Etat Libre D'Orange : Putain des Palaces

"Sheer sensuous fantasy. The powdered top note evokes a woman who dresses for seduction - a soft trail of lipstick, the rustling of lace. The intimate ritual of a femme fatale who sees right through the fragile armour of men. Her sophistication is intriguing, as is the commerce she makes of her body. Under the bitter-sweet touch of almond, like a secret that unfolds, comes a hint of supple leather, fluid and flexible, that introduces what is to come: a boudoir, fingers that tighten on a leatherette sofa and the palpable presence of raw desire. Doesn't every woman have the fantasy of being a temptress in a hotel bar, of yielding to desire in the intimacy of a lift or of giving way to sensuality in silk sheet luxury?"

The above paragraph provoked much hilarity amongst my friends when I showed it to them after they had declared that this fragrance was "very you" when I asked them their opinion on it. Whilst I'm not about to reveal some Belle de Jour moments from my past, this scent is the type that I usually go for in the night, a heavier scent than the day, to provide a contrast.

I bought this fragrance a few months ago, but haven't got around to blogging about it. I'm not sure why, since I really like it. For years I tended to use the same fragrances, but when I saw this on Escentual I was intrigued, as I hadn't come across the brand before.

The brand was launched in 2006 by Etienne de Swardt. The brand drafted its own 'Declaration of Independence', which includes the following statements:

"Perfume is dead, long live perfume! We emotionally declare the birth of a newly liberated territory: the Free State of Orange. A land of olfactory liberality, free from every taboo, where insubordination and olfactory eroticism reign supreme!" So, from the outset the company has made it its business to be different from the rest of the brands on the perfume block.

Initially I wasn't quite sure which scent to go for, so I opted for the fantastic Etat Libre D'Orange Sample set from Escentual. For £24.95 you can purchase a Discovery set, which has 21 different samples from the range. You also get a voucher code for £24.95 which can be redeemed against the cost of a full size bottle of perfume. So essentialy, if you purchase the full size scent you get the sample set for free. I love this idea, which Escentual have extended to cover a range of other brands, including Cartier and Made in Italy.

After much deliberation I opted for this scent with its notes of rose absolute; violet; leather; lily of the valley; tangerine; ginger; rice powder; amber, and 'animal notes'.

If you are interested in trying this brand, you can get the Discovery Set from Escentual.

Prada Candy

Prada fragrances have always been on my 'to-try list' but I never seemed to get around to trying them. Their previous fragrances such as Infusion d'Iris and L’Eau Ambrée always seemed quite classic and restrained judging by their advertising campaigns. Their latest launch definitely doesn't follow this trend, and the campaign has a hedonistic and impulsive feel. Miuccia Prada has described this as "an excessive fragrance with too much of everything." The packaging immediately jumps out at you with its combination of pink, caramel and gold. The box features a retro cartoon illustration. As part of the launch, the 'face' of the fragrance, French actress Léa Seydoux, filmed this commercial, which can definitely not be described as restrained!

The name of this fragrance might suggest that this is a sickly sweet scent. But I didn't find that at all. There are only 3 notes in the fragrance: musk; vanilla-scented benzoin and caramel. This scent is a lovely combination of sweetness and warmth. I couldn't stop smelling this scent when I wore it.

I loved the unusal packaging of this product, with its combination of different textures with the glass and leather, and it would look really striking on my dressing table.

I was given a sample size of this, but I will definitely be purchasing this very soon. It is available in 30ml, 50ml and 80ml sizes, with prices ranging from £40 to £71.00.

Fine Print: I was sent a sample size of this by Escentual.com

Burberry Body

On the first of September, Burberry launched their latest fragrance, 'Body'. As opposed to solely relying on the 'traditional' route of glossy advertisements in magazines, Burberry have really upped their game with the latest campaign. Last month they launched an innovative sampling campaign via Facebook. If you 'liked' the Burberry Facebook page (and an extra 500,000 people did in the space if a week!) and entered your details, Burberry offered you a sample of the new perfume. They even posted a video of the company's Chief Creative Officer, Christopher Bailey inviting Facebook fans to sample the fragrance. And apparently 250,000 people worldwide took him up on the offer.

Now I don't know about you, but in the past I've requested a sample of a perfume only to be sent a cheap looking postcard with a small tab of the perfume on the back. In my opinion, samples like that are hardly worth the effort, on the company's part or mine, and so now I never bother to complete my details when offers like that pop up.

However, Burberry's sample could not have been more different. Not only was it a 4.5ml sample, but it also came in really nice packaging with a 'thank you' note from Burberry.

Burberry often reference the company's heritage in their product packaging, e.g. incorporating the check design they are famous for in some way. I think this has been done with varying degrees of success in the past. However with Burberry 'Body' the reference is really subtle, with a check design on the gold top of the bottle, which is encased in glass.

The perfume has top notes of absinthe, peach and freesia with floral heart notes of rose absolute and iris enriched with sandalwood. The base notes are cashmeran, vanilla, amber and musk. I haven't had an opportunity to wear this fragrance properly yet, but just from smelling the scent on my wrist I really like it. I will let you know my thoughts once I've worn the fragrance a bit more.

In addition to the Facebook campaign, Christopher Bailey also directed a video of the campaign's face (or should that be body?), Rosie Huntington Whiteley which was debuted on YouTube. If only looking like her was as easy as donning a trench coat and spraying myself in this scent.

To me it makes perfect sense for brands to be communicating with their consumers via social media. More and more people are engaging with brands on Twitter and Facebook and so if a brand is using those channels then they are more likely to connect with consumers than with just a host of advertisements in a magazine.

Did you get one of these samples? If yes, what did you think?

50 Follower Giveaway

I am very happy to announce that my blog has now reached the 50 Follower milestone. Well it was 55 at the time of posting this, but I didn't get a chance to post at the moment when the blog follower clock struck 50! I know that there are a lot of blogs out there with a LOT more followers, but I am really happy to have reached this number. I was pleased when I got my first blog follower (the gorgeous Nicoletta over at Nicoletta's Beauty Space), so to make it to 50+ followers makes me a very happy blogger indeed!

Although I have only been blogging for a few months, I have really enjoyed it, and have discovered some great bloggers and tweeters. Starting my own blog also encouraged me to get more involved with my local Bloggers Meetups in Cardiff. Through that I have met some really interesting people whose variety of blogs never cease to provide plenty of food for thought. And on a beauty-related note, starting my blog has encouraged me to try a wider range of products, and looks, which can only be a good thing. Well, for my style if not for my bank account!

To celebrate reaching 50 followers I have decided to run a little giveaway. I've compiled a selection of products by brands that I've blogged about, that I love, and that people have been enthusiastic about. I hope that you like my version of a Glossybox. The box contains:

• The Body Shop's Monoi Miracle Oil (150ml) which can be used on skin and hair.
• Paula's Choice Illicit Lash Maximum Impact Mascara (full-size)
• Korres Basil Lemon Little Moisturising Body Milk (50ml)
• Orly Mini Manicure in 'Holla' a.k.a 'Happy Nails' (5.3ml)
• Etat Libre D'Orange fragrance samples ( 5 x 1.5ml: Rossy de Palma; Nombril Immense; Divin'Enfant; Vierges et Torreros; Encens et Bubblegum). I came across this quirky brand whilst browsing the escentual.com website. I had never heard of them before so was intrigued to try them.There's a wide range of fragrances to choose from, so I've included a selection, as choice of fragrances can vary widely between different people.

If you'd like to be entered in the giveaway, then here are the rules:

1. You must be a follower via Google Friend Connect.

2. You must comment on this post below, with a random fact about yourself. I decided to go for that, as when Nic over at Strawberry Blonde gave me the Butterfly Blog Award I found it interesting reading everyone's random facts about themselves.

3. If you tweet about this giveaway or mention it on your Facebook page you will get an extra entry: 'I've just entered @LouiseHartrey 's 50 Follower Giveaway over at http://louloumuses.blogspot.com '

4. The giveaway will close at 11:59pm on 31st July 2011.

If you've got a blog I would love to know what you've found to be the best thing about blogging.

UPDATE - I've just selected the winner of my '50 Follower Giveaway', and the lucky lady is........30SomethingMel . Congratulations. Hope that you enjoy using all the products.

Roger & Gallet Fleur D'Osmanthus Eau Fraiche

I don’t know about you, but I for one have never heard of the Chinese Osmanthus Blossom. So when Escentual.com gave me a bottle of Roger & Gallet’s  new ‘Fleur d’Osmanthus Eau Fraiche’ to review I was intrigued. Although I had heard of the brand, I didn’t really know much about them, the detail of their 139 year heritage having passed me by! The roots of the company go back to 1695, so it’s fair to say they know more than a little bit about fragrance.

The product immediately grabbed my attention  as a result of its lime green and white packaging which is really fresh, the modern colour of the box is juxtaposed with the Roger & Gallet logo which screams ‘classic brand’.

Here is what the brand has to say about the product:

“Inspired by a Chinese Garden of Eden, Osmanthus Blossom fresh fragrant water reveals a cascade of sweet floral notes, with facets of citrus and wood. Osmanthus Blossom is fresh and joyful, containing a heart of mandarin, grapefruit and benzoin essential oils. It offers an exhilarating sensory experience for the body and mind.”

Although I love fragrance, I am the first to admit that I am a total novice when it comes to discussing fragrances in detail, but it’s always been one of those areas that I would love to know more about but never got around to studying (Perfumes: The A to Z Guide has been on my ‘to read’ list ever since it came out!). So if you are expecting a ‘technical’ review of this fragrance, then I’d click away now if I was you!

So although I might not know all any of the terminology that should probably be used in a fragrance review, I do know what I like. And I like this fragrance a lot! When Spring/Summer comes (and goes and comes and goes again in the UK!) I want something lighter and fresher for my fragrance, in the day at least. I tend to wear slightly ‘heavier’ scents in the evening – but that’s another blog post. This fragrance fits the bill perfectly with its citrusy mandarin and grapefruit notes. However, sometimes I find fragrances with citrus notes too fruity. One of the things I loved about this was the woody notes that gave it a bit of depth, above and beyond (or should that be below and beyond?) the fruity notes.

I couldn’t help but keep spraying this, as each spray seemed to reveal a new aspect of the fragrance. It is a really interesting combination of floral, fruity and woody notes which is perfect for any occasion. And if I wasn’t impressed enough already, once I found out the price I was even more impressed. You can buy the 100ml of this for £30 whilst the 50ml retails for £15 which compares really favourably with other fragrances. If you like to layer your fragrance products then you can also purchase a 200ml body lotion for £11.50; a 250ml shower foam for £11.50, and a 100g soap for £5.25. If you want to bring a spritz of Summer into your world then you can purchase this fragrance from Escentual.com

Have you tried this fragrance? What kind of scents do you like to wear in the Summertime?