SHISEIDO ZEN! IT'S REVAMPED FANTASTIC AND WILL GET YOU LOVE!!
Meg here! I don't know where Vexy is off to! Sometimes it is hard trying to figure out who is writing what when but I had Shiseido send some of their newly revamped Zen off to Vexy and one for a give-away. I had to open the give-away to write this review but know that we have 1 more on the way and YOU CAN WIN IT!! Please just let me know your best fragrance story and the bottle is yours!
Shiseido launched its third incarnation of its Zen fragrance (prior versions were launched in 1964 and 2000). The new fragrance was developed by perfumer Michel Almairac, and is described as a “fresh, floral woody scent” with notes of grapefruit, bergamot, peach, pineapple, blue rose, freesia, gardenia, red apple, violet, lily of the valley, hyacinth, rose, lotus flower, patchouli, cedar, musk, white musk, amber, incense and marine plant.
The “blue rose” springs from the marriage of a rose and violet, according to Almairac, who explained, “It has a very particular odor — a lemony note.”
The bottle, by Taisuke Kikuchi, was inspired by a Japanese tearoom. It looks amazing in my Mae West inspired bedroom. All glass and square, picture Art Deco meets todays minimalist modern.
It's nothing like the previous formula so if you're a big fan of that that then beware. It's a completely new scent that I am a fan of. Because I wasn't sure if men would like it (Megken is brutal on his scent tastes) I did the unthinkable. I woke up Megken at midnight, out of a sound sleep because I needed his review on this. I had to make sure I wasn't the only one that thought wearing this was super sexy.
I took out the gorgeous bottle, he said "Oh, yeah, that is really nice looking." PACKAGING-A
Meg: Ken, wake-up, sorry but smell this. Do you like it? Does it smell good (I put my wrist under his nose) I need to know for the review. It's OK, if you hate it. Just tell me so I can go write it.
Ken: He inhales my wrist and says "If you had to wake me up then this is a good way to do it-It smells so good-like a light and happy fun girl would smell." He sniffs again and says "That's really nice, I would want to sleep next to a girl that was wearing this, it's turning me on. It's so sexy. MMMh, Yum."
I'll take that as market research endorsement. Megken is picky and he came alive from a sound sleep to help me out. He also got "The Look" and wanted to know how long this post would take to write before I came back to bed. How Zen is that?
If you're looking for a great summer seductive scent then Zen seems to be the state you need to be in!
Ladies, we reward our reviewers! People REALLY do win so get to typing and get this beauty mailed to you!!
Anyone want to share for a chance to smell soo good you can wake an exhausted man out of sleep to want to make you reach your ZEN?
BUY IT HERE
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Reviews
I was running late for an off-site meeting and not looking forward to walking in after it started. I quietly slipped into a seat at the table while everyone's eyes were on the overhead presentation.Whew, no one noticed. After about 30 seconds, the men on each side of me inhaled deeply and sighed. When the lights came back up, the presenter asked if there where any questions. The gentleman on my right riased his hand and said, "I'd like to move that we don't start future meetings until (pointing at me) she arrives. This meeting just got better smelling."After the meeting 30 men came over to introduce themselves and sniff me. I may show up late more often...
best fragrance story.... how about when i showed my ex a perfume i was on the fence about, and he completely tipped the scale by saying "my mom just bought that and she wears it every day."i do not need to be smelling like a guy's mother, ex or not!
I used to wear Zen from the Black bottle, never left the house without it. I had a difficult time getting at times too - it wasn't readily available. Then the unthinkable happened - they changed the formula! I'm not the kind of person who has an assortment of fragrances to choose from each day, I am pretty much a 'signature' scent. And I like a more spicy rather than floral. So here's my story; My ex-husband knew all this because he asked me specifically. He saw the bottle of Opium on the vanity. Plain as day. So what does he do; he goes to the local department store at Christmas and talks to the 'expert' and they decide to switch me to some sweet, floral scent and surprise me. It was terribly expensive too! Now, I don't usually like to return gifts - just smile and say thank you and put it in the back of the closet (you know, the 're-gifting section). But this made me furious. I dragged him with me back to the store the day after Christmas and sought out the same saleswoman. 'Okay, so my husband tells you I wear Opium exclusively, why in the world would you talk him into this?' I ask her. We do look/sniff others - granted he wanted me to try something new. However of the spicy variety. I think I ended up with a bottle of Cinnabar. Here's a pet-peeve of mine: I notice the young women seem to wear scented everything; shampoo, hairspray, body lotion, perfume... And different scents....at the same time!! GAG. Did they never hear the term, a little goes a long way?
I can tell you straight up that I am in dire need of finding a perfume that my new husband of exactly 2 weeks would find as compelling as the story Meg shared with us here today! Holy steamamatic moment in the dead of night! I was singing “Let’s get it on…” as I read her delicious story this morning! We all have to agree, Meg has herself a mighty good man in Mr. Megken! I cannot imagine waking up my Harley Husband to have him have a look at a lovely perfume bottle in the dead of night! LOL! I think something like “Are you kidding me?” would be said, especially since my guy works nights and comes home at 2:00 a.m. and then crashes by 3:00 a.m. So here’s my deal…my man wears one cologne, it’s pretty much his signature scent and that’s Drakkar for men. He had that on when I met him and whenever he wears it (it’s been 5 years since my first inhalation of him) and I still make the groaning sounds from deep in my chest area whenever I hug him and smell him and he has that on! Some animal instinct pleasure/intoxication seeking vibe within me comes into play each time I get close enough to smell this on him and it’s sometimes almost an instant reaction that I want to slither around his body on the spot and begin some sort of mating ritual with him! My Harley Husband and Drakkar are a powerful sensual cocktail for me! So the deal is…I want to find a fragrance that makes him forget about time and causes him the immediate compulsion to pull me close and then push me up against a wall and lay one on me! The thing is…I visit the perfume counters everywhere I go and I either spray on or get samples of whatever is out there and come home and lie in wait to see if an irresistible compulsion will come upon my man where he throws caution to the wind in order to embrace me and feast on my scent! Most of the time I end up just going up to him and saying…”What do you think of this?” and he says..”It’s ok.” Defeated again, I toss the latest sample into the trash while walking away with a sad sack look on my face. The thing is…he loves and has always loved one scent on me and that is a hair styling product called Miraculous Finishing Gloss by John English, a well-known hairstylist here in Minnesota. Every time I use THAT on my hair, he’s all over me and interested in burrowing into me if you know what I mean! So, I actually started putting the hair gloss on my pulsation points, (I’m really reaching here) however it never lasts as it’s not perfume or cologne and 99% of the time he doesn’t even notice it’s now on my skin! The only other actual fragrance I have received a “That’s pretty good dear.” is Cool Water for Women. He says he likes how fresh it smells and THAT comment is more than I usually get but I’m not feelin’ the “Oh baby…you know what I like.” vibration from him that I’d like to find. I so want to find a scent that captivates him like his Drakkar does to me! So darling…if Shiseido Zen can make my man go into a trance like state of bliss whereupon he finds it literally impossible to fall back asleep without sending out his heat seeking radar to devour me in the dead of night…I definitely think I need this fragrance!!!!!!!!
Jeanasina!
It is absolutely imperative that I wash my hair on days when my mom and I cook Indian, Italian or Mexican food together- my huge, thick, half-fro-half-yield-sign-shaped-poof head of hair expertly absorbs every scent it comes in contact with. One night, a close friend of mine threw a party and another friend (who had never drank or smoked previously) decided that she was a party animal and consumed more alcohol and smoked more pot than is humanly possible. Irritated, shocked and concerned, I stayed with her to make sure that she did not die from choking on her own vomit- this story just became disgusting, and I apologize to anyone who is still reading at this point-no more, promise! Moving on- 2 hours riddled with coaxing and comforting later, I went to the porch to take a breath of fresh air. As I did so, I noticed, horrified, that an aura of weed/sour vomit/cheap alcohol scented abomination had followed me outside. I have never wanted anything as much as I wanted, in that moment, to just pull a Natalie Portman (a la V for Vendetta), grab a blade, and shave my head of thick, bush-like hair. It was still relatively early, just past midnight, and I was terrified of my entire graduating class catching a whiff of my personal space- I had to find a solution, and quick- my name was being called for a round of pong. I went inside the downstairs bathroom, found a suspiciously old, dusty bottle of perfume that I would not feel guilty about using, and enveloped myself in a cloud of rejected perfume. Looking back, I see how risky, stupid and ignorant of me this was- trying to smell like you bathed in a vat of perfume is never a good decision. Doused with perfume, I inhaled for the first time since I began operation douse-all; I then witnessed a miracle that only Bvgari could provide. While I did not know then that I had stumbled upon the mystical powers of Bvlgari Voile Jasmin, I did know that instead of smelling as I ought to- a poor, desperate creature who attempted to cover up stench with even stronger stench- I smelt clean and vaguely of jasmine and soap. Relieved, refreshed and forever grateful, I emerged from the washroom and was told by at least three boys that a. I was hot (ha!) b. they loved me (they were drunk) and c. that I smelt delicious and could they give me a hug. Third time is a charm, obviously. Now, there's a happy ending to a potentially mortifying nightmare!-----Also, as I am pretty sure in my 3 years of stopping by this site I have never actually commented or had anything useful to say, I just wanted to introduce myself: I'm Ruth and I really love visiting this community; all of you ladies seem funny, intelligent and (most importantly) 100% genuine!
Sounds like my kinda fragerance!
I’ve been on the prowl for a new sent that says “wow, what a woman”…or something close to that!
There was one that came close to it, but sad to say that feeling didn’t last more than the afternoon. My husband and teenage boys got in the car with me and immediately started to comment on the smell. I thought this is good. Maybe not…they went on to say that it must be one of those tree air fresheners because that is exactly what it smells like, and could I please get rid of it! When I got home I took a whiff of the bottle and sure enough it has the ‘essence of a car tree freshener‘. Oh, I need help. I would like to have the effect that 'psily' had on the room. Way to go girl.
psily--Question what scent were you wearing in the meeting???agent007--I totally understand about hair soaking-up smells! I hate when I go to a restaurant and afterwords my hair smells like strong food odors or smoke! This makes perfectly good, freshly styled hair fall into the wash-and-repeat category, which when blow-drying, products, and flat-ironing are involved a drag. Meg girls help!--is there anything out there that is like Febreeze for the hair?My story: When I was in high school I smelled Thierry Mugler "Angel" for the first time, I loved the chocolate accord! It was so different from all the usual fruity florals that were worn by every girl in high school (back before all the cake and candy scents came on the scene). I couldn't bring myself to buy it, but would always sneak by the beauty counter at the mall and smell or carry the perfum strips around. On one such trip to the mall, I had my boyfriend and one of his friends with me (probably trying to help them buy "nice" clothes for an event or something) and draged them over to the perfum display. "Oh, doesn't this smell great?" I said and waved the little test strip under their noses. Boyfriend's reaction was some sort of mumble probably acompanied by an eyeroll. The friend acting like the usual high school boy proceeded to pick up the bottle and rapidly spray me with at least 5 good sprays of "Angel". Now, those you out there who know "Angel" will know that while it is different, it is VERY strong. There are many websites (ok blog posts) dedicated to hating on this scent. To get sprayed with that many squirts of the stuff is equivalent to bathing in most other perfumes; nothing whispy or demure here! "THAT smell" was suddenly me! As we exited the mall quickly I realized just how strong I smelled. I started to get a headache, get nausiated, felt like my airways were closing up. I couldn't get away from it! I opted to ride in the backseat with the windows down (I might have even stuck my head out the window for fresh air). At the resturant where we met friends I imeadiatly headed to the bathroom and basically tried to bathe in the sink. Nothing really worked. Pretty much nobody let me live it down (some how the friend wasn't implicated in this all, as if I dumped the bottle on myself). I think I sweated Angel for days. It took years for me to get over feeling sick everytime I smelled Angel...though I could always pick out of a crowd even if it was applied subtley. I can now like the smell of Angel, but will never buy. Good thing I've found other perfums that are interesting!
I reconnected with an old boyfriend on facebook. We'd been very close and never meant to loose touch but life happens. After chatting online and over the phone for a week or two, we decided to meet up. I was terribly nervous; it'd been 15 years since we'd seen each other. Beyond what we'd think of the effects of time....would we even know each other?We set the meeting at a busy cafe. I arrived 10 minutes early, looked around, saw no one that seemed to be him and found a nice table and ordered a mocha. 10 minutes passed. Then 15, 20, 30. I was just about to leave when I felt a gentle touch on my back and then someone was literally nuzzling me.It was him. He'd also been there early, frantically looking. We didn't recognize each other. What finally gave me away, he said, was my perfume. It was etched forever within his every cell and he'd know it anywhere.Thank goodness I thought to wear the scent I'd always worn when we knew each other. It's still one of my favorites....and clearly it's my signature!
Well, this is a silly story, but it might bring a laugh to someone. One night, a couple weeks ago, my husband was asleep on the couch, because our 3 small kids were sick and up with me in our bedroom. My husband woke up, took a shower, and got clean, fresh clothes on for work. I am stay at home mom and I was just doing the normal clean house, take care of kids routine...as I was sitting on the couch folding laundry I smelled something awful!!! "What is that???", I thought. I scanned my brain and continued on my day. Well, my poor husband, at work, was getting comments about a horrible stench and he and his co-workers kept smelling it on and off all day. They kept blaming it on my hubby, who is a good-humored, loveable guy. And he was like, "nah, man, it's not me." When he got home from work I smirked at him and said, " Honey, did you know you were sleeping on a stink bug all night?" "That's what that was??? Oh man! I have to tell you about my day at work today....." We both laughed hysterically and I told him how I had vacuumed up a bug the day before and it must have been a stink bug.The vacuum was left out next to the couch, the bug must have crawled out under the couch and let off it's lovely perfume...poor guy...Moral of the story: "don't vacuum up a stink bug, leave the vacuum next to the couch and then allow your husband to sleep there. :) all that =humiliation
I have two fragrance stories.1. I wore Debbie Gibson's "Electric Youth"! Does anything else really need to be said about that. Perhaps I don't deserve to win based on that. But I am guessing that every person who ever had to smell me deserves to win something.2. My poor husband used to wear cologne. I loved it. I particularly loved it when he would wear Cool Water. He was always very light and tasteful with his cologne application. It was never overpowering. He is now working to be a therapist. He used to work in a children's mental health treatment center. At that time he still wore cologne. He had two young girls who became obsessed with him. This is not entirely uncommon. These girls had never had positive male role models and had typically been sexually abused. So they often didn't understand how to have an appropriate response to healthy and positive interraction especially with men. So a ridiculous supervisor chastised my husband. She told him that the fact that he wore cologne was just asking for it. She said that the girls' obsession was his fault because he smelled good. Have you ever heard of anything so silly? Women were allowed to wear perfume. Well, my husband really loves his work and takes his job very seriously. So he has literally never again worn any fragrance at all. Ever!So I really miss that sexy smell. I am pretty sure that he misses it too. He always comments on any scent I have going on. He tries hard to find beautiful new scents for me to wear. Lately, with all of my doctor bills he hasn't had the money to really spoil me with this stuff. So I would certainly love to have a new scent to wow him with for the warmer months. Let him live the sexy and care free life of someone who smells nice, vicariously through me.
Psily…what was the fabulous fragrance you were wearing? Inquiring minds want to know! That’s an awesome story! Blackpolish221…that had to have been the kiss of death for you to hear…Agent 007….your Febreze for hair question is a great idea – I’ve often wished I had a Febreze body freshener for so many reasons…Outrayjust…man how compelling was THAT story…having a man remember your perfume – WOW! You must have made one hell of an impact on that guy from your past! Svenskamommy! Hilarious story! I never realized there really was such a thing as a stick bug! You guys must have been dying laughing! Kellie76 NO WAY! That’s just sad about your husband – the supervisor should realize it’s not his cologne that’s causing reactions from the girls – I hope you two take a vacation for a week or two and you make sure he wears your favorite smell every single day! That’s just wrong! Your husband sounds like a wonderful man! Keep those stories coming ladies! All of these stories are so much fun to read and imagine! It’s always truly fantastic to see new stories and new people joining in on topics! We love sharing around here! On this website it truly rings true to say “The more the merrier!” Best of luck to all of you lovely women who deserve to smell good!
Jeanasina!
I always wear Carolina Herrara. Her older fragrance, the one in the gold and white box. I get tons of compliments on it, I really love it and it is getting harder to find, bummer. My Ode to Parfum: One night, I decided to wake my husband up in the middle of the night with candle light, lingerie and my highly perfumed self. I got a little ahead of myself and thought I could carry all of my candles into the room in one trip. I also thought I could light them whilst carrying them to my den of seduction. WEEEELLLLL, I ended up catching the tips of my hair a little on fire. So, I want to know, does the lovely aroma of burnt hair turn anyone else on, anyone? Does the job for Stylepapa.
Scary but I'd buy it for the bottle alone,LOLROF! How lucky is Megken that his opinion is SO very valued our Miz Meg would dare wake a sleeping giant and risk having to take time out from her busy-writings to make sure he was "relaxed enough" to return to his slumber...HAHAHA! I haven't ever had the pleasure of "Zen" but it sounds to be simply amazing and lovely and will stalk a sample of it asap,now I want it!I am a scent-freak and everyone who knows me knows it: I am relentless in my quest to hunt down those esoteric and antique scents as well as the handcrafted scents some fabulous "noses" create these days! My best "fragrance story" is a dear one to me: I am the oldest of 8 kids...yep,8,those good Irish Catholic parents of mine never could quite figure out what was causing all those babies I guess. :) Money was tight as were luxuries but somehow,when I went to my first prom,my Mom not only scraped together enough to buy me a spanking new dress,not a hand me down or homemade creation but she also gifted me with a small bottle of "White Shoulders" perfume the night of the prom.I had never owned anything in my 16 years so grown-up or so beautiful as that glass bottle with the cameo of a ladies head in relief and I couldn't believe it was really mine....it was the first scent she herself had ever worn and the "meaning" of it wasn't lost on me.In spite of all the diapers and runny noses,the demands of all those kids and very little money,my Mom knew exactly how very important it was to "smell nice" for one's first grown up/dressed up affair and in her way,she wanted me to know she also valued such girly-luxuries although they were far and few between for her as well.She still wears the scent and although I do not anymore,there IS a small bottle of it in my vanity drawer that really perks me up just to sniff a bit when I am down as it "recalls" that exceptional moment in time when I first felt like I was really a Princess for the night.
My favorite fragrance story involves the night I met my husband. I was living alone and hadn't been on a date in ages, when I got an invitation to go to a party at a friend's house - one of those last minute, let's celebrate nothing just because kind of things. I decided I needed a change. That afternoon, I went shopping and fell in love with Chanel Coco. It had just been released and it smelled rich and sexy and slightly dangerous; in other words, perfect! I splurged and bought a bottle. That night, I put on my favorite, most perfect jeans and some dangly earrings and sprayed on my new scent. When I walked into the party, I headed to the bar, got a drink and turned around to survey the room. I looked straight into the eyes of a stranger across the room, who smiled at me. My first thought was *whoa, that is the best looking man I have ever seen!" He came over to introduce himself, and the first thing he said was that I smelled terrific.As of next month, we've been married 25 years! I love and wear lots of different perfumes, but on our wedding anniversaries, he always makes sure I have a bottle of Coco on hand. I swear I'm not making this up! :)
When I was 2 1/2, I drank my mom's full bottle of Chanel No. 5. Yep - all of it. Nope - didn't get sick. I would love to wear a scent that rouses him from a deep sleep, and renders me good enough to devour.Thank you Meg!rte 66 kicks!
I have been a nanny for three kids for about 14 years and had recently changed fragrances.I wasn't sure the kids would notice, one way or the other, but my hopes were lifted one day when the 10-year-old boy mentioned how good I smelled.I was curious what he meant, so I asked him if he meant my new cologne, offering my wrist to confirm.He sniffed, and then quickly turned my hand over. He then sniffed my NAILS and said, "No, this is the smell that I like!"I was perplexed until I remembered that I had also begun doing my own manicures about a month before and it must have been the scent of the polish that had begun to smell nice, or at least, reminded him of his nanny!
I AM LOVING THESE STORIES! You all are so funny, romantic, and really special. Mjsred, your story about your prom, the dress, and White Shoulders, really touched my heart. I love that your Mom did that for you; amazing women come from amazing women. Moments like those mean so much don't they? My mom used to wear Island Gardenia by Jovan and she always shared hers with me even though perfume was a real luxury for us too. You can still find this simple, inexpensive perfume at most Drugstores or on my Mom's vanity. Maybe I should purchase a bottle so this scent will create special memories for both my girls as well. Meg, all of these stories are getting to me, I am feeling all soft and sentimental. Amazing how scent is SUCH a powerful force isn't it? Great review!
Thanks jeanasina you are such a sweetie! My husband is just wonderful. He does have a new job in the same field. The ironic thing is that now he is the supervisor of his former supervisor. And no he has never exacted revenge on her. But alas, he still will not wear any cologne. After the year we have had we really need a vacation. Hopefully that will happen this summer. jeanasina you are so adorable. Your husband must go out of his mind for you! He just may not be able to express himself well. That is the only explanation.
psily- I've got to know, what fragrance were you wearing? outrayjust- well what were you wearing? That sounds like something out of a romance novel! Scent is the strongest sense that is tied to memory. Isn't it amazing how he could pick you out of a crowd just by smell? kellie76- That's unfortunate that he had to deal with a silly supervisor, but it happens. I say spray your husband with the cologne the second he comes in the door! Then you can both enjoy it in the privacy of your own home. :) That's sad that he's been scared off of wearing any cologne, but I think you could convince him if you tried hard enough. stylemama- That had me in stitches! Totally sounds like something that would happen to me.
VEXY here with her internet fail and she feels TERRIBLE! Especially because Shiseido Zen's new formula has become my NEW FAVORITE for springtime! I, personally, am picky with florals in the sense that I don't like them to be too powdery or floral-y (that sounds ridiculous, right? A floral that's not too floral-y?) because they kind of remind me of grandmas and occasionally give me headaches. As soon as I smelled this, though, I was HOOKED. TRUST ME LADIES- YOU WANT TO WIN THIS! The top notes are a bright, sparkling fruity citrus, and the heart notes are a mellow floral- blue rose and chinese rose. The drydown is a delicous spicy scent of patchouli and amber. It's really hard to classify this as anything because it combines many, many scents beautifully and artfully; the boy loves it, too. He even put in a special request on a date last week! "Will you wear that stuff?" "What stuff, sweetie?" And here I am thinking he means flavored lipgloss!"That stuff in the cool-looking bottle that smells good." Now, this could describe my entire perfume collection, but I knew which one he was talking about. I love Zen's bottle as well- a reflection of the white light the perfume is based on (and boy does it do it well, since white is all the colors combined and this is pretty much every scent combined, only better!). In short- ZEN is my new STAPLE! Now keep sendin' those stories, ladies, and WIN IT!!
Ah your stories are all so sweet and funny(burnt hair),im not even going to try and top them ,most of my stories would only involve random weirdos sniffing me on the bus,hense my pathalogical fear of buses(havent gone near one in years).
PotionPrincess♥
Whoops! I was so focused on replying to people that I forgot to post my own story. I'm such a goofball! I was in highschool and there was this guy that I maybesortakindaish liked. Anyway, we were both in drama club together at the public highschool. My mom couldn't take me to practice that day, so I had to walk the three miles so I wouldn't miss practice. It was really hot and humid, and I knew I would probably sweat some on the hike to school. In addition to my unscented Dove, I decided I'd use a little perfume to help mask any funk I might pick up on my walk. I didn't really wear perfume at this time, so I decided to raid my little sister's fragrance closet. Out of the perfume that she had, Curious by Britney Spears smelled best to me. So I put some on, one spritz on wrists rubbed together, one spritz on shirt, another spritz in a downward direction. (I guess I thought my pants should smell nice too?) So I walked the three miles to school, in the boiling heat, through the rough part of town (doesn't that sound like something a grandparent would say? Ten miles- in the snow!) to get to my practice. I was a little late, so when questioned, I said I walked. Then all the guys practically jumped all over me saying I had no business walking through the projects by myself. (Which was kinda true.) I discretely sniffed myself by looking downward and inhaling. I could really smell the perfume, even more than when I left the house, but I was satisfied that it was covering any sweat odors. (Did you know that heat can intensify fragrance?) It came time to rehearse and I had to practice with the guy I mentioned earlier. We were all standing around discussing choreography and running the scene and he started sneezing. He sneezed and sneezed and sneezed. He said that he could smell something really strong and asked if anyone was wearing perfume. Oh my GOD, I was! I just stood there like a statue. Between giant Achoos!, he said it was too strong and irritating his allergies. Another girl piped up and said it smelled really good. I just stood there, face burning, hoping that nobody was standing downwind so they wouldn't know it was me - as if it wasn't obvious! We moved on and the guy and I did not do our scene, we worked on something else, but to this day I am still completely mortified at my fragrance faux pas! And to this day, I never, ever, ever(!) wear more than one spritz of anything with a heavy base like Curious had.
I would love to win the bottle of Zen. I love fragrances, always have fresh flowers, diffusers, candles the whole bit. My horror fragrance story involves being on a Trans-Atlantic cruise. Our ship had a little shopping mall that included a perfumery. It was before dinner and my husband and I were strolling around the ship and decided to stop at the perfumery since I had not put any fragrance on. We were sniffing and testing various colognes and I finally decided on one. (Sorry forgot the name) I sprayed just a spritz and walked through it knowing I wouldn't want the scent to be too strong. Off we walked and I thought the scent was getting stronger and stronger. I asked hubby and he said it seemed that way to him. Pretty soon people were looking at me. Worse part was riding the elevator to the dining level. On the elevator were a family from India. They tried to move as far away from as possible and finally they plugged their noses and looked at us two like we were aliens. Finally the grandmother said something that sounded very much like "stink". I was horrified, tried to wash it off before heading into the dining room. That didn't work. At dinner all our table companions were teasing me good-naturedly (hopefully) about how strong the perfume was, however the two tables next to us asked to be moved. After dinner I went straight to our room and took a long bath to try get rid of that smell. I know if I see that bottle of fragrance I would recognize it. I almost thought maybe the fragrance reacted to the material in my evening dress. Has anyone heard of that happening?
Beste Hilsin
I was wearing Cinnabar, Estee Lauder. An oldie and clearly a goody. It's the only spicy scent I've ever liked. I honestly don't know if it's even made anymore. I still have an industrial sized bottle from college. And oddly, it's retained it's integrity after all these years.
Hi girls! Perfume is my absolute favorite beauty staple, above makeup, skin care, hair care.. anything. I've been collecting vintage perfumes for quite a while now. Coco by Chanel was the very first perfume I ever owned. When it was released in 1984 I was 12 years old and and I sniffed a sample in a magazine. I asked for it for Christmas and it became my first bottle of perfume. I've heard this perfume likened to a woman in an eighties power suit with shoulder pads and chunky gold jewelry. For me however, it smells like money and class, with a mysterious dark undercurrent. I hadn't owned Coco in about 20 years and wanted to smell it again, so I went to the Chanel counter and bought a bottle on my birthday in 2006. It did not smell nearly as rich as I remembered. Even more than owning it and wearing it, I wanted so badly just to smell it again. I tracked down a vintage bottle on Ebay and bought it. When it came I was thrilled, it was the scent I remembered. I've since gone on to acquire all kinds of scents I've worn in the past and now I have over one hundred bottles. Coco was and always will be my favorite but Chanel makes a few I couldn't live without, such as #19, Chance and Allure. If you've always wanted to wear Chanel #5 but think it doesn't suit you, try buying a vintage bottle on Ebay. The bottles from the 30's and 40's smell far more pleasant and smell less like the aldehydes, which give the fragrance its unique sparkle, but which rub some people the wrong way. I also have two bottles of Chanel full strength perfume from someone who worked for the company in the 40's and 50's. These were made by the perfumer, but were not selected for mass production. One is labeled #42 the other is #144. The #42 is a heady floral with a touch of mossy green. The #144 smells like gardinia, leather and a hint of something oak.. like a cask used to age wine. These are truly precious becuase they are so unique. Some other favorites of mine are Estee Lauder's Spellbound, Armani's original Gio(discontinued), Guerlain's Champs Elysees and Chopard's Casmir. Here are some great tips for tracking down vintage perfume on Ebay. Broaden your search (instead of Chanel #5 parfum 1oz, type in vintage Chanel perfume or just #5) and look carefully through the many pages. Many sellers do not know the value of what they are listing and if you look carefully at the photos you may find something of great value that the person just hasn't described well. I found a Chanel tester for Coco on Ebay, searching in just this way. It was described as a small tester and it looked like a purse stray. When I got it in the mail it was a tester, but inside was a full 2oz of full strength Coco perfume (valued at about $200+)! For great descriptions of fragrances and reviews go to www.basenotes.com. The reviews are insightful and almost poetic. If you love a discontined perfume and don't find it on Ebay take heart, there are manufacurers out there who do their best to recreate some. Try Long Lost Perfume by Irma Shorell at www.irmashorell.com. She successfully recreates quite a few discontinued favorites including My Sin by Lanvin and Bond Street Perfume, as well as many more. I found her site when I was looking for Donna Karan's Chaos. She held the trademark on the original scent Chaos, having formulated it for Donna Karan. She was able to reproduce the scent since she owned the trademark, though she had to sell it in a different bottle. Her version is called Anarchy and it is much closer to the orignal than Donna Karan's weak rerelease of Chaos this past winter. I believe Irma Shorell stopped selling Anarchy because of the rerelease of Chaos by Donna Karan. A shame really because it was much better and closer to the original.Well, I hope that sends some of you on the trail to finding your favorite perfumes. Now here's my story. My grandmother and grandfather fled Germany in the late thirties at the begining of world war II. My Nana would have tears in her eyes when she would describe packing a scant few possessions into a small suitcase. If I caught her on a day when she was in the mood to reminisce, I would ask her to describe her girlhood in Germany. My Nana was a beautiful woman even into her late 70's with fine taut skin and lips shaped like a heart. She described the dresses she used to wear to dances and how they would wear their hair.....and her favorite perfume, Extrait per de Fleurs. As a child I would sit rapt, easily picturing her in my mind's eye. As I got older and began to indulge my own passion for perfumes from my past, I held out hope I would somehow find a long lost bottle of her scent. It was six years after her death that I finally came across one in a little flea market. It had its original box and about a quarter of the perfume had escaped evaporation. Occasionally when I get dressed up, I fasten her pearls around my neck and dab some on.
Indi
Also for the ladies that are looking for a scent that will wow their man, try Chanel's Chance. I've never gotten as many compliments from men as I do with that scent. It's very feminine but also very classy. They market it toward younger women, but I think it is appropriate for any age. It is elegant but sexy too and men seem to eat it up.
Indi
Hello ladies. I have been in search of a new perfume. I can never find anything that I like and I have been wearing the same perfume since I first started wearing perfume my freshman year of high school. I think I'm long overdue for a change. With that being said, I will get right into my perfume "horror" story. A few years ago a girl friend of mine and I went to a little "hole in the wall" bar to have a few drinks and chit chat (not to mention, check out a few boys). So we are sitting at a little table in the corner, and I notice these two gorgeous guys sitting across the room at the bar. I secretly point them out to my friend, and we sit there giggling like little school girls on their first date. They must have noticed our obvious staring because they start to glance over and shoot us some smiles every now and then. My friend being the shy person she is (funny, she only turns shy when she wants ME to do something embarassing) talks me into going over to them and asking them if they'd like to join us (I'm easily persuaded after a few margueritas). I finally agree and secretly check myself out with my trusty little mirror. Hair, still looking good, makeup...well not too bad but at least its pretty dark in there. I find a piece of gum at the bottom of my purse, then I ask my friend "Do you think I reek of alcohol?" We look at the table we are sitting at and decide given the amount of empty glasses maybe a little perfume couldn't hurt. Of course I can't find mine, being as we are trying to do all of this without the guys noticing. My friend tells me she found hers and I tell her ok just give me a little spritz, I don't want to smell too strong. I glance over at the boys to make sure it's clear, and I turn around to perfume getting sprayed directly into my eye. Immediately I grab my eye from the burrning pain and try not to scream, my friend realizes what she's done and attempts to help me and knocks over every glass on our table very loudly, getting the attention of the entire bar. I glance around with what little vision I have left in my one eye and see everyone just staring at us, I was too embarassed to even look in the hotties direction. I grab my purse and head for the ladies room as fast as my legs allow, still grabbing my stinging eye. As I'm running out of the bar all I can hear is the clanging of glasses as my friend is trying to pick up the mess she made, but is clearly failing. After a long eye rinse in the ladies room, we decide it's time to call a cab and head home (my eye is bloodshot red at this point and you can imagine my makeup after all of that, not to mention being too embarassed to show our faces in the bar again). Since the horrifying night just couldn't end there, we walk outside (to the brightly lit parking lot, might I add!) and the two hotties are standing out there having a smoke. We have to stand there in awkward silence for 20 minutes, until the cab comes. I have yet to return to that bar.
I'd love this! It all sounds so great. Woody-florals work well on me.
I have to go somewhere to smell this. Every time I see the bottle I am taunted. It just looks so delicious! Has anyone else gotten this? Tell me if it truly is as good as it looks.
I also am very enticed by this bottle. I haven't smelled this perfume yet, but have seen the magnificent bottle displayed on a lot of websites. I feel like a wayward sailor being enticed by a mermaid. The bottle is just so pretty, but yet mysterious. I think it is partly because of the color of the bottle, and the shape.
I didn't know Shiseido carried fragrances as well. Too bad I wasn't signed up when this competition was held.
i like to spray perfume on top of lotioned skin - it holds the scent longer
-Miss Yaya
http://myownjudge.blogspot.com/
I love the bottle!
Kim
I'm gonna search this one out & try it for myself.
Kim
The packaging is adorable! I will have to stop at Sephora and smell this one!
wow. something that makes a guy who woke up not be angry or pissed, but rather, happily smelling the scent? that must be one amazing scent...
xoxo
wow this sounds like a perfect scent. as does everything on this site :D everything just sounds SO good!!! i love the stories you all put up. very funny and cute :) <3
aww i missed it :( the bottle looks fabulous though. its very simple yet absolutely stylish at the same time. i wish i could have that sitting on my countertop. i would be a very happy girl. :) too bad i don't have any fragrance stories either. i never wore perfume or own any. >.< but this definitely sounds like the type of fragrance i would like! i love fruity scents. :)
Maybe i should get this it may make waking up the hubby in the morning an easier venture!
the packaging is beauty !!! but i can leave without my victor and rolf perfume ...
Love the packaging, very elegant and rich. Perfect to add to my perfume collection.
it looks contemporary meets glam! very nice :)
I love it when my perfume inspires him to give me "The Look".
Yay Megken, I think if I woke my dh up to sniff scents he would divorce me!
Lily - Mineral makeup Junkie!!!
I've used Clinique but this is a great brand as well!
i know it's too late, but it was so entertaining readin veryone's stories! (:
It sounds like it smells great.
I wish I could! But I just never can decide on which perfume to buy!
I love the packaging and the color of the fragrance
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