Sunday, November 25, 2012

The end of my fragrance ban + Dior Addict Shine review!

My deluxe size sample of Dior Addict Shine
            Today is the end of a journey I started this past June. Five months ago, I started a self-imposed fragrance buying ban that would only be lifted when I finished reviewing the contents of my miniature-fragrance collection (see here). I'm so excited (and relieved) to bring you my final review, as well as thoughts regarding my fragrance ban experience.

          Dior Addict Shine Eau de Parfum is my favorite scent from my miniature fragrance collection. You could say I've saved the best for last! My predilection for Dior Addict Shine is not a surprise, as I do enjoy most scents in the Dior Addict series. Dior Addict Shine is a zesty fruity floral. It opens with a lemon rind that bubbles up and out like sparkling water. The lemon melds well with the tartness of raspberry. This joining is smoothed over with a stem of gardenia that adds a silky femininity and preserves the simplicity of the scent. Finally, the fragrance is finished off with a shot of clean cedar. The overall effect is crisp, optimistic, and beautiful. Dior Addict Shine is no longer available at mainstream U.S. retailers; fortunately I have good amount left to savor in my little bottle.

The fragrance ban cohort. All these scents have been reviewed, finally!
          Now that my fragrance ban is over, how did I do? The aims for my self-imposed fragrance ban were 1) to appreciate the scents I already have and 2) to actively incorporate my enthusiasm for scents into Cute and Mundane. It turns out that the ban was more successful than planned! The original ban dictated that I should review eight samples. I enjoyed reviewing fragrance so much that I ended up doing twenty-two posts! I kept getting sidetracked by new smells, which is probably why this whole thing took five months to complete.

           I enjoyed how writing reviews forced me to think critically about a scent. It taught me to appreciate the experience, as opposed to focusing on feelings of 'like' or 'dislike'. I like more scents now, but I love fewer scents. (This conveniently curbs the urge to buy). I rekindled an appreciation for the beauty found in simplicity.  Currently, I'm enjoying scents that sing in duets, as opposed to those that play in a symphony of blooms. 

            In addition to being a good exercise for my nose, the fragrance ban provided new photographic opportunities. Perfume bottles differ in size and shape, allowing for fun and different  compositions. And then, there were paper packets. Typically, fragrance bloggers will use stock and other illustrative images when describing a sample vial; however, I prefer to rely upon personal photographs, so I shot the leaflets instead. While photographing freebies might not be glamorous, I like that it reflects reality: I have a shoebox full of samples (see it here), not a cabinet of couture bottles!


Prada Infusion d'Iris gift set
          I've had five months to think about the first fragrance I'd purchase when my time was up. It was an easy decision; I had already fallen in love with a sample of Prada Infusion d'Iris early on in the ban. Today's the day I get to open the box, so I'm off to spritz my new fragrance to my heart's content! Thanks for reading and supporting me in this very fragrant journey! Have you ever tried a fragrance (or other) ban? What perfumes are you liking currently? What are your tips for writing about scents?

Love, Dovey.

24 comments:

  1. Hurray, Dovey! Congratulations for sticking through it! I've enjoyed reading your fragrance posts, and the bottles are so cute :D

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  2. Yaay congrats, Dovey! My favorite Dior Addict is Dior Addict Eau Sensuelle, though I remember liking Dior Addict 2 as well!

    I'm just starting out to write about scents. It's not an easy job, because everything is so abstract. I try to do my best and engage people in my experience :)

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    1. Hi Sunny, Thank you! I'll have to try Sensuelle --- Dior Addict 2 is one of my favorites (sadly it's being discontinued too). I think you bring up a really good point about engaging people!

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  3. Congrats on the end of your ban! It's such an accomplishment!

    I don't play around with perfumes too much because my boy is allergic, but I got the Dior Addict Shine as a sample and loved it! Perhaps I'll wear it when he's not around!

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    1. Hi Annick, Thank you so much! Oh no for the allergy; that's a good reason not to for sure. I'm so happy you've tried Dior Addict Shine too; I wasn't sure whether people would remember it, since it's been discontinued :)

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  4. congrats!
    i must say that i much enjoyed your series of reviews thanks to(?) your ban, though. ;)
    i used to be a worse fragrance junky and wanted to wear everything, but now i know myself and try to stick with what works for me. i usually like small sized full bottles and my cabinet is full of them. i should review on some of my winter favorites as well.

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    1. Hi Lena, Thank you so much, I'm so glad you read them :) Judging from your comments, you do have a lot of great insight when it comes to scents --- I would love to hear more on your blog as well!

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  5. Anything Dior is simply fabulous :)

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  6. Fantastic job on the ban. I wouldn't last a week.

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  7. Hi this is the first time I came upon your blog and I loved it instantly!!! I am kind of a perfume addict myself, which is a very expensive addiction so these days I try to limit myself to 30 ml perfumes because I get bored easily and lose myself in another fragrance. But last month I made myself a list of perfumes which I already have and will use up and until then I can buy myself a new fragrance! Reading this post has made my mind more set to it and I hope I can pull it off :)

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    1. HI Casey, Thank you so much! It's wonderful to hear from a first time reader. I hope you can pull off your personal perfume ban! I think it makes the newer ones all the more special!

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  8. I loved reading the fragrance reviews Dovey, well done for sticking to your ban. I can't wait to hear how your new Prada baby fares for you, a well-earned treat :)

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    1. Hi Emma, Thank you so much for the nice words of support! I'm really excited about the Prada too, and will of course post on it!

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  9. Hurray, Dovey! Your Prada set is well-deserved and it's been enjoyable going through the ban with you (in spirit, sort of). :) It's also been quite motivating to see you power through the perfume reviews, so the whole thing has been quite wonderful all around in many ways!

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    1. Hi Liz, Thank you so much for the support and comments! I'm glad I did well by my samples in the eyes of a true reductionista :)

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  10. Hi Dovey, Congrats on the end of your ban! I've been thinking about going on a ban as well because I would like to use up and appreciate more what I already have. A few years ago I was even more interested in fragrance than makeup and would read many reviews & then wanted to try everything I had read about! I'm grateful for sites like Luckyscent that allow me to sample perfumes I'm intrigued by without having to splurge for a full bottle. I love your description of Dior Addict Shine - it sounds like a great scent! Enjoy your new Prada! :)

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    1. Hi Makeup Magpie, Thank you so much! It's really fun to hear that you are a fragrance lover too! I think a ban helps change my perspective a bit (though at this point I'm not going to attempt any more a while!) I haven't tried sampling yet, but maybe I should! Thanks for bringing LuckyScent back to mind :)

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  11. My favourite scent right now is Miss Dior; I'd love to hear how you would describe this one. You have a way with words when it comes to describing how the notes of a fragrance hit your nose! Do you tend to like the scented body lotions or shower gels that come in a fragrance line as well?

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    1. Hi Bethy, Thanks for the kind words! Miss Dior is certainly a classic; it's been some time since I've spritzed it on myself. I checked my sample collection and I found Miss Dior Cherie (I think it's discontinued?), but no Miss Dior. I'll keep it in mind and try to get my hands on a sample somehow. As for body lotions, I have a couple but I don't actively purchase them, because I go back and forth between smells too often. That and they tend to be pricey unless they're purchased in sets. I've also heard that mixing a spritz in with regular lotion can do the trick (though I have yet to confirm) :)

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    2. I've been told that Miss Dior Cherie is the same product and that they just changed the name however many reviews I have read claim that it doesn't smell the same. It has however been phased out and replaced with Miss Dior. No matter to me though, I got into it when Miss Dior was launched so I'm happy! My other no. 1 go to fragrance is Coco Mademoiselle. I just recently splurged on the bar soap as a treat!

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  12. i can't remember if i said CONGRATS! yay i'm glad your fragrance ban is over :) i need to do something like this... for something. i have far too many things right now!

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