Tag: Guerlain

All, Beauty, Product Reviews

Top Five Fall Fragrances

by Literary and LovelyLeave a Comment on Top Five Fall Fragrances

IMG_6169Good morning everyone!!!

To keep the autumn theme going, I thought I would share with you another seasonal beauty favourite of mine: fragrances.

I do not have any fragrances designated for particular seasons; rather, I like to wear some of my favourites throughout the year. Besides, most fragrances are so expensive that you want to get plenty of year-round use out of them. They also help you qualify for some brands’ bonus gifts, which are always lovely.

 

1. La petite Robe Noire by Guerlain

IMG_6157I came across this while in Paris back in August, and immediately fell in love with it. I would have purchased it in Paris, but I have a deep-rooted fear of traveling with perfumes (for anyone who has had one leak in their suitcase, you will understand why). So, when I got home, I purchased it as soon as possible, and I actually went with the eau de toilette version. Not only is it more “cost feasible,” to put it formally, but I prefer the more subdued version of the scent. With notes of black cherry, almond, berries, rose, licorice, and black tea, this is a fresh yet intoxicating scent. Aside from the fragrance itself, I adore the packaging. The heart-shaped bottle is so pretty, and the the silhouette of the little black dress is such an elegant yet modern touch. The 50mL size of this eau de toilette is about CAN $85.

2. Dolce by Dolce and Gabbana

IMG_6165As you can probably ascertain from the tiny amount that is left in the bottle, I really, really, really like this fragrance. It is a soft scent of white flowers, neroli leaves, white amaryllis, white water lily, and white daffodil, among other things. Fun fact: White amaryllis is a South African flower that was used for the first time ever in scent for this fragrance. The packaging of this fragrance is both beautiful and symbolic. The bottle itself is evocative of a vintage fragrance flacon, while the flower stopper is a tribute to Sicilian customs. The black grosgrain ribbon represents the signature white shirts and bow ties of early Dolce and Gabbana runway shows and, finally, the script of the label is a replica of the signature of Domenico Dolce’s father. This eau de parfum comes in three sizes: 0.25oz for CAN $34, 1.6oz for CAN $109, and 2.5oz for CAN $136.

3. La Vie Est Belle 

IMG_6158I came upon this fragrance in the pages of Vogue. I couldn’t figure out why the issue smelled so good, and then I found the perfume sample. After wiping the magazine page on my neck for the next few days like a right fool, I went out and purchased the fragrance. It turns out that it was actually more cost-effective to purchase the three-piece box set than just the large size of the perfume alone. Fun fact: the final formula of this perfume is the result of three years of trials and 5000 versions. Just imagine working through 5000 different versions of something before you got it how you wanted it; that is dedication. The top notes of this fragrance are blackberry and pear, with middle notes of jasmine and iris, and base notes of praline, vanilla, tonka bean, and patchouli. However, I found that some of these base notes, particularly vanilla and praline, are much more prominent than blackberry or pear, but the powdery base and fruity tier organization is still intact. This fragrance is quite heavy, and fairly long lasting, making it perfect to wear on a night out. It comes in three sizes: 0.34oz for CAN $28, 1oz for CAN $74, and 1.7oz for CAN $98.

4. Vanitas by Versace 

IMG_6160This is the second fragrance I ever purchased and, once again, I discovered it from a sample in Vogue. It is a fresh and clean scent, making it perfect for everyday wear, but it is soft enough that those around you won’t be overpowered by it. To many people, it may be more of a spring/summer fragrance, but I love getting whiffs of summer as I go about my day, especially when the days get gloomy. The predominant scents in this fragrance for me are lime, freesia, and Virginia Cedar, with some base notes of tonka bean. It comes in three sizes: 30mL, 50mL, and 100mL. I could only find the price for the 50mL size, and that is CAN $98.

5. Modern Muse Chic by Estée Lauder
IMG_6162The last of my favourite fall fragrances is Estée Lauder’s Modern Muse Chic. It is much lighter than the original version, Modern Muse, while still maintaining its striking contrast of floral and woods scents. This is a daring and slightly spicy scent, and I think the nearly-empty flacon speaks for itself about its wearability. This fragrance comes in two sizes: 1oz for CAN $68, and 1.7oz for CAN $90. I went with the 1oz size because I wanted to make sure that I liked it before I bought the larger size. Fortunately, I picked it up around Christmas time when purchasing it qualified me for one of Estée Lauder’s Christmas gift sets, which are well worth their value and come with a large case that is perfect for keeping all cosmetics and toiletries in one place when traveling.

And those are my top five fall fragrances!!!

Now it’s your turn: let me know in the comments below which fragrances are your favourites, either for the autumn season, or just in general 🙂 🙂

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All, Beauty, Travel

Rouge G de Guerlain

by Literary and LovelyLeave a Comment on Rouge G de Guerlain

In case you haven’t already noticed, a lot of my posts the past few days have been Paris-themed. This is because the internet connection at the hotel was super slow, so I only managed to get one or two posts up, but now that I’m back, I’m making up for my absence with a whole slug of posts about how incredible Paris was.

IMG_5639So, while walking down the Champs-Élysées for the first time, I noticed a Guerlain store. I have heard amazing things about this brand and read raving reviews of some of their products, and I had always wanted to give it a try. While some Guerlain products are available through Sephora, the selection is limited, so I hadn’t really considered ordering anything. But when a giant Guerlain boutique was staring me in the face, I had no choice: I had to go in and have a look.

IMG_5637Well, the store is beautiful. Just beautiful. The best way I could describe it is vibrant elegance. All of the products are displayed in really neat ways, and they are all colour-coordinated, as you can see in the picture on the right. Displays like this one line both walls, with wonderfully friendly sales associates at every turn.

IMG_5682I knew I wanted to try out a Guerlain product, but I had no real idea which one. Since lipstick is my favourite beauty product that I cannot live without, I decided it would be a practical souvenir of my visit to this Guerlain boutique, and would definitely get used. And then I spotted this shade, 68 Gigi, a beautiful vibrant fuchsia.

Features:

  1. Intense colour
  2. Creamy application, almost like lip balm
  3. Rruby powder for radiance
  4. Spheres of hyaluronic acid for smoothed lips
  5. Wild mango butter for hydration
  6. Comes in a jewel lipstick compact
  7. Optional engraving of lipstick compact

Shades: There are 29 Rouge G de Guerlain exceptional complete lip colour shades, ranging from soft pinks, to bright reds, to even tawny purples. However, one of these shades, 68 Gigi is exclusive to this Champs-Élysées address, meaning it cannot be bought online or in any other Guerlain store.

IMG_5683Each one of these lipsticks comes in a jewel compact, which opens by pulling on the end, revealing a little concealed mirror, with the lipstick sliding out the side. From there, the lipstick just turns up normally. The mirror is super handy for on-the-go application, and for a quick check up on coverage throughout the day.

IMG_5680I am in love with the jewel lipstick compact. A cool fun fact is that the case was designed by Lorenz Bäumer, the most talented jeweler from the Place Vendôme in Paris. The case makes lipstick feel more like an accessory than a simple cosmetic product. The 68 Gigi comes with the option of having the traditional lipstick compact or an exclusive one with 68 on it, which is the one I opted for. And, best of all, you can have the compact engraved. That’s right. Every Saturday, this store has an engraver on staff who will engrave your name, initials, or anything else you’d like into the side of the compact. Now that is what I call personalizing a lipstick.

IMG_5672IMG_5674Guerlain appears to be a master of classy packaging. The lipstick compact comes nestled in a beautiful little, white box, which is tucked away in a chic little Guerlain bag with some product samples, and tied up with pretty red ribbon.

All in all, this is most definitely my favourite beauty souvenir of this trip to Paris, and it has given me high expectations for the rest of Guerlain’s products that I now want to try.

Have you tried any Guerlain products??? Which ones did you like???

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you have a lovely day 🙂 🙂