Thierry Mugler Angel Eau Sucrée Eau de Toilette Review

I usually do not review fragrances because I am not good at describing smells and notes, etc. etc. but this one really reminds me of Lancome's La Vie est Belle, so I thought if you already own, or know what La Vie est Belle smells like, then this might be helpful. I've read another review on Sephora comparing it to Flowerbomb). The only major difference in smell, is that Angel Eau Sucrée is a bit more fresh, while La Vie est Belle is a bit more warm.

Angel Eau Sucrée does not have good lasting power but it is an EDT, so I am not surprised about that however, the scent is quite strong for the first hour or so. It made me somewhat nauseous when I wore one spritz of this on my wrist for the first time. Another thing - do not buy this if you are expecting some trace of Alien because there isn't any. This isn't really anything special, sadly. I bought Thierry Mugler's Angel Eau Sucrée online without smelling it because I am a sucker for sweet scents, and Thierry Mugler scents. Had I had smelled it in stores, I probably would not have purchased it.

Buy at Hudson's Bay

Price: $75 CAD for 50ml

XO Jenn

Sephora F&F 2013 Haul (Hourglass, GLAMGLOW, Kat Von D, etc)

I went a little crazy with the Friends & Family 20% off sale (which, combined with the 5% cash back from ebates, I actually saved 25% off my order). I have also included a smaller Sephora order I made a while back because the Disney Collection Ariel Set the Mood Compact Mirror was back in stock.

From the Sephora F&F sale, I picked up:
Kat Von D Sinner Perfume
Kat Von D Saint PerfumeHourglass Ambient Lighting PaletteGLAMGLOW Super-Mud™ Clearing Treatment & Youth-Mud™ Tingling & Exfoliating Treatment SetMDSolarSciences Mineral Crème Broad Spectrum SPF 50 UVA-UVB Sunscreen

Thierry Mugler 500 Point perk - I feature this product in this post here.

The MDSolarSciences suncreen was a total impulse buy! I usually never spend too much on my sunscreen but I was very intrigued by all the additional benefits that this sunscreen claims to have. This claims to be suitable for acne-prone skin, which I have, and it also uses physical sunscreen blocking agents, which I prefer. If you noticed, I actaully purchased two of them... I was so excited about this product that I accidentally added two into my cart.

Edit: It looks like the Hourglass Ambient palette, and the GlamGlow set are permanently out of stock! No surprise there since the VIB sale is currently on. There is actually another GlamGlow set that is available. It is basically the same thing - it contains that same products and in same amounts - but the packaging is different, and it sells for a bit more expensive (here). Both that set and the one that I purchased have 1.2 oz of the SUPERMUD™ Clearing Treatment and 0.5 oz YOUTHMUD™ Tinglexfoliate Treatment, except the Tinglexofliate came in two squeezey tubes (0.25 oz each) instead of a small jar.

XO Nicole

Sephora Beauty Insider 500 Points Perk - Thierry Mugler Angel Perfume Set

Discover why this classic and unforgettable fragrance has delighted for over two decades. Get ready for a delectable, mouthwatering blend of chocolate and caramel notes, layered on in travel-friendly minis for body and hair.
-Angel EDP (0.17 oz)
-Angel Body Lotion (1.0 oz)
-Angel Perfuming Body Cream (1.0 oz)
-Angel Hair Mist (0.17 oz)

I've noticed that Sephora saves the best 500 point perks until the end of the year - Last year it was the Dior trio set (you can read about that here) - so pick this up while you still can! I don't think there is going to anything (fragrance wise) better than this!

XO Nicole

Lancôme La Vie Est Belle Perfume Review

After searching high and low for a new scent for the summer, I caved in and opened this bottle that I had hidden in my makeup stash. I couldn't find a scent that I fell in love with and since I knew that I liked the scent enough (from previous samples), I though I might as well use it. 

I don't care too much for the packaging - it's pretty and simple but once you're done all the perfume, it won't look nice as a display. Another thing to note is that the perfume looks pink in Lancome's promos/ads, but it is actually a peachy orange shade in real life (as you can see from my photos).

I think this perfume is good for the summer but it might be too sweet for your liking if you prefer fresh scents. I see this also being lovely for the fall because it has a warmth to it. At first, La Vie est Belle smells very sweet but once it dries down, it becomes warmer and a bit "powdery". This actually reminds me a lot of Viktor&Rolf's Flowerbomb.

The biggest downside to this perfume is that it does not have any lasting power whatsoever. I have the 50 ml bottle and have been using it everyday since the beginning of June and I have about ~30% left. I constantly have to refill my travalo because I constantly have to keep reapply this perfume throughout the day! As with any other perfume, I recommend you guys smelling it first, but this one especially. I would recommend spraying it on yourself to see if you like it enough to buy it, knowing that you would probably need to bring an atomizer with you everywhere you go. I really do like this scent but I just wish it had some sort of lasting power. 

XO Nicole

Featuring: Philosophy Living Grace Try Me Set

I am a big fan of Philosophy body washes because they always smell so amazing. I have never tried the "living grace" line so this gift set was perfect. I think my favourite part about this line and this gift set is the turquoise/"Tiffany blue". This would make a great set for a girly girlfriend of yours!

From the Sephora website:
Live in grace and feel grounded in the present moment. This fragrance was formulated to help center a woman's mood, enabling her to fully embrace the beauty of living in the present moment each day. This ethereal, clean scent evokes a sensory experience that creates uplifting feelings of vibrancy, well-being, and clarity. You don't wear it, you live it. 

This set contains:
- 4 oz Shampoo, Bath & Shower Gel 
- 4 oz Firming Body Emulsion 
- 0.5 oz Eau de Toilette 

Notes:
Fresh Neroli, Lily of the Valley, Warm Musk. 
Style:
Beautiful. Ethereal. Clean.

Price: $46 CAD/$36 USD

XO Nicole

My Collection: Deluxe Perfume Samples

Here is part two of my perfume sample collection series (read part one here). Half of these have been accumulated through gift with purchases (GWP) and through Sephora. I did not even realize that more than half of my collection are Dior scents! With that being said, I did not actually deliberately choose these particular scents with the exception of one. I had started collecting these mini deluxe samples when my mom gave me my first high end deluxe sample when I was a young teenager, and that sample is the Dior Pure Poison. It was a part of a gift with purchase that my mom had bought. I have probably kept this sample for almost decade now as I have saved and not used it because I didn't to use it all up. Surprisingly, the scent has not changed and is still very potent. Dior J'adore one is also from my mom's GWP purchase. Versace Bright Crystal came with an order I made from MzSpa, and Estée Lauder Pleasures from a EL GWP, and the Dior Addicts from a Sephora 500 point perk. Dior's Miss Dior is the one that I went out and spent 100 Sephora points on because I love the scent and the packaging so much (the slanted logo/sticker bugs me so much though!). I know I will be buying a big bottle of this one day but I just cannot resist this mini version. I am really picky when it comes to perfumes and because they are quite pricey, I always have to test drive them before making a commitment. I also do not like to have a whole stockpile of full sized perfumes for fear that I will not be able to use them before they go bad and also because I get tired of the same thing so easily. These are the perfect solutions because they are usual ~5ml, which gives you a bit more product to work with to see if you really like them then the normal 1ml samples you can get with any online Sephora purchases. The best thing though, would have to be that you get an exact replica of the full sized bottles and we all know how elaborate and beautiful perfume bottles can be. I am looking for a nice glass jar or a mirror plate or bowl to keep these in, and once I do find something I like, I will sure be featuring it in a blog post. Keep your eyes peeled.

P.S. I have separate posts for the occasions in which I have acquired most of these; the links can be found at the bottom of the post if you are interested in reading them.

Related Posts:
Sephora Beauty Insider 500 Point Perk - Dior Addict
Sephora Haul (Cover Fx, Origins, Lancôme, Dior)
Miss Dior Eau de Parfum Mini Miss Dior Eau de Parfum
Sephora November 2012 VIB Sale (and the Opening Party)
Estée Lauder GWP 2011: the Gifts Haul
My Collection: Fragrances

XO Nicole

My Collection: Perfume Samples

Mini perfume samples are my favourite beauty "freebies" to get. They are so helpful for deciding whether the scent is right for you because the scent varies between individuals due to the chemistry between each person's personal odour and the perfume itself. These samples are ~1ml in volume, giving you about 3-4 uses (depending on how many spritz you use each time) to allow you to determine if you really do like it or not. I am very picky when it comes to picking perfumes, especially my signature scent (which I have yet to find) so this pile of samples provided me with a lot of excitement... will I find the scent that I have been looking for all this time? Well, I won't know until I actually test these samplers out! So, when I pulled these out of my little collection for use over the next few weeks, I decided it would be fun to showcase it! These samples have come mostly from my online purchases from Sephora where you get to choose 3 samples with every online order (I obviously always go for the perfume samples of course). I love perfume bottles and their packaging so I thought that it would be fun to show you guys as well.

XO Nicole

Sephora Beauty Insider 500 Point Perk - Dior Addict

This was probably an impulse splurge of my Sephora points but it is probably because it is quite rare that Sephora has these higher, more "lux" brands for their beauty insider point redemption program. For me, I personally love perfume samples, especially deluxe samples (I may or may not collect them) so the two deluxe samples really lured in into spending my points on this. Seriously, I do not want see my points accumulate too much. It will remind how much I've spent on makeup throughout the years... 

The two deluxe fragrance samples are from their Dior Addict line: Dior Addict Eau Fraîche and Dior Eau Sensuelle. I love Dior fragrances, but I have mostly only ever tried their more "sexier" and potent scents like Dior Poison and J'adore. The Addict line seems to be lighter (they are eau de toilettes) and are designed for the daytime - I think they also portrayed this very well in the packaging/bottle. Both these bottles are so simple yet they are so pretty with the tint of colour at the bottle. 

Dior Addict Eau Fraîche

Dior Eau Sensuelle

Appropriately, this set also comes with a mini sampler of one of their Dior Addict lip sticks. The shade, Dior Kiss 578 is a "sheer dark pink". I think would be great for everyday or even on nights out.

XO Nicole

Miss Dior Eau de Parfum Mini

The Miss Dior perfume bottle itself is already so cute so the mini deluxe sample one is even more precious. I wanted to share this little gem with you all. I redeemed with this with 100 Sephora points. I have already this this in my mind that Miss Dior (Eau de Parfum) would be my next fragrance purchase, and thus, I would have a large bottle of this but I just couldn't resist this! I thought it would hold me over until it is time for me to pick up a new full size bottle!

XO Nicole

Chloé Eau de Parfum Gift Set

I initially had this on my wish list and when I showed my sister the perfume at Sephora, coincidentally, she said that this was the scent that she had smelled on a classmate and had fallen in love with it. She described it as an "expensive laundry scent" and I completely agree with that. When I smell this, it is the first thing that comes to mind as it is a very clean and florally (but not too overly floral like say, Marc Jacobs, Lola). FYI, I am not a fan of fresh laundry smell (like as a perfume, as candle scents, etc, etc) but I guess I DO like expensive laundry scents - go figure! Regardless, on the Sephora website, it is not the composition of different laundry cleaners (thank goodness) for this perfume; instead, it is a mixture of very soft and very feminine flowers: "This fresh, smooth floral fragrance evokes sublime powdery rose".


This perfume is great for daytime and nighttime because this perfume is so well suited for women of all ages and it has notes that are light enough for the day but a special hint of something that makes it sophisticated to wear at night.

The packaging is also gorgeous - I love the simplicity of it and even though the cloth bow-tie around the nozzle can seem tacky on some perfume bottles, but it works with this perfume. It's so feminine and elegant. Everything about Chloé is perfect!

- 1.7 oz Eau de Parfum Spray
- 3.4 oz Body Lotion

XO Nicole

My Collection: Fragrances

1. Baby Phat Goddess Eau de Toilette - "Baby Phat Goddess has a blend of gardenia, white rosebuds, cedrat flower, blue lily, hyacinth, black pepper, seringa, musk and exotic woods."
2. Juicy Couture Viva la Juicy Eau de Parfum - "Notes: Wild Berries, Mandarins, Honeysuckle, Gardenia, Jasmine, Amber, Caramel, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Praline."
3. MARC BY MARC JACOBS Lola Eau de Parfum Spray - "Notes: grapefruit, peppercorns, pear, fuchsia, geranium, peony, rose, musk, tonka bean, vanilla."
4. Vera Wang Princess Eau de Parfum Spray - "Notes: Water Lily, Lady Apple, Mandarin Meringue, Golden Apricot Skin, Ripe Pink Guava, Tahitian Flower, Wild Tuberose, Dark Chocolate, Pink Frosting Accord, Precious Amber, Forbidden Woods, Royal Musk Captive, Chiffon Vanilla."
5. Britney Spears Hidden Fantasy Eau de Parfum - "Notes: Tangerine, stargazer lily, sweet orange, fluid sandalwood, jasmine, amber, vanilla bean, sweet Napolitano cake, verbena, jacaranda wood, grapefruit blossom."
6. Chloe Chloé Eau de Parfum - "Notes: Pink Peony, Freesia, Lychee, Magnolia Flower, Lilly of the Valley, Rose, Cedarwood, Amber, Honey."
7. Hello Sugar by La Senza Eau de Toilette - "A deliciously sweet indulgence with sugary hints of berries and vanilla. A charming surprise of bergamot, raspberry and strawberry begins a fragrant journey with a touch of cotton candy mixed with addictive notes of black licorice and liquid caramel. At journey's end, the welcoming warmth of vanilla, sandalwood and musk."
8. Britney Spears Believe Eau de Parfum Spray - "Notes: Guava, tangerine, Honeysuckle and linden blossom, Patchouli, amber and sweet praline."
9. Jessica Simpson Fancy Love Eau de Parfum Spray - "Romantic fragrance blends goji leaf, peach blossom, bergamot and blush champagne with notes of lotus blossom, peony, plumeria, jasmine and rose. Fancy Love finishes with a heady touch of creamy amber, blonde woods, musk and patchouli."

I've lived and learned with perfumes. One of the lessons being not to purchase drugstore/cheap perfumes because quite frankly, most cheap perfumes smell just like, cheap perfumes. That is not say that all cheap(ier) perfumes are crappy but it is quite inevitable that a higher end/more luxiourous perfumes are so distinugishable as such and are more long lasting (especially if it's an eau de parfum) and therefore, in my opinion, worth the splurge (compared to "wasting" money on the cheap stuff that one, does not smell all that great and possibly can give you headaches with one spritz, and two, does not last at all).

Another dilemma that I have when it comes to buying perfume is that I can fall so madly in love with one particular scent for the longest time that I want to buy a big bottle but then I just get tired of so easily and so quickly. This has happened for me for all of these scents. Even the number one fragrance on my wishlist for the longest time, Chanel's Chance Eau Tendre, I have gone to get tired of it and I do not even own this! I have been smelling this everywhere I go that it's so common that I do not want it anymore (is that weird)? I still love it so much whenever I smell it on someone but then it just reminds me that every other girl has this perfume!

My top picks from my collection will have to be Chloé and Fancy Love by Jessica Simpson. Chloé just smells so soft and feminine. This along with Chance Eau Tendre would have to be the most girly and romantic scents that I have smelled. Fancy Love by Jessica Simpson was definitely a surprise for me. I did not expect it to smell that good that I had to go and buy a second backup set of this (pictured here is my second bottle). The set that I found at Shoppers Drug Mart for $20CDN also came with a rollerball that I am also very close to finishing up. This stuff smells florally but in a very soft way. Fancy Love is definitely an exception in that it delivers in scent, and affordability, and longevity.

This post made me realize that most of these scents that I own are very, very sweet, that it makes me totally justify getting Dior 'Miss Dior' Eau de Parfum Spray for fall/winter.

XO Nicole

Versace Bright Crystal Eau De Toilette

Versace Bright Crystal Eau De Toilette

I received this deluxe fragrance sample with a beauty order.

I am a huge sucker for packaging and especially for perfume bottles! They are always so unique and nicely designed that it makes for lovely display on your vanity or shelf. This was no different. The bottle (exact replica for the full sized thing) is simple yet the huge diamond knob makes it so elegant - not to mention with the pink coloured perfume? It is so simple but feminine at the same time.

To the fragrance itself, on the Versace website:

Sheer sensuality, crystal transparency, and luminous brightness: Versace introduces the new Bright Crystal, a precious jewel of rare beauty characterized by a fresh, vibrant, flowery scent. 

That description is fairly accurate: to me, there is no doubt that it is a very FRESH scent .. flowery? Not so much. Instead, the scent reminds me so so so much of Vichy Normaderm Anti-Imperfection Hydrating Care! If you have used that product, you would most likely agree with me - I really could not get over that fact. With that being said, I do not love this scent - it just reminds me of my Vichy moisturizer so instead of me sprtizing or dabbing on some nice and lovely luxury perfume, it is as if I just used my Vichy moisturizer. I do not like that at all because I think perfume is definitely a luxury item and it should not remind me or make me feel as if I am using a lotion for a nice scent. But that's just me. I think if I have not used or known of the Vichy smell, I would probably enjoy this perfume a whole lot more. However, on the Sephora website, the ratings are pretty high and a lot of people described it as "sexy" so it wouldn't hurt to give this a sniff on your next Sephora trip if you are a fan of fresh, florally scents. This is great for the Spring and Summer months.

Versace Bright Crystal Eau De Toilette

Versace Bright Crystal Eau De Toilette

XO Nicole

Sephora (feat. Urban Decay NAKED2, NARS, Vera Wang) Haul

Sephora Haul

When I heard that Urban Decay's Naked2 was back in stock on Sephora.com, I immediately jumped at the opportunity. I just couldn't wait for later Feburary (when Naked2 comes to stores such as SDM and Murale) and plus, with Sephora lowering the free shipping minimum for Canadian orders from $125 to $75, I just could not say no! Along with the palette, I made a really hard decision on choosing NARS' Douceur blush over Tarte's Exposed. P.S. The Vera Wang perfume was purchased individually on a separate occasion but I decided to appropriately add it to this haul.

Urban Decay Naked2

Urban Decay: Naked2 - Even though when I was still justifying purchasing the original Naked palette, I said that that would be the only palette I've ever really need but when they announced this glorious sequel palette, all vows went out the window and there was no doubt in my mind that I would not pick this up.

NARS Blush - Douceur

NARS Blush: Douceur - I feel in love with this blush after seeing Michele (youtube: Michele1218) talk about it and compare it with NYX's Raisin (which I also purchased via her influence) and Tarte's Exposed. All those three blushes mentioned are all shades that I am currently obsessing over. I decided this over Exposed because I felt like Exposed looked more pink in the swatches. My pink blush days are long gone and I've jumped on the neutral-mauvey-brown blush bandwagon. I think the reason is mostly the fact that it can easily act as a contour as well (which I am desperately needing nowadays).

Vera Wang - Princess

Vera Wang - Princess: I've always thought this bottle was way too girly for me but this isn't the first time I was a hypocrite because regardless, I even made one of my graphics project on this product! Aside from the packaging (which I have now grown to love), I love the scent too. It's not too girly or florally.

The Samples

XO Nicole