.:: CybeleSays ::.

KAT BURKI Tubereuse eau de parfum ($95/3.4oz @ katburki.com) – I wore this one quite a few times on my recent trip to Kauai and wow, just love the combination of peach nectar, orange, green leaves, tuberose, gardenia, jasmine all on a base of amber, rosewood and musk. Gorg!

L’OCCITANE Shower Gel in Jasmin & Bergamote ($18/5.9oz @ loccitane.com) – nothing wakes up my nose like an intoxicating shower gel. This one contains jasmine absolutes from Grasse (located in the south of France near Cannes) and Egypt and essential oils from Italy. This one is not one of those faux-scented products that overwhelms upon opening. It’s subtle and very pleasant.

LAVANILA Fresh Vanilla Lemon eau de parfum spray ($58/1.7oz @ sephora.com) – I thought this one might smell like a floor cleaner but phew, it doesn’t and the vanilla base makes it last on the skin. This also comes in a super convenient Eau de Parfum Rollerball for $19/.23oz.

I think one of our beauty brands is onto something in the fragrance world and it’s the LISA HOFFMAN BEAUTY line and it’s called Fragrance Jewelry. What is it? Eco-friendly beads made from pure perfume housed in a charm that you wear on a necklace, bracelet or earrings. And the scents are not run-of-the-mill – there’s Japanese Agarwood (unique woody zest), Madagascar Orchid (exotic modern floral), Tuscan Fig (sophisticated sweet essence), Tunisian Neroli (sensuous classic floral) and French Clary Sage (clean watery linen). This was a Fifi Finalist in 2012, so while the concept is not brand new, they are branching out.

Up until now, the jewelry looked a little, well, bohemian, and much too for my taste but this latest collaboration she is just coming out with is much more up my alley. It’s the Swarovski ELEMENTS Pearl Collection of bracelets, which uses their 8mm Crystal Pearls (choose from Crystal Creamrose or Crystal White pearls) and if you’ve ever felt their pearls, they are weighty and feel like the real thing but without the worry. And hanging from it is a silver or gold heart pendant where the fragrance beads reside. So talk with your hands when you wear your piece so everyone around you can enjoy the fragrance too.

And I saw on their site that there are some more collaborations so make sure to check it out.

$85 on lisahoffmanbeauty.com and these will be on special on hsn.com for $69 on April 29 and 30^th only.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

I was pretty disappointed by VIKTOR & ROLF’s Spicebomb so I was a little hesitant to try their Flowerbomb La Vie en Rose but open to it none-the-less. This one is an eau de toilette but the to my nose, it's more like an eau de parfum, much to my delight! This is a fruitier version of the original and will be really nice for spring and summer. Two thumbs up.

• Top notes: bergamot, mandarin, pink pepper, green tea
• Heart: lily of the valley, rose, sugared almond, raspberry, red forest berries 
• Base: patchouli, cashmere, amber

Are you in the market for a new scent this season?

$80/1.7oz @ sephora.com.

And this also comes in a Body Mist form for $65/3.4oz.

CALDREA just added a new line of Aromatherapeutic Body products to their brand made up of body washes, soaps, lotions, body oil, body crèmes, and perfumes. The prices range between $10 to $28 and each item made with only the finest botanicals with the most benefits like the Linden Flower (anti-inflammatory), Angelica Root (skin brightener), Chia Seed (combats free radicals) and Rice Bran (increases skin’s elasticity).

And the products come in 3 different scents - No. 1 Aloe Water Apricot (a modern musk with florals and freshness), No. 2 Tea Olive Lime (citrus steeped in vanilla, orchid and tea) and No. 3 Coconut Fig Leaf (violet paired with fruity spice and green coconut).

My favorites that I sampled are probably the rollerball scents of natural essential oils and I’ve worn all three at different times and some days No. 1 fits the bill while others call for No. 2. With my upcoming trip to Hawaii on the horizon, I’m sure No. 3 will become center stage, however, maybe I should start it now to get me in the right vacation mind set! $18/7.4ml rollerball @ caldera.com.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

So what scent has your full attention right now? I seem to be all over the map and am changing my mind daily, which is what I’m allowed to do as a woman, right? Here are some more recommendations from L to R clockwise.

ESCADA Cherry in the Air eau de toilette ($56/1.6oz, $20/.25oz @ sephora.com) – I love the smell of cherry and always seem to have at least one cherry scent in rotation this time of year. This one has notes of black cherry, raspberry, mandarin, marshmallow, gardenia, coconut, sandalwood and oakwood. Love!

KRIGLER Pleasure Garden 79 Scented Candle ($65/6.34oz @ krigler.com) – if you love gardenia, this scent will take you to heaven! This one is a blend of jasmine, vanilla, mimosa, all floating on gardenia petals.

LATHER Orange Peel Face Soap ($8/4oz @ lather.com) – for normal or combo skin and contains organically derived orange oil. Sulfate and parabens-free.

ARQUISTE Flor y Canto eau de parfum ($165/1.8oz @ barneys.com) – described as an opulent floral, this one “celebrates the feeling and smells of an Aztec festival." Notes include Mexican tuberose, magnolia, plumeria and marigold. Very unique.

MOONESSENCE Papaya & Pineapple Exfoliating Masque ($42.99/2oz @ sfrbeauty.com) – contains extracts of papaya, green papaya and pineapple, which are known for their exfoliating properties.

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided for review purposes. Some I bought.

Everything is coming up … springtime scents right now and here are just a few that are at the top of my list. Each highlights a floral or fruit we often associate with spring. Are any of these your favorites?

EMINENCE ORGANIC Apricot Sugar Scrub ($48/8.4oz @ eminenceorganic.com) – this one smells like the definition of Spring and it’s made of all things good for the skin like Alpha Hydroxy Acids, apricot juice and pulp and their signature Biocomplex, which is a concoction of antioxidants and vitamins.

INEKE Hothouse Flower ($95/2.5oz @ ineke.com) – If you are all about gardenia, this is a good one to investigate. Know that this is not your typical gardenia though; it’s a little complex with the mix of notes like earl grey tea, green foliage, fig, frankincense on a base of guiaiacwood and musk.

THYMES Temple Tree Jasmine Body Wash ($19/9.25oz @ thymes.com) – another one you have to have to really welcome Spring and that’s jasmine. This one puts it front and center with a mix of jasmine, honeysuckle, ylang ylang, damask rose and coconut milk.

HOUSE OF HOUBIGANT Orangers en Fleurs ($180/3.3oz eau de parfum, $600/3.3oz parfum @ neimanmarcus.com) – how could you welcome Spring and not do it with orange? This one highlights orange but really steps up the sexiness by adding Rose Absolute, Egyptian Jasmine Absolute, middle notes or Tuberose, Eau de Brouts, Ylang Comores and Nutmeg on a base of Cedar Wood and Musk. Really unique! It also comes in a lotion and crème for layering.

AGENT PROVOCATEUR just put out Pétale Noir late last year and I’d say this is their most accessible scent to date. I should say up front that I have not tried every single scent of theirs but I have tried 5 out of the 8 available.

Described as an oriental floral, it reminds me a tad of Coco Mademoiselle but it has a little more spice to it. It’s an eau de parfum and has top notes of mandarin, water lily, bergamot, violet leaves, hyacinth and magnolia; middle notes of rose otto, rose absolute, ylang ylang, muguet, orris, osmanthus, neroli, cassis blossom; base notes of ginger, leather, sandalwood, vetiver, tobacco leaf, amber, and musk. I feel like the thickness of AP’s fragrances is due to the many heavy base notes they use in them but that’s my opinion as I am not a professional nose! What I do know is that this one can be worn during the day as well as eve. Halleluiah! The others I own are pretty much eve wear only, which is fine but when scanning my perfume table on a daily basis, part of me sometimes wants to say F*it, I’m wearing this one, which is one of their after 6pm ones only!

What’s starts off as a pronounced jumble of floral and amber dries down to smoother version of the initial and becomes one of those scents that only those closest to you can smell, which makes it all the more sexy. $87/1.7oz, $118/3.3oz @ nordstrom.com.  

Overall I’m pretty obsessed with fragrance. I have amassed quite a collection over the years and I get a new scent almost every week. A fragrance is like putting on a full face of makeup, just all in one spritz! Done!

The last release in The One collection of scents from DOLCE & GABBANA is Desire. With the name of it written on the simple sexy black bottle written by Mr. Gabbana himself, I think the combination of notes of this Floriental actually wear better on me compared to the last one.

Top notes: mandarin, lychee, bergamot, lily of the valley

Middle notes: Madonna lily, tuberose (which really sticks out in this one), jasmine, sweet plum nectar

Base notes: vanilla, caramel, sandalwood, musk, Cistus Labdanum

$93/1.6oz, $112/2.5oz @ saks.com.

Are you devoted to any one line of fragrances?

Are you in the market for a really rich and bold perfume? Who isn’t? Have $405 to spare? OK, I may have lost a few of you there but for some women, fragrance is the be-all-end-all and they will spend money on it. I know two people who fall into this category.

From the creator of the World’s Most Expensive Perfume, no not this one, is ‘V’ Perfume from CLIVE CHRISTIAN. Named after his eldest daughter, Victoria, this one is described as a White Floral Chypre with orange blossom, rose, jasmine and wow, I’d say this is a nighttime only fragrance. While most perfumes only have one of the following as a base, this one incorporates so many of them that I’m sure that’s what makes it so think and rich: sandalwood, patchouli, leather, oakmoss, and musk to name a few.  If anything, it’s worth smelling next time you are in @ neimanmarcus. This comes in the 1.7oz size.

I have amassed quite the collection of fragrances since they are one of my favorite categories of beauty products to try out. But it’s not always easy to find true love with one and sniffing a lot is on the menu.

I think we can all agree that small sample vials are not the most ideal way to try a fragrance because they  are usually hard to open and spill as you are popping the tiny top off. But then again, a full size bottle is not always ideal either, since fragrances are not cheap and think about how many you sniff vs. how many you really love.  

I think that fragrance samplers are just about the best thing on the planet as they are a great way to really get a feel for a some of the latest scents, like this one from Sephora.

Another one I’m really feeling right now is ATELIER COLOGNE Collection Voyage. The box it comes in is beautiful, with a cute read postage stamp in the upper right hand corner, like an internationally stamped box.

This sampler of eau de colognes is .25oz sprays of the following scents: Orange Sanguine (fresh fruit), Grand Néroli (aromatic citrus), Bois Blonds (woody floral), Trèfle Pur (citrus + green), Oolang Infini (green + citrus), Vanille Insensée (woody vanilla), and Ambre Nue (oriental floral).

And as you can see from the above list, this one pushes all the fragrance envelopes! There are a few mellow ones and then some, whoa ones that will help you max your sexiness for an eve.

So which ones are my faves? I can see why the Vanille Insensee has such a following; Bois Blonds is really pleasant and while I normally love oriental florals, the Ambre Nue was just too much, surprisingly. Maybe one of the notes just didn’t jive with me but the Grand Neroli, oy, so sexy and full-bodied. $95 @ sephora.com. Will you be checking out this collection?