My Fragrance review of Malachite by Banana Republic

Greetings my Lovelies!  I am creating a new feature to my fragrance reviews.  At the bottom of my reviews will be a linked YouTube video with a shorter description of this review.  If your not inclined to read to the end you may enjoy watching my video review instead.  

 I'm reviewing this sweet little green gem today for you.  Although this was released in 2007 by Banana Republic, which has released several other scents, this is the first I've had the chance to try out.  As luck would have it I was sniffing around my local shop for something unusual that I have never tried and came across this svelte and modern looking box containing a 20 ml of this juice.  The kicker was that it only cost me 5 dollars!  Can you believe it?  I couldn't at first, thought it was a joke or at the very least it was such a poorly made scent that the entire supply was being dumped at local retailers.  I was very glad to actually have bought it.

This notes listed for this scent are peony, water hyacinth, sandalwood, musk, black pepper, vanilla and green mango.  It states that this is an oriental fragrance for women.  However I do believe this can easily be unisex depending on the man. 

On first spray and I tested it out doing 3 spritzes on my chest and both wrists.  As I posted a YouTube video on my Channel regarding my initial feelings on this scent.  I will go into a little bit more detail here.  The perfume strongly reminds me of spelunking the Ape Caves in Mt. St. Helens Park in Oregon.  The caves there were pitch black without headlamps or lanterns and very wet, cold, and slightly menacing.  This perfume initially is that cold entrance into the beginning of that journey.  At first it doesn't feel like anything other than cold darkness is awaiting you from first spray.  The sandalwood, musk, green mango and water hyacinth are what stick to my nose intially at this point it all smells very linear and clean in a wet musty way.  Then after a few minutes the coldness begins to give way faint spicy ray of warmth.  As if through traversing this journey you suddenly stumble into a beam of sunlight oh so fleeting into this cold trail and throughout this scents dry down phase like this dark experience what's left is a very quiet and vague memory of a floral note which must be the peony at this point. 

On me personally this scent really emotes the sharp qualities of the green mango and the pepper and musk.  All of which I greatly like, so its a win for me.  But for someone that tends to like warmer or more "friendly" scents as it were you may not like this for its slightly aquatic feel despite it being listed as an Oriental.  I would describe it as a "cold" oriental.  She is like a woman but rather than flesh and blood and bone, more like a picture of beautiful woman  in an opulent  frame. 

At such a fantastic price and the bottle in such a charming and modern design I think it was a wonderful little treasure find.  Not really what one would consider a signature scent by any stretch of the imagination but it certainly has a notable quality for someone with a clear mind, goals, and a modern esthetic.  Much like the fashion house that designed it.

Till next post my Lovelies,

Sam

What are your favorite flowers?

It occured to me after a trip to the Skagit Valley in Northern Washington state that I had not been to a flower farm or beautiful garden in quite some time.  Even though I was going through some very painful personal life changes I realized that being surrounded by such beauty and color on a clear and beautiful spring day had the power to overcome a bit of sadness cast over my heart that day.

How wonderful are flowers?  Not only do they grace us with their external beauty but they can be distilled, crushed, pressed and turned into such beautiful essential oils for perfumistas such as myself to enjoy!  I love flowers of all sorts.  I've never really written down what are my most desirable and coveted blooms are however.  So here they are!













Forget Me Nots are unforgettable both in color and scent! 

 Lilacs are irresisteble aren't they?


Freesias are my comfort flower and calm my spirit.


My childhood memories abound with this flower.  The tropical Plumeria or Frangipani.


Roses of course
 



These are in no particular order but are some of my top 5 constant favorite flowers, both for their beauty and their inherent scent.

I'd love to know what your favorite flowers are!

Samantha

My History with Obsessive Olfaction

As an ardent devotee of scent and olfaction I have always been fond of gardens, flowers, weddings....etc.
Growing up in such a verdant place such as Hawaii where sweet scents can be found right from your porch.  The morning mists early in the morning trailing down the valley.  The salt and sun in the air mixing in with delicious food smells along with spicy and floral trails from the forests.  Ahhhh.....Closing my eyes listening to the waves methodically dance their gentle beat into my heart and mind forever.  It's no wonder why I have grown so keen on triggering memories through my sense of smell.  I love to tell stories through my scents.

I have been a collector of perfumes for many years now.  When I was younger, I didn't quite know the value of my collection and in error I tossed out some very rare pieces that I could kick myself for doing so later.  However young and inexperienced as I was, I am grateful that I held onto my collection even as some of them I eventually outgrew with age, experience and chemistry that alters ones taste.  Every now and again I will peruse my collection and sniff a scent I had long forgetten and it takes me to a place I'd forgetten. That is the pure pleasure of collecting scents for me.  Each bottle I hold, has memories attached to it.  It's my life in pretty little glass decants.

I sometimes wonder as I have yet to meet anyone else as obsessed with scents as I am, if there was something the matter with me.  Are you one of those like myself?  Borderline obsessive about scent and perfumery.  I adore my collection of scents and as I have a daughter, she has developed her own interest in scents.  I have slowly started a collection for her to enjoy as a little girl.  She has her very own perfume table.  Though not allowed to wear it to school or herself just very rarely, she is allowed to scent her teddies and dolls and she delights in the whole process.  It's a wonderful passion to share with her and I count myself fortunate to gift her with this memory which I hope she will treasure as I surely did with my beloved Mother did for me.  I will never forget the first perfume she let me wear.  It was the original Zen by Shiseido.  Still to this day brings back stark memories of her.

I continuously ad to my collection and am always very interested in others collections as well.  I'd delight in knowing or hearing about your collecting and how you go about it and any tips I could learn to enjoy this addiction to the full!

Enjoy your wonderful perfume treasures....


Samantha

Roberto Cavalli Acqua.....Enchanting Liquid Dreams

Today I will be reviewing for you a flanker from Roberto Cavalli based off of his original release by the same name in the Gold Bottle released in 2012.  This Acqua version was released in 2013.  I recently acquired this gorgeous blue bottle from a recent Marshall's shopping trip.

I owned the original RC and absolutely adored it as it was full of spicy amber notes and lasted an incredibly long time on me.  I gifted it to a friend who had enjoyed my bottle very much.   I wanted to pick up another bottle of that one when I came across this version.  I looked it up and besides being intrigued by the beautiful bottle and color I fancy acquatic scents the most but find ones that have good lasting power to be difficult to find.  The only other acquatic that lasts as long on me is Womanity by Thierry Mugler, (a much maligned bottle to be sure).

All of the flankers are shaped as the original in a sculped oval glass with his signature gold stopper.  A very simple but elegant design.  The bottle has heft and is sturdy and the color of the acqua glass is a showstopper on your vanity.  When bottle design blends well with the intended aroma and name such as this beauty then I believe I have found my Holy Grail of acquatic scents.

This perfume was created by Louise Turner and the inspiration as the flacon seems to imply is exciting Mediterranean nights.  When looking at the notes listed I was surprised at the simplicity as to me this perfume seems quite complex in how it wears through the course of the day.  The main notes are listed as: Jasmine, watery notes, lemon/citrus, lily of the valley, sensual musk.

On initial spray I get smacked in the face with lemony citrus, Neroli I believe?  At the same time I smell salt or salty air, perhaps the base of musk shows through highlighted by the citrus blast at first.  The more I smell my wrist I begin to pick up the faintest hint of jasmine flower.  I cant immediately detect the Lily of the Valley note as its described as a heart note.  It does start to take prominence about 20 minutes into the scent.  I detect spicy warmth on further testing.  I definately can feel the aura of being on a beach or patio at night in the Mediterranean under a starry and black sky.  This scent is pure heaven to my nose.  It is fresh, but clean without seeming pungent and sour as sometimes acquatic scents can be on me. 

On me aquatic scents really show up well with my chemistry especially when layered with a type of musk as a base note.  I am completely smitten with this turqoise jewelled perfume.  I love everything about it.  I am obsessed with the color and gold, the juice inside lasts several hours wear on me even in somewhat warm weather.  I sprayed it four separate times.  Each wrist and elbow.  I did get nice comments from others while wearing this which is an added plus.  I enjoy it when my perfumes sillage gets me noticed purely on basis on smelling good.

If you like acquatics or the color blue then give this lovely gem a try.  Under 20 dollars at my local discount store and it was a steal!  I've some very spendy quality scents at several times that price and this one has garnered a special place on my perfume rotation.  I am enjoying using it at night as it seems to give me pleasant dreams.  It seems like a dream inducing scent especially with that beautiful Vincent Van Gogh blue bottle sitting on my dresser.  I love everything about this perfume.  It gets a full 5 stars in my book!

Hope you enjoyed this post and dont forget to ask if there's a particular perfume or scent you'd like for me to review.

Happy scent adventures to all my fellow perfume bunnies this Spring season.

Samantha