Dollars For Scents

Summer fragrance -- the smell of fresh cut grass, flowers, the sea air -- exquisite.  Then, there's car exhaust, rotting garbage and sweaty strangers packed together in a subway car slipping against one another as the train jostles them around.  Okay, that wasn't meant to sound like a Danielle Steel novel, but if you want to picture Fabio, go ahead. 

heehee...

I'm not a fan of "The Fab," but there's never anyone even remotely romance "novelesque" squished up against me in that subway car!  Murphy's Law, I always get stuck with the smelly guy -- the one who needs to take a shower or the one who smells like he showered in Hai Karate or bathed in Drakkar Noir.  If you ever needed an excuse to start wearing perfume, summer in the city is a good one.  Just don't overdo it!  And don't wear the cheap stuff, spend a little more cash on something refined and subtle.

I particularly like Prada for everyday since I find it to be light and soft.  I wish it lasted a bit longer, but that could just be my personal body chemistry.  Speaking of that, I once had a guy tell me that I should bottle my scent because I'd make millions.  If anyone can help me figure out how to package and market it, I'd be more than willing to share the wealth!

Prada--blend of: mandarin, vanilla, rose absolute, labdanum, bergamont, tonka bean, bitter orange, and sandalwood

I also love Agent Provacateur, but I tend to wear it in the evenings as I find it a bit stronger than the Prada. The packaging is fab and their lingerie is even more fab, so how can you go wrong?  But, perhaps I'm just partial to it because Jospeh Corré (the founder) is the son of British designer, Vivienne Westwood and the late Malcolm McLaren.

AP purse spray

And since I'm a packaging whore fanatic, I still keep a couple of bottles of Bulgari around even though I don't love the scent (for me).  But, that doesn't mean they aren't sublime for someone else.

Bulgari Black and Bulgari Blue

(Bulgari "Bitch Slap" not pictured)

What are some of your favorite fragrances?  Men, you can play too!  I'm dying to hear from my amazing, beauty editor pal, Candice Sabatini.  Candice regularly attends Sniffapalooza and she has quite the nose! 

Bye for now taffetadarlings!  Smell ya later!  LOL

Prada or Nada?

Ah, Miuccia. Life is certainly good for her. Fashionistas, editors, celebrities and just about anybody with a pulse wait with baited breath for her collection to grace the runway every spring and fall.

As a designer working for several different companies in my past, I (and my peers) always looked to certain labels for inspiration. For the last several years, it’s been Balenciaga, Lanvin, Marni, and of course, Marc and Dries. But, it's Miuccia Prada who has always been sitting in the pole position when it comes to setting the trends and the overall direction for a given season. That’s power! Prada power.

 I admit that I’m a fan. As I wrote in a recent post, I scoured Europe for my coveted Prada flats that I’ve practically worn to death. But, sometimes I think she pushes the envelope a little too much for my taste. Don’t get me wrong, somebody needs to push it, otherwise fashion would never evolve and we would all end up looking like clones and wearing the same thing season after season.

Above are some details from Ms. Prada’s Fall 2010 collection that showed in Milan the other day. Chime in… let me know what you think of these looks/items. Yay or nay?

I've Got the Blues

Women are headstrong. We will go to extraordinary lengths if we want something badly enough. I’ve always made it a habit of putting a picture in my wallet or posting it on my fridge when I want something in the hopes that one day I will have this item in my possession. So far, I’ve been pretty successful. Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked yet with the villa I ripped out of Metropolitan Home. I once traveled to three countries on a quest for some Prada ballet flats. I became disheartened when they only had one pair available in a size 5 at Galaries Lafayette. But, I did not give up and I was finally triumphant at Harvey Nichols in London. Perseverance my darlings, perseverance.

I’ve been pining over a year now for these Rupert Sanderson blue suede and pony, high heeled creepers. I know – you either love ‘em or hate ‘em. I think they’re fabulous even though they are incredibly impractical and hardly a wise investment in this economic environment. You see my dilemma? Well, the good news is – they are no longer available so the difficult decision has been made for me. Apparently, I waited too long so I don’t have a choice anymore. I must move on. The bad news is – they are no longer available! That means I must search high and low for these babies because after all, I can’t give up that easily! Perseverance my darlings, perseverance!