Tag: fragrance

beauty

Scents for All Seasons

Tiffany Renee Harmon

I’ve decided it’s time to return to my roots. No, I don’t mean I’m going to stop dying my hair. Rather, I want to return to beauty and fashion blogging. Instead of setting up a separate space for these reviews, I’m going to just incorporate this part of myself here on my website. So, in addition to more book and movie reviews, stay tuned for reviews about products I want to recommend. First up, I want to share my perfume collection with you.

Just like each season of the year evokes a different scent, so do we tend to gravitate towards different scents for each season of our lives. I’ve come a long way since my high school days of drenching myself in Lucky You, that ubiquitous pink bottle found in every drug store. Yet, I still tend to pick floral scents. I select my perfume each morning based on how I’m feeling that day or how I want to feel for the rest of the day. Because of this, I don’t tend to box my scents in and only wear warm scents in autumn and cool scents in spring. Here are my top 5 favorite scents right now:

Chanel – CoCo Mademoiselle

Scent Type: warm floral with orange, patchouli, and Turkish rose

Don’t be fooled by the orange and patchouli, this scent is neither citrusy or matronly. As my all-time favorite scent, I wear CoCo Mademoiselle when I want to feel feminine and a tad seductive. The warm floral scent almost smells like a French garden mixed with caramel. It evokes sophistication and elegance and always makes me feel grounded and confident.

Yves Saint Laurent – Black Opium

Scent Type: warm and sweet with black coffee, white flowers, and vanilla

Black opium is both warm and spicy. It’s a great evening scent when you’re out on the town. The spice smells sultry while the sweetness balances out the scent with a dash of youthful playfulness.

Dior – Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet

Scent Type: fruity floral with Damascus rose, peony, and white musk

I love this floral twist on the original Miss Dior. It’s a great, light scent that always makes me think of spring and summer. I wear it when I want to feel fun and flirty.

Gucci – Guilty

Scent Type: warm floral with mandora and pink pepper

This was my first “adult” fragrant which I purchased as an undergrad. It made me feel strong, powerful, and ready to face the world of exams, job interviews, and giving expert presentations. It still has a special place in my heart and I wear it on days when things are serious and I need a boost of confidence.

Dolce & Gabbana – The Only One

Scent Type: warm and sweet with citrus, violet, and coffee

This is the latest perfume I’ve been trying after receiving a sample coffret. I love how balanced it is with being a bit spicy, a bit sweet, and a bit floral. It’s a very feminine fragrance, but I don’t yet have a go-to reason to pick this one other than enjoying the scent.

So, now you know all about my fragrance collection! What about you? Do you have a scent that evokes something special each time you grab it? Be sure to let me know in the comment section!

Thanks for reading!

XO Tiffany

beauty

The Scents of Autumn

Tiffany Renee Harmon

Happy Autumn! The weather is finally seasonally appropriate here in Cincinnati – crisp air, colorful leaves, and Halloween decorations creeping up everywhere! As the seasons have been transitioning, I’ve been thinking about my own changes. This has been a great year for personal growth (even though there’s a lot I still need to work through). I know I haven’t blogged much this year, but I’ve just been focusing on other things: friends, family, fitness, poetry, and discovering other things that bring me happiness. However, I am missing blogging about books, movies, and beauty/fashion. While I did delete my dedicated beauty/fashion blog when it began to feel too all-consuming, I’d like to start incorporating some of those interests here in this blog.

For my first post, I’ve been thinking about the scents of autumn. While I gravitate toward light floral scents during spring and summer, I definitely crave something warmer as the weather cools. These are my top three scents for autumn:

 

1. Amber Romance by Victoria’s Secret

amber romance

Manufacturer’s Description: “Gourmand. Deep Amber. Sugar Kisses. Chasing sunsets.”

Okay, well Victoria’s Secret definitely should have a better description for this one. It is definitely a sweet amber scent, although “gourmand” makes it sound like it smells more like a dessert than it does. While I’m not typically a fan of sugary scents, this one is warm enough that the sweetness is balanced out by the amber. It’s a great, inexpensive everyday scent that evokes autumn evenings.

 

2. Guilty by Gucci

gucci guilty

Manufacturer’s Description: “Created for a contemporary libertine, Gucci Guilty for Her is defined by a signature Fougère accord of Geranium usually found in men’s scents. Intimate and magical lilac flower is laced with amber to radiate warmth and grace at the fragrance’s heart.”

First we had an overly simplistic description, and now we have an overly flowery one. However, I like that it suggests a hint of masculine energy. While not really a typical unisex scent, there is something less feminine about this scent that I’m drawn to. When I need to feel like a strong, powerful go-getter, I grab this perfume. It always gives me the professional boost I need. Like the first fragrance, one if its main notes is amber, although this one is accompanied by geranium, pepper, and patchouli. It has a hint of musk which lends it maturity but it is not overpowering or matronly.

 

3. Black Opium by Yves Saint Laurent 

ysl black opium

Manufacturer’s Description: “Black Opium Eau de Parfum is the seductively intoxicating feminine fragrance from Yves Saint Laurent. The opening notes of adrenaline-rich coffee and the sweet sensuality of vanilla recline into the softness of white flowers for a modern, young, addictive fragrance. YSL Black Opium perfume is a gourmand women’s fragrance. The seductive perfumes of black coffee and white flowers make this a sensuous perfume with an edge.”

This is a great description of this scent. The blend of coffee and vanilla mixed with a gentle floral hint makes this a great fragrance that seems quite sensual. It’s not a sugary scent because the vanilla is quite warm already, but it does have a nice sweetness to its fragrance.

 

Well, those are my three scents for this season. I’ve found myself grabbing for one of these every single day. Do you find that your fragrance preferences change seasonally? What scent are you gravitating towards right now? Feel free to let me know in the comments section!

Thanks for reading!

-Tiffany

Personal, Update

April 2019 Favorites

Tiffany Renee Harmon

I can’t believe that April is almost over! It’s been a good month, filled with self-discovery and moving forward. But it also flew by without giving me much opportunity to reflect and blog. Still, I wanted to share my top 4 favorite things for this month:

pink cherry blossom flowers
Photo by Lisa Fotios on Pexels.com

Reality TV

I am such a sucker for the drama of reality TV. After years of getting caught up on Bravo, I can finally say that I have officially seen EVERY episode of EVERY show in the Real Housewives Franchise! My favorite is the spin-off “Vanderpump Rules” (and not just because Stassi liked one of my tweets once upon a time!) RHOBH and RHONY are also amazing!

 

Vogue

Earlier this year, I stopped being a beauty blogger because it had stopped being fun – but I’ll never lose my passion for fashion. Vogue will always be my favorite magazine for exploring the glitz and glam of the fashion world. I like to read the US version as well as Vogue UK, Vogue Paris, and Vogue Italia. In fact, I think that when something fashion or beauty related REALLY excites me, I might just post about it on here since sometimes I still want to share even though I don’t want to post about it five times a week again.

 

Sandals

I am loving the warmer weather (even though it’s been awfully rainy in Cincinnati!) Sandals are my favorite footwear because they show off a pedicure, come in a variety of fun styles, and can include a heel. I just bought two gladiator-inspired pairs and I’m super excited to wear them. I think I also want to get more colored sandals for Spring/Summer instead of just sticking with black and silver.

 

Lavender 

Lavender is one of my favorite scents, and I’ve been gravitating towards it a lot recently. There’s something really relaxing about lavender. I’ve been incorporating it into my life in a variety of ways: scented candles, bubble baths, deodorant, room spray, perfume, etc. My favorites are blends that also include vanilla, like the fragrance in Bath and Body Works’ Aromatherapy Line.

 

Well, those are the things I’ve been loving this month! I’m going to try to post on here a bit more regularly with reviews of books, movies, products, and more (as well as any updates on other writing projects).

Thanks for reading!

-Tiffany