One of the question I get a lot is what is my favourite perfume. If you ask me out of the sudden right in front of my face, I would have problem answering you there and then. The reason is I have quite a number of perfume that I rotate on day to day basis so it is inevitably that I have a few personal favourites.

There’s a lot happening on my vanity table at the moment but my absolute favourite area is none other than the perfume tray that I bought not long ago. It fits almost all of my perfume with the exception of maybe 2-3 bottles that I don’t reach out at all. This is my Top 5 Favourites Perfumes of all time

I did some deep thinking before posting this to make sure that these five scents are really really reaaallllyyy my favourite because after this it will be online and I can’t do anything about it lol. It’s really not that hard to gauge which is my favourite of the lot. These five scents are the one that I reach out the most. I used them quite generously, drowning everyone near me *sorry peeps!* . For some odd reason, my tolerance towards certain perfume scent has changed. Some of them gave me dizziness and headache, which they never did before. Have that ever happened to you? It’s really frustrating!

Dior Addict Eau Fraîche EDT (RM240/50ml, RM340/100ml)

Ranking at #1 is the first perfume I received from Dior as a token of appreciation. Dior Addict Eau Fraîche has been my go-to perfume till to date. I tried not to get attach to it too much because it’s running out very fast but I failed. The scent is so addicting. If I can describe one scent that says it all about me, Dior Addict Eau Fraîche would be THE one. It’s scent is quite light so I usually mist 4 times all over me. I like how I smell with this scent on. I would repurchase this as soon as I’m on my last drop. Might get the whole set that comes with shower gel and stuff too if they have it

Estée Lauder Modern Muse EDP (RM200/30ml, RM290/50ml, RM420/100ml)

When I forbid myself from reaching out to my Dior, I find my hand moving towards the newly launched Estée Lauder Modern Muse. Despite having to just launched back in July 2014, heck I’ve already used up quite a lot. This perfume is infused with Jasmine accord in it and Jasmine is not my favourite flower or scent at all. I absolute hate it. Can you imagine how surprised I was to myself that I love the scent? It makes my knees weak everytime I wore the scent. Perhaps it’s due to the perfume’s dual-impression contrasting aspects, I couldn’t get enough of the scent when it tones down. This scent kinda reminds of me the Dior despite both are totally the opposite. I don’t know how to describe the feeling it gave me. It’s the womanly confident sensation that goes well with my body chemistry. If you’ve met me recently, most probably you’re sniffing a lot of this scent. I literally drowned myself with it okay?

Salvatore Ferragamo Signorina EDT (RM190/30ml, RM265/50ml, RM355/100ml)

Signorina is not just my favourite but it’s a favourite of everyone I know. It’s a feminine, romantic and young scent that is easily acceptable. The funny thing is I was so used to the scent that I couldn’t smell it on myself so I started to mist on MORE and people can smell me a few metres away! . This is one of the few scent that I recently started to have dizziness and mild headache despite only misting it once or twice. Somehow I’m no longer tolerate to it as much as I do previously. And it is also recently that I’ve been using it quite frequent and the dizziness stopped. What I like about this Signorina is the romantic feminine feeling I get whenever I’m wearing it. It lasted the whole day on me without any changes with the scent from the beginning. The price is also pretty affordable comparing with others.

Gucci Guilty EDT (RM225/30ml, RM275/50ml, RM368/75ml)

On days where I want stronger scent, I’d go for just two. One of it is Gucci Guilty. Gucci fragrance line in generally are strong character. Guilty on the other hand is strong too but it’s a feminine floral scent. Despite of it’s strong character, the scent surprisingly goes on light on me which is why I can take it. No headache or dizziness. This scent used to tone down into powdery scent on me but recently the scent is totally different. The only reason I could think of is that my body chemistry has changed. I like it more than before this so no complain on the change of body chemistry

Ivoire by Balmain EDP (RM260/50ml, RM375/100ml)

Ivoire by Balmain used to be my all day everyday perfume. I’m not someone into woody or musky scent and Ivoire falls under the woody category. The scent is exceptionally strong but unique for its kind. It’s strong personality scent is not for everyone especially if you’re into fruity or even floral scent. In fact a few people I know told me they don’t like this at all and I’m the odd one. I love it! I call this the ‘manly’ women fragrance. This is a perfume for me when I want people to take me seriously in a meeting or when I have formal events to attend to. It is only recently that I ran into a bit issue with the fragrance. I get a mild headache whenever I had this one. That doesn’t stop me from using it. Now I’m using Ivoire on moderate. The max I mist on is twice and that lasted the whole day. If you like a woody, strong personality and confident scent, try Ivoire!

Now it’s your turn to tell me what is your Top 5 Favourite Perfumes. Does your favourite changes all the time? As for me, I can take all kinds of perfume but my favourite usually remains the same unless a new launch came along and I couldn’t stop reaching for it

The post Top 5 Favourite Perfumes: My pick of the lot and why I love it appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

A stranger with quicksilver sensitivity

I find that the story behind the creation of the original Ivoire…fascinating. When I first read it I can almost imagine how it is for Pierre Balmain at that time. It happens towards the end of the seventies. Pierre Balmain – the designer crossed the path of a sovereign beauty as she descended the Paris Opera staircase draped in a pale silk gown. And Balmain dedicated Ivoire to her.

One evening in 1979, an unknown but extremely elegant woman inspired Pierre Balmain to create a perfume named Ivoire. He would ascribe to her the features of a woman with her eyes hidden under a broad-brimmed hat and dressed in a silk gown with a double strand of pearls around her neck. An unforgettable image.

The original Ivoire is a scent with strong personality which was considered advanced for its time. In short it was a very aldehydic fragrance borne by fruity harmonies that was combined together.

Now let’s take a look at The New Ivoire by Balmain which was previewed to the media in January 2013.

Ivoire, legacy and rewriting

The original Ivoire was the last signature perfume created by Balmain himself back in 1979. Michel Almairac and Jacques Flori – perfume designers at Robertet was given the thrust to rewrite this signature scent. They said that their job is just to update the perfume without betraying it. In another word they wanted to put a modern twist to it. Now both of them are able to explore new olfactory territories thanks to a remarkable choice of qualitative raw materials.

To define this new Ivoire signature, we could speak of an iris-green floral chypre. A promising initial surge reveals vibrating inflections of orange and mandarin essence powdered with violet leaves. Thus aroused, the nose lingers on a carnal bouquet of jasmine, rose, ylang- ylang and galbanum with an accent on its green highlights. Full of imagination, the perfume wake unfolds the elegant seduction of vetiver and cedarwood, highlights a patchouli heart freed of its earthy accents and rounds into a precious, delicate vanilla.

The bottle design was the initial creation signed by Pierre Dinan while paying tribute to the couture heritage of the House of Balmain. The heavy and solid weight of glass an the warmed transparency of gold make up to an authentic perfume while pure lines recalling the architectural training of Pierre Balmain.

I personally like the bottle design very much. As you know I like things to be as simple as it can and the new Ivoire has all that. It’s thick, square and feels heavy on hand. The cap is a simple, clear cube that tuck in to the spray nozzle tightly. For some reason the design gave me a vintage feeling.

At the media launch we were given this flower ball to sample the scent. At first sniff I was pretty pleased. We were told that the top note is fruity that tones down to flowery scent. Honestly I cannot detect the fruity scent. All I can smell is a mixture of flowery notes! I do prefer my fragrances to be floral

A few days after that I fall sick on bed for a week. During that week and add in another 2 weeks of recovery I had a block nose. All I can smell is this Ivoire scent. I have no idea how or why. Maybe because I kept the flower ball in my room near my bed so actually I was inhaling Ivoire when I was sick on the bed which explains why the scent lingers “in” my nose for a few weeks. As my friend said “thank God the perfume smells nice”. I couldn’t agree more.

According to Olivier Rousteing, this 2012 version of Ivoire incarnates the perfect translation of today’s Balmain woman with a combination of heritage, richness, a touch of nostalgia and remarkable modernity. He also added that Balmain history is based on true luxury and French elegance with a touch of edginess, rich ornamentation and cutting Expertise.

Enough of the fragrance signature scent description. Now let’s take a look at the fragrance notes. The fragrance opens with a deliciously intoxicating fruity note of Mandarine and Orange Essence. The floral dresses the aerial heart of the fragrance while it’s woody trail sublimate the elegance and sensuality of women.

Head notes – Mandarine Essence, Orange Essence, Violet Leaves
Heart notes – Galbanum, Yalng-Ylang Essence, Jasmine, Rose Pepper, Vanilla 
Base notes – Pachuli Essence, Vetyver Essence, Cedarwood

In short if you are into floral scent with a twist, most probably you will like this one. It tones down from fruity note pretty well and it suits almost every female. I don’t find the scent overpowering even when I wasn’t feeling well. You know some perfume do give headache right? This perfume comes in EDP version so you can expect a long lasting wear throughout the day without being too strong or getting sick of it. It gave me a familiar scent but yet I couldn’t think of any near resembles.

By the end of the day my nose detect a woody trail from the base note. It’s kinda relaxing to be able to sniff the woody note towards the evening.

Disclaimer: Product was given to me as a part of the door gift during Ivoire by Balmain Media Launch. This doesn’t affect my judgement in the review in any way.

The post The New Ivoire by Balmain; A Desire To Return To The Past, While Telling An Infinitely Contemporary Story appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona