FRAGRANCES FOR CHRISTMAS

It’s true that fragrances are very personal and each individual is unique, but if you understand the simple principles of ‘notes’ you can easily find the perfect fragrance. Notes are simply descriptions of scents and there are 3 classes: head notes, heart notes and base notes. Don’t worry, I did not know or understand any of this until I started working with a lot of perfumes! :P Head notes are the ‘1st impression’ scents that evaporate quickly. They are fresh or sharp and most commonly: citrus or ginger. Heart notes are the scents that pretty much cover up the initial (sometimes unpleasant) top notes. These scents are more rounded & the most common are rose or lavender. Finally the base notes are the bread and butter of the perfume, which you can smell once the perfume has dried up & mixed with your skin. They are usually vanilla, musk or oak moss. If you get a general understanding of the notes a person likes, you’re in business. Now, let’s get down to some of my favorite fragrances – which are all different and unique (I’m what you would call: a perfume hoarder). Let’s begin, shall we?

1- Chloe Absolu de Parfum (cover photo):To celebrate the tenth anniversary of their most iconic fragrance, Eau de Parfum, Chloé recently launched an unprecedented variation in limited edition. Absolu de Parfum from Chloé is an irresistible essence that intensifies the signature Chloé fragrance, which I only discovered recently and I’m crushing on it hard. The scent is floral, fresh & romantic. The notes composition is as follows: Top note: peony / Heart notes: rose petals & magnolia/ Base notes: cedar, ambergris, musk & oak. I usually love perfume with a little musk, which is  why I am surprised I never tried this perfume! In getting it as a Christmas gift, be mindful of the notes the person mostly enjoys. The scent last for a long time & I love the packaging of this perfume: modern, delicate & very feminine with the light blush/beige colors, the tie-front bow and the adorable little pink box. The retail price for theses bottles (flacon in French, isn’t that such a nice word?!): Chloé Eau de Parfum: $122 (50ml) or $154 (75ml), Chloé Absolu de Parfum: $135 (50ml) or $170 (75 ml) and you can find it at The Bay, Pharmaprix, Sephora or Jean Coutu.

2- Tiffany Eau de Parfum: O.M.G. – that was my 1st impression when I learnt that the iconic Tiffany & Co. launched a fragrance! This sparkling floral musk perfume created by world-renowned master perfumer Daniela Andrier of Givaudan is absolutely stunning and true to Tiffany’s iconic look: modern bottle cut like a dimaond with the little blue Tiffany & Co. ribbon. And of course, all packaged up in the iconic Tiffany & Co.’s blue box! Top notes: vert de mandarine / Heart notes: iris flower (hero ingredient – deep within the DNA of the house)/ Base notes: musk & patchouli. Love at 1st sight and 1st smell – honestly, I doubt someone can hate this one… It retails for $120 (50ml) & $150 (75ml) and can be purchased at Tiffany & Co. boutique, The Bay, Holt Renfrew & Saks 5th Avenue.

3.Marc Jacobs Decadence Eau So Decadent: Let’s begin with the packaging: so feminine, lavish, glam! Basically looks like a little clutch rather than a perfume (afterall, it was inspired by Marc Jacob’s iconic handbag) – probably the most interesting bottle I have ever seen! The perfume is on the fruity/floral side, with the notes as follows; Top notes: nashi pear, green ivy, blackcurrent/ Heart notes: lily of the valley, jasmin, magnolia / Base notes: white amber, cashmere woods, rasberry. The scent really lasts for a long time and you don’t get tired of it (well, I don’t anyway, lol). Retails for $105 (50l) or $120 (100ml) and can be purchased at The Bay, Pharmaprix or Sephora. 

4- My Burberry Blush: Another fruity/floral perfume (I’m beginning to sense a pattern here, lol…I seem to like these notes a lot) in an adorable pink package from the blush color of the perfume itself to the marble looking cap and the cute little blush bow – packaging on point of femininity & cuteness. The scent is so nice and light, composed of the following notes; Top notes: pomgrenade & lemon/ Heart notes: rose petals, green apple / Base notes: Jasmin. I was already in love with the My Burberry scent so it’s really nice to add this bottle to my collection. Looks adorable on a vanity! Retails for $98 (50ml) or $130 (90ml) and can be purchased at The Bay or Sephora. 

5-Mercedes-Benz Woman: As if Mercedes-Benz could get any cooler, am I right or am I right?! Well, apparently it can, as it launches its very 1st fragrance in Canada! What I love most about the perfume is the message behind it: self-assurance. Love this women-impowering scent! I gotta admit, after I got this perfume, I said to myself: well, now that I have the perfume, I probably should look into getting the car, lol! No, but all jokes aside, it’s on my bucket list to own one – stay tuned (haha). Back to the perfume, here are the notes; Top note: gardenia / Heart note: Jasmin/ Base note: Vanilla. The bottle is pink for the ladies (blue for the gents, but you’ll get to see that in an exclusive “For Him” post) with the iconic Mercedes-Benz logo. Retails for $95 (60ml) or $130 (90ml) and it’s available exclusively at Brunet Pharmacies.

Hope this sheds a bit of clarity on the mysterious world of perfume, happy shopping!

Kisses,

WCX