New Girls by Musette…and a giveaway!

….isn’t this the cutest thing? 

This is one of a trio  of scents by Arbonne.  I didn’t know anything about them until my pal Lydia sent me the samples.  There are three (that’s what makes it a trio, I guess.  Slammin’ math skilz, Musette) – The Dreamer, The Dazzler and The Dynamo (the blonde here is The Dynamo).    Each one of them comes in a cute-as-a-bug foldout ‘environment’ and they just make me giggle each time I see them.

And the scents aren’t bad, either.  Lydia is quite the nose in the real perfume world and when she told me about these she stressed that they were not high-end niche fragrances; rather, they are charming scents that would be fun to give as gifts – but guess what?  You might want to wear one or two of them yourself!  I was prepared to be all ‘eww’ but I was pleasantly suprised by two of them.

But let’s start with the one I was not.  Unsurprisingly, it’s the best-seller.  Becauuuuuse:  it’s a fruity-floral!   Sort of Calyx has a fling with Light Blue, The Dreamer is, in my opinion, the most delightful bottle, with a charming brunette in a cute, dreamy setting (complete with birdcage)  she appears to be wearing a green nightie and fuzzy ballet flats (aka ‘houseshoes’), which is cool – but she is also wearing a ginormous silver cuff bracelet.  I want her just for that odd pairing!  – the notes for Dreamer are : Fuji apple, yuzu zeste, white cyclamen, Australian sandalwood.  It’s missing the crisp bite of Calyx (which I love)  but it wouldn’t kill me to smell it on a young(ish) girl.  In fact, this is probably what I am going to get my 14yr old goddaughter for Christmas!  I think she will love it, her mom won’t hate it and it will look absolutely delightful on her vanity.

The one I was almost-pleasantly surprised by was  The Dazzler.  Notes of green bamboo, ylang-ylang, jasmine blossom and patchouli, it has a greenery-marinery vibe that didn’t make me run screaming for the Lava soap.   This is a fun, light take on green marine, with just enough jasmine and patch in there to keep it from veering into Victoria’s Secret territory.  I would happily get this for someone in my office who likes perfume but doesn’t like ‘real’ perfume.  I could stand to smell it and even if applied with a heavy hand, it’s not tenacious enough to be there long enough to give you a headache.  Sounds like faint praise?  It isn’t.  Consider:  you could be stuck in the cubicle next to somebody liberally dosed with Angel.  Or Opium.  Or……..Aromatics of Dooooom.  This is a way better alternative and it’s been awhile since I’ve seen such fun packaging.  Harajuku Lovers, move OVAH!

The one I actually would (and did) wear.  And really enjoyed it.  The Dynamo.    Notes are white cardamom, frosted pink grapefruit, night-blooming jasmine and golden amber.  Okay.  Let’s skip right on past the frosted grapefruit.  I have no idea if that means it’s liberally iced or if, somewhere out there, grapefruits are being slathered with Duncan Hines.  No matter.  The Dynamo is a nicely complex fragrance, with a touch of peppery aldehydes (the cardamom) and that whiff of rotting meat that makes Chanel No 5 and L’Aimant so deliciously interesting.  Y’all know me well enough to know that is high praise, indeed.  If you like aldehydes or if you want to gift someone who likes peppery scents but isn’t quite in Chanel territory (and loves cute bottles), this is a winnah!.  This is the ‘grownup’ fragrance of the three, imo.  But I’m a cranky old bat, so what do I know.  I do know that, given my druthers, I  would’ve switched bottles – this one deserves the LBD that The Dazzler  is wearing.  In fact, I wore it when dressed in something Not Fleece and it was a great choice.    Of course, it’s dropping into the 30s tonight so it’ll probably be May before I’m out of fleece.  sigh.  Perhaps The Dynamo can help see me through winter, though she’s pretty skimpily dressed.  I’ll have to get her a fleece hoodie.

These are  $78 ea for 1.7 fl oz in those cuuuuute bottles.  They are not sold in stores –  you can contact lydiaarbonneATgmail.com for more info or to order.  I am not affiliated in any way with the company, just so ya know, though Lydia is a great perfume resource and friend.  They’re just cute, they smell good and I thought you all should know about them, since the hollerdays are just around the corner.

Ooop!  I almost forgot the GIVEAWAY!!!  Drop a line telling me which one(s) sounds most interesting to you, either for personal wear or to gift.  I will send my 3 samples (each about 1.5ml) of all 3 perfumes to the lucky winner (random.org will choose).