My Cosmetic Side: Fragrance

I am that kind of person who needs to quite often change the perfume which I wear, as my nose cannot 'stand' the same fragrance for a long time. The world of perfumes is like an enchanted garden to me. So many beautiful scents to enjoy!


And it is not possible to say which one is the most gorgeous. In my opinion, each composition is delightful in its own way. Besides, why I should limit myself to one kind of scent only, since, every year, so many beautiful ones are created.

That is why there are always quite a few bottles of various fragrance compositions in my cabinet.

Some which I have enjoyed most are listed (in alphabetical order) below.

1. Chopard

CASMIR / night-evening-winter /

notes:

• peach, apricot, blackcurrant, raspberry;
• mandarin, carnation, cinnamon;
• vanilla, benzoin, tonka bean, opoponax ('sweet myrrh' - an oil plant native to the deserts of middle East).

2. Dior

ADDICT 2

notes:

• orange, freesia, grapefruit, bergamot,
• pineapple, pomegranate, lily of the Valley, watermelon, lotus,
• sandalwood, cedar, white musk.

MISS DIOR CHERIE

notes: 

• pineapple, mandarin orange, cherry, strawberry,
• jasmine, rose, violet, caramel, popcorn,
• patchouli, musk, amber.

DUNE /night - evening - winter/

notes:

• peony, mandarin orange, bergamot, aldehydes,
• jasmine, lily, ylang-ylang, wallflower, rose,
• sandalwood, amber, patchouli, musk,  vanilla, oakmoss, benzoin.

DIORISSIMO /night - evening - winter/

notes:

• bergamot, green leaves,
• lily, rosemary, jasmine, lilac, amaryllis, ylang-ylang, boronia, lily-of-the-Valley,
• civet, sandalwood.

3. Elizabeth Arden 

5th AVENUE /day/

notes:

• dewy magnolia, mandarin, linden blossom, lilac, bergamot, Muguet,
• carnation, violet, Indian tuberose, nutmeg, jasmine, ylang-ylang, peach, Bulgarian rose,
• cloves, amber, iris, sandalwood, Tibetan musk, vanilla.

3. Givenchy

EAUDEMOISELLE de GIVENCHY /day - summer/

notes:

• lemon, basil, tangerine,
• ylang-ylang, rose,
• ambrette, musk, tonka bean.

 4. Guess 

 GUESS for Women /day-summer/

notes:

• strawberry, bergamot, green apple, tangerine,
• freesia, peony, magnolia, peach, red berries, jasmine, ylang-ylang, lily-of-the-Valley, 
• oakmoss, cedar, musk, amber.

5. Lancome:

POEME

notes:

• mandarin orange, black currant, blue Himalayan poppy, bergamot, green notes, narcissus, peach, plum, 
• leather, mimosa, orange blossom, jasmine,
• tonka bean, cedar, musk, amber, orange blossom, vanilla.

TRESOR

notes:

• bergamot, peach, 
• heart of Damascena rose essence, violet flower, heliotrope, jasmine absolute,
• sandalwood, milky musk.

HYPNOSE SENSES /night/evening/winter/

notes:

• mandarin orange, orange, pink pepper,
• rose, osmanthus, white honey,
• French labdanum, patchouli, tonka bean, benzoin.

6. Lolita Lempicka

Si LOLITA evening/night/winter/

notes:

• mandarin orange, bergamot,
• sweet pea, pink pepper, elemi, wallflower, heliotrope,
• elemi, tonka bean, amber, patchouli.

LOLITA LEMPICKA /day-summer/

notes:

• star anise, violet, ivy,
• amaryllis, licorice, iris, orris root, cherry,
• praline, vanilla, tonka bean, white musk, vetiver.

7. Oriflame 

GIORDANI GOLD /night - evening - winter/

notes:

• mandarin orange, white flowers, orange blossom, lemon blossom,
• tuberose, jasmine, lily,
• white musk, patchouli, cypress, moss.

8. Yves Rocher 

COMME une EVIDENCE /night - evening - winter/

notes:

• violet leaf, rhubarb,
• rose, lily-of-the-Valley,
• musk, patchouli, oakmoss.

NEBLINA /day-summer/

notes:

• apricot, orange, orchid,
• violet, orchid, white flowers,
• oakmoss, woody grass, woodsy notes.

9. YSL

BABY DOLL /day-summer/

notes:

• blackcurrant, orange, pineapple, apple,
• lily-of-the-Valley, heliotrope, freesia, rose,
• vanilla, tonka bean, sandalwood, cedar.

BELLE D'OPIUM /evening-night-winter/

notes:

• gardenia, mandarin orange, Casablanca lily, jasmine,
• peach, incense, white pepper, tobacco, fruity notes,
• patchouli, sandalwood, amber.

PARISIENNE /day-summer/

notes:

• blackberry, vinyl, cranberry,
• peony, violet, Damask rose,
• musk, vetyver,  patchouli, sandalwood.

As you can see, my nose prefers fruity-and-floral/ floral-and-fruity notes with some addition of a few other ingredients.

Many years ago, I was also a fan of some compositions signed by Priscilla Presley. They were light. but quite charming at the same time. I did like them very much. Unfortunately, I cannot recall what their names were.

What is your favorite perfume/eau de toilette?

Eye Pencils: In Blue

I am so glad that the Big Makeup World has finally appreciated colorful eye pencils and eye liners. In my opinion, lighter shades 'open' the eye and add the light to the look. My favorites have always been various tones of blue and green (my eyes are brown), and I have worn them no matter what a current makeup trend says.

My choice of blue eye pencils:

all of them (besides no.3) are creamy and soft which makes the application quite comfortable. The colors stays on the eyelid long and do not fade/smudge.

1. Dessin Du Regard Crayon Yeux Haute Tenue - No. 9 Turquoise by YSL
The eye pencil contains jojoba oil. The blending tip is quite handy considering creating a 'smokey eye' look option.

2. Waterproof Eye Pencil - Turquoise by Yves Rocher is enriched with Chamomile extract. I really like its radiant shade. The built-in sharpener is quite and useful. The winner in my 'waterproof  qualities' test.*
  
4.  Flashy Liner Waterproof - No. 08 Flashy Blue - by Sephora
It is really great - a lovely vivid, metallic/shiny blue shade. The tip is soft and silky. I could not find more info on the pencil as it seems to be discontinued but it is long-lasting indeed. No.2 in my 'waterproof qualities' test*.

3. Sky Teal by Apple - this eye pencil (I do not know anything about its manufacturer) is actually the weakest (meaning quality) so it should be marked as no. 4. On the other hand, even though its tip is a bit harder, comparing to the other pencils, there are no problems with drawing a thin, precise line and defining the eye with the Sky Teal. I like the color. Also, the eye pencil was inexpensive, which makes it quite a good option to all the more pricey stuff.

* I tested all four eye pencils in the shower.

Below: an example of my everyday makeup with a blue eye pencil. I keep the makeup light as at my age more intense tones would not look good. On the other hand, it does not mean the older you get, the more boring your makeup must be - a blue/turquoise (or other color) eyeliner adds some freshness and lightness to the look.

What I used:

• eye shadows  (all blended together)  - beige, light orange-gold, light blue and lavender by Yves Rocher 
• Flashy Blue eye pencil - by Sephora 
• black waterproof mascara by Sephora

Love From First Scent: Baby Doll by YSL

Some women tend to wear one scent mostly and make it a kind of their 'trade mark'. My nose would find it very boring! The world of perfumes is so full of various aromas, their compounds - so many to discover and enjoy! Of course, what we like depends on our personal preferences.
A pleasant scent can add beauty to an ordinary day and special moments as well. One of them is Baby Doll by Yves Saint Laurent - a fruity and floral, elegant fragrance. According to fragrantica.com, the perfume was created by Cecile Matton and Ralf Schwieger in 1999. The cute, glass bottle in the shape of a spinning top was designed by Saint Gobain.
The main Baby Doll's aroma notes include: grapefruit, redcurrant, peach, freesia and cedar.
The fragrance is delicate and - oh - so fresh! It is light enough to be worn during a day, also at work.

I simply love it.

Colors of Autumn: Orange - Nails

The orange nail polish looks fabulous on the nails.

The two shades chosen by myself look quite similar  however, the one by Sally Hansen is less pricey. On the other hand, La Laque No.142 by Yves Saint Laurent (I discovered it much earlier than No. 170 by S.H.) looked good on the nails even for two weeks - did not chip. I loved it - I found its quality really worth the price. The consistency of the nail polish doesn't change - it did not thicken even after moths of using it. The practical brush almost reaches the bottom of the bottle which helped to use the nail polish entirely, nearly till the last drop.

Right now I am enjoying The Hot Tamale shade (Hard AS Nails Xtreme Wear) by Sally Hansen  . I like the shiny color. So far I have been quite content with the quality of the nail polish. It is quite durable considering all the dish-washing and regular housework I do. The shape of the brush allows to apply the layers of the color quite evenly and flawlessly. All in all, in my opinion - a good buy.