Fragrance Of The Month December 2014

The holiday season is now well underway. It is a time of year that Team TME loves as it begins with Thanksgiving at the end of November, moves to Chanukah, then Christmas and Kwanzaa with the crescendo of New Year. From twinkling Christmas lights to the lighting of the menorah and the festive Mkeka displays, the world is celebrating and no other time of year seems to be quite as magical.

With the magical inspiration of the season, we chose an exquisite and upscale parfum for Fragrance Of The MonthDecember 2014 -- Clive Christian No. 1 for women and for men! Each fragrance is spectacular, and combined with the bottling that received the UK FIFI award for special packaging in 2006, No. 1 is the representation of dreams. The bottles for both scents are painted in gold! 

In 1999 Clive Christian acquired the Crown Perfumery, a celebrated British perfume house established in 1872. The house acquired its name after being granted the use of the royal crown by Queen Victoria as a mark of quality and excellence, the design of which is used as the topper for each scent.

Clive Christian No. 1 for Women (50 ml - $865) opens with a warm masterful blend of fruits that envelope the seductive notes of jasmine and ylang-ylang. Evolving into a touch of sweetness with drydown seamlessly marrying precious notes and leaving one surrounded in cashmere-like comfort. Clive Christian No. 1 for Women Perfume is serene, sophisticated and undeniably feminine. The scent classification is Oriental Floral. Season: Cooler Months; Sillage: 3-Moderate; Longevity: 4-Long Lasting; Bottling-5.

Clive Christian No 1 for Women Notes~

• Top Notes: Pineapple, Plum, Mirabelle, White Peach
• Mid Notes: Rose, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Orris, Carnation
• Base Notes: Vanilla, Benjoin Balm, Tonka Beans, Cedarwood

Clive Christian No. 1 for Men (50 ml - $865) is similar in essence to No. 1 for Women in that it is an Oriental theme (Oriental Wood to be exact), but this fragrance is very much a gentleman’s scent. Opening with a crisp blend of warm fruits, No. 1 for Men quickly gives way to its mid notes with a predominance of jasmine and ylang ylang with dry down settling softly into a masculine woodsy essence. Season: Cooler Months; Sillage: 4-Heavy; Longevity: 4-Long Lasting; Bottling-5.

Clive Christian No 1 for Men Notes~

• Top Notes: Bergamot, Lime, Sicilian Mandarin, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Thyme
• Mid Notes: Lily-of-the-Valley, Rose, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Heliotrope
• Base Notes: Virginia Cedar, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Vanilla, Amber

Clive Christian fragrances are available at Saks and Nordstrom stateside and to find a global retalier, visit Clive Christian. Now, if you’re seeking a less expensive or different themed fragrance visit The Makeup Examiner’s Fragrance section to find one that’s right for you! 

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Fragrance Of The Month November 2014

As we go into the holiday shopping season, it seems only fitting that we suggest parfum and cologne with exquisite gifting options. Therefore this month, we are including the gifting options for TME’s Fragrance Of The Month picks. For Fragrance Of The Month November 2014 -- We present two stunning scents from Atelier Cologne Maison de Parfum - Collection Métal. Scents from the Collection Métal are bottled in genuine precious metals, which is an industry first.

Both scents chosen for this month are releases from 2014. For the ladies we present the recently launched Blanche Immortelle and for the gents, it’s the recently launched Santal Carmin! Of note, Atelier Cologne Maison de Parfum is the perfumery that conceived the creation of Cologne Absolue. Cologne Absolues are packaged in bottles of French glass with hand-made leather stoppers.

Atelier Cologne creates a written vision for each of its scents with Blanche Immortelle (100 ml - $215) reading: “Her limitless generosity defined her, but she preferred to stay hidden. With fire and passion, she secretly devoted every moment of freedom to the cause that could make an everlasting difference. Her actions would irreversibly alter the established order.” The description for Blanche Immortelle paints a vision of passion and rebellion, and perfectly describes this classically sensual scent.

Blanche Immortelle Notes~

• Top Notes: Bergamot from Calabria, Mandarin from Italy, Mimosa from Grasse
• Mid Notes: Immortelle Absolue from Corsica, Jasmine Sambac from India, Turkish Rose Absolue
• Base Notes: Patchouli from Indonesia, Vetiver from Haiti, Sandalwood from Australia

Blanche Immortelle opens with a seductive blending of bergamot, mandarin, and mimosa. While a very traditional opening, immortelle arrives to place a twist upon tradition. Drydown brings in influences of vetiver, patchouli, and sandalwood and one is left with a womanly fragrance the leaves the wearer feeling beautiful. The scent classification is Oriental Floral. Perfumer: Perfumer Jerome Epinette of Robertet; Season: All; Sillage: 3-Moderate; Longevity: 4-Long Lasting; Bottle is covered in genuine precious rose gold - Bottling-5.

Gifting: Blanche Immortelle - Ecrin Absolu ($315) includes Venetian blue gift box with a 200 ml Blanche Immortelle Cologne Absolue, a 30 ml Blanche Immortelle Travel spray with a leather case that has complimentary engraving. Yes loves, this is what she wants for the holidays!

For our gentlemen, we present Santal Carmin (100 ml - $195.00), with a bottle covered in genuine precious real gold and Atelier Cologne reading: “He had a spark from an early age, with a sharp intuition and limitless curiosity. One day they would call him a revolutionary. The moment had come to fight for his dreams and bring his ideas to the world. Possibly a new era would begin.” The description for Santal Carmin is the embodiment of this rugged scent of a man. While we’ve seen this scent described as unisex, we feel that Santal Carmin is better suited for a man.

Santal Carmin Notes~

• Top Notes: Bergamot from Calabria, Limette from Mexico, Saffron from India
• Middle Notes: Sandalwood from New Caledonia, Gaiac Wood from India, White Musk
• Base Notes: Papyrus from India, Cedarwood from Texas, Vanilla from Madagascar

Santal Carmin opens with light notes of bergamot and limette, which quickly entwine with deeper woody notes. Drydown leaves the wearer with a sweet balanced blend of white musk and vanilla that perfectly accentuate the deeper woody notes. Santal Carmin is an ideal blending of sweetness and strength that is reflective of today’s modern gentleman. The scent classification is Oriental Woody. Perfumer: Perfumer Jerome Epinette of Robertet; Season: All; Sillage: 3-Moderate; Longevity: 4-Long Lasting; Bottling-5.

Gifting: Santal Carmin - Ecrin Absolu ($295) includes Venetian blue gift box with a 200 ml Santal Carmin Cologne Absolue, a 30 ml Santal Carmin Travel spray with a leather case that has complimentary engraving. It is our opinion that he will love this for this holiday and you will love him wearing it.

Blanche Immortelle and Santal Carmin are available online at Atelier Cologne and select retail locations across the globe.

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Fragrance Of The Month October 2014

Hello again Beautynistas and Suavies! We hope that you enjoyed last month’s launch of The Makeup Examiner’s Fragrance Of The Monthfeature, as well as our choices. Embarking upon a new season seems to bring with it a beg for change. That, of course, is not to say that Summer 2014 wasn’t amazing -- it was indeed -- but now it’s time to embrace the cooler weather and all the brand new offerings from beauty houses around the globe!

For Fragrance Of The Month October 2014, we present two gorgeous fragrances from a perfumery we’ve previously reviewed … Bond No. 9! For the ladies we present the newly launched Queens and for the gents, it’s The Scent of Peace for Him. So, without further ado let’s get the scents.

Launched on September 18, Queens by Bond No. 9 (100 ml - $270) is inspired by the borough’s complete diversity. The borough of Queens takes the crown as the world’s most ethnically diverse urban area … and that is most definitely reflected in the scent’s exquisitely blended notes. Bond No. 9 creative director, Laurice Rahmé stated, “It’s a message for peace” that is further presented by the iconic 1964 World’s Fair Unisphere, which is rendered in gold on the front fragrance’s royal purple flacon. The back of the Queens flacon is a simple long-tailed “Q,” placing the bottling at a 5.

Queens by Bond No. 9 Notes~

• Top Notes: Bergamot, Cardamom, Blackberries
• Mid Notes: Tuberose, Champaca Flower, Osmanthus
• Base Notes: Sandalwood, Benzoin, Musk, Amber

Queens by Bond No. 9 opens with a sweet, spicy aroma that gives way to the dominant and exotic tuberose, which seems to remain at drydown. The scent classification is Oriental Floral and although Queens is gendered unisex, it is our opinion that this fragrance is a classic for women. Perfumer: Laurent Le Guernec; Season: A/W; Sillage: 3-Moderate; Longevity: 4-Long Lasting; Bottling-5

For our gentlemen, we present The Scent of Peace for Him (100ml - $250). Launched in October 2013, The Scent of Peace for Him was inspired by Rahmé’s passion to further a message of tolerance, comfort and, of course, peace. The flacon is classic Bond No. 9 style accented by a black bow tie around the neck and is completely reflective of the scent, which is reminiscent of the quintessential gentleman.

The Scent of Peace for Him Notes~

• Top Notes: Bergamot, Pineapple, Juniper berry
• Middle Notes: Blackcurrant, Cedarwood, Vetiver
• Base Notes: Patchouli, Amber, Musk, Moss

The Scent of Peace for Him scent classification is Woody and opens with delicious juicy top notes of pineapple, juniper berry and bergamot. It’s fresh and evokes feelings of ease and relaxation. This fragrance moves gently into its mid-notes black current, vetiver and cedarwood with drydown leaving a lasting scent of a masterfully blended fragrance. The Scent of Peace for Him is calming, sexy, sophisticated and oh so manly! Perfumer: Michel Almairac of the Robertet Fragrance House; Season: All Seasons; Sillage: 3-Moderate; Longevity: 4-Long Lasting; Bottling-5

Queens and The Scent of Peace for Him by Bond No. 9 are available at Bond No. 9 boutiques are select retail locations such as Nordstrom.

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Fragrance Of The Month September 2014

Welcome Beautynistas and Suavies to our first “Fragrance Of The Month” feature! Each month, TME will introduce readers to fragrances that we’ve chosen to help you express yourselves through one of the most pleasurable and personal experiences … scent. Fragrance Of The Month offers a scent introduction, for both the gentlemen and the ladies, in hopes that you’ll find your true olfaction personality.

We can hardly believe that it’s the unofficial end of summer and that the fall season will begin in just a few short weeks -- September 22 to be exact. Although, today’s weather hardly reflects any sign of the cooler temperatures soon to come. And that, dear readers, means you’ve still got plenty of warm weather ahead. So without further ado, we give you Fragrance Of The Month September 2014!

For the ladies, we present Beso Del Mar by Spadaro Luxury Fragrances. Beso Del Mar (100 ml - $95) the newest offering from Spadaro having launched in February, is a Woody Citrus that is fresh and clean with a hint of seduction.

Beso Del Mar Notes ~

• Top Notes: Agave and Lime
• Mid Notes: Sand Accord and Hibiscus
• Base Notes: Driftwood and Musk

Upon application is a refreshing snap of citrus that lingers for a time before giving way to a seductive note of Agave, and then introducing a sexy blend of mid notes before finally resting into drydown that leaves a lasting essence driftwood with a hint of citrus. Yes the base note is musk, yet Beso Del Mar leaves your body scented with the essence of the sunset in the Caribbean. The bottle offers a clean and elegant design that is perfectly reflective of this perfume. Created by: Kim Spadaro; Season: All Seasons; Sillage: 3-Moderate; Longevity: 4-Long Lasting; Bottling-5

Beso Del Mar is available online at Spadaro Luxury Fragrances and select retail locations.

For the gentlemen, we present Artisan by John Varvatos. Artisan (124 ml - $84), which was launched in 2009 and is quite the classic men’s fragrance -- classic as in the way that we want our men to smell. The fragrance is a Woody Citrus/Spice blend that is clean and masculine like a freshly pressed button-down.

Artisan by John Varvatos Notes ~

• Top Notes: Sicilian Clementine, Tangelo, Mandarin, Wild Thyme, Marjoram, Lavandin
• Mid Notes: Orange Tree Blossoms, Murraya, Essence of Orange Jasmine Tree, Ginger extracts
• Base Notes: Kephalis, Georgywood, Amber, Musk

We’ve found that all too many men’s fragrances are overbearing and leave us begging for the wearer to simply stand elsewhere. However, that is not the case with this scent. The fragrance opens with a gorgeous citrus and spice blend and follows with a lasting woody impression. Artisan by John Varvatos is, as we’ve stated, masculine and clean and sexy. Artisan’s flacon was designed by Jon Cisler, with the bottle encased in hand-woven rattan. There isn’t anything that we didn’t enjoy about this men’s fragrance and we just may be asking our SO to make it part of their permanent stock. Created by: Rodrigo Flores-Roux of Givaudan; Season: All Seasons; Sillage: 3-Moderate; Longevity: 3–Moderate; Bottling-5

Artisan by John Varvatos is available online at John Vargasand Nordstrom.

We hoped that you’ve enjoyed our first Fragrance Of The Month and that you’ll stop back for more suggestions. Fragrance Of The Month October isn't going to be what one might expect! 

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