The rose has probably received more tributes in writing and song than any other flower; without even trying, anyone can easily think of a famous rose quotation or two. I recently realized that my own formative literary encounter with rose imagery was the classic children’s book The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The Rose is an important secondary character in the story: she is vain and coquettish but secretly vulnerable, and her relationship with the Prince symbolizes some of the complexities of love. (As a child, I was also very impressed by the depiction of the rose in the film version of The Little Prince.)
Although rose is my favorite note in perfumery, I try not to discuss rose-scented products too often, just because I don’t want to be monotonous. However, June is the month of roses, so I’m going to indulge myself by mentioning a few recent favorites here. And, because we should still stop and smell the proverbial roses even (or especially) during a difficult economy, all of these products are available for $10 or less…
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Posted by Jessica
on
24 January 2009
Remember those television commercials for Clairol Herbal Essences, the ones showing women having highly vocal “Totally Organic Experiences” while washing their hair? Me too. That is, I remember the beginnings of those commercials; I usually changed the channel or left the room before much of their thirty seconds could elapse. Fortunately, Clairol has been promoting its Herbal Essences line in a new direction lately, with more emphasis on the products’ effects and on their fragrances.
The new theme for Herbal Essences is the escape to a “fantasy paradise” of scent. I tried two formulas with different fragrances: Long Term Relationship (red bottle not shown, created to protect longer hair against damage) and Hello Hydration (turquoise bottle as shown, for dry hair). According to Clairol, “Herbal Essences developed each unique scent like a fine fragrance—with top, middle, and base notes.” Can that kind of composition exist in a shampoo or conditioner, the way it would in an oil- or alcohol-based perfume? Somehow, I doubt it (but I’m not a chemist, so who knows). In any case, I tried these two product pairs to see what would happen…
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Posted by Jessica
on
20 September 2008
Paul Yacomine is a London-based hairstylist with a glamorous client list of celebrities and models; he is also the creator of a hair-care line that specializes in the high-tech delivery of beneficial ingredients. A trio of hair perfumes was recently added to the product list: called Parfum de Coiffeur, it promises to treat hair gently while adding shine and fragrance with natural oils.
The Parfum de Coiffeur packaging is coolly attractive: its three metal spray bottles, each holding a different scent, look like they should contain top-secret serums or vaccines, and the set is presented in a Mission Impossible-worthy canister of silvery metal and clear plastic. When removed from their niches, the sprays dispense their fragrances — Bergamot, Frangipani, or Amber — smoothly and evenly…
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Posted by Jessica
on
7 September 2008
Members of perfume chat boards occasionally debate the pros and cons of wearing perfume in their hair. Some fragrance lovers feel it’s a discreet and long-lasting way to enjoy perfume; others worry that the alcohol in the perfume will dry out their hair or damage their hair-color. I’ve always thrown caution to the winds, figuring that a spritz of Eau de Toilette is less damaging than many environmental factors (or most mainstream hair products, for that matter), but I’m also willing to try some of the new perfumes created specifically for hair.
Viktor & Rolf’s new Flowerbomb Bomblicious Perfumed Hair Mist joins the Flowerbomb line-up of Eau de Parfum, “extreme” Eau de Parfum, Eau de Toilette, body cream, body lotion, and shower gel. Its bottle is a slightly smaller version of Flowerbomb’s “grenade,” complete with sealing-wax “pin,” cast in frosted glass…
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Beach Waves, one of the products in Frederic Fekkai’s seasonal Summer Hair line, is a “tousled wave spray” with “Solarshield protection.” It was created as a styling product to give a windswept effect with the added benefit of sunscreen. I already have wavy hair, and I like the way this product maintains and emphasizes my usual texture while giving it light hold and an extra bit of volume. As long as I apply it somewhat sparingly, it dries without any stickiness or stiffness.
In general, the quality of Fekkai products is high, and Beach Waves is no exception. It also has a noticeable fragrance: a tropical blend of coconut, gardenia, ozone, and orange notes. This fragrance recreates the artificial scent of many suntan lotions and therefore conjures up memories of the beach…
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