L'Occitane Roses et Reines

Things look extra rosy on July 30th. That's when L'Occitane's newest rose scent launches, Roses et Reines.   You may recall the previous Roses 4 Reines. This is the same with a new name .

As a rose lover, I'm naturally inclined to love this, but even the Dad thought it smelled lovely and he's not exactly a rose guy.

Roses et Reines combines four rose  varieties from Grasse, Bulgaria, Morocco and Turkey.  All the best roses , basically, extracted using a new variation on the traditional enfleurage method.

The scent is light and obviously very rose, but also has hints of citrus and blackberry with  musk  at the drydown . It's easy to wear, soft  and seasonless. It will work now as well as when the temperatures drop.

Roses et Reines comes in a full complement of products including the iconic L'Occitane shea hand cream, EDT , Solid Perfume, Body Milk , Soap , Bath Gel  and more.

Prices range from $ 8 for the Extra Gentle Soap to $ 25 for The Beautifying Body Milk .

All at http://usa.loccitane.com/

Roses de Chloé

Chloe's newest is all about the rose , one of my very favorite fragrance notes.

Roses de Chloé is a light rose,  fresh  and not powdery. There are touches of fruit but nothing overly  sweet. It's very floral with the dewy rose and magnolia in the forefront until we head to the drydown where the musk comes out.

This wears close to the skin and is a good scent for someone who likes their fragrance quiet and soft, but pretty.  It's a veil of scent that feels very Spring like.

Roses de Chloé  is $ 95 for 1.7 oz and $ 120 for 2.5 oz.

Marni Rose

Marni's newest fragrance Marni Rose  was instant scent love. I'm a rose lover and Marni's scent is a beautiful , just right rose.  It's a flanker to last year's Marni, which I haven't smelled yet, so can't compare.

Marni Rose is a rich yet fresh rose. The rose that's in full flush of bloom and scent with very little powder .

It wears softly , almost but not quite  a skin scent. It's delicious and while not completely unusual, it's still very pretty and devoid of any sugary sweetness that seems to be in so many perfumes these days .

The rose is right there from the beginning , bulgarian rose ,  with small hints of spice like the cardamom note peeking out a little as well as a little green violet.

Other notes include patchouli, white musk and cedar but these don't  play a large role. There are bits of them in the drydown but deep rose is very much the focus here. While fruit notes are also mentioned , I don't smell much of that at all. Just a passing spot of raspberry  at first.

Marni Rose has a refined feel due to the rose but at the same time it's not too fussy .  It's easy to wear for any occasion, all day etc. If you love rose fragrances as I do, then you'll most likely be as enchanted by Marni  Rose as I was.


Marni Rose is currently exclusive to Saks.
 2.2 oz EDP is $ 105

Juliette Has A Gun " Miss Charming"

Charmed, I'm sure. Well I was. With Miss Charming  and her blooming bouquet of the softest scented roses  that never feel heavy.

If you are a rose lover , and I am, then you too will most likely find this to your  taste. Created by one of my all time favorite perfumers , Francis Kurkdjian for niche fragrance house Juliette Has a Gun,  this rose  is a very true rose  with only a hint of powder .  It's more green and fresh. Miss Charming begins all rose and then some of the fruit notes come in. It never gets too sweet but  you can definitely detect the berry notes. They mesh well with the rose here . Many scents can go too fruity and be all about just that. That doesn't happen here and the ingredient quality is high .

By the drydown a little musk is there but it's still very much a rose scent. Miss Charming is  very feminine  and ladylike  with light sillage and  lasting power  that wears quietly. It's simply pretty .

Juliette Has a Gun and Miss Charming are available at websites  http://www.juliettehasagun.com/ , http://www.luckyscent.com/ , and http://www.beautyhabit.com/  and Henri Bendels in store .

More outlets listed on website as well as the rest  of the perfumes. Check out Lady Vengeance for rose with an edge.

Retail is $ 85.00 for 50ml.

Crazylibellule and The Poppies Les Garconnes Perfumes

Adorable perfume company Crazylibellule and The Poppies is bringing a new set of solid perfume "crazy sticks " out next month. The new scents are an homage to fabulous ladies of the Roaring 20s.

I've been in love with this line for some time .They'd been on my radar before they were even available here in the US. To see them at Sephora now is wonderful.

Part of what makes these special is the portability, the great price point, and the cute factor . They smell great too, which is most important.

A great line from the website describes the inspiration a bit :"I am a REVOLUTION because I do whatever I please. I defend the colors of audacity, of freedom of expression and of respect for women."

The first one I had was Ananas Imperial from the Shanghaijava collection .

Now I have added some of the Les Garconnes. I've tested 3, and so far my favorite is Rose Saigon. It's a Rose/Violet combo to my nose with a healthy whiff of the Gaiac wood note( which smells of fruit , not woods.)

Tamara Charleston is also quite nice. It reminds me of a sweltering summer scent, fitting for anything Charleston.The Mandarin, Jasmine and Hay are what my nose grabs most here. The hay smelling more grass-like than dry hay. It's an interesing mix.

I look forward to trying the rest when they launch in July.

The Crazy Sticks are all $16.00 for a 5g stick.

Full List:

-Chère Louise ~ with hyacinth, rose, pepper, iris, saffron, patchouli and gaiac wood.

Hommage à Gabrielle ~ with jasmine, peony, ozonic flower, cedar, incense, leather, vanilla and elemi.

-Pompon Gardenia ~ with lime, watermelon, lily of the valley, gardenia, amber, tobacco and heliotrope.

-Rose à Saïgon ~ with mango, rose, jasmine, gaiac wood, ylang ylang, passion fruit, vetiver and patchouli.

-Jeanne Voyage ~ with bergamot, mandarin, iris, musk, violet leaves, nutmeg, heliotrope, amber and rose.

-Joséphine Jonquille ~ with lemon, ginger, cardamom, tiare, jonquil, jasmine, patchouli and chocolate.

-Tamara Charleston ~ with peach, mandarin, fresh cut hay, absinthe, jasmine, lisylang (a Robertet molecule), gardenia and amber.

http://www.crazylibellule.com/

Online now at http://www.b-glowing.com/