Giorgio Armani Privé Pivoine Suzhou - review

If you've been near Brown Thomas lately, then you won't have avoided getting a whiff of this gorgeousness before you've even reached the Beauty Hall; Giorgio Armani Privé's latest EdT.  Called Pivoine Suzhou (yes, I haven't the faintest idea how to pronounce it either), this is the latest addition to “Les Eaux” collection and supposedly the first Armani Privé fragrance to be inspired by the gardens of Asia.

Chanel Chance Shimmering Products - preview

Mondays with MontyC will be back next week.  In the meantime, here's some information on a gorgeous Chanel release due out 13th June... Chanel is unveiling three new shimmering products for the body.  Unfurling the notes of Chance, Chance Eau Fraiche and Chance Eau Tendre, they perfume and illuminate the skin with a subtle pearly sheen in three different formats...

Chanel Allure Homme Sport Eau Extreme Travel Spray - preview

Let's hear it for the boys!

Chanel N°5 Eau Premiere

I'm a little behind with releases, but on 5th May (although still wasn't in Brown Thomas yesterday), Chanel launched a new take on its N°5 Eau Premiere perfume, a "new approach to the N°5 experience", formulated back in 2008, and now, in 2014, adopting the legendary N°5 iconic all-glass bottle.

Roger & Gallet's latest fragrance Gingembre Rouge - preview, review & giveaway all in one!

Roger & Gallet, them of the lovely soaps and the gorgeous shower gels, have released a brand new fragrance, just in time for summer.  Supposedly inspired by ultramarine skies, the warmth of the sun, dust trails and the sea surrounding Zanzibar... Gingembre Rouge Eau Fraiche has ginger, ginger, and more ginger top middle and bottom notes...

Whaaaaaaaaaaasup... the latest gossip

I have had a crucifyingly painful back for the last week - headaches abounding, pain so bad that frankly, I was close to tears the last couple of days.  The kind of pain that was making me feel dizzy, out of sorts and hard to concentrate.  This evening I finally managed to haul ass to the physio (actually a brilliant sports massage therapist) and she's worked some magic; pain is still there, but manageable, and back is sufficiently "unlocked" to allow me to start working towards something with it.  Anyhow, all of that is a precursor to explaining why this day's post is a little light; it's just a quick snapshot of stuff that's going on in the world at the moment, cosmetics-wise, that you might be interested in...

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle New Bath Ritual - preview

Chanel's latest Coco Mademoiselle products -  bath foam & exfoliant

Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle is (according to Chanel) "a sensual and refined fragrance that combines audacity with elegance".  Unfortunately, for me, it combines headaches and migraines.  But that's me and more fragrances than not, I'm afraid - it's a large bummer as I love the smell of this one for about three minutes before the headache kicks in.  Anyhow, most of my best friends, my mother, my in-laws and my work colleagues wear this and love it.  And so many brides whose makeup I've done for them on their big day use this perfume and love it, that I had to start asking them to use it after I'd left!

So for my friends and for my family, and for all those brides, and for all of you who love Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, you'll be delighted to know that the fresh, oriental composition that has enjoyed such unwavering success (me aside!) since Jacques Polge created the Eau de Parfum in 2001, has got two new products joining the scent family to help you feel just that bit more pampered.

Les Exclusifs de Chanel: Les Extraits - preview

I know I'm on a bit of a Chanel love-in at the moment, but I wanted to just post a few quick words about some new perfumes being launched in a couple of weeks in early March (I'm also away at the moment and it's handy to have some pre-prepared & pre-scheduled posts ready to send out in case I don't get time to write a brand new freshly-reviewed-item post :-)).

NUXE Prodigieuse Le Parfum - preview

It has been a long time coming, but finally, fans, addicts and enthusaists of NUXE's Huile Prodigieuse can soon wear the scent behind the iconic product as a perfume!

Huile Prodigiueuse was launched in 1991 and very soon Prodigieuse Le Parfum will join the product line-up.  Formulated by Serge Majouilier, the same parfumer who created the oil's fragrance in the first instance, sun, sea and sexiness apparently were on his mind when he put the notes together.  And certainly on the minds of the fabulous team who put together a beautiful product launch one cold and dreary January night in Dublin of late...

Roger & Gallet l’Homme - don't forget the men-folk this Christmas!

yummieeeeeeeeee :-)

Roger & Gallet's Christmas gift line up (info here) is for boys n gals alike, but this one is just for the men-folk.

Christmas 2013 from Roger & Gallet - preview

Roger & Gallet have released their Christmas gift collections.

As a quick background - renowned expert Perfumer - Apothocary since 1862, Roger & Gallet believe in the promotion of well-being through fragrance, through the study of Aromachology, a science that studies the influence of scents on our behaviours and moods.

Personally, I've always had a thing for their soaps :-)  The collections are priced between €19.50 and €39.75, so there's a price for everyone.

Chanel's Christmas No5 Bath & Body Range - preview

Marilyn & Chanel N^o5 in 1952

It really doesn't hurt to have your product endorsed, off-the-cuff, by non other than Marilyn Monroe herself.  Ms. Monroe, who will posthumously front the latest Chanel ad campaign (due to air in early December),  famously announced in an interview that she wore nothing else to bed but Chanel N^o5 perfume.  A classy, genuinely elegant fragrance, although not one I can personally get away with, it's got a timeless appeal - Chanel N^o5 first launched on May the 5th - the fifth day of the fifth month in 1921, and it's most certainly a warming Winter scent.

For the holiday season this year, one of Chanel's Christmas ranges features a slew of new N^o5 products to match the existing perfume line.  Ladies and germs, take note - if you want to add a bit of charm and sparkle to a Christmas present, you could do worse than gift someone you know who loves N^o5 with one of these matching products below...

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle - an updated size (and it's huge!)

Coco Mademoiselle EDP new 200ml size

Goin' large... a quick heads up for the Coco Mademoiselles fans...

Chanel... in Black & Blue

Nope, this is not about bruises!  The black is for the ladies (and is already out).  The blue is for the gents (and is out this week)...

Hugo Boss Jour Pour Femme

The recently launched Hugo Boss Jour Pour Femme perfume is designed to contrast with the Hugo Boss Nuit Pour Femme perfume (which I don't have) and is a part-floral-part-fruity scent with fruit-floral top notes of grapefruit flower, lime and lily of the valley, a floral heart of freesia and honeysuckle, and woodsy base notes of white birch and amber.

On a recent whim, and given the fantastic weather we've been having, I purchased it blind.  Oh so very strange and odd for me (I must have had heatstroke on the day) as I have to be incredibly careful with the scents I wear (am prone to perfume-triggered migraines).  So what did I think?

Chanel Allure Homme Sport Eau Extrême (plus some eye candy)

Yum.  Ahem.  Moving on...

Allure Homme Sport Eau Extreme is added to the well-known family of Allure Homme colognes, the first one dating back to 1999.  Chanel Allure Homme Sport Eau Extreme was launched in 2012 in 50ml and 100ml sizes.  This launch sees a rather huge LE 150ml size released just in time for the summer.

New fragrances from Essence

Drugstore brand essence has released three brand new budget fragrances in April and these are available in-store (Dunnes and Penny's and pharmacies nationwide), together with the already popular first six fragrances by essence.  These will be available in two sizes, 50ml (€7.99) and a mini 10ml handbag-size (€3.49).

Chanel Chance Eau Tendre Perfume - New Size, Matching Deodorant & Hair Mist!

Chanel Chance Eau Tendre Hair Mist

Some more Chanel releases - this time it's the turn of the Chanel Chance range of perfumes - April 19th sees the release of bigger bottles and matching deodorant and hair mist products to accompany the Chanel Chance Eau Tendre scent...

Chanel 1932: so what is it actually like?

Quick update.

I had so so wanted to like this stuff.

Released on Friday last in the Chanel boutique in Brown Thomas Dublin as part of the Les Exclusifs de Chanel range, 1932 is an EDT and costs a whopping €130 for a 200ml bottle.

Chanel 1932

Chanel 1932

Chanel are releasing a new fragrance which they are naming 1932, as an homage to very first jewellery collection (diamonds, naturally) launched by Coco Chanel in 1932.