The poetry and prose behind perfumes with peculiar notes
Mon, 02/14/2011 - 09:09 | Dimitri
For decades, many mainstream perfume releases have relied on million-dollar advertising campaigns in support of a new launch. In a struggling global luxury retail market, every company is striving to stand head and shoulders above their competitors using any means possible, and for many, the marketing and PR departments are working overtime to lure your nose into making a purchase.
Run away from that cold!
Tue, 02/08/2011 - 10:25 | Wendy
For most of the country, it's cold and flu season. That means annoying stuffy noses, sniffles, sneezes and coughs abound.
According to a recent study out of Sweden, people who exercise for an hour a day are 18 percent less likely to suffer upper-respiratory-tract infections than those who are inactive.
For those of you who've been hit with the cold, keep this health tip in mind for next season. And for the lucky ones who haven't, keep exercising!
According to a recent study out of Sweden, people who exercise for an hour a day are 18 percent less likely to suffer upper-respiratory-tract infections than those who are inactive.
For those of you who've been hit with the cold, keep this health tip in mind for next season. And for the lucky ones who haven't, keep exercising!
How to get kissable lips for Valentine's Day
Thu, 01/27/2011 - 09:50 | Wendy
Valentine's Day is fast approaching. It's time to get those lips in shape. You don't have to be born with a natural pout (although it does help) to get kissable lips. A few small steps can make all the difference.
Give the gift of chocolate and rose this Valentine's Day
Tue, 01/25/2011 - 07:02 | Dimitri
Every year, just as we dismantle and stow away our synthetic Christmas trees, store shelves are already being weighed down with Valentine's Day gifts,er, paraphernalia … stuffed animals, furry handcuffs, foil-wrapped chocolate hearts and glittery greeting cards ... all in mass abundance. (I'm sure this garish pink and red chaos can be seen from the sky!)
What's your winter fragrance?
Mon, 01/24/2011 - 10:51 | Wendy
Over on StyleBistro.com, writer Tony talks about good winter perfumes for 2011. Some of his suggestions include celebrity fragrances like Beyonce's Heat and Eva by Eva Longoria.
Perfume.org highlighted our favorite winter fragrances earlier this fall, including Opium by Yves Saint Laurent and Terre d'Hermes by Hermes.
What is your favorite winter scent?
Perfume.org highlighted our favorite winter fragrances earlier this fall, including Opium by Yves Saint Laurent and Terre d'Hermes by Hermes.
What is your favorite winter scent?
Healthy tanning bed tips for the winter
Wed, 01/12/2011 - 11:53 | Wendy
It's the middle of January. For most of us it's the time of year when we feel our pastiest. Whatever trace of a tan you had leftover from the summer is long gone and your bronzer is now your best friend.
While tanning in a tanning bed can have major drawbacks, if used properly (translation: wisely), it can have some benefits, too. If you opt for the tanning bed, don't tan for more than 15 minutes at a time. In fact, a few sessions per week of 10 minutes will help you achieve a healthy glow. Just because it's winter, the same rules apply. Don't tan without protective eyewear and moisturize after each tanning session.
Another perk to the tanning bed? The UV rays, manufactured or not, give your serotonin levels a swift kick in the pants. And it feels good!
While tanning in a tanning bed can have major drawbacks, if used properly (translation: wisely), it can have some benefits, too. If you opt for the tanning bed, don't tan for more than 15 minutes at a time. In fact, a few sessions per week of 10 minutes will help you achieve a healthy glow. Just because it's winter, the same rules apply. Don't tan without protective eyewear and moisturize after each tanning session.
Another perk to the tanning bed? The UV rays, manufactured or not, give your serotonin levels a swift kick in the pants. And it feels good!
Get the look: Natalie Portman nominated for Golden Globe
Wed, 01/05/2011 - 10:11 | Wendy
Golden Globe nominee Natalie Portman has been nominated for best actress for her role in "Black Swan." The young starlet looked glamorous at the annual Gotham Independent Film Awards in November.
You can create the same look sported by Portman at the Gotham awards. For your lips, try a vivid pop of pink, enhanced by a lighter pink blush, scant shimmery shadow and standby black mascara. Portman is wearing the perfect shade of pink from Dior Addict Lipcolor (Pink Lust).
Give your beauty regimen a facelift - one step at a time
Mon, 01/03/2011 - 09:50 | Wendy
There's no better time to start over than in January, right? It's the month of resolutions -- some broken, others kept. Sometimes we set lofty goals for ourselves, and eventually crack under the pressure of carrying them out. Resolutions often become nothing more than whims that may last a few days to a few weeks.
2010: The year in fragrance
Thu, 12/30/2010 - 00:00 | Dimitri
Often when I look back upon the year that was, I think of the resolutions that I've managed to uphold (and the few that I've broken), and how far I've come in the meantime. The end of the year is a good time to reflect upon the past 12 months and see how we've fared both personally and professionally.
On a personal note, I have seen my appreciation for perfume grow and grow, so to coincide with the holidays, I thought I'd write a round-up of some of the fine fragrance hits and misses over the past 52 weeks. This year was a big year for new launches from established designer houses and some niche ones too.
So let's begin… here is the perfume.org bucketlist of 2010 scents you must try before the onslaught of new perfume releases in 2011!
2010 ANNIVERSARY FRAGRANCES
Vera Wang released Anniversary, a soft floral scent for women to celebrate 20 years in the biz, while John Varvatos created his masculine 10th Anniversary fragrance, an assertive woody/spicy special edition EDT.
BEST BOTTLE DESIGN - HIS AND HERS
This accolade might just go to Thierry Mugler's Womanity perfume, a striking Alien-esque flacon of pewter-coloured metal and glass, containing a cotton-candy pink elixir based around fig, fig tree and caviar.
For the boys, Marc Jacobs Bang, launched in its punchy, crumpled mirrored bottle became an object to be desired. This contemporary EDT is a play on pepper and spices that are resolutely masculine.
QUIRKIEST BOTTLE DESIGN - HIS AND HERS
Davidoff has led the market for years with its much loved fragrance Cool Water, but the 2010 release of Champion in its dumbell-shaped bottle leaves us wondering if brawn was put before brains in the Davidoff marketing department. At least it smells good…
Meanwhile, Givenchy unleashed Play for Her in a stylish mobile-phone inspired flacon, which wouldn't look out of place in any modern girl's handbag.
MOST RELEASES BY A SINGLE PERFUME HOUSE
This year Ralph Lauren launched its Big Pony youth-oriented clothing collection and no less than four new Big Pony scents for men. Each one embracing an individual characteristic of the "Ralph Lauren Man," the gents can choose a scent to compliment his lifestyle. Is he Fresh, Sensual, Rugged or Stylish? This classy quartet brought much color to 2010!
BATTLE OF THE BIG GUNS
In the past 12 months four major designers released new perfumes which left consumers with some heavy decisions to be made. Giorgio Armani launched the stunning scent Acqua di Gioia perfume for women - a delicious summery perfume that evokes sensations of Mediterranean beaches and sipping Mai Tais. Calvin Klein's answer to that was to bring Beauty to the masses … an elegant and sophisticated musky floral that is as timeless as Calvin Klein clothing. Gucci joined the party with its perfume Guilty for women - a fruity floral that is both daring and sexy. Men can expect to see Guilty's aromatic masculine counterpart early in 2011. And speaking of the fellas, Chanel bounced back with its first new (non-flanking) men's fragrance in a number of years. Bleu de Chanel cologne is a woody aromatic scent that is also climbing the popularity ladder, and is proof positive that the major designers are still fighting for supremacy!
NOT-TO-BE-MISSED NICHE RELEASE
They might be trickier to track down, but niche scents are often adored for their uniqueness. This year Comme des Garcons continued to celebrate all things avant garde with Wonderwood, a unisex fragrance that is an overdose of woods. Pretty much every wood facet you can imagine has gone into this enchanting EDP - one that will bewitch and beguile. It is perfume.org's top niche pic for the year.
As we usher in a brand new year, we should be excited to see new offerings from Dior, Donna Karan, Joop!, Costume National, Estee Lauder, Jimmy Choo, and many, many more.
Katie Puckrik talks holiday party fragrances
Wed, 12/22/2010 - 10:44 | Wendy
