Wishing You a Happy and Peaceful Christmas!

Lily Raisin is enjoying hers!

Atelier Cologne Advent Calendar Days 7 and 8: Vanille Insensee and Silver Iris

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

Day 7 of the Atelier advent calendar brings a sample vial of Vanille Insensee, which ranks right up there with Orange Sanguine as one of my favorites of the brand. It's definitely not your typical vanilla fragrance, and I would recommend getting a sample before buying to see how it sits on you.   

I blind bought a gift set of Vanille Insensee from Birchbox almost five years ago, and fortunately have grown to love it (you can read my original review here). I'm only about an inch down on the bottle, but this is one of the Atelier colognes that has both impact and staying power for me, so a few spritz's are plenty. 

This is also one of the few of Atelier's colognes where I like the dry down better than the opening notes. I find it complex and intriguing, to the point where I regularly sniff my wrists to breath it in. It has an incense like quality to it that took me past my initial ambivalence to the opening sharpness of the lime and coriander notes. I find it wears equally well in either hot or cold weather, and I also love how it smells on my clothes.

Source: Atelier Cologne

• Top notes: coriander from Russia, cedrat from Italy, cedar from Mexico
• Middle notes:jasmine from Egypt, Haitian vetiver, oakmoss from Slovenia
• Base notes: vanilla from Madagascar, oakwood from England, amber

Day 8 brings a sample vial of Silver Iris, which I find very different from some of the more citrus top note heavy sister colognes. Tangerine is one of the top notes, but I wouldn't have known that if I had not read the note lists.

• Top notes: tangerine from Italy, pink pepper from China, black current from Burgandy
• Middle notes: violet leaves from Grasse, iris Pallida from Tuscany, mimosa from Grasse
• Base notes: patchouli from Indonesia, white amber, tonka bean from Brazil

Source: Atelier Cologne

Launched in 2013, Silver Iris opens with a scent that my nose identifies as pepper + cardboard. Not exactly promising, but the papery pepper vibe quickly gives way to something more smooth and powdery (reminiscent of lipstick/cosmetics), which I'm guessing are the middle notes of violet leaves combined with the iris Pallida. I saw plenty of reviewers who said they found Silver Iris to be both dry and sweet, but to my nose it registers more on the dry/cool end of the spectrum. I like it enough to finish the sample, but it does not sing to me enough to want to invest in a larger size. Still, it's a nice palette cleanser in the sea of citrus I've been wearing lately :-)

Atelier Cologne Advent Calendar Days 6 and 11: Clémentine California and Mandarine Glaciale

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

Day 6 of Atelier Cologne's advent calendar brings me a happy scent that was particularly welcomed on the rainy, cold day I opened it: Clémentine California. Some days are so dreary that you need something sunny for counterbalance, especially when you can't just curl up with a book in bed.

Dreary day

Clémentine California was launched in 2016 and is new to me, and the scent story on this one features vibrant orange and turquoise colors which draw me in. I also like that this story is not about star crossed lovers, although I have the feeling that a romance between the director and woman he sees is inevitable....

Source: Atelier Cologne

• Top notes: clementine from California, mandarin from Italy, juniper berries from Macedonia
• Middle notes: star anise from China, sichuan pepper from China, basil from Egypt
• Base notes: vetiver from Haiti, sandalwood from New Caledonia, cypress from France

Clémentine California is a cheerful scent that opens with a burst of mandarin and clementine that is reminiscent of both the pulp and skin of both fruits. I get a feeling of warmth from this one, and while the opening notes do not last long enough for my taste, it's my favorite of the two mandarin based colognes from Atelier. The other one, Mandarine Glaciale, goes tinny and sharp on me almost immediately. 

Which is a shame, because I now have two of the sample bottles in Mandarine Glaciale, having obtained one somewhere along the way earlier.  I'll have to find some way to use them up (maybe as a spray air freshener), as this one just does not sit well on my skin.

• Top notes: mandarin from Calabria, lemon from Sicily, bergamot from Calabria
• Middle notes: ginger from China, jasmine from Egypt, petitgrain from Paraguay
• Base notes: heart of vetiver from Haiti, oakmoss from Slovenia, white amber

I'm not sure what notes are going wrong on me, because I love the smell of ginger and jasmine, although I saw some descriptions of this ginger as being like the dry, dusty ginger found in Chinese herbal shops.   This is indeed dry and dusty, and the petitgrain which is derived from the leaves and twigs of the bitter orange plant lends a green and woodsy scent almost from the get go, making it one of Atelier's fragrances which leans decidedly more masculine in it's composition, IMO. The staying power of Mandarine Glaciale is a bit longer than Clémentine California, becoming a skin scent on me after 4-5 hours.  

Source: Atelier Cologne

Mandarine Glaciale is all chill to Clémentine California's warmth.  If Clémentine California only had more oomph and staying power, it would have captured my heart.  But alas, it is not to be. 

Atelier Cologne Advent Calendar Day 5: Orange Sanguine

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

Day 5 of the Atelier Cologne advent calendar brings me a sample of the scent that started my Atelier journey: Orange Sanguine. Launched in 2010, I received a sample in a Birchbox about 5 years ago, which led me to purchasing a full sized bottle in 2013.  You can read my original review here. 

Suffice it to say that I continue to enjoy Orange Sanguine. I've barely made a dent in my full sized bottle, which is more of a commentary on the amount of scents I own than anything.  I appreciate that is lasts well on my skin, and that the initial burst of orange - pulp, juice, and peel - stay present through all of the note phases. Atelier Colognes excels in realistic citrus scents, although those top notes don't always last long enough. With Orange Sanguine, I think they hit the sweet spot.

• Top notes: blood orange from Italy, bitter orange from Spain, red mandarin from Italy
• Middle notes: jasmine from Egypt, geranium from South Africa, black pepper from Madagascar
• Base notes: tonka bean from Brazil, sandalwood from Indonesia, cedarwood from Texas

Source: Atelier Cologne

I think of Orange Sanguine as a warm weather scent, although the base notes do add some depth and warmth that could take it into cooler weather. While I'm very much enjoying going through this Atelier sampler, there are certain days (like today) where I want a fragrance with more warmth and spice, especially in colder weather.  I'm hoping some of Atelier's spicier offerings are coming up :-)

Atelier Cologne Advent Calendar Day 4: Rose Anonyme

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

Day 4 of the Atelier Cologne advent calendar brings us Rose Anonyme, an oriental floral fragrance launched in 2012 that leaves me a bit ambivalent. I like it, but......well, let's start with the story first.  Apparently we have a jewel thief who may want to get caught, enough to leave a rose in place of the diamond she just stole.  All I can say is that Atelier seems to like the elusive, longing phase of romance between star crossed lovers quite a lot, based on their stories.

• Top notes: Begamot from Calabria, ginger from China, Turkish rose essence
• Middle notes: Turkish rose absolue, incense from Somolia, velvet oud accord
• Base notes: patchouli from Indonesia, papyrus from India, benzoin from Laos

Source: Atelier Cologne

I have a small travel-sized sampler of this that I bought a while back, so I've had experience with Rose Anonyme prior to this advent calendar. While rose based perfumes are not something I seek out, I'm not adverse to them either, and the opening phase of this one is the best part Rose Anonyme's journey for me.  Bergamot and ginger give the rose both a freshness and a spicy twist, keeping it definitely in the unisex realm. There is a slight sweetness and warmth that lasts for about 15 minutes, and then something goes wrong on me and I start to smell soap. 

That's when my ambivalence sets in. I'm not sure which note is going soapy on me (papyrus perhaps?)  The Somolian opoponax incense is supposed to be a more earthy sweet balsam lavender scent, and benzoin is a soft, warm vanilla-like note. So I don't know what is going soapy, but something is not melding with my skin chemistry. I saw one comment online that said Rose Anonyme smells like a rich, unmarried doctor from Scottdale, AZ.  She fleshed out a day in this doctor's life that had me laughing (he stops by Walgreen's on the way to clinic).  Not as romantic as a lady jewel thief leaving roses as her calling card, but more reflective of the kind of life I lead.  I'll continue to wear Rose Anonyme, and weather could definitely be making a difference, as it was COLD the last time I sampled this. I don't remember the soapiness as much during the warmer weather months.  Hmm. 

In fact, it snowed in Mobile Friday night. That's quite an event for us - you'd be surprised how excited people get for a dusting of snow down here.  It does make it seem more Christmas like, I'll give it that.

Atelier Cologne Advent Calendar Day 3: Pomélo Paradis

Day 3 of the Atelier Cologne advent calendar introduced me to Pomélo Paradis, another citrus-centric fragrance, this time focusing on the grapefruit-like pomelo.  I had no idea what a pomelo was, but apparently it is one of the four original citrus species from which all the others have been cultivated. Grapefruit is my favorite citrus fruit to eat, and I'm fond of it as a fragrance as well, although I've yet to find one that leaves me swooning. Could Pomélo Paradis be the one?

• Top notes: pink pomelo from Florida, mandarin from Calabria, blackcurrent bud from Burgundy
• Middle notes: Moroccan orange blossom, Bulgarian rose essence, mint from China
• Base notes: vetiver from Haiti, iris from Tuscany, amber

First off, before I get to the scent itself, I've got to rant a bit about that nefarious little black stopper on these vial samples. I drop it almost every single time I open one. Fortunately, I've been able to find them each time, but I know that eventually one will escape me forever and I'll be forced to use an entire vial at once. I guess that will be a fragrance impact day for me.

Source: Atelier Cologne

Now on to Pomélo Paradis, which was introduced to the Atelier Cologne line in 2015 by perfumer Ralf Schwieger. He was also responsible for two of my favorite Atelier colognes, Orange Sanguine (2010) and Vanille Insensee (2011). I love the opening burst of Pomélo Paradis, which is definitely a realistic citrus with it's fresh and slightly sweet notes of grapefruit and mandarin. The opening lasts far too short, although the hint of orange blossom intertwined with the citrus before the base notes take hold makes up for it. Somewhat. Most of the criticism I saw online regarding Pomélo Paradis had to do with how ephemeral it is - and indeed it is one of the Atelier Colognes that does seem to fade quickly on me.  I've worn it 3-4 times now, and the last time I made sure to slather on quite a bit.  It becomes a skin scent in short order, although I could smell it on my wrists 5-6 hours later.  Overall I was left missing that first initial burst of citrus/orange blossom, which makes Pomélo Paradis not one I would want to purchase in a larger size.  Pretty, but fleeting. My search for a grapefruit based fragrance continues.

Atelier Cologne Advent Calendar Day 2: Cédrat Enivrant Soap

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

The first week of my journey through the Atelier Cologne advent calendar has me enjoying some old favorites while also introducing me to some new delights.  Day 1 was a hit with Cafe Tuberosa, and day 2 introduced a mini-sized soap in the scent Cédrat Enivrant. 

I have yet to try this, but I have used a soap from Atelier Cologne before, as I had a full-sized version in the scent Vanille Insensee that I quite enjoyed.  These are luxury soaps and  hefty in size at 7.5 oz., with an equally hefty price of $20.  As described on the Atelier site, each soap is made with traditional French methods and are vegetable-based and enriched with aloe vera and shea butter.  A high concentration of essential oils provide a clean, refreshing and invigorating experience, and I did find that the scent stays true to the very end of the soap. It never got mushy (must be that French-milling process - you can read more about that at What is French Milled Soap?), and lasted forever. 

• Top notes:  Morrocan cedrat, lime from Mexico, bergamot from Calabria
• Middle notes: mint from China, basilic from Egypt, Juniper berries from Macedonia
• Base notes: tonka bean from Brazil, vetiver from Haiti, elemi from Phillippines

The notes in Cédrat Enivrant definitely appeal to me, so I'm anticipating another hit here. The size of these mini-soaps make them perfect for hand washing, and as soon as I finish my current hand soap I'll be trying this one out!

Atelier Cologne Advent Calendar: Day 1 Cafe Tuberosa

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

Long time, no see, huh?  My computer died and I lost a lot of photos, plus other technical difficulties and an overwhelming work schedule meant the blog went on hiatus. I'm evaluating just what I want to do with the blog anyhow, but I still find myself taking pictures and documenting my daily makeup choices with pictures. Clearly I'm not quite ready to give it all up :-)

Part of my somewhat modest Sephora VIB haul was this Atelier Cologne advent calendar. I really enjoyed using the bareMinerals advent calendar last year, but I could not find a makeup advent calendar that excited me this year. I seem to be on a fragrance kick at the moment plus I'm a big fan of Atelier Cologne, so this is the item I'll be partaking of daily in the led up to Christmas. I think a new fragrance each day sounds just lovely.

Day 1 of the calendar starts with Atelier's newest offering - Cafe Tuberosa.  Atelier loves telling stories to frame their scents, and Cafe Tuberosa begins as:

Based on that, I picture a cafe with vases of fresh flowers on the tables, where the scent of the flowers mingles with freshly brewed coffee. The  top notes of bergamot, tangerine and cardamon provide a bright burst that is followed shortly by a surprisingly fresh take on tuberose, which can be a very indolent bordering on aggressive white floral (Fracas comes to mind, obviously). The coffee note comes out fairly quickly, and it's a realistic, almost wet coffee grinds take on the note. The dry down is a creamy vanilla cacao that has me sniffing my wrist frequently. The progression through the notes happens fairly quickly, so it's a good thing I find the final stage of Cafe Tuberosa to be so pleasant. I'd describe it as a gourmand and while it's on the more feminine end of the unisex range, it's not sugary. Perhaps more of an unsweetened cafe latte with a bit of vanilla-cardamon spice sprinkled on top? I'd be remiss if I did not mention that several reviews mention cigarette smoke in the mix as well. I get what they are saying, although it would not have come to mind if I had not read it in other reviews. Don't let that put you off, as it's not an unpleasant note in the mix at all, and if anything adds to the whole public coffee shop olfactory experience. 

• Top notes:  Bergamot from Calabria, tangerine from Sicily, and cardamom from Guatamala
• Middle notes: tuberose from Inda, Damascena rose absolue, coffee espresso accord
• Base notes: patchouli from Indonesia, vanilla from Madagascar, Ivory Coast cacao absolue

Something to know about Atelier is that they specialize in fragrances that feature citrus notes, so each cologne  has citrus top notes which lend a crisp freshness to them. Atelier created what they call a new olfactive category: cologne absolues, which means a citrus-based scent (the original meaning of “cologne”) blended with unexpected ingredients in an “eau de parfum” type of concentration.  

Source: Atelier Cologne

Don't let the fact that these are colognes and not perfumes lull you into thinking they don't have lasting power. Or at least on my skin they do. These cologne concentrations are higher at between 12%-20% (5% is common for most colognes), which gives them more impact.  I can still smell Cafe Tuberosa on my wrists a good 8 hours after applying, although it's definitely a skin scent by that point. 

So would I purchase this one?  Yes, I definitely would.  I'll probably go for the mini-sized spray ($26 for 10 ml), as I rarely stick with one fragrance long enough to finish a full-sized bottle (scent attention span of a fruit fly, definitely), and a 30 ml bottle would set me back $85.  It takes me forever to even work through a vial sample, so a mini will do me just fine for now. Cafe Tuberosa is a great start on my fragrance count-down to Christmas!

Lipstick Roulette v. 8: What I'm Keeping and What I'm Tossing

Volume 8 of my Lipstick Roulette series was a winner, in that I liked every item enough to keep all of them. The part of me that is using this series as a way to weed through and toss some items is a bit disappointed, but I just can't justify tossing any of these at this point. If you are not familiar with a lipstick roulette, I learned about it from YouTuber Elle S, and it's where you randomly select items from your collection to wear with the goal of keeping what you love and tossing those you don't.

Forbidden Kiss Infallible Pro Matte Gloss by L'Oreal ($10.99) is not the kind of color I gravitate towards, and was one I initially assumed I would declutter. However, I liked the way it looked on, which is not always the case with this intense of a color. The downside is that this will transfer as it is a gloss and not a matte liquid lipstick and I did experience a bit of smudging, so it's one that requires a bit of care. The upside is that it's comfortable to wear and the the pigmentation/color is so smooth on the lips. I like it.

Forbidden Kiss

Topanga Lippie Stix by ColourPop ($5) is flat out gorgeous, both in color and formula. I had forgotten how nice this is, and I really need to wear it more often. It's still available from ColourPop, and considering how often they bring out and discontinue items, that's saying something. It's described as a dusty coral and is a satin finish, although it looks glossy on to me.

Topanga

Gorgeous Peach Ultra Vinyl lip pencil by Sephora is discontinued, sadly, as it's a color and formula that I think is quite good. I found myself reaching for it several times during the last few weeks.

Gorgeous Peach

I really like the ColourPop Satin Liquid Lipsticks as they are comfortable to wear and look good on the lips, and Echo Park ($6) is a great peachy nude shade for me. I've heard that ColourPop's liquid lipsticks can go bad relatively quickly, but considering their reasonable prices I tend to think of them as "disposable" makeup, in the sense that you can acquire new colors with relatively low investment. I wouldn't buy a bunch of them all at once though, since their shelf life is not very long. I do like that ColourPop occasionally has sample sized liquid lipstick sets for sale, and I recently picked up one to try more shades :-)

Echo Park

Dolly by Buxom is discontinued, and like many Buxom glosses, it provides high shine with sheer color. I love the Buxom gloss formula personally, and this one does not disappoint.

Out of all of these, Stepping Out by Smashbox ($24) was my least favorite. I've heard so many good things about the Smashbox matte liquid lipstick formula, so maybe my expectations were too high. I wasn't wowed, but neither is it bad.  The terracotta color is wearable and since it was a travel sized freebie, I want to give it some more wear. I can say I wouldn't spend full price to pick up another color though.

Stepping Out

The Revolution Lipstick in Fiend by Urban Decay is another discontinued item, as it was not carried over into the new Vice product line. Too bad, I think it's a really lovely and wearable muted pink.

Fiend

Okay, time for the 7 new lip items I picked for v. 9 of my Lipstick Roulette series. Many of these are limited edition and/or discontinued, although I see some available via Amazon/ebay/other online retailers.

1. Cassis Lip Creme by Le Metier de Beaute (limited edition)
2. Vibrant Mandarin by Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids
3. Key Red Velvet Matte Liquid Lipstick by PUR (limited edition)
4. Beige Pink Cherry Lip Gloss by Korres (I see sets with Beige Pink in them on HSN, but cannot find them sold individually)
5. Swank Lipsurgence Natural Lip Tint by Tarte (discontinued)
6. Smooth Berry Stay Matt Lip Cream by Essence (discontinued)
7. Secret Crush Lip Gloss by Sula Beauty (discontinued)