Scentzilla!

Lola Glo La Dry Body Oils do not bear the same scent as the Lola fragrance oil. The body oils contain a lush magnolia character, with but a touch of gardenia. I would have to say that the scent of these oils is my favorite magnolia I have ever smelled. Their magnolia possesses a focus and clarity I have yet to find in other magnolia products or perfumes.

The Glo La I chose for myself is “Diva Gold,” a very yellowy gold. The only other Glo La I have tried is the “Pink Bling,” tested on the back of my hand. On pale me, that pale pink just looked… funny. I wonder if it might not work better on someone whose skin isn’t a constant sunburn waiting to happen. This doesn’t slide as easily as some body oils, but holy cow, does it absorb really nicely, with no greasy feeling left over. Only softness is what I notice after it’s on. The shimmer in this is subtle, and appears noticable without making my skin look metallic. The staying power of the shimmer is great. It doesn’t particularly transfer onto my clothing, and that pleases me well. While the staying power of the scent isn’t as great, it’s not bad. It lasts roughly half the day on me. The glass bottle is so very adorable, and when you unscrew the cap, it reveals a little plastic cover that just leaves a small hole for the oil, like a cruet. You do need to shake the bottle well before application, in order to mix the shimmer and oil, and to keep the cruet top from clogging. A bottle of Glo La would make a fantastic Christmas present, I think.

The Lola Shimmer Powder Ball shares the same magnolia scent as the body oils. Cute design: it’s a red plastic ball (with a flat base) that unscrews in the middle to reveal a compartment with a cute pink Lola puff and a sifter for the powder. It’s very sturdy. The powder is a pale yellowy gold. It’s very finely milled, and strikes a nice balance between shimmery and slightly glittery. I recommend using the puff to apply, but do use a large brush to blend it out, or you will end up with round puff marks of shine. The scent from this shimmer powder tends to last only an hour, maybe two if it’s cool out. The shimmer clings nicely to the skin, without too much transfer to clothes, though some does seem to stray on me sometimes. I don’t consider the powder as much of a must-have as the body oils, but it is fun, and worth a look-see if you happen to have the Lola brand available to you locally.

Escential Oils and Lotions’ Dragon’s Blood is one of those smells I intimately associate with scentscape of Portland. It’s one of the more common fragrances to notice on people here. I personally haven’t been without a small bottle of it for nearly 14 years.

The fragrance is marked by warm earthy amber and patchouli. I also detect a balsalmic orangey smell tucked into it. These elements are all anchored by a sweet, slightly sticky woody note and sandalwood, giving a strong impression of unlit incense. The perfume oil is incredibly potent, and a light hand is advised.

I find Dragon’s Blood to be one of the sexiest fragrances on men, if not THE sexiest. It works on women (this one, anyhow) as well, but I must confess that I do prefer discovering it on men instead.

The body care products that can be made to match are also enjoyable. The bubble bath gel doesn’t create as many bubbles as I’d like, but it scents the bath nicely. I think it actually makes a much better shower gel, so I tend to employ it for both uses. The massage oil is very, very nice, but like the perfume oil, it is quite potent, and I’d recommend requesting they add a lighter concentration of the perfume oil than comes standard. I use the massage oil made from almond oil. Almond oil doesn’t absorb as readily into the skin as a dry body oil, and warms with body temperature quickly. It is perfect for a slow gently massage.

Picture from Disney’s cartoon, Sleeping Beauty.

Speziali Fiorentini Te’ Nero fluid body cream is a nice medium weight lotion that speads across the skin easily and absorbs quickly. I’d say it’s probably suitable for all skin types.

It starts out smelling very strong, but it fades and softens within a half hour. The lotion initially bears a scent of strong citrusy elements at first, and closer to Earl Grey tea than straight black tea. However, the citrus also tames down within the first half hour, imparting a quieter scent of Lipton black and orange pekoe tea overall. The lotion’s fragrance seems to last on me for a good four to five hours before it becomes undetectable. All in all, not a bad product, and one I’d consider using again.

Antonia’s Flowers eau de parfum is, in a word, maddening. It is both repugnant and beautiful.

The eau de parfum opens with a note I can only liken to the smell of a bad hangover. The first ten minutes are utterly dominated by a particularly bilious pollen that chokes. It is honestly so bad that each time I tested this I was consumed with a deep desire to scrub it off and forget about having the patience to see it through to the drydown.

But with time, I begin to perceive a tiger lily-like smell, still rife with pollen, but fortunately evaporated of all bile. While it’s not quite so alienating, I still feel an urge to scrub. This fades down into a nice enough Easter lily scent, which quickly drops off into… nothing. It’s as if the scent has died completely.

But then ever so s-l-o-w-l-y, and utterly surprisingly, freesia begins to rise. It is an effulgent yet delicate freesia note, and I’d have to say it comes the closest I’ve ever smelled in perfume to capturing the flower itself. The scent of pressed linens and but the slightest implication of pepper is what marks this note as so flower-true to me. The freesia seems underpinned by the freshness of calla lilies at the very end, and gives me the sensation of floating along in a cloud of my own sillage.

I can’t say I’d ever buy a full bottle of Antonia’s Flowers: I find the opening far too unsettling. Even gross. And the unevenness of development is not something I’m keen on at all. But I think Antonia’s Flowers should be given serious consideration by those who really love freesia (and do not mind strong lily.) It is available in an eau de parfum, which I tested, as well as an eau de toilette and parfum.

Top image of the doggie hangover from www.bornintoit.com. Much more beautiful second image is entitled “Freesia and Lilies,” by Lynn Gertenbach, and is from the Ella Walton Richardson Fine Art Gallery.

Floret eau de parfum by Antonia’s Flowers is an apricot dominant scent. White florals hug this fruity note tightly, giving Floret a very soft, unsugared feel. Of these florals, sweet pea is what I notice most at the start. It comes across as a note that is remarkably lotion-like. With the drydown, what I primarily find is lily of the valley mixing with apricot before the fruit completely evaporates and leaves just flowers behind. This scent is incredibly gentle, and would likely appeal most to those who seek fragrances that soft pedal their potency. (Floret is also available in an eau de toilette, but I didn’t sample that version. Given how understated this fragrance is, I would personally just skip the lighter concentration.)

When Benefit Cosmetics introduced their Maybe Baby eau de toilette, I recall many people from the fragrance site boards remarking on how incredibly similar it is to Floret. I don’t feel it’s an unfair comparison. But where Floret is soft and calming, Maybe Baby is sparkling and champagne-like. The central character of the apricot in both scents is enjoyable, though I must admit Floret has the superior staying power by a long shot. However, I’m not sure most people would bother owning both scents. I will probably stick by Maybe Baby, as it is more affordable, easier for me to pick up, and frankly I am addicted to Benefit’s Touch Me Then Try to Leave cream which bears the same fragrance as Maybe Baby.

It’s a little tricky to nail down brick and mortar stores that carry the Antonia’s Flowers line, but thankfully it’s quite easy to order samples online.

Sorry for the brevity of this post. Last night I was twiddling with the template for my other blog, and then branches from the tree in my neighbor’s yard came cracking down, which needed to be cleared from the street. (They’re in their 70s, and it’d be kind of rotten of us to leave the job for them to handle on their own.) Both tasks ended up taking a bit longer than I thought they would.