Fresh Spring Floral Scents

I'm pretty picky about fragrances, but In my mind, these two fragrances are just classic springtime scents. There aren't too many "mainstream" fragrances that I enjoy wearing, but these two are nicely light and fresh. Perfect for spring and summer!

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Narciso Rodriguez for Her Eau de Toilette
Notes: Honey Flower, Solar Musk, Orange Blossom, Osmanthus, Amberlyn, Vanilla, Tactile Musk, Tactile Woods, Vetiver. 

I've always associated this scent with the ever popular Stella by Stella McCartney, though their notes aren't really the same at all. This one is a slightly powdery floral, one that I've always thought was an "elegant" scent for a classy lady. (Think Charlotte from Sex & the City. Totally random reference, huh?) 

Issey Miyake L'Eau d'Issey Florale 
Notes: Mandarin, Lily, Rose, Musk, White Wood. 
I love the fresh crisp notes in this one - it reminds me of the crispness of cucumber or watermelon, a few scents that I really love. About a year ago, I thought I would buy a rollerball of this, but I found that it really didn't have that airy crispness in that form. 

I'm terrible at describing how a scent develops, so I'll skip that here. I will mention that on my skin, these stay very much the same over the course of a day, no one note overshadowing the others as time passes. I find both scents to be very delicate and totally appropriate for any occasion. 

Have you tried either of these "classic" floral fragrances? Are there any scents that you're loving for spring? I'd love to know! :)

Lush Perfumes: Imogen Rose, Orange Blossom & B Scent

In my obsession with Lush Cosmetics shower and bath products, I always forget that they have plenty of other goodies in their collection. Last fall, I decided that I had to explore their skincare and perfumes, and Lush kindly sent me a small collection of travel friendly perfumes! 

In general, I found that these perfumes need a few minutes to develop into their real scents. I love how they come in a variety of sizes so you can have as much or as little perfume as you want - $15.95 for this .3oz travel size or a sample vial .07oz for $1.95! Or, if you really love a scent, you can grab an ounce for $42.95. 

*PR Sample

Imogen Rose is intended to be the purest of roses. On my skin, it is a mix of rose and powder, being very powder at first and developing into something more floral after an hour or so. I love that it doesn't smell like your typical rose scent, but it is a bit too powdery for my preferences. 
Main notes: Rose absolute, orris root, vetivert, tonka, and bergamot.

Orange Blossom is a scent I always want to try - this one is quite fresh, actually. Initially, it is a bit soapy and reminds me of classic Lush bath product scents. Then, as the fragrance develops on my skin, the neroli emerges. I've always been a fan of neroli, and after an hour or so on the skin, Lush Orange Blossom starts to remind me of Tom Ford Neroli Portofino. My nose is not that good, but for me, it is a passable replacement for Neroli Portofino given that it is much more affordable. Yay! Lush’s website says it was originally made for a candle, and I think I would actually love that! 
Main notes: Orange blossom, neroli, rosewood, ylang ylang, sandalwood and beeswax.

B Scent is my favorite of the bunch, being quite citrusy at first and mellowing out with the sandalwood and rose. I didn't expect to like citrus mixed with lavender and fennel, but I'm quite impressed by the unique combination of notes. I can't explain it at all! 
Main notes: Lemon, bergamot, fennel, lavender, rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, sandalwood and musk.

All in all, I enjoyed experiencing these Lush perfumes. I've also reviewed a few solid perfumes here and I believe some of those scents come in spray form as well. Have you tried any perfumes from Lush? Do any of these sound interesting to you? I'd love to know! 

Travel Light with Lush Solid Perfumes!

I love the idea of solid perfumes (easy to travel with and apply on the go) so I was quite excited to try a few from Lush Cosmetics. 

*PR Samples

Breath of God, $9.95
Main notes:  Neroli, lemon, melon, jasmine, rose, vetivert, sandalwood, cedarwood, amber & musk
Of the three scents, this one is my favorite, and I think the neroli, lemon and fresh woods really contribute to that. Warm up a bit of this scent on the skin, and I love how fresh and almost nutty it is on me and Mr. Bunny. :) It is fresh and spicy all at once! So good!

1000 Kisses, $13.95
Main Notes: Mandarin, osmanthus, labdanum, myrrh and musk
1000 Kisses is probably the most feminine of the trio, and I like how it is fruity, powdery, and spicy all at once. Words fail me to describe this scent, but I think it is really interesting and different. It isn't a "me" scent, but I think it could be a good one on someone else! 

The Smell of Weather Turning, $15.95
Main Notes: Oakwood, hay, beeswax, nettle, English peppermint, mint and Roman chamomile
I definitely think this scent smells just like the notes in it - I love the mint, and while my nose is so not good at discerning scents, I think this is such a great combination to create a warm musky but minty fresh scent. I love this one on Mr. Bunny and don't mind it on me! Actually, I think this one would make a perfect invigorating massage bar!  

In terms of the packaging, I just have to note that the top twists off and the product isn't a twist up tube but rather more like a push pop! I was a bit confused at first, but I just have to keep reminding myself to twist the cap and not push out too much!

All in all,  I think these Lush perfumes are totally worth checking out even if I am picky about perfume on me,. A number of the solid perfumes (and many of their products in general!) are vegan, and they are overall full of natural ingredients. Plus, they are super affordable, so you can't beat that! 

What do you think about these Lush solid perfumes? Have you tried any?? What are your favorite solid perfumes? 

Go Natural with Sarabecca Day & Night Perfumes

Over the summer, I was sent samples of Sarabecca Day and Night perfumes. I love the look of their packaging, and their concept of all natural oils and essences was really intriguing. (I also saw photos of a new candle in the works on their Twitter - interesting!!) 

I'm terrible at describing fragrances, so I thought I would share Sarabecca's descriptions of the fragrances and my thoughts on them! 

Sarabecca Night Perfume*
"An alluring blend of vetivert, patchouli and amber with highlights of lemon, bergamot, sage and ginger." 

Those of you who have read the blog for a while probably know that I enjoy light citrus scents as well as light and fresh florals, so this scent was a bit outside of my comfort zone to try! I'm not typically a fan of patchouli but I find it to be really refined and nice in this fragrance. Perhaps it is because of the pairing with citrus notes that makes it work for me.

To my unskilled nose, I can smell the citrus notes along with the patchouli and vetivert. I think the ginger and sage also make it quite unique, and on me the fragrance dries down slightly sweeter and almost powdery. I find this scent to be a really wearable, slightly spicy scent!  

Sarabecca Day Perfume*
"Exquisitely fresh white floral blend with subtle notes of jasmine, tuberose and muguet. Delicate, charming, pure and romantic." 

Day is definitely a light floral, though it has a hint of something spicy - perhaps an underlying ingredient that it shares with Night? While Night is almost woodsy, Day is crisper and lighter. I read a review that described Day as a summer's day, and though I'm not sure I know what scents I associate with a summer day, this one is definitely appropriate for wear on your typical hot summer day. I often can't handle anything but the lightest, freshest of citrus or floral scents in the summer, yet this one is somehow fitting and has depth and spiciness too.

In general, I do need a few spritzes for all day wear on both of these, but the scents do wear well over the course of the day. Because they are natural, I wasn't sure how long they would last, and I'd estimate that they wear at least 6 hours on me without fading. If I apply a few spritzes, I get longer wear, though those who like an aura of perfume may want to reapply for evening. (Hey, maybe then you can apply Night over Day?! I need to try this.) Me, I like them just the way they are - different than anything I own, a bit spicy, yet delicate to wear!  

All in all, I am really enjoying these while they last but I don't think I will purchase full sizes anytime soon. I have a huge bottle of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universalis that I'm obsessing over right now as well as a number of other fragrances to use up first. Plus, I'm suddenly wanting to try all kinds of perfumes and stalking LuckyScent (inspired by Jessica's fragrance collection/obsession and my recent visit to their LA store.) 

For more about the Southern California based brand (and to see pretty pretty photos of their full size packaging) visit sarabecca.com! They do also sell sample sizes on their site, and the range is carried at a few boutiques in California as well as one in Brooklyn.

What do you think of Sarabecca perfumes? Are they something you would try?  

*Press Samples