No Spill Perfume with The Body Shop Love Etc…Solid Perfume

Above: The Body Shop Love Etc… Solid Perfume

I have always loved the eau de toilette version of The Body Shop Love Etc because of the lovely blend of citrus, floral and vanilla scent. Love Etc has many dimensions and layers to it that the scent changes throughout the day. It is long lasting for a light summer scent. When I received my $25 credit from The Body Shop, I picked up the solid version of Love Etc… as one of my goodies. The solid version comes in a cute little heart shaped tin with 13 grams of product that smells similar to the original eau de toilette spray.

While the eau de toilette version is sparkling, light and I can clearly smell the citrus, floral and vanilla scents, the solid version smells a bit milkier and creamier. I can only detect that I have a scent on, but I can’t distinguish the different notes in the perfume. It has almost a murkier and waxy smell compared to the eau de toilette but it is not unpleasant. The solid version is much more subtle and only lasts about 1-2 hours on me. Since the scent is such short lived, I would not wear this alone as a perfume but I would layer this on top of the eau de toilette for touch ups to add longevity to the perfume. One thing I like about the solid version is that it is small and light, which makes it the perfect size to slip into my purse for perfume touch ups.

Have Lychee Year Round With The Body Shop Lychee Blossom Eau De Toilette

Above: The Body Shop Lychee Blossom Eau de Toilette

A few weeks ago I got a $25.00 credit for The Body Shop by getting 8 points through their Love Your Body points program and Lychee Blossom Eau de Toilette was one of the goodies I picked up. The Lychee Blossom line was introduced in June and it also includes: body lotion and body butter. I believe the Lychee Blossom line is limited edition for the summer. I am really enjoying the eau de toilette and have being wearing it quite regularly as a daytime scent this summer.

The scent is light, floral, sweet and fruity. The notes are as follows lychee, guava, lychee blossom, magnolia and freesia.  This scent is very fruity and strong on the lychee and guava. If you take very deep sniff, you can smell the florals; however, when the scent dries down, the florals become more evident than the fruits. Lychee Blossom is subtle, once it dries down and you get used to it you won’t notice the scent at all but others around you will be able to smell it on you. I was surprised at the lasting power of this because after 6 hours I thought the scent was completely gone, but my friend noticed it and complimented me on it.

I  love lychee and guava, as both are my favourite fruit and juices to consume during the summer. Now I can have the delicious scent of both year around with Lychee Blossom eau de toilette. I know Fresh Sugar Lychee is available permanently at Sephora but The Body Shop Lychee Blossom is selling at $15 for 30mL at an introductory price, much cheaper and just as lovely. Hopefully, it becomes permanent after this “introductory” phase because I would buy it again when I finish this bottle.

A Flowery Pink Sugar: Aquolina Pink Sugar Sensual Eau de Toilette

Above: Aquolina Pink Sugar Sensual Eau de Toilette

Last year, Aquolina introduced a new scent to its line up: Pink Sugar Sensual. In was only available at European retailers at first but Sephora has been carrying this since early this year.  When I received Sephora’s VIB holiday gift card of $20, I decided it is time for me to pick it up.While the original Pink Sugar is supposed to be cute, sweet and youthful, Pink Sugar Sensual is more sophisticated and feminine. The original is bombarded with vanilla and lemon notes but the new scent is floral, orange, slightly bitter and musky. As PSS starts to dry down, the bitterness and muskiness lift and it becomes more floral and sweet.

To me, Pink Sugar Sensual reminds me of Viktor and Rolf’s Flowerbomb but not as sweet. Flowerbomb is more vanilla and PSS is more floral and fruity but the dry down is very similar. Aquolina sells PSS as a “sexier” scent then PS but for some reason I feel sexier with PS because I like the stronger vanilla notes in the original. PSS is a pretty scent not extremely original, but I like to wear it when I want something floral. The wear time of PSS on me is about 6-7 hours.

The packaging is clean and simple and it compliments the original Pink Sugar. I like the lacy motif on the pink and black tube packaging: pink background with black lace; however, I think it would be better if they used the black lace motif on to the bottle too and use a more sophisticated font for the label.  I think it  would make the packaging design more coherent and would sell the sexier and more sophisticated image better.

Sugar Sensual notes:

Top Notes: Black Currant, Tangerine and Bergamot

Middle Notes: Orange Blossom, Pink Jasmine petals and Tiare Flowers

Base Notes: Vanilla, Black Sugar and Sandalwood

The Body Shop Pomegranate & Raspberry Body, Room & Linen Spritz

Above: The Body Shop’s Pomegranate and Raspberry Body, Room and Linen Spray

The Body Shop’s Pomegranate and Raspberry Body, Room and Linen Spray is sweet and fruity. Although these are classified as room and linen sprays by The Body Shop, these sprays can be used on the skin as a light body spray. I also have Vanilla & Lime Blossom and Green Tea and Lemon and I like them both. I really like the light sweetness of  raspberry but I don’t really smell the pomegranate. The notes of this fragrance include: red currant, pomegranate, raspberry, blackberry, guava and coconut. I like that there isn’t any alcohol scent in the initial spray of the fragrance. All the body, room and linen sprays I own compliment each other well and I like to mix and match Pomegranate and Raspberry with Vanilla and Lime Blossom. The only thing I don’t like about these sprays is that they only last 1-2 hours on my skin.

The Body Shop Green Tea & Lemon Body, Room and Linen Spray

Above: The Body Shop Green Tea and Lemon Body, Room and Linen Spray

I have recently discovered some of Body Shop’s Body, Room and Linen Sprays during some of their sales. Although, these are meant to be for rooms and linens, they can be used on the body too. I find most of these sprays too light and fast fading for me, but I like the scent combinations and they mix and match very well with each other, so I bought I few to try since they were on sale. I find Green Tea and Lemon very light, much lighter than Vanilla and Lime Blossom and the scent fades faster. On my skin it only lasts about 1-2 hours. Green Tea and Lemon smells refreshing and fresh. The lemon is fresh but not overly sparkling or tangy and citrus, which is softened by the green tea. Besides the top notes of green tea and lemon, other notes include Lily of the Valley, Orchid, and precious woods. It is also infused with lemon essential oil and Community Trade honey. Although I think these sprays are almost too light and fast fading, I like that I don’t smell alcohol during the initial spray or at all, just the pure scent of lemon and green tea.

The Body Shop Vanilla & Lime Blossom Spray Body, Room and Linen Spray

Although The Body Shop’s Vanilla & Lime Blossom Body, Room and Linen Spritz is meant to be a home fragrance for air and linens, you can use it on your skin too. I have been spraying this on my pillows, bed linens and of course my body. I love the warmness of the vanilla and the tanginess of the lime blossom.  The notes include: lime blossom, lily of the valley, jasmine, vanilla and amber. It is sweet and tangy, which I really like.

On fabric the scent is very subtle and barely detectable, but on my skin it is more stronger and evident and lasts a decent 3 hours. I was surprised that it lasted that long on my skin because the scent is quite light. My favourite thing about this spray is that I don’t smell alcohol for the initial spray. In fact, alcohol is not listed as an ingredient. Instead, this fragrance is made with essential oils from lemon and lime, along with natural vanilla and soya beans. Community fair trade honey adds sweetness to the scent. I really like these room and body sprays from The Body Shop and I don’t mind owning all of them. I like the scent combination and that there is no stinging alcohol scent. They are super affordable at $10 CAD for 100mL.

A Jasmine Romance with The Body Shop Neroli Jasmine eau de Toilette

Above: Neroli Jasmine eau de Toilette

This lovely eau de toilette is a late discovery for me, as I hardly venture into The Body Shop anymore, but they were having a great sale and this immediately caught my eye and nose. The Body Shop’s Neroli Jasmine eau de toilette is named after the Italian Princess Nerola, who uses jasmine as a fragrance to enchant her admirers. The Body Shop’s version is a blend of jasmine, sandalwood, vanilla and neroli. To me, Neroli Jasmine is a very warm and slightly woody scent. It is one of those fragrances that can transition from summer to winter nicely.

In contrast to Love ETC eau de Parfum ( another jasmine dominated scent), Neroli Jasmine is not as sweet, citrus and fruity. On my skin, this smells strongly of jasmine and vanilla.The scent smells warmer and woodier from the sandalwood. The jasmine is very evident in this perfume and smells very much like jasmine during a warm summer night. Although there is neroli in this, I can barely detect it but it does seem to sweeten the jasmine a bit. This scent is strong and long lasting, on my body it lasts about 6-7 hours, which is excellent because most eau de toilettes only last 3-4 hours on me.

I really like Neroli Jasmine and I can see myself wearing this day and night, summer and winter  because I feel so sexy and beautiful wearing this scent. I just wished Neroli Jasmine is still available in the perfume oil. I will buy it in a heartbeat. The scent will be much more longer lasting on the body and in the bottle. I have used up almost a 1/3 of my eau de toilette already. The Body Shop please bring it back along with all your wonderful perfume oils! It was what drew me in to The Body Shop when I was a little girl.

Above left to right: Neroli Jasmine eau de toilette and Love Etc eau de parfum

Summer of Love with The Body Shop Love ETC. eau de Parfume

Above: The Body Shop Love ETC. eau de Parfume

Though I am disappointed that The Body Shop discontinued the majority of their perfume oils, with only White Musk and Vanilla remaining, I am pleasantly surprised to stumbled upon a sweet fruity floral: Love ETC. On my skin, it is a tangy citrus burst of sweet jasmine. It is a very warm fragrance. Love ETC. has three layers. Top notes are Pear, Neroli, Bergamot; Middle notes are Jasmine; Heliotrope; Lily of the Valley; and Base notes are Vanilla, Sandalwood, Musk Cream.

Despite all these notes, I can only detect  about 4 scents with my novice perfume nose. At first the scent is very tangy, strongly smelling of neroli blossoms with a splash of jasmine. I can just barely detect the bitterness of the bergamot. As the citrus scents wear off the jasmine takes over, although it is heady, I don’t find it over the top intoxicating. I just love the scent of jasmine, as it reminds me of a warm summer night out, when the jasmine smells sweet and strong. As the scent starts to die down, the vanilla softens the jasmine, becoming more subtle and less sweet and floral. When the vanilla comes through, I think it makes the fragrance “creamier.”

The fragrance is light and romantic for the summer but it is not too light that I can’t smell it and fades quickly. On me, Love ETC. lasts about 4-5 hours, which is decent for a summer fragrance. I really love the strength of the jasmine in this fragrance, because I when I wear this I feel very sexy and pretty. It is incredibly easy to wear for both day and night for me. My only wish is that The Body Shop could have designed a better and more creative bottle and have the hearts from the box printed on the bottle too. I think it would make the design more cohesive.

Happy 30th Anniversary of The Body Shop Canada Mini Haul of Sweet Smelling Goodies

Above: The Body Shop Neroli Jasmine eau de toilette and Love ETC eau de parfum

It has been a long time since I bought anything from The Body Shop because there is really nothing to draw me into the store. The Body Shop just isn’t the same Body Shop I grew up knowing since they discontinued almost all their perfume oils about two years ago. The perfume oils were what drew me into the store as a child and to become a customer in my late teens. However, The Body Shop was having a great sale that weekend, I decided to pick up a few items to give it a try. To celebrate The Body Shop’s 30th anniversary in Canada, the store periodically has a 3 items for $30 sale on almost everything in the store.  A pretty sweet deal for items that is normally more expensive than $10 a piece. For my haul a picked up a Kabuki brush, a face /body brush, Neroli Jasmine eau de toilette, Love ETC eau de parfum, Camomile Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover and Honey and Oat 3 in 1 Scrub Mask. I will report back on my goodies as soon as I can. I do know that the Honey and Oat mask smells divine though!

Above: The Body Shop Honey & Oats 3 in 1 Scrub Mask and Camomile Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover

Above: The Body Shop Kabuki Brush for Mineral Foundation and Face and Body Brush

Spring into Some Romance with Pacifica Tahitian Gardenia Perfume

One of my new favourite spring fragrances is Pacifica Tahitian Gardenia because I really like the floral tanginess. It is also very feminine and easy to wear. Tahitian Gardenia is light and fresh for spring but it is not so light that it disappears in an hour. The notes in the fragrance consists of  gardenia, jasmine, orange blossom, ylang ylang, osmanthus and tea leaves. The initial spray of fragrance is very green, much greener than the body butter version. At first I do find the scent too green and overpowers the floral but the scent mellows out within 10 minutes. Afterwards I can smell the gardenia and orange blossoms come through, emitting a lovely and feminine floral scent without being too heady.

The lasting power is decent, lasting on myself about 3-4 hours. I have tried layering this with the body butter underneath but the lasting power is still the same, as the body butter scent only lasts about 1-2 hours on me. However, with the body butter, it does bring a creamy quality to the perfume’s scent. I can still notice the scent on myself after 3-4 hours, after that I can’t smell it on myself, but when I get close to hug or walk past somebody, they ask what is that lovely flowery smell on me. I think it a great fragrance when you get so used to it and don’t smell it on yourself, but it leaves a serendipitous surprise for anybody who gets in close.