Soft Spring – Le Soft Perfume

Somewhere in my wicked, miserable youth, I must’ve done Something Good – because we are having a nearly perfect Spring!  After a hectic rollercoaster of unwelcome highs and plunging lows, it seems my little pocket of Garden is settling into one of those mythical, magical Springs.  Warm breezes and relatively soft rains means I can put my seedlings out to harden and start reacclimating bamboos and elephant ears, etc to the outdoors.

It also means that I am able to enjoy softer perfumes that don’t represent all that well in extreme temps – iris, to be sure, as well as some of the lighter greens.  There’s also a delight to be found in perfumes that are designed to be soft  – one such line is the fabulous new line Sabe Masson Le Soft Perfume.  You know who I blame for this:  Beautyhabit.  Again.  I could choke Paula & Teresa for putting out such amazing catalogues, except I love pretty much everything on offer at Beautyhabit.   I am mostly inured to the hype – mostly – from perfumers and beauty lines.  But there’s something about the comfy-easy-breezy charm of Beautyhabit’s catalogues and website…aiiiiyy! it gets me Ever. Stinkin’. Time.   So I contacted Paula about this line, we decided I would try a few and let you guys know what I think.  So.

Okay!  First off, they are solid perfumes, from Isabelle Masson of Crazylibellule and the Poppies fame (remember her ‘perfumes on a stick’?) – I have a great fondness for perfume solids; they are easy to apply and not quite as harsh on application – I can imagine sneaking a tad of fragrance in a fragrance-phobic work environment, for example, without  freaking anybody out.    And these  Le Soft Perfumes  are perfect for a soft Spring day, when you want to enjoy the ‘day’ as much as the perfume you are wearing.  My favorite is Copacabana, from the Tiare line (Tiare flowers macerated in coconut oil).  Not quite what the name brings to mind – it comes down on the green side of floral, rather than all coconut and suntan oil.  And…may I tell you just how much I appreciate this deviation from tradition?  I mean, I love the idea of ‘beach’ – but not all ‘beach’ has to be suntan, right?  This is more Uninhabited Beach, with sparkling blue waters and gorgeous Tiare flowers at the edge of the jungle.  Some spicy-peppery bush that wafts a delicious scent when the wind blows just right…And a luscious little orange grove, just off to the side…….it’s delicious!

Nemamiah is from the Shea Butter line.  This is a perky little thing, perfect for a sunny day  – or any day you want to make sunnier!  A whole bunch of my favorite fruits:  orange/passionfruit/apple/mango.  Not one whisper of ‘fruitchouli’ – it manages to stay juicy in a good way, which is no small feat!  Sparkly and accessible without being ordinary, this is just a Whole Lotta Fun, even for this old cranky bat!  Every time I sniff this, I smile.

Parisian Rhapsody, from the Tamanu Mango collection, is the ‘nice’  of the three but that’s only because its powdery softness is Not My Thing.  It’s pretty as a garden, though and I actually like the collection of notes and imagine this would be a delight on someone who likes softer, powdery scents – I get a bit of a No22 vibe from Parisian Rhapsody, if No22 was at a sidewalk cafe eating a raspberry tart.  In Spring.  Under the almond trees.  In a light pink, crisp cotton dress.  Dang.  Maybe I’m just jealous of Parisian Rhapsody!  Really.  That sounds like an Excellent Life, doesn’t it?

 

 

The beauty of these little gems, beyond their great smells, is the packaging and the price.  They are just freakin’ DARLING!!!sabe

 

And at $25 ea.  Yes.  I. said. $25  (or $45 for  a Discovery Set)  they are practically free!!!   I don’t think I can do a giveaway of these because they are solids and even though I cut off a piece, etc….I dunno…prolly some FDA rule against it and I have a nasty case of bronchitis and might give you the gallopinepazutick, as my mamma used to say.  But at $25!   Check out the whole, fun line at Beautyhabit!  I’m going to buy a bunch of these as fun little gifts for friends!  Dangit, Paula!

 

 

  • Julie L says:

    Oh wow I read about these and am so so glad to see you make a mention! I think they sound delightful and so inexpensive ! Yay!

  • Ann says:

    Ooh, ooh, darling, these sound delighful! Not to mention the delightful earworm that I now have! 🙂 I wanted to try the original sticks but by the time I got around to it, they were gone, so here’s my second chance. Thanks, dear!

  • AllGirlMafia says:

    “No 22 eating a raspberry tart under almond trees” I love it. This sounds like something I would thoroughly enjoy!

  • Tiara says:

    Spring….we had one. For a while. Now we’re 20-25 degress colder, the wind is howling but the sun is shining. Here in SW Ohio we can have spring to winter and back to spring all in one week. I’m warming up to the idea of solids with one-too-many leaks in my purse and more than a few samples just vaporize. Uninhabited Beach sounds quite nice about now and this cranky old bat could stand to try Nemamiah herself.

    • Musette says:

      We have pretty much the same weather as you. Yesterday, in the am, I was in fleece and wishing I’d brought a jacket. By 5p I was in short sleeves. Granted, I was in the garden..but still….

      You will love these, Tiara. They are highly scented and very portable. They’re going with me to TX.

      xoxoxoA

  • eldarwen22 says:

    That is basically free in my book but I’m not the one to have solids laying around. Last thing that I need is my dogs to get into one and get sick.

    • Musette says:

      Chloe showed no interest in them – they’re pretty highly scented so I wonder if that put her off? They are gorgeous and, as you said, basically free! xoxoxoA

  • Victoria says:

    Here in Seattle, spring is a nice 50 degrees and not rainy! I absolutely love the springtime, the this line of perfumes sounds like perfection!

  • March says:

    Oooh, these sound wonderful! I thought of the Crazylib things right off — I ran across my incense one the other day and was shocked to discover it was still functional and smelled delightful. I want the orange/passionfruit/mango one, that’d be perfect this summer.

  • poodle says:

    We’ve had some flickers of spring here. I’m still not convinced I can put away the snow shovels yet.
    I like the price on these but I’m not sure if I’m a soft and solid perfume kind of girl.
    You’ve got bronchitis now? You poor thing! Are you still fostering that dog? Or is the foster dog now your dog?

    • Musette says:

      Poodle, I wouldn’t have thought so, either. But these really are lovely! And I like the solids. We’re heading to TX and I’m going to pack the Copacabana & Nemamiah. Perfect for travel – I don’t think El O could stand to be stuck in the car with me and a buttload of Mitsouko for 14 hrs. Which brings me to the Foster Dog – she is still a Foster, though all bets are on that being in name only – yeahyeahyeah. And she is why I am freaking DRIVING to TX. We can’t kennel her right now – I don’t think her nerves can take it. She went with us to WI Monday and Tuesday and charmed the socks off our customers and was a perfect car companion. And our TX customers are actually more excited about seeing her than seeing us! LOL! xoxoxoA

  • Rina says:

    I love your opening line! I took Princess Buttercup to see Sound of Music on the big movie-house screen on Sunday as part of TMC Classic’s movie series. You don’t realize how much you miss on the small screen until you see it as gawd meant it! Absolutely fabulous! Do edelweiss have a scent?

    • Musette says:

      LOL! Thanks for getting that reference! And I’m with you on Big Screen. In fact, my first viewing of TSoM was at the Michael Todd theatre in Chicago, back when I was about 8? 9? years old. It was the day after Thanksgiving and I remember my bf Marilyn saying ‘wow. her nostrils are SO BIG!’ in reference to a closeup of Julie Andrews! LOL! And omg. At 9? The fury at the Baroness’s manipulation of Maria. Now, at a certain age….I totally ‘get’ Baroness Schrader.

      I wish dinazad were on here – she could tell us if edelweiss has a scent.

      xoxoxoA

      • Rina says:

        I LOVE The Baroness! I’d be her over Maria any day. Of course, we don’t know how she fared at the end. I’d like to think she was smart enough to get her fortune out of the country and herself with it. With Max as her escort, of course!