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Angel the Fragrance Has a (Perfume) Posse

BellaSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:00:06 -0700

Even if you don't think you know Thierry Mugler's famous fragrance, Angel, you would probably recognize it. Launched in 1992, the scent is a perennial best-seller in both France and the United States. It's a honey-vanilla-chocolate confection - after all, it did launch the gourmand genre - and it's definitely a classic.

But every classic needs an update now and then, and Angel's no exception. Naomi Watts, who's fabulous at forty, appears in a new ad campaign to promote a line of new Angel body products. "Bella, you crazy," you might be thinking. "Angel already has body lotions and what-not." Touché. But the new ones have been tweaked, and in a sense, completely redone to make the perfume longer lasting. Having sniffed how well the Perfuming Body Cream ($80) held up through multiple hand washings, I can tell you that the scents do last a long time without fading or mutating. Is it too punny to say that this is heaven for Angel fans?

Bella Interview: Chandler Burr, Perfume Critic

BellaSugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:15:41 -0700

So, it's official: I am smitten with Chandler Burr's latest book, The Perfect Scent. Read it; you won't regret it. Burr, the perfume critic of The New York Times, was gracious enough to talk with me about perfume last week. Be sure to read his opinions on why a celebrity scent succeeds or fails, and read on to find out why a perfume can seem so great on paper, but can smell different when you wear it.

In your book, you mention that perfumes are now created to smell good on paper when you're in the store, rather than being formulated only for the skin.
It's the new construction because of the way people buy perfume. The way that people buy perfumes today has a huge impact in how a scent is constructed. It used to be that one would go into the atelier at Guerlain or Coty in Paris, and put the perfume on, and the assistant would bring cakes and tea. You'd smell the perfume and it would stay on your skin past an hour or two hours - for an entire afternoon. Today, you're trying to grab 10 minutes between the movie or the next business appointment, and you're not putting perfumes on skin because you're already dressed. It's like buying clothes without trying them on.

For Chandler's advice on shopping for perfume, read more.

So how should we shop, if the typical way doesn't work?
It's easy: Even if you have 10 minutes before the next meeting, go to work without any goddamn perfume on! Go to Sephora, you do a little bit of homework online, you think about what you want, you walk in, you have four perfumes you want to try. Put one on your wrist of your left arm, one on the wrist of your right arm, one above the elbow on your left arm, and one above the elbow on your right arm. Walk out of the store - and you wear them. You smell them, and you smell them 10 minutes later, 30 minutes later, an hour later, and four hours later. You live with the perfumes, and that's how you do it.

Sometimes I'm confused when perfumes are described by their notes alone. How can we train our noses to identify certain scents?
It's actually a problem, because you can't use any of the raw materials. Somebody should set up a series of courses; those would actually be popular. If somebody entrepreneurial ever did this, I think there would be quite a market for it. Somebody should set up a place where you can go in and actually do a perfume course, and have raw materials - your basic woods, your basic greens, your basic musks - and learn what these mean. Obviously I've thought about this quite a bit!

If you can't do that, then you should just do what's in the industry called a market product. Woodsy scents, for example - Gucci Pour Homme, that was a sort of paradigmatic wood perfume. If you're going to do floral, you should know Joy, you should know Chanel No. 5, you should know L'Air du Temps. Chypre, you should know Coco. And you could actually go in and learn the categories by smelling the perfumes.

Certain scents are associated with their time. For instance, Obsession was everywhere in the '80s, but now it feels very dated. Are there any scents that you wish would come back, or are there any that you think will be linked to this point in time?
Scents are always related to their points and their eras, even if they continue to be successes, like Chanel No. 5, which was a 1921 perfume. Or Eau de Sauvage, which is a 1966 perfume. Angel is early-nineties. These things have a life. Rive Gauche for women is one of the quintessential 1970s perfumes, as is Opium. And you can still wear them. Vintage works, I think, better in perfume than it does in clothing in a lot of ways. It really depends on the scent. Some of them simply smell so much of their era that you wouldn't want to wear them. And others are more timeless.

I think Gucci Rush - and maybe I'm deluded - is going to prove very strongly resistant to time because it's so unusual and it's so beautifully constructed. It's definitely a modernist perfume, but I think it will wear very well.

Win a Huge Assortment of Pacifica Products From Sephora!

BellaSugar — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:30:00 -0700

I see hydrated skin, soothing, calming scents, and an air of relaxation in your future; and it's all thanks to our friends at Sephora. From now until Sunday, we're offering up a huge collection of Pacifica products, guaranteed to have you feeling cool, calm, and collected. Ahh. If you're chosen the lucky grand prize winner of this set, you'll receive the following eco-friendly products.

They include:

Lotus Garden Soy Candle - A natural, handmade candle perfumed with scents of lotus blossom, cassis, green violet leaf, and pink pepper.
A selection of Guava Butters - Three luxuriously scented intensive body moisturizers in Hawaiian Ruby, Bali Lime Papaya, and Brazilian Mango Grapefruit.
Brazilian Mango Grapefruit Travel Set - A trio of grapefruit-scented goodies, including a Soy Candle, Body Butter, and Solid Perfume.
Tuscan Blood Orange Body Wash - An everyday cleanser scented with spicy blood orange, strawberry, raspberry, and mandarin.
Malibu Lemon Blossom Lotion - A luxuriously scented daily body moisturizer inspired by lemony Litsea Cubeba, flowering Angel's Trumpet, and fresh herbs.
Bliss Blood Orange White Pepper Sugar Scrub - And as a special bonus, you'll also receive this skin-cleansing scrub that's formulated with an energizing citrus scent.

To enter, just take the quiz by 12 p.m. PDT on Sunday, May 31, and one winner will be selected at random. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct, just on taking the quiz after you are logged in. You do, however, need to be a TeamSugar member to enter. So if you're not already one, register for an account. One quiz entry per person; all repeat quizzes will be ignored. Prizes can be shipped to US destinations only. Remember: You must be logged in to TeamSugar for your entry to count. For the complete rules, click here. Good luck!

Take the quiz

Beauty Byte: Naomi Watts Is the Face of Thierry Mugler Angel

BellaSugar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:00:47 -0700

This October, Thierry Mugler is releasing a new version of his 1992 perfume, Angel; the new scent is called Angel Les Parfums Corps. According to WWD, the nine items (exfoliating cream, hair mist, deodorant) will be as strongly scented as the perfume thanks to a new technology called the IDS-Intense Diffusion System technique. Sounds fancy.

British actress Naomi Watts, who wore the designer's gown to The Met's Costume Institute Gala, has signed on as the face of the new fragrance as well as the Thierry Mugler cosmetics line I told you about back in May. Truthfully, I'm surprised Naomi hasn't had a large contract like this before - but it's certainly a good way to ring in her 40th birthday next month.

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Gwen Stefani's Perfume Dolls Are 可愛い!

BellaSugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:00:38 -0700

OK, no matter what you think about Gwen Stefani's tendency to fetishize anything and everything Asian, you've gotta admit: Her new perfume bottles are pret-ty darn 可愛い - that's kawaii, which is Japanese for "cute." The quintet comprises the Harajuku Lovers fragrance collection - more details here - and the scents are aimed toward a younger crowd than her first scent, L.

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But how do these scents smell? Are you sure you really want to know? If so, read more.

The Harajuku Lovers perfumes ($25–$45) are trickling into stores, and the adorable packaging draws shoppers. Last night I went to Nordstrom to check them out, and a Gwen fan decked out in Harajuku Lovers clothing - we'll call her Megafan - was giddily spritzing her way through the fragrances. I began by sniffing the bottles, and after a few seconds of enduring each fruity-floral mess, I couldn't help but blurt, "I'm sorry, but these are not good."

I thought Megafan was gonna cut me, but to my surprise, she agreed. "Yeah," she said disappointedly. "I'm surprised that they're this bad. I liked her first fragrance, but this is a letdown." We went on sniffing, and then we bravely tried them on our skin. At first spritz, each gave off a burst of alcohol; when the juice landed on my wrist, it made a small scratch sting and burn. "All I smell is alcohol," Meganfan said with a frown.

She's right: These start with a shout of alcohol, then finish with a whisper of actual fragrance. Of the five, Love and Music are the most engaging. The former is a pleasant (if unremarkable) soft floral tempered with vanilla and musk, and the latter is a slightly fruitier take on the same formula. They aren't must-tries in my book, and as for the others? The coconut in G has the grace and subtlety of, well, a coconut dropping on your head. And while the "lollipop accord" of Lil' Angel does indeed mimic candy, who wants to smell like a Jolly Rancher? I could not bring myself to try Baby on my skin, but Megafan declared it the worst of the bunch.

Look, it's clear that these fragrances are meant for a younger consumer; they don't take many risks, they're overly sweet, and the packaging is begging to be placed on a 14-year-old's dresser. But considering how L opened up nicely, it's surprising that these scents hit the skin with a thud. Apparently I wasn't the only one left disappointed; Megafan sadly looked at the cute bottles one last time before throwing her spritzed paper blotters in the trash and walking away.

Gwen Stefani Welcomes You to The Dollhouse

BellaSugarUK — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Pop star, clothes designer, mother and all round superstar – Gwen Stefani is not one to rest on her laurels. She's launching a new fragrance, Harajuku Lovers, named after Tokyo's famous, street-style fashionista district.

Following the success of her first perfume – L.A.M.B – Harajuku Lovers will be out in September. According to Look, Gwen's new fragrance has been designed to complement her less expensive clothing and accessories line, which is also called Harajuku Lovers.

Inspired by her Harajuku girl backing dancers, there are five different fragrances in the line. Each one is named after a different dancer – Love, (Lil') Angel, Music, and Baby, whilst the fifth perfume is represented by Gwen herself – and entitled, simply, 'G'.

The kooky, tiny bottles (available as 10ml or 30ml) are shaped like miniature dolls, and are designed to look like each of the five different dancers.

It's a fresh and fun approach that is sure to appeal to Gwen's audience. Now let me see you work it.

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Meet the Harajuku Lovers

Sponsor — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 05:30:22 -0700

Inspired by the electric street scene of the Harajuku shopping district in Tokyo, the Harajuku Lovers fragrance collection is a set of five perfumes that capture the lyrics and iconography of Gwen Stefani's albums. They appeal to anyone who appreciates a "fatal attraction to cuteness." The five fragrances are named Love, Lil' Angel, G, Music, and Baby. Each has its own distinct scent and accordingly its own special personality. Want to know which one is best for you? Click through the slideshow to get to know a little more about each of the girls and their scents.

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Which Harajuku Lover Are You Most Like?

Sponsor — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:30:22 -0700

The five fragrances are named Love, Lil' Angel, G, Music, and Baby. Each has its own distinct scent and accordingly its own special personality. Want to know which one is best for you? Find out by taking the quiz below to discover which Harajuku Lover you are most like.

Victoria Beckham Goes For Glamour

PopSugarUK — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0700

Victoria Beckham looked every inch the glamour puss in her monochrome ensemble and signature Louboutins as she boarded a flight from Los Angeles to London yesterday. She's on the cover of British Glamour this month, promoting her new fragrance and talking about family, fashion and food. Here are the highlights:

On her signature style: "I wouldn't want to stop experimenting, but at the same time I do have certain signature things. For instance, I always wear Christian Louboutins ... Hermes are my signature bag."
On pregnancy and her boys: "I'm not pregnant and I'm not trying to get pregnant at the moment. I'm so lucky to have the boys and they're such great kids. Nice, free spirits and incredibly polite, which I think is very important. But it takes a lot of energy and the thought of having another baby now would be a little bit much. Maybe in a year or two but right now, I'm having amazing career opportunities and I want to enjoy the boys."
On cooking: "I'm very good at lasagne and spaghetti Bolognese. I don't eat them myself because I'm vegetarian. But for David the night before a game, it's good to make sure he has protein and carbohydrates, and it's good for the kids as well. I'm very good at Dora The Explorer cup cakes, too - out of a packet."

To find out what Victoria said about the Spice Girls' reunion tour, her spirituality, and her relationship with David, just read more.

On the Spice Girls' reunion tour: "I had to keep the smiles under wraps because that's not the image I have of myself any more, but it was quite amazing. Good for the kids to see what I used to do. I don't think I'll ever do it again ... I find fashion and perfume is where I'm more comfortable."
On her spirituality: "I'm really positive. I think that's the way you have to be. I believe you visualise it and it will happen. I'm very in touch with my spiritual self in that way."
On David: "We get on really, really well.. We are so lucky to have each other. He's happy with his football. It's a big challenge for him here, and as a family, we're happy. We've never really rowed a lot. I think we're soul mates and we really complement each other - as do the fragrances. He's good-looking and I'm funny."

The full interview appears in the November issue of British Glamour out now.

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Lovely Links, 9/25

BellaSugar — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:00:45 -0700

Are you vain on social websites? Jezebel comments on the results of a recent study: the more Facebook friends you have, the more narcissistic you might be.
Makeup and Beauty Blog wonders if you'd take life advice from Gwyneth Paltrow.
The Beauty Brains figures out how much perfume would cost if it were gasoline. Angel by Thierry Mugler for $11,530, anyone?
Now Smell This wants to know what "cashmere sweater fragrances" are your favorite.
Got a straw? Well, sip your way to healthier skin with Babyassface.
Beauty Snob prefers smelling like vanilla, not bbq pit.
Specktra wonders if you've done the egg-on-the-face mask.
Find out what happens when you take a man and put him at a Nintendo-sponsored beauty event. Can he focus on his electronic game device or is he lured into the spa-like treatments?

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