Fragrance, a mini menagerie

          This summer I've found my nose perusing the fragrance shelves of Sephora again. I figured it was time to pull out the deluxe sized fragrance samples I've collected from fragrance kits or gift with purchases. Most are florals or fruity florals, which are general crowd pleasers. I'll give a quick breakdown of my thoughts. Stella McCartney Stella is an old favorite of mine; I actually have the bottle in full size. This is really one of the best rose scents out there. Escada Especially Escada is my newest sample; it might still be available as a 100 point perk on Sephora. I haven't pieced through the elements in the scent, but it has a different fruity edge that I'm really liking. The bottle is gorgeous too. Coach Poppy and Versace Bright crystal have smooth fruits mixed in their scents; they'd be easy for even non-fragrance lovers to wear. Dior Addict Shine isn't available anymore online. It's a shame because I did enjoy the fresh blend of cedar and raspberry in it. Givenchy Very Irresistible and Ralph Lauren Romance were ok, but haven't yet left lasting impressions. I believe I wasn't terribly fond of Marc Jacobs Daisy and Juicy Couture Juicy Couture. It's a shame since both of the scents have cute bottles.

           Even with all these delightful bottles, I can't help but eye new scents. I still have my eye on Dolce + Gabbana Light Blue (and its summer counterpart), Chanel Chance Eau Tendre (even though it smells nearly identical to my DKNY Fresh Blossom), and maybe the Jo Malone Lime Basil and Mandarin which I recently read about on The Non-Blonde. I have a little tester of Prada Infusion d'Iris too, which is in a category of its own. However, before I go off the deep end, I'm announcing a fragrance ban until I review each and every one of the samples shown here. I'm inwardly groaning at the thought, but I know it's for my own good. What deluxe fragrance minis do you have on your dresser? What samples or scents have you been liking this summer?

Love, Dovey.

P.S. I already reviewed Coach Poppy (see here). One down!

Coach Poppy perfume review

Long before I became a makeup fanatic, I was a fragrance fanatic. I still remember when I was young and in grade school I'd persuade my mom to take me to Bath and Body works just so I could smell all the lotions and potions they had in the store. I always coveted the body splashes, which back then came in the trigger-shaped spray bottles, but never got one since my mom mildly disapproved of dousing oneself in a chemical laden spray. I guess she was probably right about that. However, my love of smells and fragrances has continued to this day.

I haven't written about perfume previously, since it is a bit futile as people's tastes differ vastly even when it come to subtle details. But today, I thought why not? I'm not a sales associate. I'm just a blogger who likes to write about things I'm loving at the moment. And hence, no need to be accurate (if that is even possible with perfume). So here goes:

Recently, I got a sample size of Coach Poppy as a gift-with-purchase. I'm usually a pink fragrance kind of girl, meaning I like sweet feminine floral smells, which is often indicated through the choice of pink tint in many perfumes. And so, Coach Poppy, being pink, was quite promising. I'd describe this as a warm and cozy floral.  There floral scents in Poppy, however they're not overpowering. Gardenia and jasmine are present according to the description. Often I find gardenia scents to be beautiful, but too strong. However in Poppy it's a nice balance. The gardenia adds a touch of beauty, while the jasmine adds a sweet mellowness, which is really nice. Perhaps there's light musk, or perhaps it just might be the weightiness of the gardenia. Candied rose petal and cucumber are listed, however I'll just take them at their word. I think my chance of sniffing out cucumber from this concoction are limited! Because there are no lighter, crisp ephemeral scents, lasting power is good. I think Poppy is a fitting scent for 20-30 somethings, which is the demographic that Coach Poppy handbags and accessories target anyway. It might be a bit heavy for teens, or not enough for more mature ladies. However, this is a huge generalization based on my own subjective opinions!

Overall, I'm really pleased with Coach Poppy. I'm usually a more of a energetic and bright fresh floral type person, however I do find myself reaching for this every evening. I think the mellowness fits with my mood after a long day at work. The cute bottle and box don't hurt either!

I hope you enjoyed reading my first attempt at a fragrance post. I'm a real smell-addict, so let me know what your favorites are, and I'll definitely be sniffing them on my next trip to Sephora!

Love, Dovey.