Relaxing

Mood Scent 4 : Duvet Day Perfumes

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Its Mood Scent 4 time again! Sam (I Scent You a Day), Megan (Megan in St. Maxime), Portia (Australian Perfume Junkies) and I write about a different  theme every month. This time we have chosen to post about our favorite Duvet Day Perfumes. Which perfumes do we reach for on our days off when we relax in bed or stay comfortably in our pyjamas all day? I have chosen 4 fragrances with comforting and relaxing notes of sandalwood, vanilla and Turkish apple tea.

1. Pierre Guillaume Paris 18 Cadjméré Eau de Parfum 

One of my absolute favorites Duvet Day perfumes is Pierre Guilaumes 18 Cadjméré. The comforting creamy sandalwood pairs extremely well with the light milky coconut creating a harmonious fragrance which makes you want to stay in bed or on the sofa all day in your pyjamas. A light touch of spices uplift it slightly.

Some say Cadjméré refers to the soft touch of Kashmir and mère” (mother in French). As the most important note sandalwood is often qualified as “maternal wood” due to its creamy and comforting qualities. I love to wear this fragrance when I want to slow down or before going to bed for its soothing effect.

Cadjméré includes notes of tangerine, aromatic sap, rosewood, Kenyan cypress resin, sandalwood, ambrette seed and vanilla.

2. L’Artisan Parfumeur Traversée du Bosphore Eau de Parfum 

The relaxing Traversée du Bosphore is a good choice for your occasional duvet day. It was inspired by a trip to Istanbul in 2010 by French perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour and opens with sweet Turkish apple tea and a pinch of cinnamon powder. The apple is slightly covered with sugar powder and softly baked in delicious browning butter. This is not a fresh crisp green apple more a sweet warm appetising apple desert. The Turkish apple tea note is mixed with Turkish delight, both very sweet at the beginning but never too candy like. It is just the right amount of sugar.

After a few minutes the scent of almonds appears. Comforting vanilla is the base of this fragrance with a little sweetness probably from the sugar powdered apple and Turkish Delight. Traversée du Bosphore is a wonderful little comforting tourist trip to Turkey with its sweet apple tea and turkish delight while remaining at home in your pyjamas.

Traversée du Bosphore includes notes of apple, pomegranate, tulip, iris, leather, saffron, Turkish delight accord, vanilla and musks.

3. Guerlain Shalimar 

Although Shalimar makes me feel like a movie star from the roaring twenties with natural glamour and sensual elegance I love to wear this at home for its comforting and relaxing effect. The balsamic properties of Vanilla sooth me and I love to wear this before going to bed. It’s a wonderful duvet day perfume and one I can’t live without honestly.

Shalimar notes include bergamot, rose and jasmine, opopanax, vanilla, iris and tonka bean.

4. Le Labo Labdanum 18 Eau de Parfum

More suited for our upcoming theme Sexy Duvet Day (no, just kidding here!) but, an honorable mention go to Le Labo Labdanum 18, created in 2006 by master perfumer Maurice Roucel. This cosy and warm powdery fragrance envelopes you like a soft cashmere blanket. Civet and castoreum add a sensual ‘dirty’ touch making it very seductive while still remaining incredibly confortable.

Labdanum 18 notes include labdanum, tonka beans, vanilla, castoreum, patchouli.

Have a look on the Sam’s blog I Scent You A Day, Megan’s  Megan in St. Maxime and Portia’s Australian Perfume Junkies to read their picks for duvet day perfumes.

What are your favourite duvet day choices on your day off? Did you like my choices?

Disclosure: all photographs were made by Esperessence

Slow down with scent: L’Artisan Parfumeur Traversee du Bospore

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Traversee du Bospore was inspired by a trip to Istanbul in 2010 by French perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour. The notes of sugared sweet apple, Turkish delight and very soft dusted powder, almonds and vanilla make it a rather original but well balanced easy to wear fragrance. To my surprise I found it to be very relaxing like a sunny beach holiday on a luxurious resort with nothing to do but read in the sun and enjoy the sound of the sea. I had several of those holidays years ago in Turkey and quite enjoyed them.

The fragrance opens with a sweet Turkish apple tea note dusted with a bit of cinnamon. I remember this tea being served in Turkish shops to tourists. The apple is slightly covered with powdery sugar and smells more like apple softly baked in butter with sugar than fresh green apple. The Turkish apple tea note is mixed with Turkish delight, a very sweet note as well. Both are quite original to use as top notes. What I really like about this fragrance is its originality by using these notes while still remaining very wearable.

Traversee du Bospore is the interpretation of Turkish (Eastern) scents by a Western perfumer which clearly shows he used notes he smelled as a visitor/tourist the Turkish delight, leather, apple tea. Bertrand Duchaufour did not notes more commonly used in an oriental fragrances by Western perfumers like Rose/Oud combinations, more ambery or resins notes.

While I recall reading online some people having problems with its sweetness to me it had the right amount. I get almond notes as well after some minutes although it is supposed to smell like pistachio nuts. The base smells of vanilla with some sweetness probably of the apple and Turkish Delight.

What does it do? I find the fragrance to be very relaxing and I use it to slow down or unwind. My bottle recently arrived but I have used it quite often as I really enjoy wearing it. I have to admit I bought this bottle without smelling it first and it was love at first sniff.

Notes: Apple, pomegranate, tulip, iris, leather, saffron, Turkish delight accord (rose and pistacchio), vanilla, musks.

Origin of sample: my own acquisition, tested on skin. Photograph: made by Esperessence

The title was inspired by photographer Christina Greve Slow down with stills Hashtag.

Have you smelled Traversee du Bospore? Do you like it?

 

RHS Bronnley Rose Hand Lotion Budget Beauty Pick Review

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Esperessence Pink Rose

RHS Bronnley Rose Hand Lotion is a light hand lotion with the scent of natural rose. Bronnley England made a line of rose scented body products several years ago, in cooperation with the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). The hand lotion is one of the rose line. This line also has a shower gel, body lotion, soap in a beautiful tin and dusting body powder. The hand lotion bottle has a light powdery natural rose scent.

I have bought and used two bottles of this lotions already. It is very suitable to use as a body lotion as it comes with a handy pump. You will not find it to be very nourishing as it is made as a hand lotion. My drier skin absorbs the lotion very quickly, leaving a light pink rose scent on my skin. It is perfect to layer with perfumes as many perfumes have rose as a heart note.*

One 250 ml plastic bottle costs around 15 euro on ebay including shipping to the Netherlands. I have used several rose scented body lotions, like Jurlique and Crabtree & Evelyn but this Bronnley rose hand lotion is my favorite and it is more affordable.

What does natural rose do to you?  The scent of rose is thought to work as an anti depressant and aphrodisiac. It is also said to be relaxing, elevate stress and help with mood swings. (source: J. Peace Rhind Fragrance and Wellbeing)

What is your favorite body lotion? Do you use rose scented body products?

Origin of bottle: my own bought on eBay.co.uk

*Source: article by Portia Australian Perfume Junkies

More information on the Bronnley England and Royal Horticultural Society website. If you like gardening the RHS website and their tweets will be a great source of joy and information for you. They are for me especially their tweets show amazing gardens.

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