Acqua Di Parma Gelsomino Nobile

I haven't met , truly, an Acqua Di  Parma fragrance I haven't liked or usually, loved. I'm beginning to think that despite my love of so many vaunted fragrance houses, that the Italians just may have most of my heart. They love to reference villas , palazzos and gardens overlooking the Mediterranean and I am so there, in  my mind at least. So perhaps that's part of it. It helps that they really do smell that good.

So we have  Acqua Di Parma's newest -Gelsomino Nobile, based on Calabrian Jasmine, known for being green and fresh. There is a trio of Nobile fragrances now ,with the previous two being the equally gorgeous Iris Nobile and Magnolia Nobile.

Gelosmino Nobile is all  sweet jasmine ( and I don't mean super candy sweet but that it's not indolic)  It's a full bodied white floral ,  incredibly pretty  and yes fresh, as the jasmine is said to be.

The jasmine is mingled with mandarin which makes a fabulous combination  and orange blossom builds the white flower presence  and then the cedarwood and musk notes temper the flowers a little bit and  ground it. I don't find it to be very green , but there is just enough there to balance those white flowers and not send into hothouse territory ( not that there is anything wrong with that .) The overtly big floral theme doesn't suit here, and Gelsomino Nobile is fine just as it is.  It's elegant but not never too much and has a sparkling zip to it which might be the mandarin. That note sticks around here much longer than usual as citrus is so  volatile .

It will wear well  most any day and anytime.  Sillage is medium and it lasts nicely .

3.4 oz/100ml EDP Spray: $170
1.7oz/50ml EDP Spray: $108
5.25oz/150gr Body Cream: $80 (4% concentrated fragrance)


Avaialable at Neiman Marcus, Sephora.com  Bergdorf Goodman, Saks and select Nordstroms .

Acqua di Parma Bergamatto di Calabria

It's quite hard to go wrong with Bergmot in fragrance, unless of course you are one who dislikes Bergamot. Me, I love it. I even used to grow it on the patio.

Acqua di Parma's newest fragrance , Bergamotto di Calabria, harnesses that bergamot, an Italian staple , using bergamot D.O.P which is certified by the Consortium of Reggio Calabria. What this means is- it's the top purity.

The company's Blu Mediterraneo line is a series of fragances designed to bring the Mediterranean to you ( not a bad thing at all) and most are citrus based in some way, light , sparkly and sunny. Needless to say I love them. I already own Arancia Di Capri, a burst of fresh squeezed lemon and orange, and Mirto di Panarea with Myrtle.

Bergamotto di Calabria is obviously very bergamot. It is also though, very vetiver. In fact to my nose it is a bergamot/vetiver blend. Not as many other notes stand out. This may be citrus but it is very dry due to the vetiver and even though unisex, leans a bit more to the masculine side. It's not overly unique but it is quite nice. If like me, you are all about the citrus, then you should like it. It is typically very sunny and uplifting.

Other notes include: cedar wood, ginger, benzoin and musk.

Acqua Di Parma Bergamotto Di Calabria is available now at Neiman Marcus only and will launch at Saks and online at Sephora.com in March.


60 ml EDT -$ 70.00
200ml Body Cream -$ 67.00

Acqua Di Parma Magnolia Nobile

Acqua Di Parma releases the next perfume in the Le Nobili line in August, Magnolia Nobile.

I must confess to being a huge fan of Acqua Di Parma. I own Iris Nobile and Blu Mediterraneo Arancia Di Capri and would gladly add any of their others to my collection. When I heard "Magnolia" I was on it.

Magnolia Nobile is decidely Italian. The Magnolia is the star but the citrus is bursting out too. It's zesty with the initial hit of citrus coming from the bergamot, lemon and citron notes. Then the Magnolia unfolds, lush but not cloying or heavy. Slowly the other florals appear, mainly the jasmine and into the drydown I get a tiny bit of the sandalwood and the vetiver which melds with the citrus and florals well. Yes, I unabashedly love it. I am not surprised in the least.

This is an elegant, refined scent but also sunny and un- fussy. It was partly inspired the villas along Lake Como in Italy , and their gardens, of which many contain Magnolia trees. A neighbor of mine has a Magnolia tree and every year when it blooms I can't wait to sneak over and sniff the flowers.

Notes:
Top-Bergamot, Lemon, Citron
Middle-Magnolia, Rose, Jasmine, Tuberose
Drydown-Sandalwood,Patchouli,Vetiver, Vanilla


Magnolia Nobile will pre- launch in Bergdorf Goodman and Neimans in August, rolling out to Saks, Barneys, Sephora.com and Nordstrom in September.

1.7 oz EDP $ 105.00
3.4 oz EDP $ 165.00
5.25 oz Body Cream ( with 3% fragrance conc.) $ 75.00

Holiday Gift Guide Part 1

I had so many ideas for gifts that I have decided to do several gift guides. For the next week or so they will pop up.

Some items are one I have posted on before so I was brief and put the link in for the old post. Most are in the collage above, with 2 having their own pics. I hope you enjoy them. A lot of time was spent putting them together and I think there's some great ideas here.


I also tried to include many price points


Please feel free to leave a comment if you'd like some help finding a gift. I'd be happy to help you pick out the right thing.

-Biotherm Eau Pure Set- I love this fresh citrus scent and wore it all summer. Now you can get a well priced gift set for $ 45.00 including the full size fragrance . My original review Here
Set Incl.:
Eau Pure Spray 100ML
Body Lotion 75ML
Shower Gel 75ML
http://www.biotherm-usa.com/


-Clinique Happy to Go- A set of 3 perfume pencils. Yes pencils. Darling, cute , portable & pretty smelling. The set gives you one pencil in Happy, anf then breaks down the Happy notes into the two others - Hint Of Citrus, and Wealth of Flowers. Comes in a nice carrying case and with a sharpener. Avail. in December and LE. $ 30.00


-Acqua Di Parma Iris Nobile Coffret- I adore this scent and this would be very welcome at my house. Elegant, soft and a slight metallic cool. $ 101.00
Full size EDP, smaller Body cream & Shower Cream
http://www.neimanmarcus.com/

-Be Delicious Keychain- a unique, fun gift. Almost anyone is sure to love this. $ 35.00 only at Sephora. My previous post on this perfect gift Here


-Molton Brown Elemental Bath & Shower set -10 of the most popular Molton Brown shower gels in 50ml sizes. Great for the traveler or to introduce someone to the brand. $ 40.00
http://www.beautyhabit.com/
http://www.moltonbrown.com/



-Dermalogica Body Buffing Set- set of 2 huge 16 0z.bottles of Dermalogica's siganture scented body products and a buffing cloth. The lotion and shower gel are both very moisturizing and have a lemon / vetiver scent going on. A little woody, a little smoky , a little citrus. Can easily be unisex. $ 55.00 You can read my review of the yummy matching candle Here


http://www.dermalogica.com/ and Ulta stores



-Kiehls Delights Set- Anything Kiehls is a good gift. This set brings loads of good products at a nice price. $ 35.50
Creme de Corps, 8.4 fluid ounces., Creme de Corps Nurturing Body Washing Cream, 6.8 fluid ounces,Lip Balm #1, 0.5 fluid ounces., Deluxe sample Creme de Corps Soy Milk and Honey Body Polish,Kiehl's yellow monogrammed wash mitt.


-Estee Lauder Sensuous Cathedral Square Compact- Wow. Thats all. This is exquisite. Meant to look like St. Basils cathedral in Red Square, Russia this is too pretty for words. Exclusive to Neiman Marcus.$ 300.00

And one for the men:

Ralph Lauren Polo Modern Reserve-Most men love Polo in one form or another. Modern Reserve is to celebrate the 30th anniversary and highlights more of a citrus note than the original. I really liked it. There is a special gift set that includes a leather case. The guys should love this if Polo is their scent.

40z EDT is $ 62.50

Numbered Leather Gift Set $ 200.00 , LE of 3,500
http://www.bloomingdales.com/

Scents of Summer

With 100 degree temps rampant all through the East Coast and more, I have been switching to my stock of summer perfumes. I thought I'd share some that work in the sweltering heat.

Montale Paris Sandflowers-I just reached for this today for the first time in awhile . In wondering what to wear , it seemed to be perfect, and it was. Sandflowers is a cool ocean floral. It has notes of juniper berries, seanotes ( a bit of an aquatic feel), sandalwood and oakmoss. Individually, many of those notes don't work for me, but in this they do. It's breezy and fresh but also pretty. It lasts incredibly well, but is not too much. (** Unsure on availability as of 2012 post update).


Acqua Di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Arancia Di Capri- One of the best of the citrus scents. Very zesty lemon with grapefruit, tangerine and orange . A citrus blast. It's light and doesn't last too long, but it's so refreshing. Since it wears off quickly, keep it handy and use as a light body spray throughout the day. Other notes include  cardamom, musk and more. At Sephora, Saks , Nordstrom. $ 92 for 2.5  oz. ( The others in this line, Mirto, Fico and Bergmotto are also great summer scents) .

Creed Virgin Island Water- Think coconut, lime, white bergamot, mandarin, jasmine, rum, sugar cane.
Yes it reads like a drink, but it's not too sweet. Just a bit , and very tropical. A definite unisex scent that makes you feel cool and relaxed just by sniffing. Said to be inspired by the Creed family's tropical boating trips. $ 140.00 for 1 oz. various retailers incl. Aedes, and Neiman Marcus.

Bond 9 Little Italy- Pure sunshine in a bottle. This one seems to get mixed reviews, but I adore it. I get mostly all clementine, but the herby notes peek out a tiny, tiny bit. Also has grapefruit, mandarin, musk, jasmine.

This one needs two applications back to back, and then you get decent lasting power. $ 175.00 for 1.7 oz
http://www.saks.com/ or http://www.bondno9.com/

The Different Company Bergamote-   Niche fragrance website Luckyscent describes this as sunshine and happiness in a bottle ( using my term from Little Italy). Using 70 % natural bergamot, ginger, orange blossom, leaf green, rhubarb (wood), musk, this packs a citrusy wallop. Luckyscent.com


Many more are out there.  Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess , Bond 9 Fire Island, Bobbi Brown Beach are but a few more. All these fall into the suntan on the beach category and are stunning.

Stay cool.

Acqua Di Parma Blue Mediterranean Skincare

One of my favorite fragrance lines has come out with skincare. When in NY for the Sniffapalooza, I made a beeline to Acqua Di Parma to try it out.

The Blue Mediterranean Italian Resort line is pure luxury in a jar and who doesn't want to bring some of an Italian Resort into their lives? I may not get to Amalfi but I can have these pretty potions that echo it. ( sorry if that sounds like prepped PR stuff, but that was really me and my wordy mind)

Blue Mediterranean Repairing Balm is a super sleek creamy gel that sinks right into your skin with no greasy after feel, and has the most wonderful scent. It does a bang up job of moisturizing . It can be used for sunburns and any other skin irritations not just as a face product. It's the summer essential.

I haven't yet bought it but am so tempted. I have a lot of skincare items I need to use, but this is really lovely.

I am am quite in love with line's eye cream as well.

Repairing Balm is 1.6 ounces for 61.00, contains a Mediterranean Oxygenating Complex®, Vitamin A, and Vitamin E.

The Italian Resort line also has a Body Nourisher, Delicate Pumice Scrub,and Radiant Cream.

You can view and buy at

http://www.bergdorfgoodman.com/store/catalog/template/catB9.jhtml?itemId=cat274700&parentId=cat20036&masterId=cat10026&cmCat=