¡Ombligo!

Guerlain's With Love is among my favorites this spring. I first purchased this last year through Sephora and it had no fragrance at all so back it went to Sephora. A few months later, I was at the local Guerlain counter and they sprayed it on a tissue for me and I just adored the fragrance and had been meaning to buy it and just never got around to it. I was lucky to swap for it earlier this year.

The notes in With Love are:

Top: mandarin blossom, pink peppercorn and quince.

Middle: wild lily; freesia and eglantine.

Base: white amber, musk, cedar and sandalwood.

This is a fruity floral fragrance but what sets it apart from all other fruity florals is the pink pepper. The spice really adds a lot of personality to this fragrance.

It opens up with very fresh and aquatic notes that take a back seat to the pink pepper. The flowers are evident, but very subtle at the same time. Then come the amber, like the rest of this fragrance is light along with the musk but the woods make a bolder appearance.

I fall in love with this fragrance the more I wear it. It's a great all day fragrance during warmer months because the fruitiness seems to really burt where with the heat where it seems stagnant with cooler weather.

It retailed for $50 when it was released as a limited edition in 2003 and can still be found for that price or less online.

I certainly hope Guerlain reconsiders this gem and makes it part of their regular line.

We hear lies all the time, even our leaders lie to us. "There are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq", "Read my lips, no new taxes," "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." So, I think we've become desensitized to when we hear yet another lie.

Jennifer Wilbanks went missing from Duluth, GA earlier this week while she was jogging. She was set to be married later tonight.

Late last night she called the authorities in Albuquerque, NM and told them an elaborate story that she had been kidnapped while jogging in Duluth and was transported to Albuquerque by a man and a woman.

I watched the story unfold early this morning on the news channels. Greta Van Sustern of Fox News even interviewed her family and the wedding party in person.

All week there was always the possibility that she could have gotten cold feet at her impending marriage but all her friends and family members denied that this could ever be the case.

After all, she was scheduled to have a huge wedding with six hundred guests in attendance, fourteen bridesmaids and groomsmen. Eight bridal showers had been held in her honor.

Hundreds of volunteers and more than a hundred officers spent the week searching for her. Her fiancé was the main suspect in her disappearance and was facing possible criminal charges.

She couldn't have mentioned it to her fiancé, her family, one of the twenty-eight members of the wedding party or the six hundred guests that she wasn't sure she wanted to go through with this wedding.

"I'm having second thoughts!" That's it, that's all she had to say! Weddings don't happen all the time for a multitude of reasons!

I hope that the shame and guilt she feels is worse than any criminal charges that she should be charged with.

I nearly passed out when I went to the mailbox and found a package that contained Frederic Malle miniature bottles. This was my second attempt at the famous survey and the first time I was recommended Le Parfum de Thérèse , Noir Epices and Une rose but I received the dreaded cards. This time, I was recommended Iris Poudre and Une Rose and finally got the famous miniature sprays.

Iris Poudre is described on the Frederic Malle site as: Iris expresses raw classical beauty. Tonka bean, musk and vanilla bring softness and warmth, while the base of sandalwood and vetiver adds a melodious resonance. If Pierre Bourdon's Iris Poudre were a garment, it would be a cashmere sweater - classic but personal, appropriate for most occasions, something one never tires of. It is a grand floral aldehydic.

The Barney's website describes it as: A contemporary floral aldehydic of bergamot, rosewood, ylang ylang, iris and ebony.

This is a heavy aldehydic fragrance at first, I happen to appreciate aldehydes and am really digging this fragrance.

There is something very vintage to this fragrance and a familiarity of something my Grandmother once wore. Unfortunately, my Grandmother was also a "Frag Hag" and had a collection that rivals my own.

The ylang ylang heavy at first, softens and seems to bring on a hint of jasmine along with other florals I can't quite place but I can smell their presence.

The woods then make their appearance but they aren't heavy at this party of powder, the are left in the corner to talk amongst themselves.

Memories of my Grandmother surround this fragrance and this is one I would reserve for certain occasions.

This is not one that I could wear all day, it's far too much for me but I think it would be the best accessory as a year round evening fragrance for a formal event.

It retails for $160/3.4oz and is found at Barney's

I wore YSL Paris all day, got lazy and didn't exercise until late this evening. I just got off the treadmill and I'm exhausted, my feet are killing me.

I took some aspirin, then a long hot shower put on my some cozy pajamas and sprayed on Serge Lutens' Sa Majesté La Rose because of Micki's wonderful review on her blog.

The notes in this fragrance are: white rose, chamomile, lychee, geranium, Moroccan rose, gaiac wood, clove, white honey and vanilla.

As soon as I sprayed it, the rose was incredibly evident. This is an incredibly bold rose and I feel like I'm a little girl playing hide and go seek in a small garden of roses. These are roses that are are going to spend their entire lives stuck on the bush, they aren't going anywhere. The chamomile appears at first but it leaves right away and I'm wondering where it hid.

I can smell something incredibly fruity, which must be the lychee. In fact, I think the lychee overtakes the rose. Maybe my senses are heightened right now but it seems fruitier than I expected.

I smell no geranium here, I also get no clove, wood, honey or vanilla. It's primarily lychee and the only one coming to his party are his friends the roses. I had higher expectations on this fragrance, I adore rose fragrances and this won't be one that's going to be in my collection.

Maybe I should test this as the weather warms even more. It might be even better in the dead heat of summer but something in my heart tells me that this is not the fragrance for me. I know it would be a wonderful daytime fragrance during warm months.

It retails for $89/1.7 oz and can be purchased at Aedes.

My sister and I often talk about who our Hollywood best friends would be and Katie Holmes had been in contention for the title.

Then I found out the horrible news - Tom Cruise! *gags* What is the appeal?

A man who tried to deny being married to Nicole Kidman for ten years, he said it was 9.5 so he wouldn't have to pay more as for the pre-nuptial agreement!

And without him, she won an Oscar!

Penelope Cruz! ¿Porqué? ¿Porqué? ¿Porqué?

You never needed to be his accessory - you've got your own career to stand on.

And without him she won a David (Italian "Oscar") and a Goya (Spanish "Oscar")

The age doesn't bother me as Mr. Henry Rollins was fifteen when I was born. It's the choice of the man - or in this case lack there of.

Updated to include the conversation I jus had with my sister:

Me: "Dude, Did you hear who Katie Holmes is dating?"

Sar: "No, who?"

Me: "Do you want to guess?" (my sister loves to guess things)

Sar: "Dude, how'd you know? Ok, is he a young actor?"

Me: "No."

Sar: "Is he well known?"

Me: "Yes."

Sar: "Is he a musician?"

Me: "No."

Sar: "Is he an athlete?"

Me: "No, he is an actor."

Sar: "Is he an Academy Award winning actor?"

Me: "No."

Sar: "Is it Tom Cruise?"

Me: "Dude, how'd you know?"

Sar: "Are you serious??? Hey, I'm good at this game! I knew because he doesn't have an Academy Award!"

Me: "Loser!"

Sar: "Are you serious? Eww! How do you know? Dawson's Creek Katie Holmes? Are you sure?"

Me: "Totally dude, their publicists admitted it."

Sar: "Eww!"

Me: "Well, it's no wonder Chris Klein was driving drunk!"

Sar: "What do you mean?"

Me: "Wouldn't you be distraught to find out your ex was dating Tom Cruise!"

Sar: "Eww, gross!"

When I was little I played violin in the school orchestra but I never was first chair.

That distinction went to this boy who got private lessons since he was in the womb. I remember how my Orchestra teacher would praise him while I got yelled at often and vicious looks when my bow would screech.

Anyhow, Mr. First Chair Violin is on trial this week for molesting one of his students. While I was busy in my non-first chair life, he became a teacher.

My Mom often likes to bring up the fact that I never took to the violin. Why would I have? I wanted to play CELLO!!!
Since I had to walk a mile home every day she didn't want me to ruin a cello so I got stuck with the violin. So, I'd refuse to practice (another thing she still mentions to this day) and never played the violin again.

Mind you, nobody ever mentions why Sar who was Ms. First Chair Clarinet isn't freakin' "The New Kenny G!"

We can't all be first chair violin players in this world!

I checked for mail today and I won a prize from Teen Vogue! I won a black makeup bag that had a small box of Tampax Compak tampons inside.

I've received tampon samples in the mail before but this was the first time that I won some!

I would have rather won this plush tampon instead! You can buy that and many more adorable handmade items at My paper Crane. It sells for $10.00 for an 8" doll!

Ack and the cupcakes are back on the site! *swoon* I love cupcakes!

I also love the Fortune Cookie Dolls on there! I had Chinese food yesterday, Hunan Chicken for those that are interested. And my fortune cookie said: The Chinese ancient civilization attracts you.

What kind of fortune is that? Plus that's a total lie! At least the fortune cookie was good. I collect fortune cookie slips and that was the worst one I've ever received!

Ah Paris, How I love Paris! Having never been to Paris I don't know exactly what the city smells like but I'm sure it's all this and more!

The notes in Paris are:

Top: Bergamot, Geranium, hawthorn, Hyacinth

Middle:: Mimosa, Rose, Violet, Lily of the valley

Base: Cedar, Sandal, Heliotrope, Amber

It is a beautiful floral bouquet that surrounds the predominant rose. It's not a new rose, but one that's had more time to mature - a very deep rose. It's topped off by soft woods.

I just adore this as an all day fragrance during warmer months but it's is suitable year round. It's simply beautiful and I believe will always be in my collection.

This is the fragrance that can be worn to a multitude of occasions be while in your pajamas while watching Turner Classic Movies or to a formal summer wedding.

It retails for $55/1.6oz or $66/3.4oz and is available at most department stores or through Sephora.

Today I'm testing Poivre Piquant. One-third of the limited edition Les Epices de la Passion. It is described on Aedes as a prickly pepper honey blend. The notes from what I've read include Licorice, milk, honey and white pepper.

I love peppery fragrances and am mixed on gourmand ones. There are times when the two combine into an incredible sensational mix and other times where it's less than flat! This starts off incredibly peppery and then finishes off sweet. It's nice, but nothing extraordinary. I had higher expectations for it.

I think it would be a beautiful year round evening fragrance on nights when you have a take-out and a DVD kind of night.

Les Epices de la Passion set is sold at Aedes retails for $75/For three 0.5oz bottles.

I woke up and was not looking forward to weighing in at all. But I garnered enough courage to get on the scale and find out the results!

I mentioned that I was going to do two hours a day this week on the treadmill but I gave myself a break on Friday and Saturday.

I got on the scale, got off the scale, got back on three times to make sure! I logged in my weight and this was the message I got:

WAY TO GO! You've just lost another 5 pounds. Keep up the awesome work! We hope you have a great week.

That's right baby I lost 3.8 pounds this week! That combined with the last two weeks leaves me with another star!

Dazzling! You couldn't have slapped the smile off my face! It all seems obtainable to me. I have a long way to go but I'm doing excellent progress!

There was talk on the MUA this week about weight loss. I've had weight issues all my life. Growing up my sister was the thin one and I was Chunky McChunkerson. I was put in a weight loss program similar to Weight Watchers but for kids that was run through one of the hospitals.

I know what it's like to be a fat kid, fat teen, fat adult - this has been my reality but I don't want it to be my legacy!

I have been on some sort of diet all my life and I've had issues with Bulemia in the past.

Two years ago I lost so much weight due to my undiagnosed Graves Disease. I had no energy - I couldn't even make a fist! A great majority of my hair had fallen out and my heart was beating out of my chest but I didn't care because for the first time in my life I had lost weight!

I didn't want that taken away from me so I avoided going to the doctor. It wasn't until I felt that I was dying that I mentioned anything to my family - I mean this had gone on for months and months. I also didn't want to hear the possibility that I was diabetic as I have a grave fear of blood. But the night before going to the Doctor I told myself that I was going to have to face the truth - no matter what.

I went to the Doctors office and then was rushed to the hospital where I had to stay for almost a week where they ran test after test on me. Nobody could understand why I had waited so long to mention anything. Before they could even put me on sythroid they put me on heart medicine because it was beating out of control all of this is because of my (at the time) hyperactive thyroid.

After several months I was then put on Synthroid where I had been told I was going to put on weight as my metabolism was going to be slow. I exercised every day and watched what I ate but still packed on the pounds. Every appointment I'd gain more and more because now I have hypoactive thyroid (which is underactive). I then ended up even bigger than I had ever been in my life!

My Doctor suggested Atkins (which I had done in the past) and then prescribed me diet pills - I chose not to fulfill the prescription because of the side effects. This last appointment we discussed my weight and I mentioned joining WW, he told me that I could become a vegetarian but I don't eat a lot of meat as it is.

It was because of the people on MUA that I joined - hearing CK with her 80 pound weight loss and everyone else losing weight really inspired and motivated me. It came at a time when I needed it most!

And if I can do it - ANYONE CAN!!! No matter what size I am, my weight is going to be an issue all my life - period!

I think people should feel fabulous at every stage of their lives, be it rich or poor, married or single, thin or fat, etc.. But when you don't feel fabulous, when your personality is dying because of how you feel then it's time to do something about it!

For me, this was it - I was no longer myself and I'm working on regaining that back! I have to thank everyone on MUA who have supported me on and off the boards - it's because of your support that I'm feeling like myself again! :)

I forgot to mention which fragrance I'm wearing today! It's BPAL's Coyote.

Coyote is described on the site as the Native American Creator / Trickster God of Chaos and Change. The warmth of doeskin, dry plains grasses and soft, dusty woods warmed by amber and a downy, gentle coat of deep musk.

As soon as I applied this one there was a familiarity I sensed wearing this fragrance. It smelled to me like tea, but not just any tea a specific type of tea. I then remembered the tea that my Grandmother would make when I was sick. Growing up we had a Mexican Elder tree in the front yard and she'd have my sister and I pick the flowers from the tree. We'd dry the flowers and save them for tea.

The Mexican elder tree is a strange one which blooms in cooler months and looks like it's dead in warmer ones. We would boil the flowers and then strain them and this was was a cure for sore throats and coughs. To me this smells initially like a mixture of Mexican Elder and chamomile tea that's been sweetened. It's more a comfort scent than anything else. Then this deep dark musk seems to emerge from the fragrance. It's the musk that I'm not liking in this fragrance. That musk lingers for quite a while until it sort of slinks away. Hints of the musk are still evident but it return for the most part back to it's initial fragrance.

If it weren't for the musk, this would be a fragrance that I would label as full bottle worthy! I would wear this in cooler weather as an all day fragrance. It retails for $12.50/5ml and $19.50/10ml at Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab.

I was introduced to Fleur Des Comores when I placed the Nanadebary order last year through Beautyhabit. They sent me a sample vial and I fell in love!

The notes in Fleur Des Comores according to Aedes are:

Top: Blackcurrant, passionfruit, leafy green.

Middle: Vanilla, orange blossom, jasmine

Base: Ambegris, vetiver, musk.

I however found a few descriptions online that included red fruits as well.

I don't like the initial spray, there is something that is almost headache inducing but that soon passes. Then it has a sort of berry like scent, not fresh berries but more like a mixture of strawberry/raspberry jam that isn't overly sweet. More fruity than floral and while the vanilla cloaks the fragrance.

I've found that L'artisan's Vanille has a similar vanilla feel without the fruity/floralness. So if you like the vanilla in here but are turned off by the fruity/floral that is Fleur Des Comores please try L'artisan's Vanille!

I have worn this in both winter and spring and can say it is a beautiful scent in either colder or warmer weather! It's an all day fragrance and garners a lot of complements!

It retails for $105.00/3.3 oz which is a bargain as a little goes a long way and this fragrance lasts all day and is sold at Aedes, Beautyhabit and Lusciouscargo.

I'm wearing POTL EdT today which is perfect for a spring day. I dabbed on POTL parfum last night and found it to be too much for this time of year but somehow the EdT seems just right. It's like the parfum gone light but since I've already talked about that one I decided to instead talk about the other fragrance that's on me.

Oh My Dog! Hope went to the "Beauty Salon" yesterday, she came back full of the Hollywood gossip the other "bitches" were talking about. It seems that Paris Hilton's chihuahua has been seen around a few too many fire hydrants - if you know what I mean.

Anyhow since she's Little Ms. Priss I had to apply her favorite fragrance Oh My Dog!

Oh My Dog is described on the website as: Outstanding perfume-maker, Bernard Ellena of the Dragoco Company, composed Oh My Dog! with fond talent. He painstakingly chose each ingredient, in order to make these furtive moments of complicity between two- and four-legged beings last, and carefully avoided odors likely to disturb the animal's sense of smell.

The notes in Oh My Dog according to the website are:

As the head note, like his pink, turned back ear that his master flips right side out, the freshness of Rose Wood and the happy yapping of Orange leaves.

As heart notes, a desire to frisk about...
A water-floral effect to reinforce the innocent and clean aspect. And to flatter his natural gourmandise (and ours) a marriage of Osmanthus and Freesia, which invites serious tickling.

As base notes, the cuddle...
Bright notes "wrapped" in vanilla that breathes tenderness.

It can't be sprayed directly on the fur, it's suggested to spray your hands and apply to the dog's back and sides. I also wiped a little on Hope's scarf (it's got little frogs on it).

It leaves behind a sort of aquatic citrusy vanilla fragrance which smells very clean. I wouldn't mind wearing this one out at all, it's really nice and is also suitable for human use! Hope has mild allergies but has never been bothered by this fragrance as I only apply very little.

It retails for under $30 all over the web but I purchased this for Hope as a Christmas gift at Marshalls for $8.99 I believe.

I've got issues, serious issues with the chip! The chocolate chip that is.

I decided to send Keeter some cookies as she posted wanting some milk and white chocolate chip oatmeal cookies sprinkled with mini M&M's.

First I asked her if she liked her cookies with pecans. As the pecan is the state nut of Texas I couldn't add any other type of nut - what would that say about me!

Well, Keeter's philosophy is that nuts don't belong in cookies! What kind of philosophy is that? What is the state nut of Colorado anyway? I know that the state flower is the Columbine and because they joined the union in 1886, they are the "Centennial State."

Anyhow back to my chippish issues, so I'm going through all the steps of cookie making and then I get to the final step where one adds the chips.

So I bought Ghirardelli milk and white chocolate chips. I open up the bag of milk chocolate chips and poured it in. All of the sudden I realize that these are no normal sized chips - these are huge! Two or three times bigger than the normal size.

I then open up the bag of white chocolate chips and realize they are normal sized! Panic and fear took residence in my heart. I couldn't just fish out the milk chocolate chips as they were already in the batter.

So I added the white chocolate chips and continued baking.

The whole time I'm cussing out Ghirardelli! Motherfuckingbastards for not making it more clear that the milk chocolate chips were jumbo sized!

What if I were in a national "Bake-off" competition and I was making Great-Grandmother Agnes' milk and white chocolate chip oatmeal cookies sprinkled with mini M&M's that she carried on her back from the old country centuries ago and I'm up for grand prize and this fiasco occurs.

Now for every bite Keeter will get about half a milk chocolate chip for every one white chocolate chip.

I hope she doesn't feels panic and fear while eating these cookies a la "Like Water For Chocolate."

In case this trial goes to court, I kept the bags for evidence. I really should have sectioned off the entire crime scene but I had to mail off the cookies!

Today I'm wearing Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier's Rose Opulente. It is a mixture of Moroccan and Turkish roses.
Aedes lists the notes in this as:

Top: Roses, leafy green
Middle: Jasmine, ylang-ylang, clove
bottom: Musk, ambergris, sandalwood.

I had tested this once last winter and it didn't make me swoon. However in warmer weather this really bursts. It starts of an incredible bouquet of roses with lush greenery. It's really beautiful and then the clove and bottom notes slowly arise which making it even more beautiful and unique.

I am so glad that I waited to test this fragrance in warmer weather - this is one I'd love in my collection. This could easily be worn as a morning to evening fragrance.

It retails for $145-$150/3.4 oz. and is sold at Aedes, Beautyhabit and Lusciouscargo.

As the weather is getting warmer, I'm trying to find new florals to love. As I hadn't yet tried Rich Hippie's Maharishi I settled on that thanks to the ubergenerous Songscent.

Rich Hippie describes Maharishi on the site as:

Soft, alluring and spiritual. A complex floral with notes of Davana, Vetivert and spiritual flowers of India.

It is a primarily green fragrance that starts off a bit lemony and finishes with bursts of a mixed floral bouquet.

This certainly smells original and when it is first applied to the skin it is quite bold. However, the staying power doesn't last long enough for me and that combined with the price tag is enough to stop me from buying this one.

I think it would be best worn in warmer weather as a daytime fragrance.

It sells on the Rich Hippie site for $75/.5 oz., $165/2 oz., or the sample which is $12.

I wanted something citrusy but with a bit of spice and pulled out the miniature bottle of Eau Dynamisante that Barbatia sent me. Clarins describes Eau Dynamisante on their site as:

Great fragrance. Great feeling.
Eau Dynamisante is truly unique - it is the very first body fragrance with skin care benefits. It reunites the fragrant and treatment actions of plant extracts to hydrate, soften and "energize" the entire body. For him, for her, in any season all year round, Eau Dynamisante is an irresistible wave of freshness and vitality.

Beauty Benefits :
- Delicately fragrances and promotes a wonderful feeling of freshness, vitality and well-being.
- Firms, tones and revitalizes surface skin.
- Moisturizes and softens.

Ingredients :
- Aloe (Alleviates,Moisturises)
- Caraway (Alleviates,Softens)
- Cardamom (Tones)
- Eleurhero Ginseng (Anti-fatigue,Tones)
- Ginseng (Anti-free radical,Restructures,Stimulates,Tones)
- Lemon (Moisturises,Purifies,Tones)
- Orange (Anti-free radical,Calms,Softens)
- Patchouly (Revitalises,Tones)
- Rosemary (Moisturises,Regenerates)
- Thyme (Refreshes,Stimulates,Tones)
- Zinzimber (Stimulates)

Method of Use :
Apply all over the body in the morning, after exercise or at any time of the day. The invigorating fragrance revives and refreshes. The non-photosensitizing formula means it can be worn safely in the sun.

Clarins Innovation
All of the essential oils that contribute to Eau Dynamisante's fragrance have been proven to have effective treatment benefits on the skin. For added skin care benefits, Clarins included non-fragrant plant extracts such as Aloe, Ginseng and Harpagophytum to Eau Dynamisante's truly unique formula.

There is a scene in Décalage horaire "Jet Lag" to those of us who ne parle pas Français where Juliette Binoche pours this on herself and then Jean Reno rushes in the room searching for her before they give in to a night of passion.

While Jean Reno is not knocking at my door or searching for me, this is still a beautiful fragrance! It's a wonderful mixture of citrus with herbs, very fresh and clean but at the same time a bit sexy. This is the type of fragrance you'd expect to wear after a long day at the spa. It starts off quite bold but slowly fades into your skin, so this is one that would require re-application. It's perfect for spring or summer that can be worn from early morning deep into the night. This is one I wouldn't hesitate to purchase!

It retails for $44/3.4 oz and can be purchased anywhere Clarins is sold.

I did a little shopping tonight and I had to order the Classic Comedies Collection! I was so excited when I found out that two of my ultimate favorite movies Dinner at Eight and Libeled Lady were coming out on DVD and even more thrilled when I found this DVD set!

It includes:
Bringing Up Baby
Dinner at Eight
Libeled Lady
Stage Door
The Philadelphia Story (Which I already own on DVD, but it's so good it should be included twice in everyone's collection!)
and To Be or Not to Be

It retails for $48.24 at Amazon.com

I had never tried this before and got this as an extra in a swap. So upon deciding to wear something that I hadn't tried before I settled on this one.

Clinique describes this on their site as: Clinique Happy Heart. A wealth of flowers. A hint of warmth. A deepening of emotions. With a heart of water hyacinth, brightened with Mandarin and blond woods. Wear it and have a happy heart.

The notes in this fragrance are:

Top: Cucumber, "mountain air" note, mandarin.

Middle: Water hyacinth, yellow primrose.

Bottom: Blond woods, sandalwood

It opens up with lovely cucumber and mandarin which last for mere seconds. All of the sudden, you are sucker punched with an incredibly heavy and fierce water hyacinth. As you go in and out of consciousness, it's still in your face threatening you while spitting in your face! You feel like it's never going to end and it doesn't until an innocent bystander feels pity on you and calls the police. You smell the water hyacinth being carried away. Sadly, bruised and battered you are still covered in the silage of the beating that was water hyacinth.

This is way too much for me, something reminds me of Resort by Etro which I bought and will have to test again as I hated that one over time.

Looks like I can't have a happy heart but you can! Clinique Happy Heart retails for $37.50/1.7 oz. or $49.50/3.4oz and is found wherever Clinique is sold.

I'm on my spring floral kick. I wasn't sure what to wear as I was feeling a bit bummed on the one pound weight loss so I settled on Zita by Paula Dorf.

The notes in this fragrance are:

Top: Tea Rose, Fresh-Cut Grass, Freesia
Middle: Peach, Pink Peony
Bottom: Florentine Iris, Musk, Sandalwood

This is primarily a mixture of tea rose and grass. There are subtle hints of the freesia and peony. The grass isn't overpowering at all, it's quite lovely,, like walking through a garden.

I really like this as a spring fragrance it really brought my spirits up this afternoon. I think this works incredibly well as a day to evening fragrance. Although I'd prefer something a little bolder at night, but this is perfect for late afternoon into evening cookouts.

Although this can be found online for $75/3.4 oz. I purchased the same bottle for $14.99 at Marshalls. They also has the 1.7 oz. for $9.99.

My weight has been fluctuating like crazy madness this week. It was lower than last week, then it was higher than last week. But I didn't worry about the number too much...until today.

I got on the scale and discovered I lost exactly one pound - no more, no less.

That's it? One pound! I stuck to my points and didn't even dip into the weekly points and still only lost a pound. I got on the treadmill five times this week, all for an hour and still just one pound!

I'd like to blame this on last weeks three day binge but I can't really.

I logged in my one pound and got the following message:

WAY TO GO! Congratulations for losing weight this week. We hope you're thrilled with the result. Here's a quote by Aristotle that we thought might strike a chord with you: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit."

Keep practicing your excellence and have a great week.

Well, I was putting off doing the treadmill twice a day but that's where I'm headed. Twice a day it is.

I spend an hour on the treadmill and got off feeling depleted and very anti-fragrance. After a long shower I debated what would be the best fragrance to pick me up. I finally settled on Falling in Love by Philosophy.

The notes in this fragrance are: Vanilla, Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Musk and Blackberry.

This is a primarily a blackberry fragrance on me with hints of vanilla and jasmine. I have a decant but have not yet purchased a bottle of this. I do have however the 3-in-1 in this scent and the matching conditioner. I don't feel it works very well as a daily shampoo, leaving my thin hair incredible tangled but it's a great body wash! I use the conditioner on occasion as well, the scent doesn't linger for long outside of the shower so it isn't one I'd repurchase but it's nice.

This is a fragrance that's perfect for days when you need a little pick-me-up. It's a perfect daytime fragrance for warmer months.

The fragrance retails for $35/2 oz., the falling in love shampoo, bath, and shower gel is $22/16 oz., and the falling in love perfumed hair conditioner $21/16 oz.

I was so excited because I was going to a party today, I got all dolled up, painted my nails with Urban Decay's Exhaust. And then I started feeling sick and had to cancel. I'm not one to miss parties and was bummed out! I had planned on wearing Serge Lutens A La Nuit but that felt to happy and I wanted something moody with a bit of attitude.

I figured I should test Comme des Garçons Series 2: Sequoia. The notes in this fragrance are: California redwood, red rum, opopanax, kara-karounde from Guinea, Chinese agarwood, mahogany.

This reminds me of an ornate wooden jewelry box I bought once. It was carved on the top with flowers and vines. It didn't have a finish to it so it had this dry, unfinished wood fragrance to it and whenever I'd place anything inside the box, it took on that scent. There is a tiny hint of what seems like red hots cinnamon candies in here. This has attitude all right, but it isn't a moody one!

I think it might be too much when worn as a daytime fragrance in spring or summer months, but this is an incredibly sexy evening fragrance year round and a beautiful daytime fragrance in autumn in winter.

It retails for $58/75 ml and can be purchased at Luckyscent.

Susanne Lang Sandalwood

I woke up late feeling just awful and didn't apply any fragrance until this evening. I wanted to test something new, that seemed light but at the same time woodsy. I settled on wearing Susanne Lang's Sandalwood Eau de Parfum, one I've never tried before. I've tested other fragrances in the Susanne Lang line before but haven't been impressed by any of them.

The Susanne Lang website describes this as:

Days on the train now. Stopped by a river bank. I lay my cheek on the sill of the open window, so tired. The pungent scent of rich, fertile soil. A family sitting across from me. The little girl comes over, a shy smile, and dabs my wrists and neck with oil from a small vial around her neck. The rich fragrance of sandalwood. Perfect.

Imagine this for instance, you're in the shower while enjoying this new sandalwood bath gel, splashing around, pretending you're on American Idol singing "Bootylicious" then all of the sudden you start smelling something stank. You realize that something else is in the bathroom with you! You peek to see who's there and see it's the maintenance man who reeks of some gross dirty anamalistic musk. You scream, he runs out and you finish your sandalwood bath gel shower.

That's what Susanne Lang's Sandalwood is on me, sandalwood bath gel with a hint of gross, dirty musk (which lasts only a few seconds) and then back to the sandalwood bath gel.

I think this would be nice worn as a year round, all day fragrance. It's one that could easily be unisex, but it's not one for me. While I love sandalwood, this isn't unique enough to capture my heart or wallet.

It retails for $50/1 oz. and is sold at La Creme Beauty an Luckyscent.

Sui Love

After my workout I took a shower and wanted a simple, no frills fragrance. That's what Sui Love is to me, a simple, no frills fragrance!

The notes in Sui Love are:
Bergamot, Passion Fruit, Osmanthus, Pink Pepper, Jasmine, Marigold, White Rose, Water Lily, Tuberose, Orange Flower, Italian Violet, Vanilla Madagascar, Ambrette Seed, Rich Musk.

This is primarily a pale citrusy fragrance. It is slightly peppery but I wouldn't call classify this as spicy in the least bit. The vanilla and musk come into play after wearing it for a while.

It's a fruity floral fragrance that is perfect for day fragrance more for summer than spring, it's light enough that it doesn't offend anyone. In fact it's so light that after a while, you can't smell it anymore! I doubt that anyone would confuse this for a niche or boutique brand. It's just a simple, no frills fragrance.

It retails for $38/1.7 oz. at most department stores and Sephora. I've been lucky enough to buy it twice at Marshalls, once for $12.99 for the bottle by itself. The second time a gift set that included the bottle, a makeup bag, lotion and shower gel for $16.99.

Murmure

The Van Cleef & Arpels website describes Murmure as poetry in life. Modern as a bouquet of white flower. Simple yet sophisticated, it is the fragrance of natural grace. A range of poetry and tenderness evocations, for an emotion both delicate and strong. I imagine the answers to these questions are answered by Mango on Saturday Night Live.

What if it were a light?
The first sunbeams in a garden after the rain.

What if it were an object?
A contemporary sculpture, unique and precious.

What if it were music?
The voice of a loved one.

The notes in Murmure are:

Luminous, crystal-clear essences

A modern bouquet of white flowers, noble and pure
Jamine sambac
Orange blossom
Cassie flower

A harmony of vibrant and sensual woods
Brazilian rosewood
Cedar wood
Vanilla infusion

I get a lot of compliments when I wear this one. I've even gotten "Oh, you smell so expensive." This smells very fresh and clean to me, three sprays and I'm done. I get a lot of freesia in this more than anything. If you like white flowers but don't want an "in your face" type of fragrance this is probably what you're looking for.

I love this as a daytime fragrance during warmer months. Neiman Marcus used to carry this online but only have the body lotion and shower gel. I purchased this at Marshalls for $14.99/1.7 oz.

Cumming

What does one wear on the day they find out they're identity has been stolen? Why Cumming of course! Thanks to my 2nd self Keeter I'm testing Cumming!

The website has this to say about Cumming: What do you get when you cross an award winning actor (Alan Cumming), an award winning perfumer (Christopher Brosius), and an award winning creative director (Jason Schell)...

A new look at the classic world of men's fragrance: combining three distinct talents to bring you a scent that is all about Sex, Scotch, Cigars and Scotland.

The notes in Cumming are:
Top: Bergamot, Black Pepper, Scotch Pine, Whiskey.
Middle: Cigar, Heather, Douglas Fir, Rubber.
Bottom: Leather, Highland Mud, Peat Fire & White Truffle.

The most predominant notes in this fragrance are the mixture of the different evergreens. Living in the desert I'm not used to smelling evergreens except at the holidays when the scent from the Christmas tree stands waif in the air. There is smokiness to this also, but it's more of an outdoor fireplace scent. I just adore black pepper in fragrance and while it's only a top note in this fragrance, it seems to linger for a while.

This is a unisex fragrance and I find this incredibly sexy! I would definitely wear this in colder months and it's suitable for a morning to evening fragrance. It retails for $69/3.4 oz and can be purchased at Beautyhabit or Sephora.

Updated to include a mistake I almost made. Anytime I review a fragrance, I Google a picture to upload with the fragrance. Not thinking, I typed in Cumming and almost hit the images link and then remembered what I had typed in. I know that the majority of pictures in that link would not have featured either a fragrance or Alan Cumming!

Updated to mention that after wearing the fragrance for a while, the leather came through and seems to have slightly taken over the evergreen fragrance. I think this would be insatiably sexy on a man!

She's pregnant!


She has the following message on her site:

Dear Fans,

The time has finally come to share our wonderful news that we are expecting our first child together. There are reports that I was in the hospital this weekend, Kevin and I just want everyone to know that all is well. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Love,
Britney and Kevin.

She's got pictures of her dog's room online! Her dog has her own room, imagine where they'll put they baby? I think the child's first words will be either fuck or possibly assloup!

KFed, Yo!

Marc Jacobs Blush

I'm testing for the first time Marc Jacobs Blush. Two years ago when I first tried Marc Jacobs I was told I smell awfully sweet, emphasis on the awful. I tested it again last year a liked it more but I haven't caved and bought a bottle - yet.

The notes in Marc Jacobs Blush are: Jasmine Nectar, Fresh Air Accord, Italian Bergamot, Star Jasmine, Jasmine Breeze Accord, Pink Freesia, Orange Flower, Japanese Honeysuckle, Pink Musk, Cashmere Wood, Sandalwood.

This is a tropical floral with lots of jasmine. I'm currently on a jasmine kick with Serge Lutens A La Nuit so I'm liking this one a lot! If A La Nuit is too heavy for you or you are seeking a warmer jasmine fragrance then this may be what you're looking for.

I think this would be worn best during warmer months but is certainly suitable year round from morning to evening. It is sold at most department stores and retails for $65/1.7 oz. or $85.00/3.4 oz.

Skindred


So I called back Jeff from Hot Topic and this is what he said (this time in a Pauly Shore voice)

"Hi this is JEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEF! Oh my God, You're a WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINAH! You were a runner up winnah in the Skindred contest and you won an autographed CD and these cool Skindred Wristbands, (in a Regge accent) so you can be all Jammin Mon!"

Then in a normal voice he said "Could you understand me? I said you were a winner? Cool huh! Can we put your name on our website so I can send out your prize?"

Me: "Yeah, that's fine."

Then he said "Oh man cool, I already sent it out, so you'll totally get in in seven to ten days!"

Totally cool, so I'm be all jammin mon like a WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINAH, A winnah I tell you!

L'Heure Bleue


Today I'm testing L'Heure Bleue Eau de Toilette, this is gorgeous! The Guerlain site describes L'Heure Bleue as: One summer evening Jacques Guerlain with overcome intense turmoil. It was the suspended hour, the hour when the sky had lost the sun but not yet found it's stars. Everything in nature is clothed in a blue light. L'Heure Bleue by Guerlain: an emotion which this perfume alone is worth expressing. The curves which stand out on the upper part of the bottle show the influence of Art Nouveau. The stopper, in the form of a hollowed-out heart is an a playful allusion to the romantic pre-war years.

The notes in L'Heure Bleue are:
Top: Aniseseed note, bergamot
Middle: Carnation, violet, rose, neroli, carnation
Bottom: Tonka bean, iris, benzoin, balsam, vanilla

Something in here reminds me of Nivea lotion. The middle notes are more predominant when first applied, right away I could detect the neroli but it fades directly into the beautiful bouquet of the carnation, violet and rose. After a a few minutes I can smell the bottom notes, which are stunning. The balsam smells light but incredible!

This is one I'd definitely purchase, it could easily be worn year round from morning to evening! The EdT retails for $58/1.7 oz. and can be purchased anywhere Guerlain fragrances are sold.

Miss. USA 1985


Growing up my sister and I loved pageants, Miss Universe, Miss America, Miss USA, Miss Teen USA and of course Miss Texas and Miss Texas USA.

Laura Harring as she is now known was the first and only Miss. Texas USA and subsequently Miss. USA to represent El Paso. She was also the first of five Miss. Texas USA in the mid to late '80's to rein supreme in the Miss. USA pageants system. On the 4th of July in 1985, the local newspaper did a full page "poster" where she was dressed in a patriotic outfit with her tiara and sash as I remember (it's been almost twenty years!)

She has gone on to star in movies such as The Forbidden Dance, where her goal is to dance the lambada to save the rainforest and was a cast member in the unforgettable soap opera "Sunset Beach" where she co-starred with Kelly Hu, who by coincidence was Miss. Teen USA 1985!

She garnered critical acclaim and some fame in 2001 when she starred in Mulholland Dr. but her career has since cooled.

Here's to you Laura, who's done this city proud! After all, not everyone can dance the lambada to save the rainforest!

Hi-5 America.


"So many animals inside of me. So many animals - Set them free!" That's part of one of the many quirky songs that Hi-5 sing on their show. Because I couldn't sleep yet again last night I was channel surfing and after seeing an old rerun on The Issac Mizrahi show, I finally settled on watching Hi-5.

The show is clearly made for the pre-schooler crowd, yet here I am at 5:30 in the morning enamroured by it! But wait, there was profanity in the show! One of the characters while singing about his puppy was wearing a shirt that had writing all over it but where he was holding the picture of his puppy it said ASS in capitol letters.

Of course it had a few letters after ASS but because he was holding up the picture, you were unable to see what the shirt was meant to have said. Was it ASSHOLE? ASSWIPE?

It looked like it could have said ASSLOUP but that doesn't make sense and I couldn't really tell because he had the picture of the puppy hiding the rest of the letters!

I think it was a subliminal message for the pre-schooler crowd!

Hot Topic

So I got a message from someone at Hot Topic that I won a prize. Hot Topic has contests all the time so I have no idea when or what I won. I got excited and called the guy Jeff and got his voice mail.

Imagine if you will this being said in a Ted Logan/Bill S. Preston a la Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure voice.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, this is Jeff at Hot Topic! I'm not in my office right now so please leave me a message and your number with the area code."

I started laughing as soon as I heard it and almost hung up! I don't know if they are forced to have that as their voice mail message but it's giving me ideas as I have a new phone!

I probably won a T-shirt, a few months back they gave away a autographed Atreyu guitar which I would have been totally stoaked to have won - but I didn't! :*(

WW: The week of the binge.


I had a bad week! I'm not normally a binge eater, I just eat the wrong foods and have no portion control until this week. I became a three day binge eater and ate whatever I wanted and boy did it feel good! I knew that this was going to have extreme negative consequences and figured I was going to gain, not lose weight this week.

I waited two hours after I woke up to step on the scale so that I could garner enough courage to see the damage I had done. I actually lost 0.4 lbs this week, I KNOW it would have been more had I been stronger as I had been doing excellent progress until this week.

They also gave me the following message: If you're feeling a little neutral about your weight-loss result, here's a little fact to make you smile: The rate you`re losing weight at is considered to be very safe and healthy. So you're seeing success! You're doing the right thing.

Remember this anonymous saying this week: "Feel pride in how far you've come and confidence in where you're going."

Take care this week…

And I will, back on the treadmill and sticking to my points this week to reverse the damage I've done!

Samsara Shine

I had planned on wearing Samsara Shine before Thalia hijacked my fragrance. I'm not really surprised that she did this as she has it in for me because I blamed her for all the problems in the world. I decided to stop this practice on her birthday as I was feeling quite remorseful at the time. She has once again proven why I should revert back to blaming her! Anyhow, onto the fragrance!

The notes in Samsara Shine are:

Top: Hesperides, Fig sap
Middle: Red berries, pomegranate, Jasmine, Ylang-ylang
Bottom: Amber, Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Sandalwood

When I first applied it to my skin I got the exact same sandalwood note that I did in the original Samsara but that was also take over by the vanilla and tonka bean. I thought for a few minutes I was wearing the exact same fragrance as yesterday!

As soon as I was about to write off this fragrance I then start to smell the fruity notes that aren't found in the original, I can smell the fig and pomegranate in here that mix beautifully with the vanilla and tonka bean. I am loving this version even more than the original one as I feel this one has a lot more depth. I found that the original left a much sweeter scent to the skin making it a bit ordinary.

This fragrance could easily be overapplied (the same as the original) but worn with a light hand, I believe this could easily be worn year round as a morning to evening fragrance.

As it's discontinued, you might find it at stores where Guerlain is sold and it retailed for $70/2.5 oz. However, you can find this at most online fragrance discount stores for about $30.

Samsara


Thanks to Scensational Sali who sent me a boatload of Guerlain samples. While most people have access to Guerlain fragrance, I have almost none. Dillards is the only store locally that has a Guerlain counter. I have never had a good experience at Dillards, the only good encounter was probably at the Guerlain counter where they at least took the time to spray tissues with fragrances for me.

Today, I'm testing Samsara. On the Guerlain site they say this about Samsara: In Sanskrit, Samsara means eternal circle of life. It is an imaginary place, sacred and mysterious, where Orient and Occident meet. Samsara is the symbol of harmony, of absolute osmosis between a woman and her perfume. It is a spiritual voyage leading to serenity and inner contemplation.

The bottle, in the sacred red of the Orient, echoes the figure Khmer dancer in the Musée Guimet in Paris, her hands folded in a gesture of offering, expressing plenitude and femininity.

The stopper evokes the eye of Buddha, a symbol of meditation which leads to detatchment and supreme enlightment.

The notes are:

Top: Citrus Notes, Ylang-Ylang
Middle: Jasmine, Iris
Bottom: Tonka Bean, Sandalwood, Vanilla.

When I first applied it I got strong but flowery sandalwood with a hint of ylang-ylang. As it dries down however it seems that the tonka bean and vanilla take over the sandalwood. As my allergies were acting up, I didn't apply any fragrance today until this evening. This is perfect as an evening fragrance year round! If applied lightly, I think this could be a year round daytime fragrance as well. The second time I applied it, I was finally able to detect some orange.

It retails for $58/1.7 oz and can be purchased anywhere Guerlain is sold but I wouldn't recommend buying it from Dillards.

The Top Ten Things I've Learned While Shopping At Dillards.

1. As soon as you make eye contact with a sales associate, they will hassle you until you purchase something. They keep shoving bottle after bottle in your face and tell you "I know exactly what you're looking for."

2. DO NOT PICK UP THE TESTER BOTTLES!!! While they are out on the counter for everyone else to use - I'm forbidden to pick them up as EVERYTIME I attempt it, swarms of sales associates swarm over to spray the testers themselves - for your shopping benefit - of course!

3. No matter what I say the very first fragrance they will tell me that I NEED either JLo Glow or JLo Still. In fact when JLo Still was first on the market the sales associate told me no less than four times "Everyone, just loves Still and I know you will too."

4. Don't bother to ask any questions because nobody knows the answer, in fact they will ask the other sales associates around to justify that nobody knows the answer. While looking at you as if you're telling lies and making up hard questions just to stump them.

5. Sales Associates have their own "Fight Club." Last April, my best friend needed to buy a gift, as she knows nothing about fragrances she asked me to accompany her. As we were looking around the first sales associate who was working the Dolly Girl tester in the front asked us if we needed help as we stopped in front of the Givenchy counter. Before we are even given a chance to answer, the sales associate from Givenchy rushes out from behind the counter and said "No, they don't need your help!" Then she turned to us in a sweet voice and said "Have you tried our newest fragrance Very Irresistable?" and then the other sales associate screamed to her "They were mine first!" as the fighting match continued, we slinked away!

6. Don't ask for samples as they don't exist! Sure, Dillards will put in full page ads that state "Come in for your free sample today." But you can't ask for them once you get there because they don't have any and never had any in the first place....until you buy something! Then the magical samples grow out of the ground grow like mushrooms and you are at least given one or two with your purchase, if you're lucky. As I'm not, I then go from counter to counter with my bad, play with the makeup for at least twenty minutes when I make my move to ask for samples. What you have to do is make sure they see that you've already made a purchase so after about twenty minutes, rest your shopping bag on the counter. Then ask for a sample and as soon as it's in your hot little hand, tell the sales associate you'll be back and hit up the next counter!

7. As you are making a purchase don't expect the sales associate to thank you. The last time that Clinique was having a gift with purchase promotion, the sales associate was flirting with some guy who was not purchasing anything. As I stood there for ten minutes waiting my turn, she finally turned to me and asked me if I needed help. I then told her what I needed while she kept flirting! She never made eye contact with me once, cut me off while I was inquiring about samples and never thanked me for my purchase.

8. Don't get a makover from the Lancôme counter at Dillards unless you are going to a costume party as once of the characters from Dynasty, even the makeup artists have this look! However, at Foley's, the Lancome girls all have a natural look and give you a very natural makeover.

9. Skip playing at the Origins counter as they don't have a sink there so you can't wash off anything you play with. It's better just to go to the Origins store instead where they are actually nice and let you play in freedom!

10. While the customer service is lousy, the sales are incredible! They have clearance racks all over the store and it's good stuff, not leftover crappy stock they've had since the '70's!