Perfume

Harry Slatkin on How to Choose a Fragrance That's Right for You [VIDEO]

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance, Video

Harry Slatkin, founder and creative force behind Slatkin & Co. and one of the country's top fragrance experts, believe you shouldn't rush into buying a fragrance when shopping.

"Take a step back before deciding what fragrance to wear," he says.

Indeed, what a fragrance smells like on one person may smell completely different on someone else.

"So just because you like the way something smells when it is in the bottle doesn't mean that is what it is going to smell like when it is on you," says Slatkin. "Let your nose direct you."

Tags: fragrances, Harry Slatkin, perfume, scent, video

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Shanghai Tang's New Pocket-Sized Refillable Atomizers

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance, Holiday Guides, By Design

Shanghai Tang has collaboarted with Travalo to produce refillable pocket-sized atomizers

Looking for a unique gift for the holidays or an early purchase for Valentine's Day 2011? Look no further than Shanghai Tang, the luxury Chinese which is offering pocket-sized, pump-action refillable atomizers in coordinating leather pouches for men and women.

Shanghai Tang collaborated with Travalo, the innovative producer of pocket-sized, pump-action refillable atomizers, to create one with a patented PumpFill valve that refills in seconds. The atomizer, which provides up to 50 sprays, can be refilled in seconds from any pump-spray fragrance bottle. The pressure regulator within ensures no leaks making it extremely convenient to carry in your handbag or pocket. Each Shanghai Tang Travalo set includes two capsule
atomizers, encased in a skillfully embossed leather pouch elegant enough for all occasions.

The Shanghai Tang Dragon Travalo Set for men (seen above) comes with a black leather case embossed with a dragon---a traditional symbol of power, strength and good luck. A dragon is also engraved on the black and gun-metal capsule atomizers which are filled with Shanghai Tang's signature Mandarin Tea fragrance for him.

Tags: atomizer, gifts, gifts for men, gifts for women, holiday gift, Holiday gift guide 2010, holiday gifts, perfume, shanghai Tang, travalo, Valentines day gifts

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Holiday Shopping Guide: Top Beauty Gifts for Women

by Ariston Anderson (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

The holidays mark the perfect time to update your look, your scent, or simply to protect the skin on your back. We rounded up the top luxe beauty gifts this season that will be a joy for anyone on your list to play with and experiment with. Help your friends and loved ones ring in the new year with a gift that will last well into 2011.

Sensai Cellular Lifting Series Set

The first name in Japanese skincare, Sensai, has earned a named synonymous with rich, moisturized skin. Whether dealing with harsh winter conditions or drying sun, nothing works better to moisturize and heal delicate skin. A new limited edition set ($245) features two of the most popular products from Sensai's new Lifting series, Lifting Cream and Lifting Essence, and a revitalizing Lifting Radiance 3D Mask. Featuring a near entire bottle of the Sensai Lifting Radiance Concentrate, formulated with Sensai's Natural Musculifter and Golden Camomile Extract, the mask guarantees a fresh, youthful face by New Year's through its trademark energy activation of muscle cells and microcirculation of the skin.

Sensai has another Limited Edition Gift Set from the Cellular Performance line ($130), which features Cellular Performance face and eye countour cream, inflused with Koishumaru Silk and Shilan Extract to protect against wrinkles and discoloration. The special box set also includes the Total Lip Treatment, which Scarlett Johannson calls her "favorite thing in the entire world...feels like a million bucks."

Tags: bobbi brown, cosmetics, fragrance, holiday shopping guide, perfume, scent, sensai, tom ford

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Chanel Wins Luxist's Editors' Choice Award for Best in Beauty

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

Chanel wins Luxist's Editors Choice Award for Best in Beauty

For a beauty and fashion conglomerate whose founder distained fragrances, Chanel has had quite a run. "Women perfume themselves only to hide bad smells," said Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, shortly after founding her eponymous company.

That was 1909. A century later the iconic Chanel No. 5 is not only Chanel's flagship fragrance, but one of the most recognizable products in the world. Today, the Chanel empire (LINK: www.chanel.com ) spans cosmetics, haute couture, jewelry and swimwear. The company boasts more than 160 boutiques and seven ateliers (through subsidiary Paraffection) across the globe, from Paris and New York to Hong Kong and Tokyo.

Though Coco herself has long since passed on, the company's creative vision comes from head designer and creative director Karl Lagerfeld. Billionaires Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, grandsons of Coco's original business partner Pierre Wertheimer, continue to control the corporate side of Chanel, which takes in an estimated $3 billion or so in annual revenue.

Gallery: Chanel

Tags: Awards-main, Chanel, Chanel No. 5, cosmetics, Luxist-Awards, perfume, winners-beauty, winners-editors-choice

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Laila Ali Launches Skincare, Haircare, Fragrances Line

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance, Green, Celebrity Design

Laila Ali Launches Skincare, Haircare, Fragrances Line

Boxing beauty, famous daughter, and singer Laila Ali now has a full line of beauty products -- skincare (Global Complexion), haircare (Global Texture), and fragrances for women (Laila), and men (KO). The line is affordable and strives to be eco-friendly, two things that don't always go hand in hand.

Both the skincare and haircare lines are made with a blend of sulfate- and paraben-free ingredients combined with exclusive Derm Essential moisturizers. Plant derivatives, plant-based compounds, and sea kelp extracts are used for the line's essential oils instead of oils derived from animal products. Organic, hypoallergenic, wrapped in recyclable packaging, and designed for daily use. All products in both lines are $13 each.

Fragrances are $40 for women and $47 for men. Both are a 3.4 oz. EDT spray.

Tags: celebrities, celebrity, fragrance, green, haircare, Laila Ali, organic, perfume, skincare

Ben Bridge Jeweler Launches Flawless Fragrance

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Cosmetics and Fragrance

Ben Bridge Jeweler recently launched "Flawless," the retailer first fragrance.The fragrance is sold in a bottle that resembles an upside down brilliant cut diamond topped by a cap that looks like another diamond. It sits inside a ring-shaped box. The scent includes notes of cucumber, pear, citrus, magnolia, verbena, saffron and cocoa. Flawless is available in Ben Bridge stores and online at BenBridge.com. The 1.70 fluid-ounce eau de parfum bottle sells for $85.

Plenty of jewelry houses have fragrance lines including Cartier, Bulgari and Van Cleef & Arpels.

[via National Jeweler]

Tags: ben bridge jewelers, fragrance, perfume

Beverly Hills to Launch Official City Fragrances

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

Beverly Hills has long stood out as a city all about beauty and glamour and now it's planning to take that reputation and bottle it up in physical form by launching its own line of fragrances. The official City of Beverly Hills fragrance line includes three scents that are meant to "evoke what life is like for the Beverly Hills woman." "Must Have" represents spontaneity, energy, and sunshine, "Rodeo" evokes the glamor of red carpet events, and "Iconic" is inspired by the sexy, soft, playful vibe of Beverly Hills nights.

No word yet on what scents each fragrance will actually be made up of but the line was created by Swiss perfumiers specifically for the city and pains were taken to ensure flowers local to the Beverly Hills area were used, including wild rose, sweet pea, honeysuckle, peony and red cedar. Set to debut in department stores in January the three fragrances are only the beginning of a full-on beauty line that will become available slowly over 2011. Watch for men's cologne, hydration treatments and eventually cosmetics, all of which will feature the city's trademarked shield logo as part of their bottle designs.

The official City of Beverly Hills fragrances will retail for $120 each.

Source

Tags: beverly hills, cologne, fragrance, perfume

Shakira Launches "S by Shakira" Fragrance

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance, Celebrity Design

Just when I think the fragrance market is saturated, along comes another celebrity-inspired offering. Hot Colombian singer, she of the hips that don't lie, Shakira, entered the market in September with "S by Shakira." The fragrance launched in more than 15,000 stores, including drugstores and mass- and mid-tier department stores.

"My feeling is that personal care and beauty should be effortless and accessible for everyone," Shakira said in a statement. "When you give someone a fragrance, you're giving them something of yourself. It's a gift of your essence."

The performer was involved in the creation and explored notes that were meaningful to her, in this case, chocolate and strawberries, baby skin, balsamic resins, and honey. The result features notes of jasmine, sandalwood, vanilla, amber, and resins.

[Thanks to our sister site, StyleList]

Tags: celebrity, fragrance, perfume, S by Shakira, Shakira

Eau de Steve McQueen

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance, Men's Style, Celebrity Design

It seems like every celebrity and his/her cousin is launching their own scents these days. Thing is, most of those celebrities are, well...you know, alive. Not this one, though.

Amidst the myriad jackets, watches and even motorcycles – and just about everything in between – licensed by the late Steve McQueen's estate comes this cologne. It features a fresh green fruit top-note, the essence of cardamom, sage and cinnamon and cedar base. And of course, the name and likeness of the legendary King of Cool himself.

It won't come cheap, with a €190 (nearly $250) list price (before shipping and taxes), and hits the market as we go to press.

Source

Tags: cologne, fragrance, mcqueen, perfume, scent, steve mcqueen

Odin's New Fragrance, 04 Petrana

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

Odin New York has a new fragrance, Odin EDT 04 Petrana. Presented in a simple bottle with crisp, functional lines and colored a spicy, mesmerizing shade of brown, it's meant to evoke a Jordanian desert landscape covered in blooming black iris. The scent starts off with base notes of wild orris root, earthy vetiver, and white musk, leads into middle notes of black iris, violet leaf absolute, and garden heliotrope, and finishes with top notes of deep purple cassis, pink pepper, and herbaceous coriander. Sounds like a unique scent experience to be sure. $110

Via Acquire

Source
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Tags: fragrance, odin, perfume, scent

Diane Kruger Will Be the Face of Calvin Klein's "Beauty"

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

Model-turned-actress Diane Kruger will be the face of Calvin Klein's newest fragrance, "Beauty." The fragrance's notes are a mystery, and will remain so until fall, when the line launches. Kruger will star in the global print and television advertising campaign. Here's a sneak peek at the ad. Kruger, known for her style perhaps more so than for her acting, also is the face of L'Oreal Paris, representing the brand's hair care, hair color, and makeup, in particular its latest foundation, Mat'Morphose.

Tags: beauty, Calvin Klein, celebrity endorsement, Diane Kruger, fragrance, perfume

Creed Debuts New Fragrance With Its Own Polo Team

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports, Men's Style

Creed of Paris, supplier of bespoke fragrances to royalty and aristocracy since 1760, has named a polo team after its newest scent for men. Called Aventus and inspired by Napoleon, the luxurious cologne was created by hand from ingredients sourced from important locations in the great emperor's life. The classic Creed "flask" design of the black leather-wrapped bottle also dates to the Napoleonic era. The newest addition to Creed's prestigious Permanent Collection, Aventus will debut this fall at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and the Creed boutique in New York City.

The newly-minted Creed Aventus polo team meanwhile will play at high-profile matches this summer in England and France. Aventus contains blackcurrant from Corsica, where Napoleon was born; bergamot from Italy, site of victories that made him famous; Calville Blanc apples from France, where he rose to be emperor; Napoleon Roses, named in his honor; Louisana birch, the wood of his throne; Jasmine from Egypt, where his empire reached; and oak moss from Spain, which he conquered, among other ingredients. Part of the proceeds from U.S. sales benefits American Rivers, protecting U.S. waterways from harm.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Bergdorf Goodman, bespoke, cologne, Creed, equestrian, fragrance, France, leather, mens style, Napoleon, Neiman Marcus, Paris, perfume, polo

Luxist Review and Giveaway: Badgley Mischka Couture Parfum Gel Elixir

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

Who would know better than fashion designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka about what scent to wear with an evening gown? Their Badgley Mishka Couture Parfum Gel Elixir is perfectly made to be rubbed on pulse points before an important night out. This stuff is delicious magic, you don't know if you want to sniff it or eat it but either way you want to rub your face in it. Notes of purple plum, blackberry and peach nectar lend this concoction a very foodie appeal which ups the sensuality quotient. All that fruit is backed up with a wallop of jasmine, gardenia and violet for added sex appeal. The scent is firmly grounded in musks and woods but hours later what remains is a honeyed floral thrum designed to turn heads.

I'm giving away my review sample of the .5 ounce purse-friendly Badgley Mischka Couture Parfum Elixir.

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before June 18, 2010 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive one .5 ounce Badgley Mischka Couture Parfum Elixir, valued at $48.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.

See complete giveaway rules here.

This contest is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

Tags: badgley mischka, fragrance, luxist giveaway, parfum, perfume

Chanel No. 5 Wins the Readers' Choice Award for Best Fragrance

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

Trends come and go in the world of perfumes, but the classic Chanel No. 5 is one of the few exceptions to the rule. For nearly a century, it has been synonymous with elegance and sophistication-making. Chanel No. 5 is also the Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Award winner in the best fragrance category.

Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel started her company in 1909 with a single Paris store. By 1913, she had expanded to the posh European resort towns of Deauville and Biarritz, France. As the winter of 1921 approached, she gave the first 100 bottles of the fragrance to her most loyal customers as a Christmas gift. The following year, Chanel No. 5 made its official debut.

Gallery: Chanel

The precise origins of Chanel No. 5 are the stuff of legend. At first, Coco wanted no part of the fragrance business. "Women perfume themselves only to hide bad smells," she famously said. But eventually French perfumer Ernst Beaux changed Coco's mind. According to one story, the formulation of No. 5 was Beaux's attempt to capture the smell of Europe's northern lakes in the midnight sun; according to another, it was the result of a mixing error by Beaux's assistant.

Whatever the origin, No. 5 remains popular as ever today, thanks in part to a vaunted advertising campaign. Spokespeople for the fragrance have included actresses Marilyn Monroe, Catherine Deneuve, Nicole Kidman, and most recently, Audrey Tautou, star of Amelie. She's the muse for a Chanel No. 5 film directed by Jean Pierre Jeunet. The current campaign is Chanel's first to launch online.

Chanel No. 5 perfume is described as sensual, intimate, luxurious, and the new film portrays No. 5 women of today as serene, enchanting and free---all part of an effort to renew the brand in the eyes of younger consumers. The fragrance can be purchased through Chanel's website (1.2 oz: $61.50) or at most high end department stores.

Tags: awards-main, Chanel, Chanel No. 5, coco chanel, fragrance, luxist-awards, perfume, winners-beauty

Hanae Mori Debuts No. 1 Parfum

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

Hanae Mori, named for Japan's most successful female fashion designer, inaugurates its new Eaux de Collection with the launch of No. 1, a limited-edition scent for women.

The first release in a fragrance series that aims to capture the elemental forces of the sun and wind, approximately 30% of the power used to create the appropriately named No. 1 comes from renewable sources. Additionally, a portion of US sales will benefit Clean Air-Cool Planet, a non-profit organization dedicated to solving global warming through policy and education.

The structure of the scent is built using fruits and flower blooms selected in France, which are then bathed in warm alcohol to release their natural essences. Top notes swirl with fresh bergamot, grapefruit and blackcurrants, while the middle notes express white musk, jasmine and more dark berries. A base of Indian sandalwood, amber and vanilla anchors No. 1 with a warm and calming demeanor.

Sun ripened fruit, flowering petals and a classically Japanese desire to channel nature's etherealness make No. 1 a corollary scent to the approaching summer season. Early word is that the First Lady of California, Maria Shriver, is already a fan, having received one of the debut bottles.

(3.4 ounces, $95)

Tags: fashion designers, fragrance, france, hanae mori, hanae mori no. 1, Japan, limited edition, perfume, scents