I Love Layering- Even In The Summer

my kind of layers....yum

I am a bit maverick-y when it comes to perfume. I know- shocking, right? I love masterfully composed exclusive perfumes like Acqua di Parma Profumo and sweet, charming gems from the drugstore like Lady Stetson. Another thing I like to do is layer my perfumes. Some might find this sacrilege but I find some of the most delicious scents have come out of my layering experiments. It is often accidental. I will put on a perfume, then a few hours later reapply as I'm leaving, forgetting which perfume I originally applied. Most of the times, it's a happy accident. 

My scent mood rarely changes dramatically during the day, so instinctively I seem to choose scents that luckily work together. This is another reason I tend to favour simple scents. They are easier to layer! Its not always easy in this age of "a million perfumes that all smell like the same mix of a million synthetic ingredients" but it's easier than you'd think. It's not a new concept to perfume- Jo Malone actually offers layering menus on their website with suggestions of perfumes that work well together.

My layering trick is pretty simple. I try to start with a soft skin scent to work with as a "base note". Soft musks, ambers, and woodsy notes well as base notes. Creamy sweet gourmande perfumes also work well as a base. Scents that melt into the skin and make you have to lean in close to smell are the ones that make good base scents.

Then its time to look for a top note. Yes, I know perfumes are made into 3 notes- top, middle/heart and base, but I find it best to keep things simple when doing this yourself. Top and Base are really the only things you need. As far as light and airy, I tend to favour floral and green notes for the top note, as they compliment a richer base note. The base note is calmed and softened by the airy top, and the top is grounded and enhanced by the richness of the base notes.

Annick Goutal Songes, Musc Bleu, AK Musk, Sisley Eau de Campagne, Sexy Angelic, Etro Heliotrope

Some of my favourite base suggestions:

Egyptian Musk Oil: I love Abdul Kareem and Auric Blends musk oils. They have a clean woodsy note that work as the perfect base for almost any perfume. 

Il Profvmo Musc Bleu: This is the lightest cleanest musk, adds a fresh scrubbed note to any perfume.

Honore Des Pres Sexy Angelic: the soft and sweet notes hug the skin and smell amazing when topped with florals. It adds a yummy aspect to clean scents.

Etro Heliotrope: The powdery sweet floral notes in this soften any scent.

Annick Goutal Songes: This sultry and dark tropical floral adds a sensual sweetness to any perfume.

Sisley Eau de Campagne: This shimmering green shower of a perfume adds a spring shower meets green field of grass note and lightens any scent.

YSL Y, Creed  Virgin Island Water, AG La Violette, L'Artisan La Chasse aux Papillons, Floris, Guerlain

These work wonderfully when worn as top notes:

Floris Night Scented Jasmine: simple sweet and floral, this one is just gorgeous with a musk base. It becomes positively dangerous when layered with Annick Goutal Songes.

L'Artisan La Chasse Aux Papillons: Another simple summery floral, I love this one with Sexy Angelic as a base for evening.

Annick Goutal La Violette: This simple sweet violet sings like a spring day when worn with Eau de Campagne.

Then some that just work as a top or a base:

YSL "Y": This soapy green floral chypre is so beautifully composed it pretty much works with anything. I love it with a musk. It is basically like being in a shower all day. I have blown my own mind by wearing this one with Chanel Bois des Iles. WOW. This one is still available for a song online. Get it if you don't have it. 

Guerlain Un Air de Samsara: This is basically sandalwood and jasmine with a little mint tea. I use tiny amounts with any floral and adore it.

Creed Virgin Island Water: Layer this with anything that you want to smell beachy and summery.

So, there are basically no rules for this kind of stuff. As I type this I am already thinking of others....Kiehl's Musk, SMN Gardenia, Keiko Mecheri Jasmine.....I say just experiment, play, and see what works! Often if you think it will work, it does. Our nose knows....

That Violet Perfume Is So Purple-y

I love violet perfumes. The "love at first sight" flower...fitting. They are soft, simple and innocent. Why innocent? Hm, I'm not sure. Somehow I associate violet with babies or grandmothers, or candy, and all of those things are pretty darn sweet & innocent. They is an airy and fresh feel to violet perfumes that to my thinking makes them perfect for spring, as well as the intense heat of summer. Years ago I got a simple violet eau de toilette on summer holidays at the beach in St Jean de Luz in France, so perhaps that wonderful scent memory of hot sunny days sipping white wine while listening to the waves crash will forever cement the perfect summer day with the scent of violets for me. I just feel clean and fresh when I wear violet. 

Annick Goutal La Violette: It smells like sweet violet candies- soft and soapy, and stays close to the skin. The violet is somehow a "cool" flower so violet scents tend to be cooling and perfect for warm weather. They have a simple old fashioned feel to them and there is a rainy fresh garden feel that I just love.  I get decent longevity from almost all perfumes so while some complain that this does not last on them, on me it lasts a few hours. It is a simple soliflore but somehow so perfect and light. 

L'Artisan Parfumeur Verte Violette: This one is a bright purple violet. It's sparkling and vivid, like a handful of violettes covered in dew. The "Verte" in this (French for green) refers the green notes, which are supposed to be the leaves and stems. The neat thing about violet leaf is it is often used in men's fragrances, and it adds a unisex twist to the violet, which can often be very feminine smelling.  As well, L'Artisan added a touch of iris to this mix, which adds an earthy richness. Both sexes could easily wear this one and they would smell amazing. Love it. One of my favourite L'Artisans.

Guerlain Les Meteorites: Brace yourself for the sad panda- this gorgeous little gem is discontinued. Sorry. I don't usually like to write about products that are nearly impossible to find but I just can't talk about violets without mentioning this. Named after Guerlain's famous cosmetic powder of the same name, Les Meteorites is the scent of those gorgeous little powder balls we love so much. The neat thing about this violet scent is the warmth behind the flower. The yummy sweet Guerlinade makes up the base for the violet. Please read Monsieur Guerlain's perfect description of Guerlinade. He says it better than I ever could. Violet is a cool and fresh flower so adding the sweet sultry Guerlain magic recipe makes it a slightly sexy violet. Only Guerlain...

Random Beautiful Thoughts

Bridge over St Lawrence River on Canada-US border...to heaven?

Music: I seem to listening to a lot of soundtrack music theses days, which is kind of cool as that usually means discovering old gems. Maybe I'm watching movies late at night with terrific music I can't always ID, but no fear. I have Shazam. I have fallen in love with my Shazam App on my phone for two reasons. First, the obvious one, is that it names the song I happen to be listening to but can't figure out what it is or who is singing it. Secondly, it keeps a running list of the songs I have tagged. This is most helpful as when I am on iTunes shopping for music I ALWAYS forget "that song" I meant to find. However, my number one Summer of 2011 Soundtrack has been the Galaxie Satellite 70s channel. I could listen to this channel day and night and have yet to not like a song I've heard there. Cheesy and classic, from rock to disco, I love it all. But I think the smooth jazzy 70s R&B is my absolute fave. It was a toss up between The O'Jays, The Spinners and The Chi-Lites but Marvin Gaye snuck up and won....here, have a G&T and lets groove by the pool....

Book: Well so much for my noble James Joyce summer intentions. This summer has been all about The Game of Thrones for me. I read the first one, then watched the HBO series based on the first book, and I am now officially hooked. Medieval, fantasy, thriller, and horror all wrapped up in 4 (soon to be 5) delicious books, each one at least 1000 pages. Well written, beautifully woven stories with fantastic characters that drew me in and make it hard to put down. Not only that, but I am reading it on my Kobo app on my lovely little powerhouse, my Blackberry Playbook. I ADORE my Playbook, it is the perfect little tablet. It fits in my purse, lets me go all over the interwebs, listen to music etc but the book reading is one of my fave options. It is back lit and the font size means I can read without my readers. In the dark, even! Yay! The portability is super cool as it fits nicely in my hand and my purse which my iPad does not do. It holds a charge forever. I don't think the Game of Thrones books would fit in my purse, which is bulging with so many other Important Things. And paper. Anyways, this is the summer of Game of Thrones and if you haven't picked it up, you should. 

Yes. That is Sean Bean.

See how awesome? Love my Blackberry Playbook!

Food: This has been the summer of BBQ. All kinds of yumminess has hit the grill, but I have to say my daughter Emilie made the winner this year. She takes fresh sweet corn on the cob, removes the husks, and puts it right on the grill to cook. It doesn't take long, really just a few minutes with the cobs being turned. While it cooks, she makes this killer homemade spicy sauce with mayonnaise, fresh lime juice, sriracha sauce (oh yeah...) and some chilli powder She slathers the grilled corn with this, then grates fresh parmesan on top. Best BBQ veggie ever. I don't have the exact amounts for the ingredients but a quick Google search would probably turn up a variation. As for sweets, the Lindt Fleur de Sel dark chocolate bars have turned me into a chocolate glutton. Seriously, I cannot believe how delicious the sea salt and chocolate combination is. You simply must try it yourself. And if you are feeling really wild, try the Passion Sea Salt & Caramel. Oh man. Chocolate heaven. Who knew dark chocolate could be so very very bad?

Fashion: One of my favourite looks this summer has been my baggy shorts with platform sandals. I've been loving my ivory Wilfred Tropez shorts from Aritzia and these cute cork wedges from Aldo. I've had some foot issues (surgery end of September will end my woes thank god) so I have had to keep the heels pretty reasonable. Which if you know me, is hard. Boo hoo. Anyways...these shorts, these shoes and a nice flowy silk top makes for a sharp yet easygoing elegant summer look. Key aka Very Important: Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse on the legs and a lovely pedicure that includes pretty soft skin on the feet. This, ladies, is a deal breaker.

Skincare du Jour: Sunscreen! I've spent a good deal of time this summer cruisin' in a convertible and wow, one can COOK if one isn't careful. So, lots of sunscreen on my body and face has been key. Keeping in convenient makes me more likely to apply. I LOVE my Ombrelle stick- it is in my purse at all times and goes on my face especially forehead and nose, as my sunglasses are huge and cover a lot of my face. And for my arms, shoulders and legs, Kiss My Face makes an spf 30 spray oil sunscreen that I adore. I discovered it first at The Standard Hotel Miami and could not believe something that smelled and felt so nice could protect me from the sun. I use on my hair when I'm by a pool or at the beach. It smells like honey, but only slightly. Amazing stuff. Hard to find in Canada but I stock up in Whole Foods when I'm in the States.

Make Up: Urban Decay Cannonball Waterproof Mascara (read about my love for this here) and MAC Blot (which I've also raved about) powder have helped me through some hot and melty days! Love them both and can't imagine hot summer days without them. Cannonball goes on soft and slick and lasts all day without flaking or smudging. And MAC Blot, if you haven't used it, is miraculous. Deposits almost NO colour, yet makes any shiny or oily spots disappear and lasts hours. Could. Not. Be. Without.

Perfume: Lately is has been super hot, as summer should be! When the heat and humidity are so oppressive though, a light hand is called for perfume wise. Annick Goutal La Violette has got me through. It smells like sweet violet candies- soft and soapy, and stays close to the skin. The violet is somehow a "cool" flower so violet scents tend to be cooling and perfect for warm weather. They have a simple old fashioned feel to them and there is a rainy fresh garden feel that I just love.  I get decent longevity from almost all perfumes so while some complain that this does not last on them, on me it lasts a few hours. It is a simple soliflore but somehow so perfect and light.  The "love at first sight" flower...fitting.