Chanel Jersey is a Pretty, Soft, & Fluffy Lavender

Chanel's lastest offering in their Exclusive line is the lavender based Jersey. It was released to mixed reviews, but, luckily I know I have to judge things for myself so I still really wanted to check it out, given my mad love for Chanel perfumes. Chanel Jersey is named after the ubiquitous fabric Chanel took from menswear and make accessible for women, and the perfume Jersey takes the scent lavender, almost always used in men's colognes, and adds a feminine touch. Chanel's website says Jersey is meant to be evocative of a meadow lush with lavender. Well, doesn't that sound beautiful! The notes are given as lavender, vanilla and musk. I think I detect a powdery iris in there somewhere, and perhaps a warm wood in the base, but that could be tonka. By "think I detect" I mean that this scent is so soft & delicate, no one note jumps out at you. 

Lavender fields in Provence, France

On first sniff I thought "pretty!". Then, as it dried down I thought "too sweet!" then "too powdery"! I thought why would I buy Chanel for a simple powdery lavender scent? But, as is often my wont, I had a turnaround. I have been know to hate a perfume on first sniff, only to later love it more than anything. So I never really say never with regards to perfume. Hours after applying the Jersey, the scent left behind was a delicate, warm, cuddly and cozy skin scent. It had a little something of the Guerlain warmth that I love so much in it, that warm skin smell that is very hard to describe without actually smelling it. So I thought, well, I will re-test and see what I think on subsequent wearings. 

Lavender honey ice cream

Well, turns out I like it. It is pretty, soft and clean smelling. There is a snuggly aspect that works even in warmer weather, likely due to the cooling & calming lavender notes. The musk/tonka combination adds a sweetness to the dry down that is sweet & enticing on the skin. It has a lovely spa effect, which I suppose one might expect from lavender. If you like soft elegant perfumes and you like lavender, I recommend you add Chanel Jersey to your sniff list. Verdict? Love.

Chanel Jersey is an Exclusive perfume, available at Chanel Boutiques and their website.

I Pour Champagne In My Bath

The story goes that the perfume house of Caron created Royal Bain de Caron exclusively to satisfy the whims of a Californian millionaire who wanted to replace his extravagant champagne baths. It was originally called Royal Bain de Champagne, but, like Yves St Laurent's Champagne perfume that became Yvresse, the Champagne people of France had something to say about the use of that word, so it became Royal Bain de Caron. Whoever it was created for, it was originally launched as a perfume to scent the bath ( an "eau parfumée pour le bain" if you will) in the 20s, and became an eau de toilette in the early 40s. It is also allegedly one of the first scents marketed as a unisex or shared scent. The ad below encourage one to use it "Before the bath. During the bath. After the bath". Rather clever marketing, I'd say, as one would need a pretty steady supply of this perfume to keep that up.

Ad from the 60s

I have the current eau de toilette formula of Royal Bain de Caron. There isn't any discussion out there regarding reformulation, so I imagine the scent is fairly true to what it once was. I absolutely love it. I can smell the "Champagne" scent in there for sure. There is a slightly sweet and effervescent fruity note, sort of peachy or apricot, that eludes to the sweet fruity nature of the drink. But there are no fruits listed in the notes, so perhaps it is a lovely perfume mirage. The top notes are listed as floral, and the Caron website mentions lilac. I can smell it for sure, but it is more like a soft powdery lilac soap than a strong floral note. The heart notes are delicious creamy and resinous- opoponax, benzoin and incense- but they are never strong or overwhelming. I adore these notes, especially the incense. They are so smooth that they are almost meditative, which seems reasonable for incense in perfume. The base is a soft woodsy vanilla, with a gentle powdery aspect maintained throughout the development of the scent. And I definitely pick up some soft sexy musk notes. The bottle itself is cute and cheeky, and to this day, it still is meant to look like a bottle of Champagne. 

An orignal ad from the 20s

The fruity "mirage" I mentioned gives a a sweet, almost candy-like impression, that adds an almost edible aspect to Royal Bain de Caron. This is what makes this perfume so remarkable to me- it is a clean, soapy perfume meant to approximate an utterly decadent bath, all the while smelling like sweet skin that invites you in to snuggle up and get closer. It is never strong, never overwhelming, and just basically purrs on the skin. Personally, I can't wait to pour some in the bath, because the idea of perfuming my bath with, well, perfume, is my kind of decadent. And of course, with a glass of Veuve Cliquot to go with. Pink Veuve, even.....

Yes, I wear my jewels in the bath...

Happily, Royal Bain de Caron is available for a very reasonable price online. Google it.

Does It Smell Like Perfume? Or Is It Just Skin?

I love a good musk perfume. They are soft & stay close to the skin, and are perfect when I don't really want to wear an actual perfume, but when I just want to smell good. The beauty of a musk that works with your chemistry is that it is likely no one will even know you are wearing perfume. When I wear musk I often hear comments like "you smell good" or, in a group of people "someone here smells good". The latter comment is usually followed up with "it must be Jane" but that's just because my friends know me too well. But the point is no one ever says "what is that perfume" or "what perfume are you wearing", because when you find a musk you love, it should melt into your skin and become part of you. You- just a bit warmer, sweeter, sexier & yes, muskier. Oh...yes. Muskier. Like the smell of that special someone's shirt that you slip on when they aren't there, or their pillow. This kind of scent appeals to us on a more "primal" level that your average perfume. 

The smell of his clothes....

"Manly, yes, but I like it too...” was what came to mind the first time I tried Kiehl’s Musk. While it is definitely not a strong scent, it kind of has a rich, deep & sexy vibe that most frilly floral women's scents lack. It's manly and tomboyish, which frankly makes it even more sensual when a woman wears it. And, it just goes perfectly with everything. The story behind it says it’s based on a vat labelled “Love Oil” found stashed away in Kiehl’s flagship store- they introduced it in 1963. Love Oil? I'm in.

Manly, yes....ride 'em cowboy.

But it's not just sensual. It's cuddly and cozy. When my youngest daughter was little she said it smelled like hugs. That works. It’s soft, quiet & won’t offend anyone, even in a small space. It smells like warm, kissable skin. Adore the little roller bottle for my purse, perfect at under $30. Even the big 50ml bottle is under $60. The shower gel is one of my fave things and gently scents your whole bathroom, or master suite. The apothecary style aesthetic of Kiehl’s products is modern & simple- I love clean, classic lines. This is the perfect “white t-shirt” perfume & I wouldn’t be without it in my collection. 

Sexy Angelic Perfume For Cuddling

Yes, Sexy Angelic is actually the name of the perfume by the natural perfume house, Honoré des Pres and not the latest vile concoction that Victoria's Secret likes to call perfume. Honoré des Pres is headed up by the perfumer Olivia Giacobetti, best known for her soft and ethereal perfumes at L'Artisan Parfumeur and Diptyque, notably their hugely popular fig scents (Premier Figuier & Philosykos respectively) which were among the first perfumes to feature a fig note and they reached cult status before becoming true classics in the perfume world. But clear and gentle scents are her hallmark, and she continues to please & deliver with Sexy Angelic.

Immortality, Henri Fantin-Latour

Sexy Angelic is a bit of a twist on the name of one of the ingredients, angelica, which is a leafy green plant with poufy blossoms prized for their scent. It is a an odd scent, often compared to musk or juniper, and even a slight anise accord. Not everyone smells the anise note- I feel like the angelica takes on a musk shape shifty quality meaning everyone smells their own special scent with this....There are also notes of hemlock flowers. Now, everything I have read about hemlock flowers implies they are the same plant as angelica so perhaps they are just mentioning different parts of the same plant they use. At any rate, there is also almond and "freshly baked calisson ( a sweet buttery french candy like marzipan) accord". The almond note makes me think of an expensive French almond soap and reminds me a wee bit of the divine L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream (deserves a post of its own...coming soon...) so if you can imagine sweet and soft with a clean but not too clean scent, then you know what I mean.

calisson...mmmm

Hemlock/Angelica 

Angelica seeds....

So this perfume is sweet and foody but in the gentlest way. It is all natural and quite soft so getting Angelic from angelica is not a stretch at all. Is it sexy? Well....the soft musk note is sweet and dries down to a yummy skin scent that makes you want to lean in and smell more, maybe even taste it. So yes- sexy. It is a simple scent and dries down nicely. You will not offend anyone in a crowded elevator with this one, and it is perfect for those that like their perfumes gentle and quiet. It is elegant in its understated way and has become a favourite in my rotation. I love to wear it to bed, and also when I don't want to think too hard about my perfume. I love it and it has earned a permanent place in my collection.

Good clean & sweet fun....

Honoré des Pres is not the easiest to track down but this should help narrow it down.