In Pursuit of Vanilla

On any given day, fragrance expert Ann Gottlieb smells a host of delectable ingredients, but vanilla always emerges as a beloved favorite.

Her fondness for the ingredient has served her well, resulting in career successes including Calvin Klein’s Obsession and Eternity, Marc Jacobs’ Lola and J’adore by Dior.

“For me, the more delicious and lickable a fragrance is the better,” says Gottlieb, founder of her namesake consultancy, Ann Gottlieb Associates Inc.

“In analyzing all the fragrances that I’ve done, it’s rare that a fragrance doesn’t have a real hit of vanilla in it,” says Gottlieb, who is known for her talent in translating a fragrance concept into a recipe of sorts for perfumers.

“The first scent I ever wore was Shalimar, which is chock-full of vanilla,” she recalls. “It’s not an accident that Obsession was my first big success, because it’s certainly a child of Shalimar.”

In recent years, Gottlieb’s pursuit of vanilla has led her to several exotic destinations, including Madagascar and Uganda, two countries where vanilla plants are plentiful. “It’s always been an ingredient that’s an anchor for me, so the idea of going to where it’s grown, to see who grows it and what the process is like, was a thrilling opportunity,” she says. “It also married my two most-precious loves: travel and my work. I adore travel, especially adventure travel, and this was some adventure.”

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Why Perfume Is Actually a Great Travel Accessory

One of my favorite travel accessories to pack: those little vials of perfume samples. You can pack several, because they take up hardly any room in a TSA liquids plastic bag; they add unexpected to spice to any outfit; and they can also be a conversation starter. Instead of mainstream samples, I like to source from independent artisans. Not only will few people be able to identify what you're wearing, but you might also benefit your skin, as artisans often use organic ingredients instead of the synthetic molecules common in the commercial perfume industry.

Here's what's currently in my little travel sachet of statement perfumes. One caveat: artisanal perfumers are in many cases rebels who do not abide by International Fragrance Association restrictions on ingredients that potentially cause allergic reactions or other irritation. So always do a skin test before wearing.

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Fancy Perfume: Olfactive Studio Chambré Noir perfume

Olfactive Studio Chambré Noir perfume. I fell in love with a sample of this Schinus- jasmine-papyrus-violet-incense-prune-sandalwood-patchouli-musk-vanilla-leather concoction before discovering it’s sold at Forty Five Ten. A good perfume is the ultimate luxury.

This is a sensual and mysterious fragrance, Chambre Noire reveals itself from the shadows using the spotlight of the vibrant top note. A fragrance to be shared in the privacy of some far-off hotel room. It reveals its character gradually, exuding sensual notes of leather against a backdrop of warmth and opulence.

My Discoveries About the Perfume Allergy

I was out with friends the other day and the conversation turned to allergies because my little girl had recently been diagnosed as having eczema, or contact dermatitis, caused by a perfume allergy. We all agreed that it seemed that a lot more people suffered from allergies than they ever used to when we were younger. In fact I alone could immediately think of 5 people who were suffering from an allergy, or thought they were. But like my friend pointed out the symptoms of sensitivity, intolerance and allergy are often very similar so how do people know which one they have? I decided to look into perfume allergy further to get a better understanding of what causes it and what the symptoms are.

My first discovery about a perfume allergy actually surprised me. I had read that it was the introduction of a new fragrance that tended to be the cause of a perfume allergy (parfume allergi is the Danish term). In fact this relates to sensitivity and intolerance and not to allergy. The reason that a person suffers from an allergy is because their immune system has become extra sensitive and identified an everyday and harmless ingredient as a threat to our body – this is better known as an ‘allergen’. The immune system then goes into attack mode and releases histamines into our blood stream. These histamines then attach to cells and create the allergy symptoms. However the immune system needs to have come into contact with the specific allergen at least once in the past. Many people find that they have used products containing the allergen for months or years with no problem at all.

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60 Seconds With Georgia May Jagger

When we spilled to a friend that we'd just interviewed the gorgeous Georgia May Jagger, our green-with-jealousy bud immediately blurted: "I want her teeth!" GMJ is one of our ultimate girl crushes, and for good reason. The daughter of Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, the stunning 19-year-old has been establishing a modeling career all her own, with notable campaigns with Rimmel London, Hudson Jeans, and, most recently, as the face of Just Cavalli For Her fragrance. We sat down for a Skype sesh with the model and got the details on the campaign, her beauty routine, and the most important style lesson that she's picked up along the way.

What was your first impression of the fragrance? 
"It's very floral and fresh and feminine and sexy. I think you could definitely wear it every day. It works perfectly with the Cavalli brand, and I think it's very young and cool, so it's perfect."



So, those awesome teeth of yours — they're really becoming your iconic look! 
"Yeah, it's really funny, because I never thought about it that much. I almost got braces when I was younger. But I just decided that I didn't want to go through my teenage years wearing braces, and I'd rather just have my teeth and embrace it. I believe that being different is beautiful."


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Lipstick-Like Le Soft Perfume is New Brand of Fragrances

A new French brand of perfume-in-a-stick is born called Le Soft Perfume. At their helm are the same people who created the concept previously branded as Crazy Libellule and the Poppies: Isabelle Masson-Mandonnaud and Philippe Vignong.

Their first offerings amount to 10 in a series entitled Le Petit Fou (The Little Crazy One) and whimsically called Emballe-Moi, Striptease Flowers, Rock, Umabel, Nemamiah, Zazou, Copacabana, La Reine Soleil, Lucky Bay, Etre Ici ou Ailleurs...

For the export market they have 6 among these which have been made available.

The sticks made out of shea butter, Monoï, Tamanu and Mango butter have been dermatologically tested and are alcohol-free, which is a boon for the summery days.

Rock for instance features notes of bergamot, lemon, orange followed by a heart of cedar and amber resting on a base of sandalwood, oud, leather accord, praline, patchouli, musk.

Striptease Flowers includes notes of bergamot, mandarin with a heart of orange blossom and neroli and a base of patchouli, amber, caramel and vanilla.

Zazou has notes of lemon and citron followed by mid-notes of cypress, grapefruit, neroli and finally notes of cedar, musk and amber.

Each stick is priced at 19,90€. More information at Lesoftperfume.com

Spring Is Here, Are You?

Do you know anybody who hates fragrance? I know many people in this world, nice and mean but none of them could ever say they do not like scents.

It’s true—we all love fragrances, even if we don’t know a lot about them. And with the warmer weather approaching we’re looking to not only make over our wardrobes, but our library of perfumes as well. Everyone likes to smell good stuff--we may disagree on what's a good scent and what's not, but we all have some trigger scent. Even the most evil figures of history have their favorites.

The great thing about this time of the year--not if you have allergies, is that Spring is in the air. You can tell because a sort of excitement is wafting up and around those of us who are sick and tired of the cold winter blues. We’re all daydreaming about the scent of freshly cut grass, crisp air, and aromatic flowers—spring scents.

I know here in Washington DC, we are all about the world famous Cherry Blossom. A gift from the emperor of Japan to the capital of the nation, this month we will see the most gorgeous color of the year--pink. Tourists come from all over the world to enjoy the scent and the scene as they walk/drive pass the monuments.

Stay Fresh, and Stay Happy  

Liz Lemon Is Gone But Lemon by Mary Greenwell Arrives

World class and celebrity makeup artist Mary Greenwell has introduced her second fragrance, Mary Greenwell Lemon:

Mary Greenwell’s second fragrance was inspired by her holidays in Italy and her love of these simple but strong fruits. Lemon is sparkling on the top with a luscious herby finish, another truly unique scent from Mary and her wonderful perfumer Francois Robert. The top notes of Lemon, Mandarin, Lime, Bergamot and Bitter Orange are so well blended that no single note dominates this citrusy accord. As the fragrance begins its dry down the heart becomes intoxicating. Delicate florals of Narcissus Absolute, Hyacinth, Jasmine and Muget [sic] are subdued by just the right amount of Clary Sage which gives the fragrance an herbaceous, tea like aroma. What remains is a lovely balance of wood, spice and powdery amber.

Mary Greenwell is a true British icon of style and beauty. One of the worlds most sort after and influential make up artists, she is respected and admired by all those who work with her and has a loyal following of celebrity clients. This is the second fragrance following the very popular PLUM by Mary Greenwell. LEMON is the beautiful, reckless, younger sister of PLUM.

It can be purchased here

It comes in 05 oz/ .25 oz/ 1.7 oz/ and 3.3 oz. the smallest is the sample and it comes for five dollars.

Celebrity Make-up Artist Mary Greenwell gives her top tips

And The Worst Perfume Award Goes To...Drum Roll...Tramp

Aside form smelling good, having a cool bottle, a catchy name is another thing that helps draw people to purchasing a new fragrance. Name, it something like Tramp and you deserve what comes you way. The Urban Dictionary defines Tramp as A legendary drunkard who wanders the streets. see hobo or bum.

Also tramp is associated with another word skunk, hardly known for good aroma. But those were different times I take. Maybe the worst? Tramp (1977) The worst tag line in advertising ever: “She’s wearing Tramp and everybody loves her.” Also, this lady looks annoying. Who haggles over an apple? Another insult blondes, they would do anything to smell and look good. And yes, they do not read labels.

I do not think one wants to think of his/her mom bragging about smelling like a tramp.

Tramp - The perfume for women

Choosing Your Perfect Perfume

Choosing your perfect perfume is no easy task, don't think it is, and with all the amazing fragrances on the market, it sure is a tough decision to make! When it comes to looking to buying the perfect fragrance, there a few things to know and take into consideration, besides your preference of scent. What you may not know about fragrance is that there are four different types of 'perfumes' you may choose from, each with a different concentration of scent. There's an eau de toilette, eau de parfum, eau de cologne, and then a spray. It all boils down to how much oil each of those fragrances have.

1. Eau De Toilette. These are usually a weaker blend in comparison to an eau de pafume or spray, the concentration of these are usually between 5% and 15%.  This is ideal for  you if you want a great scent without it being too overpowering.  Keep in mind this will not last as long as a eau de parfum, so if you are looking for something to last all day long, continue on to eau de parfum.
2. Eau De Parfum perfumes are the most common that you will come across. The concentration of t hese are between 15% and 20%, which means the concentration of the scent is going to stronger and linger for a longer period of time.
3. Eeau De cologne, very commonly confused with eau de toilette because they share a similar concentration percentage.  Aromatically, however, an eau de cologne is weaker, with a concentration of around 3% to 8%.  This is perfect for someone looking for a hint of a scent rather than something strong and longer lasting.
4. Sprays, which are the weakest fragrances in their category.  The compounds are typically 1% and 3% and because of this, you will find these are the most inexpensive.  Sprays are refreshing and do not last nearly as long as an eau de toilette or eau de parfum. 

Know Your Notes

Just as you wouldn't wear a pullover to a summer picnic, there are certain perfume notes that are best left to the colder seasons. In the heat of summer, fresh and natural - or at least nature-inspired - scent ingredients are the most welcome. These include citrus, fruity, oceanic, woody, and light floral notes.

Summerize Your Signature Scent

Do you have a signature perfume? Look for summer flankers to your favorite scent. Many brands - from designer fragrance houses to sportwear companies - release limited-edition summer versions of their most popular fragrances. Aside form making money, this is why so many upscale and midscale fashion stores sell frgrance, they compliment the style of clothes a given store carries.

Make Your Summer Scent Last

Just be careful not to overdo it - your perfume shouldn't enter a room before you do. If in doubt, ask a trusted friend if you need to take it down a notch - and see our helpful tips on how to remove fragrance from skin. To help make your fragrance last longer, you can also try layering products - such as soap and body lotion - from your chosen perfume line. Be mindful of your other grooming products, too. Use an unscented soap in the shower, and skip strongly-scented moisturizing products, so your fragrance doesn't have to compete with your various lotions and potions.

Goodies! Perfumes For Pets And Your Pet Can Smell Good Too

Perfume and earrings -- for your dog? Americans are spending millions of dollars on Valentine's Day gifts for their pets. Here are some of the more ridiculous ones. The following data says volumes about love, Americans, their buying patterns and the animals they share their lives with. The National Retail Federation reports consumers are spending a little bit more this Valentine's Day than they did last year, while remaining financially cautious due to the ongoing economic uncertainty. 

I think this makes perfect sense as pets do not tend to shower as often as humans do, and they cannot tell if they are smelling bad. So I think I am all for owners showering their pets with perfumes, because of all the positive external factors we all get when sniffing some fresh scent. 

American adults will shell out an estimated $18.6 billion to celebrate the holiday -- including an impressive $815 million on Valentine's Day gifts for their pets. Lucky bitches and kittens. 

A recent survey of 6,000 U.S. pet owners by the pet insurance company Petplan is also revealing.

According to the survey:

• 78% of pet owners plan to buy their pet a gift this Valentine's Day.

• 62% of pet owners say they will spend up to $10 on gifts for their pets.

• 27% will spend up to $25 on gifts and 11% will spend more than $25.

• 25% of pet owners say their pets have their own valentines.

• 20% of those surveyed say their pets will be sending out their own Valentine's Day greetings.

 These gifts can range from the very practical and economic, Pet stores will enjoy and appreciate you lavish spending, which in turn will create jobs Your pet might get a lot more attention than its owner.

You Can Smell Good On The Go, And The TSA Wont' Mind

Worry no more  your favorite scent can go the trip with you, and the people at the TSA security check won't throw anything away from your carry-on.

This lightweight, portable perfume sprayer makes it convenient to have your favorite scent with you anytime, anywhere. At just 3 inches long and holding .136 oz this sleek design is great for men or women on the go. The good news is that this atomizer does not leak!!! A problem when flying! It is easy to fill following the directions. It might be a little larger than I had hoped - those quart-size zip bags get full very fast with my assorted liquids and gels - but size is less of an issue than leakage!! I've purchased another one to fill with a different fragrance.

It's very easy to fill. The instructions looked like I was supposed to spray the perfume into the atomizer, but I couldn't figure out how to do that without perfume leaking out. So I just slowly poured my perfume from my large bottle into the atomizer. Because of the funnel shaped opening, the perfume just poured in with no spills or difficulty. The spray works really well. It's a very fine mist so you can control whether you want a concentrated spray (by spraying close to the skin) or do the "mist and walk under" method. Great product, exactly what I needed.

Holding up to 50 sprays and airline and TSA approved the patented refill system fills directly from almost any fragrance bottle with a removable spray head. Simply remove the nozzle from your big fragrance bottle, pump the atomizer up and down on the tube, and you can be ready to go in just a few seconds.

Small enough to fit into the closed palm of your hands. perfect for traveling and updating your perfume during the day. love the color. it's perfect for me. not sure how often it requires refill or how it will handle a change in perfume... so will the second perfume smell like the first one? not sure yet.