Trish McEvoy's Black Rose Oud: An Oud for the Rest of Us

Oud perfumes have been around for a long time, but I feel that they are really starting to hit the mainstream in the last year or so. Previously, it was really only those that are really into fragrance that knew of, and loved, the Oud fragrances. Now there are releases from Bond No. 9, Trish McEvoy and countless other "mainstream" fragrance houses.

While I am a fan of Oud fragrances, I usually need to be in a particular mood to wear them. Most fragrances with this basenote (sometimes also called Agarwood), seem to really load up on this note. I think this is because the oil is so expensive (the wood is reportedly the most expensive wood in the world). They want you to know it is there and that there is a lot of it. Honestly, it makes me think of those people that used to wander around wearing head to toe logos, back in the early 2000s? Can you just picture their shoes, pants, shirts, hats, bags, just all covered with logos? Being so overwhelmed by one (very expensive) note kind of reminds me of that. (If you're interested in learning more about Oud and how it is produced, there is a really interesting post about Oud over on Fragrantica.)

So, I like Oud. To me, it is woodsy, but warmer and richer than most of the woodsy notes. It has something a little spicy about it, that I really can't describe but that you need to smell yourself. But, I don't want to walk around with so much Oud surrounding me that people can't stand to be near me.

Trish McEvoy's Black Rose Oud is now by far and away my favorite Oud fragrance. There is Oud in it, but it isn't the centerpoint of the whole scent. Instead, it is there in the mix just like any other base note would be.

Notes:
Top Notes: Fresh Raspberry Leaf, Luscious Lychee, Osmanthus Flower, Japanese Saffron, Black Peppercorn
Middle Notes: Papyrus, Midnight Orchid, Imperial Incense, Black Baccara Rose Petals
Base Notes: Agarwood (Oud), Rare Sandalwood, Sensual Musk, Patchouli, Madagascar Vanilla

When I initially apply this scent, all I can smell is the Black Baccara Rose Petals. There is so much rose, it almost feels like I applied a ton of Crabtree's Rosewater. With maybe a little bit of something woodsy thrown in.

However, after the initial dry down (on me it is about 20-30 minutes), the rose recedes a tad and other scents start to come out. I can smell a little of the Lychee, the Raspberry and the Oud comes out just a little bit more. You can tell that it is Oud, but it is a quiet Oud, rather than the in your face Oud that I'm not a huge fan of in most scents. There's a little bit of spiciness as well that makes it feel more like an Oriental Woods, though I haven't decided for sure which note that comes from, probably the Imperial Incense.

I can best describe the feeling of this fragrance as elegant and refined. It is a quiet and warm fragrance that makes me want to go out for an expensive dinner. It would be great for work, for a refined night out, or I want to wear it while out for a walk in crunchy leaves (that's likely just me, everything woodsy makes me want to walk in crunchy leaves). I don't see this working well for anyone under college age (an Oud just strikes me as "wrong" for school), a night out to the bar or a trip to the mall. I'd save this for the times you're wearing your best heels and have pulled your YSL tote out of the closet. Because that's what I'll be doing with it.

Buy Trish McEvoy Black Rose Oud Eau de Parfum
Trish McEvoy

Lippie Love: CoverGirl LipPerfection Rush

CoverGirl

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery: Is One Night Really All You Need For Younger Looking Skin?

Have you heard about the Midnight Recovery products from Kiehl's? They promise overnight improvement in your skin, to help regenerate, repair and replenish your skin. Their Concentrate has been so successful that they're releasing a companion eye cream.

So, obviously it must do something to be so popular, right? But, what could a product really do given about 8 hours on your skin?

2 Steps to False Looking Lashes? DJV Beautenizer's Volume Lash

I wrote my Fiberwig Mascara Review nearly 4 years ago. At the time Fiberwig was the hot new mascara and it was flying off of the shelves at Sephora. I snagged my tube at Sephora in Chicago on Michigan Avenue. I happened to be standing directly next to the mascara display as it was being restocked. All of the tubes were gone within about 2 minutes.

If you read the comments in my original Fiberwig review, you'll see that Minty recommended layering Fiberwig over a volumizing mascara for a more dramatic look. This idea is perfect- the base of a volumizing mascara followed by Fiberwig, which really does have little fibers in it to add amazing length to lashes. Such a great idea!

DJV (the company that makes Fiberwig) asked me to try out Volume Lash as it was being released to the US. They recommend using it with the new Fiberwig XL, which came out this summer. When used together there are a few tricks to getting the best results, but the lashes at the end are well worth the trouble!

The first time I wore this mascara duo to work, I had about 5 conversations with complete strangers about my lashes. And were they real? How did I get my false lashes so perfectly applied and what was my secret? I also had a chat with my friend Pam about the mascaras, complete with writing down the names of products and giving application tips! Most people were shocked that they weren't false lashes, but were my own lashes. I also had a lot of issues with my eye wear on that day, every time I blinked my lashes pushed against the inside of my glasses so much that it was hard to completely close my eyes. And the glass was getting smudgy.


I took all of my before and after pics on a day that I was a bit light on the amount of mascara applied. I didn't want to make the mascara look crazy clumpy. I took the smaller pic above at the end of the day a few days later in which I'd used the duo normally, and had been kicking myself all day for not retaking a few before and after pics that morning. You can see that the volume and length are amazing, my lashes are up into my eye brows!

You should definitely check out the DJV Beautenizer website for some very helpful application tips. I've found that I need to wipe the wand very well with a kleenex before application or the clumps can just show up everywhere. I use the Volume Lash on my entire lash, wiggling it around to get a good application on all of my lashes. When the mascara is still wet I move on to the Fiberwig and apply this only to the last 1/3 or 1/4 of the lash. I want the fibers at the tips to create the extra length. Then I might use my metal eyelash brush to pull apart any clumps, but I've found that this technique avoids most of them. Once the whole kit and kaboodle is dry I then pull out my lash curler and use it only at the very base of the lashes. This creates a good curl that lasts all day (curling first makes it much clumpier during application and the lash will actually straighten out quickly).

Both mascaras are film-coating mascaras, so they create a coat of mascara around each hair. They are very smudge and flake resistant. During removal I use warm water and gently apply pressure to my lashes with my fingertips, kind of rolling the lashes and pulling down toward the tips to remove the mascara. Little pieces of mascara will just fall right off. If you try to use a regular eye makeup remover and rub you will end up with a difficult to fully remove glop of... gunk. Just don't do it. Use just warm water, a bit of pressure and your life will be much easier! I use makeup remover afterwards to fully remove my eye liner.

This is definitely the closest I've ever been to my ideal of having lashes that look false but are actually mine. I definitely call this a success!

DJV Beautenizer

Johnson's Baby Challenge Week #3

Time for a quick update on my Johnson's Baby Skin Care Challenge. If you remember, I'm using a few Johnson's Baby products over a 4 week period to see if there are any changes in my skin and how I like the products.

I'm still using the Baby Oil constantly to remove lipsticks as I continue my Lippie Love series. This stuff really is amazing. The lipstick just melts off. No residue, no scrubbing, it takes only a few seconds. It is pretty amazing. I've started applying Gel Baby Oil twice a day to my hands and cuticles to amp up my moisture. I'm feeling hydrated but not dry and cracked. So far, I call that a success!

I'm having less success with the Body Wash. I've said before that it is a nice body wash- it lather well, seems to get me clean and rinses easily. But, it is less hydrating than my old stand-by from Olay. This does seem to be balanced out by the increase in moisture that I'm seeing with Creamy Oil Cocoa & Shea Butter instead of my Cetaphil cream. However, I don't think I'll be using the body wash after completing my trial.

I have one more week! Stay tuned to see what I think after my full four weeks.

Johnson's Baby