Allergen-Free Perfume- Now at Sephora

Sephora has started carrying a new perfume by Juliette Has a Gun called "Not a Perfume".  This is a single-note scent that's fresh, clean, and hypoallergenic.  It's made with only one note...Ambroxan which is synthetic ambergris (gray amber).

According to Sephora.com:
It is for the woman who is unclassifiable, who does not usually like perfumes or likes to smell like she is wearing nothing at all.  It is entirely allergen free, and noticed only by others, not by the wearer. 

I'm not sensitive to fragrances but I do like scents that are more subtle and wear close to the skin, so I'm really intrigued by this one. Still, $135...yikes! It's pricey but for those of you who can't wear perfumes due to allergies or other sensitivities, it may be worth it!
You can purchase Not A Perfume at Sephora.

Free Harvey Prince Perfume Samples Worth $35!

Want to try new perfume for free? Harvey Prince is offering customers a chance to try a free sample of their new upcoming scents (I've reviewed several of their perfumes here on the blog). A few weeks after you place your order, they'll send you an email asking for your feedback...and that's it. These aren't tiny samples either...they are .50 oz worth $35!  You just have to pay $6.50 for shipping- no other purchase required.  Plus, they'll send you a coupon code to use when they officially go on sale!

Of course you may or may not know that Harvey Prince Hello is one of my all-time favorite scents, so I'm dying to try some of these to see if I can find my newest signature scent!
Here are the scents that are included in the offer:

The Story of Perfume- Enter Code trytsop at checkout to get it free (just pay shipping).

Notes: Lebanese labdanum, Arabian Oud, Egyptian olibanum, East African myrrh, Indian jasmine, Moroccan cardamom, Bulgarian rose, Polynesian ylang-ylang, plush patchouli, musk and sensuous sandalwood.

Style: Classic. Sensual. Royal.

"Tales from antiquity tell the story of bold women who used the art of seduction for power and glory. Women like Helen of Troy, Nefertiti and Cleopatra are among history’s greatest seductresses.The secret of their seduction? Perfume. Knowing the sensual power of scent, Cleopatra perfumed the sails of her barge so Marc Antony would find her irresistible. And she succeeded, filling the Roman general with an insatiable desire for his Egyptian queen.The Story of Perfume is the story of these powerful women. Using high quality essential oils, it goes back to the sources, transporting you to the past via scent.

With The Story of Perfume, be your own legend"

Frangipani Lei- Enter Code tryfrangipani at checkout to get it free (just pay shipping).

Shenandoah by Terri Michele Fragrance Review

I have a very sensitive nose, and heavy perfumes can give me a headache very easily.  So I usually tend to gravitate toward clean, fresh smelling perfumes that aren't too heavy or imposing.  The problem with most light fragrances, is that they don't last long- by midday they've completely faded.  

Recently, I had the opportunity to try Shenandoah by Terri Michele fragrances.  Shenandoah was created by Michele Kaplan, a "fragrance aficionado and mother of three" who wanted to find a signature scent that was "light and clean, yet long lasting" and “draws you in as though it were a part of the wearer rather than a spritz from the bottle.”   I can definitely relate to that, so I was really excited to try it! 


Here's the description from the Terri Michele website:
"THE SIGNATURE SCENT OF TERRI MICHELE FRAGRANCES, SHENANDOAH IS FRESH, CLEAN, AND AQUATIC, WITH CLASSIC APPEAL AND SUPERB STAYING POWER. An inviting combination of floral notes, the fragrance is at once soft, subtle, and alluring. The singular, utterly feminine scent is said by some to be purity and light captured in a bottle. Artisanal in concept, Shenandoah is custom-blended and worn by company founder Michele Kaplan".  The notes are:
Bergamot, White Lily, White Musk, Freesia, Lotus, Ylang Ylang, Sandalwood


Sounds amazing, and it is!  I've been wearing Shenandoah for a week now, and have gotten tons of compliments on it.  Some people have said it smells like soap, while others have said it smells fresh yet warm, like your favorite clean t-shirt.  

My favorite thing about this fragrance is that it's the best of both worlds- light and airy, yet the sandalwood, white musk and ylang ylang keep it grounded and give it lasting power.  
I can't stop sniffing my wrists- it's just that wonderful.  Even my husband who's very picky about perfumes and doesn't like too many of them, loves Shenandoah.  He told me that it's feminine without being flowery- it's just light and clean.  


There are also ancillary products in the line, including body lotion, body wash, roll on perfume, and a soy candle.  

One more thing I love about this company is their commitment to the environment.  All of the bottles are made entirely from repurposed milk jugs or HDPE.  And all boxes are made from paper that is approved by the Paper Stewardship council, which are assured to come from forests that are managed to meet the social, economic and environmental needs of current and future generations.  

I think Shenandoah is going to be my main fragrance this Spring and Summer.  It's perfect for every day, whether I'm going to work, or just hanging out on the weekends.  

Have you tried the Shenandoah line?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!


Disclaimer: Jenna has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review but did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.

Victoria's Secret New Bombshell in Love and Simply Gorgeous Perfumes plus Free Lotion

I heard that Victoria's Secret had launched two new fragrances for Valentines Day, so I headed over to the mall to check them out, and I took my husband with me to get a guy's perspective.  

The first fragrance, Bombshell In Love, is a new twist on the original Bombshell, with notes of pink grapefruit, peony and sandalwood.  To me it smells similar to the original, but a little more citrusy because of the grapefruit.  I might like it better than the original.  My husband just shrugged when he smelled it and said, " It's not bad.  Kinda fruity."  Ooo-kay...next one!

Next is Simply Gorgeous, which comes in a fantastic bottle complete with atomizer.  It's a blend of Crimson Apple, Sunkissed Petals, and Velvet Amber.  To me, it smells really similar to Hermes Eau Des Merveilles, with a touch more sweetness. It's weird because they don't have the same ingredients, except for the amber, but to me, it's very close. 

 I was immediately drawn to it, as it's a warmer scent, but it's not food-y.  It's really difficult to find a warm, sexy fragrance that isn't loaded with vanilla or musks. My husband even liked it, and he's really picky about scents.  I loved it so much, I bought it right away, and it didn't hurt that until Feb. 14th, Victorias Secret is giving away a free lotion with the purchase of either of the new perfumes.  If you get a chance to smell this one, I recommend it- it's really different!

Both eau de parfums are $49.  

Love's Soft Jasmin and Fresh Lemon are BACK!

When I was a teenager, I was head over heels for  Love's Soft Jasmin perfume, but I never really got into Love's Baby Soft, which was the most popular in the line- too powdery!
I went looking for the Jasmine fragrance last year, after reminiscing with an old friend from high school about it, but the only scent that remained on shelves was the Baby-Soft fragrance.
So, imagine my surprise when I saw Soft Jasmine and Fresh Lemon (another classic from the 80's) at CVS today!
Apparently, Dana Classic Fragrances decided to re-release these favorites at the request of fans and bloggers over the years.
See, companies really DO listen to us sometimes! :)

Both fragrances will be available in 1.5 oz. / 45ml Body Mists and will be featured at CVS stores in August 2011. (Although your store might already have it out, like mine!)

Coty Wild Musk Review

 I worked at Sephora for three years and in that time, I became sort of a fragrance snob, if you will.  I found plenty of fragrances there that I liked, but I was always searching for a softer scent, one that smelled like clean skin, but not too soapy or citrusy.  I was looking for warmth without smelling like vanilla or chocolate or any type of food for that matter.  I never found it. 
The other day, I was in CVS and why, I'll never know, I stopped to check out an endcap featuring all the scents of my teen years.  There was Jovan Musk, Love's Baby Soft, Exclamation, all the Parfums deCoeur body sprays, and there in the middle was a Wild Musk tester.  I held it up to my nose, and it didn't smell offensive, so I sprayed a little on my wrist and walked around the store waiting for it to dry.
I forgot all about it until I went back to work and was sitting at my desk and caught a whiff of something amazing.  I held my wrist up to my nose and realized that I had found it.  I couldn't stop sniffing my wrist all day, and even asked a guy friend to smell it.  "What is that?" he wanted to know, but I was kind of embarrassed to tell him what it was, so I just said, "do you like it?" and he said, "it smells soooo good!" and grabbed my wrist so he could smell it again.
That night I went home and did a little research.  I couldn't believe that I was liking a cheap perfume so much, so I went looking for evidence that I wasn't crazy.  And I found it... 94 Makeupalley.com reviewers gave it 4.1 out of 5 and most of those who gave it less only did so because the fragrance didn't last long enough for them. 
This scent reminds me of high school...maybe I wore it back then, I'm not sure.  But it is definitely a snuggling fragrance. It's so warm and sexy, but clean at the same time- it's not a dirty-smelling musk.  Its notes are bergamot, jasmine, rose, amber, sandalwood, vanilla and musk.  Sounds heavy, but it's not.
I purchased the body spray the next day for $3.99 and when I got home, my fiancee could not stop snuggling me on the couch and smelling my neck.  The body spray is light and doesn't last long, so I am going to spring for the cologne, which is about $12.  If you want to try it, get the body spray first- it's only $3.99 and if you hate it, no big deal.  Test it out on your guy.  Don't say anything, just see what he does.  :)