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Archive for the 'Perfume' Category

Sarah Jessica Parker in Pleasanton?!



Yes, you heard that right. The one and only Sarah Jessica Parker paid a visit to the humble Stoneridge Mall in Pleasanton to meet and greet her fans (and sign bottles of her fragrances) at Macy’s and to promote her fragrances, Lovely, Covet and Covet Pure Bloom



Donned in a beautiful Peter Soronen dress (the perfect silhouette on her), ferocious sequin dipped Miu Miu heels (she had to check and make sure they were Miu Miu) and a gorgeous Fred Leighton necklace, I had a brief interview the “Lovely” SJP.



We talked about everything from the vast difference of weather between the East Bay and SF and she even complimented my suit! When I told her I lived in the area she said, “Lucky You!” and she loved the cozy rural charm of the Tri-Valley Area…

Nonetheless, here’s what she had to say:

How do you go about creating your fragrances?

Well they have three different stories that are particular to each fragrance. Lovely, I had very specific idea in my mind based on this 20 year “vulgar” version of a chemist that I was. When I finally found Catherine and Cody, it was a matter of interpreting what I wanted, having real professionals and perfumers come into the conversation to teach me about the fragrance business. That, in a way, was the simplest process. Catherine told me early on in the journey of Lovely that I was much further along than I thought because most people come with all the options in the world available to them. With Covet, it was a very different animal because there was nothing specific I was thinking except that I wanted to have some connective tissue to Lovely. I wanted to create a fragrance that had drama and had more subversive qualities. With Pure Bloom, it had specificity from a flower – which was unusual for me. It was about capturing the idea of pikake and the experience I had with the flower when I was in Hawaii and when I was a young girl. They’ve all been different. As a result, I’ve learned so much about fragrance and getting to the final destination.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted on Thursday, July 17th, 2008
Under: Actors, Celebrities, Clothing, Designers, East Bay, Entertainment, Fashion, Fashion Labels, Fred Leighton, Interviews, Jewelry, Macy's, Miu Miu, Perfume, Peter Soronen, Pleasanton, Pop Culture, SF Bay Area, San Francisco, Sarah Jessica Parker, Stores, Style, Women's | 10 Comments »

25 Days of Gifts: Spray on some Diesel

No, not the kind you put in a car.


Top: DIESEL® ‘Fuel for Life’ Femme Eau de Parfum (Limited Edition), Bottom: DIESEL® ‘Fuel for Life’ Homme Eau de Toilette (Limited Edition); both are $95 at Nordstrom.com.

Urban chic label, Diesel has discovered the “elixir of life” with their new “Fuel for Life” fragrance that will make your nostrils as randy as a room full of drunk co-eds.

The women’s fragrance contains a feminine blend of jasmine, patchouli, blackcurrant and crème de cassis (that sounds good enough to eat), while the men’s version contains star anis, grapefruit, lavender, heliotrope, raspberry and vetiver. Again, that sounds like a well stocked spice cabinet. And by the way - what is vetiver?

As an added bonus, each bottle contains a jolt of luxe via a gold screen-printed decoration and the dressing of luxuriant chain embellishments. The women’s has shiny gilt finish in a layered and superimposed style, and the men’s with metal engraved plates.

Remember, these fragrances are available for a limited time, so get them while they’re hot!

Posted on Sunday, December 16th, 2007
Under: Accessories, Beauty, Christmas, Diesel, Fashion, Fashion Labels, Holidays, Men's, Perfume, Shopping, Style, Women's | 1 Comment »

The BEST DRESSED: Week of Oct. 5

It’s back and better than ever! - Ok, maybe it’s not “better than ever” per se, but it is back. Here’s the latest news in pop culture and fashion this week!



  • Let’s start with the obivious…Britney Spears lost custody of her kids to K. Fed. Yawn. Now there’s even more mumblings going around about this worthless ordeal. She’s getting visitation rights, there’s useless pics of her going to Carl’s Jr. before releasing the kids into the wilds of K. Fedland and there’s even word that PETA has urged K. Fed to get custody of Britney’s pets. Come on now folks, we all know that she’s just saving those pets so that she can deep fry them and serve them at her next hillbilly themed party.
  • The body of a dead whale washed up on the coast of Pacifica beach right here in the Bay Area. Researchers performed an autopsy and found that the whale committed suicide due to an overdose of Britney Spears news.
  • Now for a little lighter fare…Our favorite Bay Area shopping hostesses, Appel and Frank will be hosting their mom-and-baby friendly shopping event, Babes and Babies 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7 at the Jewish Community Center in San Francisco (located at 3200 California St.)!



  • San Francisco has opened its NEWEST institution for higher learning: Sephora University! The popular destination for beauty and such will give the opportunity for aspiring makeup artists to make people fabulous one makeup brush at a time. I wonder if there will be a course called BEAUTY 101: The dangers of too much blue eye shadow and Sharpie-like eyebrows.



  • If you haven’t seen Julie Taymor’s visually tantilizing and joyous Beatles-infused movie musical Across the Universe, I suggest you do so.


  • Fashionistas rejoice! Project Runway season 4 is comin’ Nov 14! Tim, Heidi, Michael and Nina are all back to rip apart the work of 15 designers (two from San Francisco and two from my homestate of Texas). My world is now complete.
  • Teri Hatcher was busted by the people of my culture (Filipinos) for blurting out a punchline on Desperate Housewives degrading the quality of medical education in the Philippines. Filipino officials demanded an apology as well as her tongue on a silver platter.
  • I love this Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel commercial with a blissful Keira Knightley glamorously prancing around to Joss Stone’s cover on Nat King Cole’s “Love.”

  • Posted on Friday, October 5th, 2007
    Under: Appel and Frank, Bay Area Designers, Best dressed, Britney Spears, Celebrities, Chanel, Clothing, Coco Chanel, Commercials, Designers, Entertainment, Events, Fashion, Fashion Labels, Gossip, Heidi Klum, Keira Knightley, Men's, Models, Movies, News, Perfume, Pop Culture, Project Runway, SF Bay Area, San Francisco, Shopping, Television, Tim Gunn, Women's | 3 Comments »

    Item of the moment…

    Every morning, I make sure to pack some sort of chapped lip prevention in my little murse. Of course, the obvious choice is anything made by Burt’s Bees.

    I perfer the tin one rather than the actual stick because it makes me feel fancier. The cooling action of the balm makes me feel so tingly and happy on the inside and the outside.

    Posted on Thursday, August 30th, 2007
    Under: Accessories, Fashion, Makeup, Perfume, Spring | Comments Off

    DRESSED Mail: Where can I find Thierry Mugler?

    One faithful reader of Dressed wrote in and asked…

    I would like to know where I can find clothing, sunglasses, shoes by Thierry Mugler. Will be in N.Y., Montreal, Boston traveling, or .. any other stores in the US!! Many Thanks!!

    Before I go into that, let me give you some quick factoids on Thierry Mugler:

    1.) He’s originally from France.

    2.) He is a trained ballet dancer.

    3.) He’s known for strong, solid color palettes and equally angular cuts.

    4.) He has dabbled in film and videos (he directed George Michael’s “Too Funky” video) and he collaborated with the costuming for Cirque du Soleil’s “Zumanity.”

    5.) He is now mostly known for his men and women’s perfume collection, which started with “Angel” in 1992.

    That said, from my knowledge and research, not many retail stores sell Thierry Mugler garb - in fact, I think the chances of finding a Mugler coat at Bloomingdale’s is slim to none. They are out there somewhere, but they are not being highly exposed like other labels.

    …but don’t fret, there is hope!


    Looks from Thierry Mugler Homme 2007 in Paris

    You may be able to find some garments on luxury shopping sites such as Yoox.com or Bluefly.com. And if you don’t mind secondhand stuff, Ebay is always an option. I managed to see a couple of swanky Mugler sunglasses on Yahoo! Shopping as well.

    But…if you happen to be in Paris sometime, they do have some retailers there:

    Madelios
    23 Boulevard de la Madeleine - Paris 01
    Phone: 01 53 45 00 35

    Galeries Lafayette
    40 Boulevard Haussmann - Paris 09
    Phone: 01 42 81 57 23

    Thierry Mugler Shop
    54 rue Etienne Marcel - Paris 02
    Phone: 01 42 33 06 13

    I hope that you are able to find all the Mugler you desire.

    Posted on Thursday, July 26th, 2007
    Under: Accessories, Beauty, Clothing, Designers, Fashion, Fashion Advice, Fashion Labels, Fashion Tips, Men's, Perfume, Questions, Shopping, Sunglasses, Thierry Mugler, Websites, Women's | 2 Comments »

    Beauty has never looked/tasted so good!

    Neiman Marcus in San Francisco’s Union Square hosts their special Eye Candy: The Beauty Event March 1-11. Various counters (like Valentino, Hermes, Juicy Couture and a TON of others) in the store will have some great giveaways, while customers who make a fragrance purchase of $85 or more get this little treat:



    This exclusive tote (in black or pink) comes with….

    Fresh Lychee Sugar Lotion: The sweet aroma of lychee flowers infused with the irresistible scent of sugar. 60 ml.

    Kiehl’s Since 1851 Doublesided Packet: Pamper your skin with this luxurious creamy body lotion and body wash. Packet includes Crème de Corps Lotion and Crème de Corps Body Wash. Each packet, 5 ml.

    Lancôme Extreme Mascara: Extend your lashes up to 60% instantly! This exclusive Fibrestretch™ formula takes even the smallest natural lashes to dramatic lengths.

    Natura Bissé Glyco Peel: Gently exfoliate dead skin cells and reveal younger-looking skin with this high-tech treatment. 6 ml.

    Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau de Parfum: An astonishing fragrance that evokes the spirit of Italy with notes of lively Sicilian citron, cheery granny smith apples, the spontaneity of bluebells, feminine jasmine, fresh bamboo, charming white rose, deep and true cedar wood, the fullness of amber, and embracing musk. 1.48 ml.

    Neiman Marcus Verbena Soap: Guest size soap infused with the citrusy fragrance of verbena, lemon, and woody vetiver. Wrapped in cellophane.

    Valentino Rock ‘N Rose Eau de Parfum: The fragrance is inspired by a new generation of young Valentino women. She is a modern woman, who combines a Rock ‘n Roll attitude with elegance and style. She is a Rose on the outside and a Rocker on the inside. 2 ml.

    That sure is a lot of stuff. I got a little tote and, as a male, I wasn’t able to use much of it - so I am SURE many of you women would enjoy. Be sure to take advantage of this offer because it ends March 11!

    Other events include:

    • A meet and mingle with Gina Brooke, Shu Uemura Artistic Director and personal makeup artist to Madonna, 6-8 p.m. March 1.

    • Set your appointments for a makeup consultation with Gina 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m. March 2.

    • Make appointments with Principal Makeup Artist Jason Hoffman, 10:30-4 p.m. March 3. Call 415.362.3900 ext. 2144 or 2145 to reserve.

    • Reserve your appointments with the Trish McEvoy National Makeup Artist Team, March 1-3, 415.362.3900 ext. 2120 or 2121.

    • Reserve appointments with the Laura Mercier National Makeup Artist Team, March 1-3, 415.362.3900 ext 2132 or 2133.

    • Celebrate the launch of 29 Cosmetics with creator and owner, Lydia Mondavi, March 9-10.

    …whoa. That’s a lot of fun and makeup!

    Posted on Thursday, March 1st, 2007
    Under: Accessories, Bags, Beauty, Celebrities, Events, Fashion, Fashion Tips, Gifts, Grooming, Madonna, Makeup, Neiman Marcus, News, Perfume, SF Bay Area, San Francisco, Shopping, Stores, Union Square, Women's | 2 Comments »

    Pepe Le Pew would be proud

    People often think being paid to write about fashion, beauty, music, art etc. means we get showered with freebies of the newest hot products.

    Well, um, not really. I’m staring at one such freebie, a bottle of Infineon Raceway cabernet on my desk, and wondering, racetrack red wine? What? Shouldn’t they have sent a six-pack of Bud?

    But I digress.

    The real reason for this blog is one Class A rank-smelling vial of the new perfume I am Brave.

    Yeah, Brave to wear this stinky stuff!

    Aside from the fact that it’s a roll-on (what?), staffers we informally polled describe it as smelling like Off! or a seventh-grade girls’ locker room.

    But as we slagged on the scent, another staffer happily rolled it onto her neck, exclaiming “It’s not so bad.”

    In the line of duty, I waited a couple of minutes and then gave her a very professional sniff.

    I must admit it actually smelled not-so-awful on a real live person. I guess that’s why you’re always told to try on such a product before buying it — or in this case — before not buying it. (Although when we recently published a story about celebrity perfumes, we were chastized for even suggesting that people buy nasty chemicals that could endanger the environment and cause terrible illnesses. So, for the PC, perfume=bad.)

    But the Santa Rosa “I am …” makers might want to go back to the drawing board to at least come up with something that doesn’t smell like cheap gin in the bottle.

    Posted on Friday, December 15th, 2006
    Under: Beauty, Fashion, Perfume, SF Bay Area | Comments Off