Ready to roll?

Personally, I’m usually not a big fan of straight up florals but Oscar de la Renta Extraordinary Petale EDP (R1 225 for 90ml, Dis-chem) has got me good. Much like the original Extraordinary, it’s a soft, easy to wear mix of flowers but in this case orange blossom (which I love!) takes the lead instead of cherry. It’s also a lot more ‘sparkly’ thanks to fresh top notes like bergamot and – wait for it – champagne!

Officially, the notes are bergamot, mandarin, champagne accord, orange blossom, rose, jasmine, vanilla orchid, musk and amber.

On me it’s a light ‘pretty’ floral that smells clean and fresh. It’s pink hue suits it well as it’s a cheerful, sunny thing that makes me think of a casual champagne brunch enjoyed outdoors with the girls. I like that, despite it’s subtlety, the staying power is pretty good. I reckon it would suit a woman of any age but it’s definitely skewed towards the younger set. If you like easy-to-wear, uplifting florals like Boucheron Quatre (another orange blossom-led fave) and Marc Jacobs Daisy then you’ll have to give this a sniff.

Next up, we’ve got something a little different and that’s Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey Pure EDT (R910 for 30ml, R1 400 for 50ml and R1 790 for 90ml). When I first sniffed this on the card at the launch I was all ‘meh. It’s nice but whatever’ and now I’m completely addicted to it. (This is pretty much the same relationship trajectory I had with sushi!)

Inspired by pure spring water, Mr Miyake’s new scent is a soft, aquatic delight that smells wonderfully clean yet comforting at the same time.

The notes? Marine accord, orange blossom (again!), Damask rose, jasmine, lily, grey amber, musk and cashmere wood.

In a way, it’s like spritzing yourself with the essence of a cleanse in a marble bathroom’s rain shower before wrapping yourself up in a big, cashmere towel. I’ve been dousing myself in it on boiling hot days as it’s an instant, soothing pick-me-up. Again, this is a fragrance any woman – young or old – could easily wear, especially anyone who appreciates ozonic, aquatic scents like Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gioia Essenza or Kenzo l’eau par Kenzo or even just softer, ‘clean’ fragrances like Cacharel’s sadly discontinued Eau d’Eden. (Anyone else remember that beauty?!)

Moving on, let’s talk about Alaia Paris Alaia Eau de Parfum Blanche (R845 for 30ml, R1 270 for 50ml and R1 835 for 100ml, Woolworths).

I’m quite the fan of the original Alaia, a leathery-musky mix that’s great for a cold winter’s day or an evening out. This newbie, however, is very different – a powdery white floral that’s better suited to the day time. Still, you can definitely tell they’re sisters as they share a certain muskiness that’s different to most of the other musk-based scents on the shelf. Somehow Alaia manages to make their musk a lot more anamalic and exotic-smelling than the rest.

Notes-wise, you’re looking at white flowers, vanilla, solar notes, that very particular musk and powder.

On my skin, I pick up the musk, a teensy dash of leather, something ‘milky and sweet’ that makes me think of a creamy rice pudding and lots and lots of powder. In fact, if you enjoy powdery fragrances like Chanel’s Allure Sensuelle or Narciso Rodriguez Narciso Poudree (another powder-musk mix) then you could easily buy this blind and probably love it.

Overall, I see this fragrance appealing to sophisticated women (not girls) who’re understated in their elegance. They’re wearing designer labels, but you’re not going to know it unless you can identify your Pucci from your Gucci sans logo. She’s going to order a G&T or Tom Collins, not a frozen margarita. And yep, she plays tennis.

Last, but not least, Salvatore Ferragamo fragrances have officially launched in South Africa. The famed Italian footwear designer has been churning out fragrances for years now but they haven’t been available, at least not on a large-scale, in SA. Not everything he’s created is here (no Incanto collection, I’m afraid) but you will be able to get your hands on a selection that includes Emozione and a handful of the more popular Signorina fragrances.

I recently attended the launch (you’ll find piccies on my Insta – I’m @lipglossgirlxoxo) and left with the ‘mysterious’ night time edition, Signorina Misteriosa EDP (R810 for 30ml, R1 200 for 50ml and R1 730 for 100ml).

A yummy gourmand-type scent, Signorina Misteriosa is all about wild blackberries, neroli, orange blossom, tuberose, patchouli and black vanilla mousse! While it’s most certainly a sweet scent, you might think it would be cloying but it’s not.

On me, I get an initial blast of juicy black fruit pastilles (one of my favourite sweets ever!) and I kind of wish this would linger longer but know you can’t walk around smelling like Maynards all day. This is very fleeting, however, and is soon replaced by dry down of warm, creamy vanilla with a dash of soap. It’s the kind of scent that, yes, is more geared towards night-time but there’s nothing stopping you from wearing it on a cold winter’s day. Ferragamo’s idea was to create an ‘elegant yet flirty’ scent and that’s a good way to describe it. Anyone who likes vanilla-type fragrances, things like Kenzo Jeu d’Armor L’Elixir or Britney Spears Rocker Femme Fantasy minus the coconut.

See anything you’d like to try yourself?

Love, love

Leigh