Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady Shower Cream and Body Oil

Confession time: I only own one bottle of Frederic Malle fragrance, and I've never reviewed it.  As perfume writers go, I'm a terribly untimely one, I know.  I shall review my (tiny) bottle of Bigarade Concentree one day, but in the mean time I'm having far too much fun reviewing the more peripheral products of the range, some of which are so lovely, they have made me gasp. Like these, the Shower Cream and Hair and Body Oil from the Portrait of a Lady line.

Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle's Portrait of a Lady is not a fragrance I've overlooked in the past so much, as simply thought wasn't for me.  Too sophisticated, too dark, too ... well, ladylike.  Lipstick Rose, the bright and bubblegum-pink confection of rose and violet (smelling of nothing so much as a waxy lipstick from the fifties, or your grandmother's bowl of dusting powder on her dressing table) has always been, for me, the defining rose fragrance of the Frederic Malle range, and I've been caught huffing it in a slightly demented fashion by more than one Frederic Malle stockist in several countries.  Why I've just never bought a bottle is beyond me, but I think I just love winding shop assistants up.  

 
ANYWAY, someone mentioned that there was a hair and body oil in the Portrait of a Lady range, and I thought that was a marvellous idea. PoaL is an oddity in that is a huge, dark and deep fragrance - a red and black rendering of rose, writ large in smoke and fire - but one that also remains remarkably close to the body, lacking the wide sillage you'd expect from the ingredients list.  I thought an oil would be an excellent way to experience the fragrance again.  I was surprised by the starkness of the bottle when it arrived, but as the Frederic Malle line is all about the contents, not the packaging of the fragrances, then I guess I shouldn't really have been.  

The oil itself  is light in texture yet deeply, headily, fragranced, delivering a story of darkest burgundy rose, set amongst a bouquet that also includes cinnamon, frankincense and deep resonant - yet surprisingly clean - patchouli.  It's a scent that's at once velvety, smokey and (I find) somewhat leathery, a supple Spanish glove-leather, which is unlined, so you can experience both the sensual suede and smooth leather against your skin.  It's beautiful.  And yet, not as ladylike as I remember, I find myself wondering what it would smell like on my husband.  I'll probably never know, as one look at the name, and he'll run a mile, which will be a shame for the both of us.

I applied some Portrait of a Lady Body and Hair Oil to my hands in lieu of handcream (it absorbs beautifully used so) in the office the other day, and the fragrance was commented on by everyone who came by my desk afterwards. It's not too fruity, not too floral, not too much anything, just Oriental-fragranced beauty from start to finish. It absorbs quickly, and leaves skin feeling deeply hydrated and beautifully moisturised, and of course, gorgeously scented.  I had been planning to use it as a layering product, expecting it not to be that scented on on its own merits, but it's so satisfying to wear alone, I don't think I'll be bothering with using fragrance over it now.  You can also apply it to the hair, I haven't tried that yet having just had a keratin treatment, and I'm awaiting washing that out, currently, but I can't deny that the idea of hair that smells of PoaL makes me swoon slightly.  It's great on dry shins too, but the price point means I won't be using it for that too often ...

However, if you do want to layer your fragranced products, then there is also the hydrating Shower Cream, which is identically scented to the oil, and produces a rich and creamy lather in the shower without stripping the skin.  It's heady stuff though (as is the oil), and you need very little to scent your skin gently for the whole day.

Perfect for Christmas presents,  the Shower Cream retails at £40 for 200ml, and the (organic!) body and hair oil retails at £130.  A big investment, possibly, but what price beauty?  They're available from Selfridges, Les Senteurs, and Liberty.



The Fine Print: PR samples


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This Works Sleep Plus Range

I'm deeply half-hearted about aromatherapy, if I'm being completely honest. Okay, not aromatherapy itself (seriously, no one knows more about the effect of smell on well-being more than a recovering parosmic, believe me) per se, but some of the practitioners of it can be a  little ... well, woo.  I was trying to arrange a massage for the blog once, and I'd mentioned that I suffered from gallstones to the PR so it could be taken into account by the therapist, and the therapist took it upon herself to telephone me, and tell me my gallstones were actually "compressed anger" and I should relax a bit more and they'll disappear.  Well, even though I did happen to take a few chill pills after that particular phone call (and if the stones weren't "compressed anger" beforehand, they sure as crap were after) I found only having my gall-bladder really did have any effect (and my single gallstone was actually an inch-long monster that could have caused some serious illness if left in situ), and that's my aromatherapy story. I never did get that massage ...

Anyhoo.  That being said, I do love some aromatherapy products, not always because of the therapeutic claims for the oils used, but because in quite a few ranges there's a lot of care put into the formulations, and sometimes they just work in spite of everything. I must say that some of my favourite products do have aromatherapeutic benefits, but I firmly believe that a good product is a good product whether or not you have "faith" in the ingredients.  This Works Sleep Plus is one of those ranges I was sceptical about trying beforehand, then I got over myself and gave it a go regardless, and now I love it.

I started with the Pillow Spray back when it first launched - it turned up in a goody bag, I think, and liked it well enough, but then I lost my sense of smell and aromatherapy became a closed book for a few years, so I stopped using it.  Despite a couple of therapists trying to convince me that aromatherapy works whether you can smell or not (I firmly, but politely, disagree. But then, I would), just the idea of any kind of scented product in my bed gave me the heebie jeebies.  However, now my sense of smell is recovering, I'm slowly reintroducing (some) aromatherapy back into my life,and replaced my old bottle of Sleep plus.  The Sleep Plus range is designed for people who have trouble staying asleep (Deep Sleep is the range for you if you have trouble getting to sleep in the first place) or are restless sleepers, which is usually my most regular sleep problem.  Rare is the time I take more than 20 minutes to fall asleep, but early-waking is a particular problem for me.  

The idea is that you mist a couple of sprays over your pillow, and the encapsulated essences of lavender, camomile and vetiver - it's a surprisingly zingy scent, and smells slightly gingery to my nose -will refresh themselves as you change sleeping positions, thereby helping you stay asleep.  I genuinely do find that I sleep better when I use a couple of sprays of this, I may not always sleep longer, but I do find that I'm more refreshed after whatever sleep I do get. 

I've recently added the Sleep Plus Hair Elixir and Troubleshooter to my night-time routine - not every night, just those nights where I MUST sleep, or where sleep has been really bad for a couple of days beforehand - the hair elixir is essentially a spray containing the same ingredients as the pillow spray, with added emollients for the hair, and Troubleshooter is a soothing spray for dry skin patches such as elbows and knees, which will also aid sleep when you use it before bed.  On the occasions where I've used all three products together, I've generally been asleep before my husband makes it out of the bathroom ...

There's also shower gel and bath salts, but I find both bathing and showering too energising at bedtime, so I've not yet tried them.  I do think the products are on the pricey side, the original Sleep Plus spray is around £25, but it does last a good long time if you don't use it nightly, and I have purchased it on several occasions now, and the other products are at the same price point.  Use them sparingly, and you'll sleep well for months.

The Fine Print: PR samples and purchases


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Flowerbomb Dry Body Oil by Viktor and Rolf

Some of my favourite people wear Flowerbomb, but I will admit that up until recently, the appeal of the clean and sugary pink floral, which is incredibly aptly-named has passed me by somewhat.  Never really having been a fan of sweet fragrances, Flowerbomb, one the most successful fragrance franchises in the UK wasn't really designed to appeal to me, someone who has always preferred something with a little bitterness at its heart*.  I have always loved the gorgeous faceted grenade of a bottle though, it's both a fun illustration of the contents and a beautiful item in its own right.

Until now.   Viktor and Rolf recently (unexpectedly) sent me their Christmas offerings for Flowerbomb, and I rather unexpectedly fell in love with one of the flanker items, the Flowerbomb Dry Body Oil.  Not being of the dry-skinned persuasion, I've completely ignored the body lotion (which is actually lovely - but I use body lotion maybe once or twice a year, tops), but the oil really caught my eye, and my nose.  Being an oil, the scent is rather less diffusive (and effusive) than the original spray EDT, and is rather quieter, and more sophisticated to wear as a result.  The spray is fine, and gives a great misting effect, which disappears into the skin nicely. It leaves a nicely emollient layer behind which, whilst not greasy at all, makes a great layer for anchoring other fragrances, even Flowerbomb(!) onto.

Moisturising without being greasy, sweet without being too sugary, and floral without being too screechy, the Flowerbomb Dry Body Oil is rather a handy product.  At this time of year, my shins tend to get a bit scaly from the change in the weather, and this is stopping them getting too itchy, which is great.  And hey!  Who doesn't want beautifully scented shins?  If you're dry-skinned, it might not be moisturising enough to wear on its own, but it will make a great layering product for scents.  As it is rather gentler in fragrance than the original Flowerbomb, you can wear anything over it, and it'll just add a hint of floral sweetness to whatever you're wearing, whilst making it a little longer lasting.  It's great under citrus-based colognes to give them a little oomph, I've found.  Oh, and you can scent your hair with it, which is something I love doing.  Because it's an oil, it's (largely) alcohol-free, so won't dry out your locks if you love scented hair.

V&R didn't send me the press release, but I'm sure it'll be in-stores soon.  A Flowerbomb for people who don't really respond to Flowerbomb?  You could have knocked me over with a feather! Get some.


* Like me.  I know, I know.
 
The Fine Print: PR samples


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Urban Decay Full Spectrum Palette

 Not so much a review this as just a deep sigh of: "IT IS SO PRETTY, I CAN NEVER MAR ITS FABULOUS BEAUTIFULOSITY BY ACTUALLY  USING IT", the Urban Decay Full Spectrum Palette is released online now and costs £43.

Just look at that damned bejewelled cover.  LOOK AT IT.

Oh, and the eyeshadows are quite pretty too:

Arranged beautifully in ombre-d colour groups, there's every shade here for someone who wants a bright, beautiful and clear eyeshadow look.  Peacock eyes?  It's all here, and look at that yellow, amazeballs!  (I'm so channelling 2013, I know).

Cor.  Some seriously beautiful colours there.  I won't ever use it, my days of colourful eyeshadow are long gone (I'm all about the lips now, baby), but it is SO BEAUTIFUL.

What critical faculties?  I'm in lust.

The Fine Print: PR sample.


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Update at The Parosmia Diaries

It has been quite a while since I updated my other blog: The Parosmia Diaries, and I've had a little flurry of emails re my smell difficulties recently, so I thought it was time to dust it off and get back on with it.  So here's the first parosmia-based post in over a year (it's been a very busy year), you can read it here: http://parosmiadiaries.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/an-update.html




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Murad Eye Lift Firming Treatment

 Getting older sucks, and I can sum up why in just two words: reading glasses.  

I had fairly major eye surgery as a kid, and my optical prescription varies so wildly (one eye is long sighted, and the other is short sighted) that one optician told me years ago that I would never need reading glasses.  He. Was. Wrong. I do so need them, so much so that my eyeballs now feel like they're going to explode out of their sockets if I attempt to read even the largest of large print without my reading bins on.  Talk about feeling cheated!  Anyhoo, I now I have a tendency to squint much more than I used to, which is where Murad Eye Lift Firming Treatment comes in.

Eyes are always the first place on your face to show your real age, because the skin is so thin it wrinkles more easily, and is more prone to dehydration than the skin on any other part of your face.  Certainly, if I haven't had enough water to drink on the average day, my eye wrinkles always look far more pronounced than if I have managed to guzzle down a litre or so on top of my tea-intake, anyway.  I'm very lucky in that I'm not particularly plagued by bags or dark circles, but my "crows feet" are rapidly turning in to emu tracks*, and I HATE THEM.

These made me laugh so hard, thank you Murad!

I also have sensitive skin, and eye cream has a nasty habit of setting off my sensitivity, so I approached Murad Eye Lift Firming Treatment with trepidation, first encountering it after a Murad facial earlier this year.  The packing does warn about a "tingling" sensation, so I was a little sceptical that I'd be able to use it at all, to be honest.  A decent size (30ml!) bottle that comes complete with 40 eye pads (so you can get 20 treatments out of it, by my reckoning), you apply three pumps in a thick layer to the skin under each eye, then rest a pad over the top and relax (or blog!) for 10-15 minutes and pat any excess product into the skin.

I've used this once a week since it arrived, and I have to say, I'm mighty impressed with it.  Yes, it does tingle when I first apply it, but it has never lead to any lasting, or visible, irritation and the skin under my eyes is definitely plumped up and hydrated after using it.  It's particularly good on those mornings after the night before.  Allegedly.  Ahem.  Anyway.  The major ingredient is hyaluronic acid, and it has a great, visible plumping effect, and lines are definitely diminished on using.  I find it sinks in easily (there's never any excess to "pat in" when I remove the pads), even though it feels like you're using a huge amount of product in comparison to a usual eye cream, but the skin never feels overloaded or greasy, and it's never caused a breakout. 

As for long-term effects, I can't speak to those, but for a temporary "refresh", this is great, and makes eyes look younger/less tired/squinty/dehydrated very quickly in a way ordinary eye creams can't.  The box says to use the treatment 2-3 times a week, but I think for my sensitive skin that might be overload, but as a weekly treat whilst I'm sat at my computer searching for the blogging muse, they're hard to beat.

And the price, at around £45-£55 (depending on the supplier) is actually a bit of bargain in comparison to some eye creams with only a fraction of the product in the jar!

* Emus are heavier than crows, right?

The Fine Print: PR samples.

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Jo Malone London Launch Basil and Neroli Fragrance

I was lucky enough to be invited along to the launch of Jo Malone London Basil and Neroli fragrance earlier this year,  and I'm very glad I did go, because this little bottle of sunshine hasn't left my handbag since.  I'm a huge fan of Lime, Basil and Mandarin, the brands "signature" fragrance and I was delighted when I discovered that Jo Malone London were back using basil in a key perfume launch. It's an interesting scent that doesn't pop up often, which is a shame.

I've spoken of my love of orange blossom before, and whilst Basil and Neroli lacks that hot, soapy, barbershop note that I love in other fragrances so much,  Basil and Neroli is a fine, fine, simple yet beautiful and classy fragrance.  Neroli is a greener scent than orange blossom, less overtly floral, and with overtones more of citrus and leaves than flowers, it is altogether less "sharp" than a regular citrus accord. When amped up with the leafy green basil - completely recognisable, though lacking some of "real life" basil's somewhat aniseed-y notes - Basil & Neroli is a great, light, unisex fragrance that's suitable for all occasions.

It's bright and zesty on first spray, citrus-fizzy without being too sharp or lemony, and light without being too insubstantial, or simply disappearing. It smells of sunshine and grass and happy memories, and has a genuine presence without being overwhelming overwhelming at all.  It's not sweet, and marries the savoury nature of basil really well to the citrussy neroli, then dries down to pleasant white laundry musks  on the skin.  It's in a light, cologne-style, but with hints of foodiness (I was wondering about an orange-basil salad dressing after encountering it, but the fragrance itself isn't foody at all), and would suit a crisp white shirt (on a wearer of any sex/gender, frankly), as well as a white t-short kind of an outfit.

It's a perfect example of the things that Jo Malone London do well, actually.  A very simple fragrance that still manages to give an air of sophistication, and smells really good without being too challenging on the nose.  It's a difficult trick to pull off, smelling both good and accessible, without being boring, or bringing up the dread word "inoffensive".  Yes, you won't scare the horses wearing this one, but you will love wearing it.  I do.

Available now, and costing from £42 for a 30ml bottle, it layers well with Blackberry and Bay, and Wood Salt and Sage from the same range.  It'll make someone a great Christmas present.

The Fine Print: PR samples


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