Looking For Gifts For Him? Gifts For Boyfriend? Or Gifts For Men?
Just a fortnight ago, I was almost pulling my hair out by the roots. Why, you ask? Well, because my boyfriend’s birthday was around the corner (is in fact tomorrow). If you are anything like me, you too will get this headache twice a year (at least!) – just before his birthday and just before Christmas. What gifts do you get for a man?
Fortunately, I hit upon the solution while trawling the net. “Cologne!” I’ll get him a cologne! So grinning happily to myself, I went in search of colognes… and realised that choosing a cologne from the thousands available is a stumbling block all by itself.
Fortunately, I know my man. He likes strong, masculine scents. So all I had to do was to decide between Aramis cologne, Ralph Lauren’s Safari and Hugo Boss‘ Boss Soul.
If your man likes refreshing scents, like my dad, there are none better than Calvin Klein’s CK One (unisex, so you can borrow it too!), Dolce and Gabanna’s Light Blue and Carolina Herrera’s 212 On Ice (love the bottle encased in a ice cube!).
A girlfriend of mine swears by couple scents. She says ‘the couple who sprays together, stays together” Yeah, I know, har-dee-har-har. But I guess it does make sense in a way bec ause couple scents do have smilar base notes and you do want your man’s scent to echo your own. Ralph Lauren’s Romance, Estee Lauder’s Pleasures and Givenchy’s Very Irresistible all smell divine!
If, unlike me, you have a few dollars to spare, why not indulge your man in luxurious scents? I know my boyfriend would love it if i got him Creed’s Green Irish Tweed (George Clooney uses this too!), Victor and Rolf’s Antidote or Christian Dior’s Fahrenheit.
If you don’t know what your man likes or if you are giving a gift to a new man in your life or even a casual friend, trust me, you will never go wrong with either Guy Laroche’s Drakkar Noir, Boss No. 6 or Calvin Klein’s Eternity.
How’s that for great gift ideas? These Are All Great Gifts For Men!
Filed under Perfume Bytes by on Oct 20th, 2010. Comment. 
Ah, young Hollywood. There is nothing and no one with more hope and promise than these young stars with, well, stars, in their eyes. There they stand on pedestals, placed there by fans who want to know everything about them – what they wear, what they eat, where do they do their nails and, of course, what perfume they wear!
1. Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay has been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons these days. With all the media hounding her on her relationships, her drug use and her arrests, no one seems to remember that Lilo was once a talented child star and is still a very young lady. Give the girl a break, I say! When not in jail, Lindsay spritzes on Escada and Narciso Rodriguez For Her.
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2. Taylor Swift
This fresh-faced sweetheart of the country music world has won numerous awards since her meteoric launch into stardom with her self-titled debut album in 2006. Accolades aside, the ex-Joe Jonas and ex-Taylor Lautner squeeze douses herself with Givenchy Hot Couture and Juicy Couture’s Viva La Juicy.
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3. Emma Watson
Oh, don’t we all wish we were Emma! The young Harry Porter thespian has recently confessed that she has never ever have to work for money ever again. All grown up in her new pixie do, Emma loves singing, dancing, field hockey and Donna Karan’s Be Delicious
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4. Rihanna
Do you know glamorous Rihanna has a heart as big as her fame? Back in 2006, the superstar created her Believe Foundation to help terminally ill chidren. She has performed several concerts to raise funds for the foundation. Before each performance, Rihanna spitzs on Escada Moon Sparkle.
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5. Katy Perry
Did you know that Katy Perry released a (gasp!) gospel album back in 2001? Of course, you didn’t! And who could blame you, she was known as Katy Hudson (who?)then. Thank goodness a name change and a switch in label gave us the colorful, fruit-loving Katy we know today! Whether she’s hot or she’s cold, Katy Perry wears Victor and Rolf’s Flowerbomb and Thierry Mugler’s Angel.
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6. Paris Hilton
Have you heard the latest about Paris? It seems the self-promoting heiress was denied entry into Japan because of her guilty plea to her drug possession charge. Oh dear. Paris spent the night at an airport hotel, tweeted how ‘dissapointed (sic)’ she was to have missed her fans before flying home, no doubt reeking of her favourite Paris Hilton scents Can Can and Just Me.
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7. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
Watching the Olsen twins grow from cherubic child stars to fashion moguls have been a source of both joy and despair for fans. Sure we are thrilled that they now have more moola than they can ever hope to spend in this lifetime, but allegations of eating disorders and drug scandals left us shaking our heads and wagging our fingers. Facing off bravely against tabloid lawsuits and media hype, Mary-Kate spitzes on Prada Perfume while sis Ashley smells good with CK Euphoria.
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So now you know. If you can’t live the life of a young Hollywood celeb, you can at least smell like them!
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Filed under Celebrities, Perfume Bytes by on Sep 24th, 2010. Comment.
No one who saw Jennifer Lopez in In Living Color would ever have thought that she would become the superstar she is today. In fact, hardly anyone would have noticed her. Back then (way back in the early 1990s), JLo was just another unknown dancer. Since then, she has acted in hit movies, released eight albums, made it to US Billboard charts several times and picked up two ALMA awards along the way. Not bad for a girl from the Bronx.
Her rising success brought media scrutiny. News and photos of her personal life and relationships were splashed, trashed and hashed in tabloids. Who could forget tacky Bennifer? And how about the months Jenny spent married to her what’s-his-name backup dancer? It was inevitable that Jenny became the butt of many jokes.
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Her famous derriere and fame aside, JLo is one smart cookie, parlaying her fame into successful businesses. The most successful of which is her perfume line.
JLo’s first foray into the perfume business brought the world Glow by JLo in 2003 with its simple tagline ‘Fresh. Sexy. Clean”. Its soft, subtle scent was an unparalled success.
Later that same year, Still was launched. Still, with the tagline ‘In the eye of the storm… I am Still Jennifer Lopez’, was targeted at more matured customers. Its simple gray bottle won many hearts.
Glow was revisited two years later and a spin-off version- Miami Glow- was craeted. The sizzling scent of amber, musk and passion fruit paid homage to Miami, Jenny’s adopted hometown.
The Glow line was so well received around the world that Jenny added on other products – lotions and creams. Several fragrances were also added. By 2010, Love At First Glow (Launched on Valentine’s Day 2006), Glow After Dark, Sunkissed Glow and Blue Glow were available to tempt women everywhere.
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Live was the second fragrance outside the Glow line. With its tagline ‘Energetic, Sexy, Tasty’, Live’s warm citrusy scent appealed to many. Two other spin-offs – the very feminine Live Luxe and the winter themed Live Platinum soon followed.
2008 marked the release of another perfume in the JLo collection. In collaboration with Givaudan Perfumers, Deseo was created and launched. Jenny told reporters that the clear fragrance was inspired by a night time walk in the garden. Deseo for Men, Jenny’s only men’s cologne, appeared on shelves later that same year.
With more that 15 fragrances under her belt and no signs of flagging, Jenny from the block has certainly come a long way.
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Filed under Celebrities, Perfume Bytes by on Aug 29th, 2010. Comment.
Question: What does Angelina Jolie and Emperor of France Napolean Bonaparte have in common?
Answer: A love for perfumes scented with violets and jasmine.
The word perfume comes from the Latin phrase ‘per fumus‘ which translates to ‘through smoke’. It first arrived in Europe in the 14th century via Arab influences and Hungarian traders.
Perfume became the centre of the French court long before Napolean came into power. It had been used steadily and extravagantly in the courts of Louis XV and Louis XIV. Perfumes then were used in place of baths and showers and liberally sprinkled on clothes, fans and furniture.
When Napolean ruled France, he and his wife, Josephine, continued the indulgence of scenting everything around them in fragrances they loved. Just how much perfume did he use? Two quarts of violet cologne every week and sixty bottles of jasmine double extract every month!
That adds up to… well, a lot! Josephine had stronger tastes in perfume than he. She adored musk and scented her boudoir so liberally with musk that the room still had a whiff of musk sixty (that’s 60) years after her death!
Today,the Napoleans’ favorite jasmine, violets and musk continues to be common ingredients in many fragrances. Among them are Carolina Herrera Cologne EDT and Love In White by Creed, both beloved by sultry Salt star Angelina Jolie.
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Jasmine and violets are also main ingredients Miss Dior Cherie by Christian Dior beloved by Jessica Alba and Desperate Housewives’ Marcia Cross.
It is also found in Mischa Barton’s spritz Touch of Pink by Lacoste and in Miley Cyrus‘ perfume product Hannah Montana Cologne. Teen superstar Miley herself wears Coco Chanel which contains Indian jasmine.
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Musk is frequently part of stronger fragrances and those created to be worn at night. Dolce & Gabbana’s The One, Agent Provocateur Perfume and Chanel No. 19 worn by glamorous supermodels Gisele Bundchen, Kate Moss and Christie Brinkley all contain a delightful whiff of musk.
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Filed under Celebrities, Perfume Bytes, Perfume Facts by on Aug 19th, 2010. Comment.
Young Hollywood ladies have it easy. Loaded with free merchandise from retailers eager to thrust their brands into the spotlight, young Hollywood ladies are spoilt for choice when it comes to fragrances.
Endorsements aside, what scents do they actually wear?
1. Kim Kardashian
Sexy reality star Kim K is surprisingly faithful when it comes to fragrances. She was quoted as saying that she usually spritz on the same scent. Her ‘all time everyday scent’ is Michael by Michael Kors.
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Sister new mum Kourtney admits to fans that she loves changing fragrances with the seasons (so do we, Kourt). One of her favorite all time scents is Queslques Fleurs by Houbigant.
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2. Hilary Duff
Congratulations are in order to Hilary who wed hockey player sweetheart of 2 years Mike Comrie on Saturday August 14th. Ms Duff looked radiant in her Vera Wang wedding gown as she strutted down the aisle. Needless to say she must have been wearing her favorite fragrances Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium and her very own With Love by Hilary Duff. 
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3. Cameron Diaz
Ditzy Ms Diaz sure has something to smile about. Since July, she has been carrying on with New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez. Listed as one of Empire’s 100 Sexiest Stars in Film History, Cameron is partial to Clinique’s Happy and Guerlain’s Samsara.
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4. Sandra Bullock
Life’s been a series of ups and downs for Sandra recently. Oh how we cheered when she won the Golden Globe and how our hearts ached for her when Jesse blindsided her. Despite the scandal, Sandra has held her head high. Sandra wears Cacharel’s Noa and Christian Dior’s Dune.
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5. Katie Holmes
Basking in her role as Mrs Tom Cruise and mother to one precocious Suri, Katie has been riding high. Gorgeous Katie has come a long way since her role as Dawson’s Creek’s sweetheart. Katie favors Bvlgari Pour Femme and Miss Dior Cherie.
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6. Oprah Winfrey
Oprah wears many crowns. She is the undisputed queen of talk shows, the world’s only black billionaire, the greatest African American philanthropist, one of the world’s most influential people and, yes, she got Tom Cruise to jump on her couch. Oprah wears Bijan and thinks that Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lovely smells lovely.
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7. Eva Mendes
Bet you didn’t know that one of Eva’s first appearance on tv was in Will Smith’s video of his hit song Miami. That was way back in 1998. Today, Eva is one of the sexiest and most sought after faces in Hollywood. Eva spritz on Chanel No. 5 and Ralph Lauren’s Romance.
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8. Jennifer Aniston
One of the world’s favorite Friend, Jennifer is much more than Brad’s ex and the head which launched ‘the rachel’. Her acting chops have earned her an Emmy, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actor’s Guild Award. She has even launched her own perfume line. Jennifer loves Cacharel’s Anais Anais and Clean’s Provence.
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So now you know what to spritz on to smell like a Hollywood star. Curious to know what the young Hollywood pack smell like?
Stay tune for the next article!
Filed under Celebrities, Perfume Bytes by on Aug 16th, 2010. Comment.
It is a known fact that stars endorse hundreds of products they would never in real life choose to use. This, of course, include perfumes and fragrances. But what did they actually choose to where? Here’s some of old Hollywood’s favorite legends and their signature scents.
1. Marilyn Monroe
Topping the list is our most famous blonde bombshell. Marilyn’s favourite scent was Chanel No.5. In fact, she was famously quoted as saying she wore nothing else to bed! Marilyn also loves to spritz on Fracas by Robert Piguet
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2. Audrey Hepburn
The elegant Breakfast at Tiffany star who became a timeless a style icon was known for her elegance and grace. The fabulous star loved Femme Rochas and Creed’s Spring Flower
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3. Grace Kelly
The beautiful Academy Award winning actress who married Prince Rainer of Monaco and became a Princess. Ah, the stuff of fairy tales! Grace loves a whiff of Jean Patou’s Joy and Creed’s Fleurissimo (which the Prince comissioned for her on their wedding day).
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4. Sophia Loren
Listed by American Film Institute as one of 25 American screen legends of all time, the glamorous Sophia is another Academy Award winner on our list. Sophia wears Ungaro’s Diva and Creed’s Irisia (which was created for her).
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5. Katherine Hepburn
We have much to admire about Katherine. The beautiful thespian holds the record for the Best Actress Oscar wins – 4 out of 12 nominations. What does so talented a lady wear? Katherine’s scents were Rive gauche by YSL and Miss Dior by Christian Dior
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6. Ingrid Bergman
Who can forget Ingrid as Ilsa Lund in Casablanca? The legendary Swedish beauty brought Nordic freshness and vitality to American screens. Ingrid’s signature scent is Guerlain’s Mitsouko.
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7. Elizabeth Taylor
Famed for her beauty and talent, Elizabeth is an icon of old Hollywood known as much for her wonderful acting skills as well her lavish lifestyle and marriages. Elizabeth loves the scent of Jean Desprez’s Bal A Versailles and Hermes’ Caleche
There you have it. Seven of old Hollywood’s leading ladies and their favorite fragrances. Want to know what scent young Hollywood leading ladies of today wear? Watch this space!
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Filed under Celebrities, Perfume Bytes, Perfume Facts by on Aug 14th, 2010. Comment.
Question: How many women around the world want to smell like Britney Spears?
Answer: 1 billion women!
Yes, i kid you not, 1 billion bottles of fragrance from Britney’s collection of perfumes have been sold since her first tentative foray into the perfume business in 2004. Back then, she endorsed Curious with Elizabeth Arden. It took just 5 short weeks for the magnolia scented, vanilla infused fragrance to earn $100 million in sales worldwide and become the number one fragrance in departmental stores across the globe! It was no surprise that Curious was honored by the Fragrance Foundation as Best Women’s Fragrance. To date, Curious, having sold 700million bottles, is Britney’s most successful perfume.
Britney loves Curious as the Louisiana magnolia in it reminds her of home
Following the success of Curious, Britney released Fantasy. With its catchy tagline ‘Everybody has one’, Fantasy made over $30million in the first three months. An exotic mix of lychee, kiwi, jasmine petals and white chocolate orchid, women everywhere loved the sweet floral, fruity scent of Fantasy. The fragrance is also famous for its lovely fuchsia bottle with Swarovski crystal embedded into the glass and collar.
In January 2007, riding high on the success of Fantasy, Britney launched Midnight Fantasy. This is a romantic version of Fantasy with ingredients like black cherries, plum, freesia and musk giving it a sensual, feminine appeal. Soon after Midnight Fantasy, Hidden Fantasy, a fruity floral scent infused with grapefruit blossoms, cloves and sandalwood hit the shelves at departmental stores.
In 2007, Britney released Believe, her fifth fragrance. Encased in a triangular bottle in the shade of a delicate peridot, this striking multi-facetted bottle is inspired by Britney’s many believes. Ingredients like guva, patchouli, pink pralines and honeysuckle gave the scent its warm, delicate feminity. With its tagline ‘The greatest freedom is to believe in yourself”, Britney had yet another winner in her hands.
There was no stopping Britney. Two years later, Circus Fantasy was craeted and launched. Inspired by Britney’s 2009 album Circus, the fragrance was the first Elizabeth Arden ever created for an artist’s album. The seductive scent in its signature light blue bottle studded with red crystals, featured raspberry, peony, vanilla and candy.
With no end in sight to her perfume business, this writer is forseeing another Britney perfume in the near future! Go, go, Ms Spears!
Filed under Celebrities, Perfume Bytes by on Aug 13th, 2010. Comment.
If you are anything like me, you too would be baffled by the sheer number and choices of scents available in stores today. After the fourth spritz, one is often too confused to know what one is looking for.
To make selection a little easier, it is important to know the scent categories perfumes are placed under. So for the clueless shopper, here’s an easy breakdown of the different fragrance types.
Floral perfumes dominate the market. It has the most varieties and is the most popular so most of the scents you sniff out there are floral. This category, as its name suggests, is created mainly from flowers, such as roses, orange blossoms, gardenias, jasmine and carnations. Indeed the first perfume ever to be invented was created with roses. A choice variety of flowers are blended together to produce a distinctive floral bouquet. Floral fragrances are feminine and easy on the nose, perfect for anyone. Estee Lauder’s Beautiful, Gucci’s Rush, Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lovely and Versace’s Bright Crystal are great examples of floral scents.
Spices, amber, balsams and resins go to make the distinctive Oriental perfumes. These scents exude warmth, mystery and exotic sensuality. The rich, musky traits of these luxurious scents make the best, and boldest, statement in the winter. This is because while the drop in temperature diffuses lesser scents, Oriental fragrances linger on, leaving a lasting impression with every whiff. Calvin Klein’s Obsession, Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium, Guerlain’s Shalimar and Christian Dior’s Dune are popular oriental fragrances.
The refreshing scent of Citrus perfumes comes from citrus fruits such as lime, lemon, tangerine and mandarin. They are often blended with lightly scented plants and herbs such as lemon grass. Though light, this fragrance type projects a sharp, tangy aroma that is naturally refreshing and uplifting. Zesty citrus scents are most suitable for the summer heat. It is best for someone who shuns overpowering fragrances but loves smelling shower fresh. Donna Karan’s Be Delicious, Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue, Ralph Lauren’s Safari and Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle (EDT) are fresh citrus scents to check out.
Woody fragrances are more earthy and masculine. The ingredients found in the fragrances are dominated typically by agarwood, pine, sandalwood and cedarwood. They range from smoky to mossy. The herb patchouli is commonly added too. Woody fragrances are often an acquired taste. Some people think the world of woody scents but others hate it in equal measure. Woody fragrances are sophisticated, versatile scents that are more suitable for a matured personality. Thierry Mugler’s Angel, Aramis’ signature scent Aramis, David Beckham’s Intimately for Men and Lacoste’s Elegance are just a few of the woody fragrances available in stores.
Now that you know all about fragrances, it’s time to hit the stores!
Filed under Perfume Facts by on Aug 12th, 2010. Comment.
Full-time party girl, some-time actress and one-time singer, Paris Hilton is most certainly not content with mere celebrity. Off (and on) camera antics aside, the busy heiress may just be a hard-headed businesswoman. One of her undeniable business success is her scentious side project- her self-branded perfumes.
Paris Hilton in the process of dressing as Marilyn Monroe for Tease launch
How success is her perfume line? Well, since becoming involved in the creation of Paris Hilton by Parlux Fragrances in 2004, Paris has not turned back. After the surprising popularity of her first signature fragrance, Just Me and Heiress (Heir for men) were released soon after.
By October 2007, Paris launched her forth fragrance Can Can. A year later, Fairy Dust made its debut and in 2009, the world was introduced to Siren.
But why stop there?
Paris has just launched her 10th (yes, 10th) fragrance, ‘Tease’, on Monday August 10. During the night’s launch party, Paris, piling on the glam and the diamonds, channeled Marilyn Monroe.
Stepping out in a skin tight Herve Leger dress, a curly blond do and red lipstick, the sexy heiress turned up the temperature at SHG’s MyStudio nightclub.
Keeping her fans in the loop, Paris had twittered before the launch…
“At home getting ready for my Tease fragrance launch event. Getting dressed up as my Idol and Favorite Icon Marilyn. Loves it!”
The world’s most famous socialite credits the 60’s blonde icon as the inspiration of her latest scent. Accompanying this is an advertisement encouraging fans to buy Tease so as “to smell irresistible.”
So what are you waiting for? Pick up a Paris Hilton scent today and smell like a star!
Filed under Celebrities, Perfume Bytes by on Aug 12th, 2010. Comment.
DIFFERENT PERFUME CATEGORIES
Perfumes are combinations of natural materials, such as essential oils from plants, herbs and flowers and man-made synthetic products that increase the lasting power of the scent and heighten the fragrance.
In most fragrances, alcohol is used as the liquid base for perfume, and the ratio of alcohol to scented perfume concentrates is what determines how the final concoction is labeled.
Perfume or extract perfume contains 16-22% of perfume concentrates. They are the strongest and most long-lasting of the perfume category. Needless to say, they are also the most expensive and therefore not as readily available.
1. Eau De Parfum (EDP)
Eau de parfum contains about 7-15% perfume concentrates. Parfums are favorites of women as they provide a long-lasting fragrance but cost much less than extract perfume. Some of the most well-loved eau de parfums include Christian Dior’s Poison, DKNY’s Be Delicious and the iconic Chanel No.5.
2. Eau De Toilette (EDT)
Eau de toilette has around 1-6% perfume concentrates. This makes for a light scent that does not linger as long as the more intense eau de parfum. It was originally intended to be a refreshing body splash to help people wake up in the morning. It is interesting to note that many brands offer customers both the parfum and toilette version of the same fragrances. Scents that come in both eau de parfum and eau de toilette include Kenzo’s Flower, Lancome’s Tresor and Gucci’s Flora.
3. Eau De Fraiche (EDF)
Eau de Fraiche literally means fresh water, and that is cologne. Cologne does not have the type of essential oils perfume does. Men’s fragrances often come in cologne form. It is light, refreshing and contains little alcohol. On the down side, eau de colognes and eau de fraiche is neither lasting nor does it smell strong. Popular colognes include Bvlgari’s BLV Cologne, Hugo Boss’ Boss in Motion Cologne and Calvin Klein’s CK One.
Filed under Eau De Fraiche, Eau De Parfum, Eau De Toilette, Perfume Facts by on Aug 9th, 2010. Comment.
