk perfume.

Along the same line as using a lotion with the same scent is using soaps, body washes, powders, and even shampoos with the same fragrance as your perfume. Many more perfumes are coming out with extended product lines of their scents using additional bath products.

Your perfume can also be extended by spraying some onto your clothing. This should be tested first on a small inconspicuous area on the inside of your garment. Check to make sure that the perfume will not stain before applying it to the outside of your clothes.

An alternative to actually spraying perfume onto your clothing is to wear a scent locket or a scent ring. If you like this type of jewelry, it works great. A scent locket or ring contains a small compartment to place a small piece of cloth or cotton ball which has been sprayed liberally with your perfume. The rings are often called poison rings. An internet search turns up many websites that sell this unique jewelry. The heat from your body releases the scent as you wear the jewelry.

Then, of course, as a fail-safe guarantee, carry a small travel-size spritzer bottle of your favorite perfume to give yourself a quick spritzer during your lunch break or while in the powder room.



Architectural Glass

5 Hour energy