fragrance

Ralph Lauren Launches Big Pony Fragrances

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance, Men's Style

Ralph Lauren has launched a new line of men's fragrances dubbed the Big Pony collection, derived from the supersized polo player logos the designer featured on some of his sportswear. The four fragrances in bold and colorful bottles are Sporty, with lime and grapefruit notes; Seductive, with dark chocolate and musk; Adventurous, with pine and ginger root; and Stylish, with notes of mandarin and kyara wood. Each is priced at $50. To launch the new line, Lauren commissioned a "soundtrack song" by One Republic called Secrets along with a promo video; on the Big Pony fragrances website fans can also mix and match clips characterizing the different scents to create their own videos peopled by beautiful, stylish, sexually available and apparently somewhat accident-prone Ralph Lauren models.

Gallery: Ralph Lauren Big Pony Fragrances

Tags: cologne, fragrance, mens style, polo, Ralph Lauren, video

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

Luxist Review and Giveaway: Paris Hilton's Tease Perfume

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

Paris Hilton has quite the perfume empire. The indomitable heiress is releasing her tenth scent this month. Tease was inspired by another showy blonde, Marilyn Monroe. The box features a black and white image of Paris posed as a blonde bombshell. The pictures were shot in Los Angeles by Tony Duran. "I am all about being alluring, but with a wink, and a fun, fresh take on all that is enticingly feminine about a woman today," says Hilton in a press release.

Tease is a good name for this scent, it's not a sugar slam like many of her other scents. Sure, the fruity sweetness is there but it comes on soft in a powdery whisper. The scent starts with fruity notes of fresh Fuji apple, sunny sea mist accord, white peach nectar and Sparkling Bergamot. The heart is full of white florals: frangipani petals, night-blooming jasmine and creamy tuberose. Even the base is soft, winding up with golden amber, blonde woods and warm sand accord. It would be hard to dislike this one, Hilton has called the scent sweet and flirty and it is but like a flirt it disappears before you have time to really consider it, leaving behind just a fluffy warm memory.

The scent was created for Parlux by Steve DeMercado who has spent 20 years in the perfume business.

I've had my sniff, want yours? I'm giving away my 3.4 ounce review bottle which retails for $55.
* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before July 23, 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 3.4 ounce Paris Hilton Tease eau de parfum valued at $55.
* 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: celebrity fragrance, Celebrity Fragrances, fragrance, fragrances, luxist giveaway, paris hilton, paris hilton tease

The Perfect Summer House Cleanup with Caldrea

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Green

Before one can enjoy one's summer house, there's often a fair amount of cleaning to do; sometimes it seems to take up most of the vacation. One way to alleviate some of the ennui of the task is to hire someone else to do it, of course; but you shouldn't overlook the therapeutic value of tackling the job yourself with the aid of great-smelling, eco-friendly products that are a pleasure to use. Caldrea, a company based in Minneapolis, MN,makes high quality, earth-friendly products in exclusive signature fragrances for all types of house cleaning. They use the finest plant-derived ingredients and essential oils to provide natural freshness and cleaning potency – no harsh chemicals, no harsh fragrances, and all products are biodegradable and not tested on animals. They've just introduced a new fragrance, Sandalwood Riceflower, though our favorite remains their original, Lavender Pine. They also now make cleaning tools and carry sets combining both. The company is currently holding a summer sale with all items marked 20% off.

Tags: Caldrea, cleaning, cleaning products, eco-friendly, fragrance, household, summer home, summer house

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

Layering Home Fragrances

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Cosmetics and Fragrance

Slatkin & Co. Candle and layering scents One of the things that Luxist Awards Expert Panelist Harry Slatkin is known for is home fragrances. Slatkin is founder of Slatkin & Co., the premier home fragrance brand celebrated for its scent experience and design (now a division of Bath & Body Works). He oversees product development for all the home fragrance brands under Bath & Body Works, the country's largest bath and body retailer with over 1,650 stores.

In this video, Slatkin explains how to layer home fragrances.

"Start with your favorite," he says. "Buy a fragrance that appeals to you. Start there. Then go back to the store and pick another one that you like that will set a different mood and then try to combine them. Chances are that it is going to work. But if they don't, then try another combination."

Home decorating has become very expensive. To recover one chair, for example, can be very expensive.

"One scented candle changes the entire ambiance of a room," says Slatkin. "You can have a person come over several times to your home and they may think you have changed something just from the ambiance of smell."

Combining scents creates different moods. "You can have four different scents and create 16 different moods," he adds.

Tags: awards-main, Bath Body Works, candles, decor-pedia, fragrance, Harry Slatkin, home fragrance, luxist-awards, Slatkin, Slatkin Co.

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

Luxist Review and Giveaway: Nicole Miller Fragrance

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

When I heard that fashion designer Nicole Miller was making a new fragrance my first thought was that given her love of dresses we'd be seeing yet another heavy floral in an already crowded marketplace. I needn't have worried, in an article in WWD last year she stated that she doesn't like perfumes that are too floral or "old." At first sniff the new Nicole Miller scent is so aggressively not floral that it almost seems like a men's fragrance or at least an androgynous one. For those burned out on sweetly girly-girl perfumes it's a nice change.

This isn't Miller's first fragrance, she had an earlier Nicole Miller (launched in 1993) and Nicole by Nicole Miller (1998) as well as a men's fragrance but all three have been discontinued. This new scent is a partnership with ParLux which is also behind scents for Paris Hilton, Natori, Jessica Simpson and others. Perfumer Caroline Sabas is behind the scent which is classified as a modern chypre.

The perfume notes say that it has top notes of cassis sorbet, bright orange and clean aldehyde, heart notes of yellow gardenia, ylang ylang, orange flower and a base of black patchouli, oakmoss, white cedarwood and amber. In this scent the woody notes, amber and patchouli immediately rise to the top but they are tempered a bit by some of that citrus so the overall effect isn't too redolent of incense and black velvet. There's a crispness to the scent, it's feminine but briskly so. You could wear this to a business meeting with ease. As it mellows the heavier notes fade leaving a subtle, spicy warmth.

The bottle was inspired by classic French shapes and has a metal Celtic knot design inspired by Miller's apparel. The scent is available at Nicole Miller boutiques and at Sak's Fifth Avenue. A 3.4 ounce bottle is $80.

I've had my sniff, want to have yours? I'm giving away the review bottle I received to one reader.

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before June 10, 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 1.7 ounce of Nicole Miller Eau de Parfum Spray, valued at $65.
* 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: fragrance, luxist giveaway, nicole miller, nicole miller fragrance

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

Luxist Giveaway: Diesel Only The Brave Iron Man Cologne For You And A Friend

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance, Men's Style

Diesel has just released a limited edition fragrance for men based on Iron Man and their existing "Only the Brave" fragrance product (which we wrote about here previously). Just hearing this makes me think that it smells like oil and gasoline fumes mixed with the sweet chemical smell of a foundry. And with Diesel's new slogan of "Be Stupid" I wouldn't put it past them. Alas, "Only The Brave," has no mechanical odors to be found. It has a clean, modern scent that starts a bit sweet moving to a light citrus with an overtone of freshness. Perfect for hip city goers and young adults. You can learn more via the fragrance's Facebook page here.

Iron Man 2 was all about buddies and teamwork - so we are giving away a pair of Only the Brave Iron Man 2.5 Fl. Oz. bottles for you and a friend. You can decide who will go out as Iron Man and who will be War Machine. Again, we are giving away two bottles, each to the same person if you enter below and are selected to win. Diesel Only The Brave Iron Man Cologne comes in a red, fist-shaped dispenser and retails for $67.50. They are available for purchase online from Dillard's here, or at Diesel boutiques, major department stores, and other locations where fine fragrances can be found. Click on the READ MORE link below for a cool promo video for the product.

THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE ENTERED. THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW OVER.

To enter, leave a comment on this post sharing why you'd like to win a pair of Only The Brave Iron Man bottles of cologne. The giveaway ends on May 25th at 8:00pm PST. See additional rules below.

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before May 25th, 2010 at 8:00PM Pacific Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive two bottles of Diesel Only The Brave Iron Man cologne valued at $67.50 each.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia, who are 18 and older.

See full giveaway rules here.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: cologne, Diesel, fragrance, giveaway, iron man, luxist giveaway, only the brave

Continue reading “Luxist Giveaway: Diesel Only The Brave Iron Man Cologne For You And A Friend”

Bulgari's Eau Parfumée au Thé Blanc: Synonymous with Opulence

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

Though the uninitiated may be confused by the arrangement of letters spelling out BVLGARI above many a posh storefront around the globe, devotees know that Bulgari is one of the world's oldest luxury goods providers. The secret is out at Luxist, too: Bulgari's Eau Parfumée au Thé Blanc has earned a Luxist Awards Readers' Choice nomination for best fragrance.

When founder Sotirios Voulgaris packed up his jewelry shop in his hometown of Kalarites, Greece in the late 19^th Century, he probably had no idea that his name would be synonymous with opulence for generations to come. After opening his first Bulgari store on Rome's Via dei Condotti in 1905 (the "BVLGARI" spelling is a tribute to this Roman heritage), the boutique became a favorite of elites passing through the area.

After heroics in World War II-Sotirios' son Constantino sheltered three Jewish women from the holocaust-Bulgari's business picked up during peacetime. The 1970s saw expansion to New York, Paris and Geneva, to name a few. In addition to selling handbags, watches and other accessories, Bulgari soon gained a strong reputation for its fragrances.

One of the company's most popular fragrances is the Eau Parfumée au Thé Blanc, also known simply as white tea. Launched in 2003, it contains hints of amber, pepper, and of course, white tea. In addition to the cologne (1.33 oz: $60), white tea is available in body lotion (6.7 oz: $49) and shampoo and shower gel (6.7 oz: $41) form. All are available in Bulgari boutiques around the world and from retailers including Sephora.

Vote for the fragrance that you believe is the best of breed. The voting period runs through May 31st and winners will be announced on June 1.

Tags: awards-main, beauty-main, bulgari, bvgari, fragrance, luxist-awards, perfume

Chanel No. 5: Elegant and Sophisticated

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 it an easy choice as a Luxist nominee in the best fragrance category.

Gallery: Chanel

Tags: audrey tautou, audrey tautou as coco chanel in trailer, awards-main, Catherine Deneuve, Chanel, Coco Chanel, fragrance, jean pierre jeunet, luxist-awards, Marilyn Monroe, Nicole Kidman, perfume

The Scent of the Plaza

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

Looks like The Plaza Hotel in New York has been thinking some thing over and asked itself a question worthy of Scarface: why take a cut when we can have the whole thing? Instead of selling eau de parfum from from another maker, the Plaza has commissioned its own from haute parfumery Krigler. Said to remind one of "grace, beauty, elegance and style," it is an assemblage of the scents that have been doing that for centuries, such as bergamot, grapefruit and leather.

Intriguingly, the hotel has elected to call this olfactory joy "The Plaza," where we might have thought they'd give it a name a little less institutional. If nothing else, though, it gives us a good reason to move up from our other hotel fragrance, The Howard Johnson's. You can avail yourself of The Plaza at the hotel's shop in soap, candle, or eau de parfum, the last of which runs $95 for 1.7 ounces.

Source

Tags: candle, eau de parfum, fragrance, new york, plaza hotel, soap, the plaza, The Plaza Hotel

Ferrari Uomo Fragrance

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

Ferrari presents a new fragrance, Ferrari Uomo, designed to evoke feelings of elegance, prestige, and uniqueness. The fragrance was created by Alberto Morillas and features notes of Sicilian lemons and Calabrese bergamot underlined by essences of juniper, cedar wood and nutmeg. The flacon is a mix of classic perfume bottle elements and Ferrari bodywork details, right down to the blend of metal and leather that is so much a part of Ferrari style. Limited to a run of just 50 100 ml bottles bottles you can get yours at the Ferrari store for €120.

Source

Tags: cologne, ferrari, ferrari uomo, fragrance, mens fragrance, uomo

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