Whether it’s her birthday, graduation, wedding or simply just because she’s special, one of these fabulous fragrances is sure to be a welcomed gift.
For the woman who’s no Angel…
Designer Thierry Mugler speaks to the naughty girl inside all of us. Everything Mugler touches – from fashion to fragrance – has an unusual twist. His very first perfume, Angel, broke every rule of perfume so a new category, gourmand, had to be created to describe it. His latest creation, AURA, speaks to a new and modern femininity says Mugler, and the concept is “botanical meets animal” and its composition is described as three hearts, rather than top, heart and base notes. It opens with an oriental heart of tiger liana, (used in Chinese medicine) and melds into a botanical heart of rhubarb leaf and orange blossom, before settling into a carnal heart of bourbon, vanilla and wolfwood. The complex fragrance was created by four perfumers – Daphné Bugey, Marie Salamagne, Amandine Marie and Jean-Christophe Hérault. Like all Mugler fragrances, it’s excessive, and AURA can best be described as a green oriental. I wouldn’t compare it to any other perfume as Aura has its own personality, and it’s a strong one. Its notes are sometimes clashing – it’s refreshing but warm, spicy but powdery, nicely vanilla-y, but then a little smoky. Yet with all these polarizing descriptions, it’s less strong than Angel or Alien. The bottle, like all Mugler bottles is distinct and sculptural. The beautifully designed emerald green heart with a silver ‘M’ at the top is lovely to hold in one’s hand. And like with other Mugler fragrances, you can bring your bottle to the counter for a refill.
Available: Macy’s
Make her feel like a Princess…
Meghan Markle may be the newest royal, but here’s your opportunity to make that special woman feel like a princess. Capture her heart with Princess Noir eau do toilette by Vera Wang. Created by perfumer Christiane Plos this modern scent is an oriental floral that will appeal to her feminine and chic side. Even the bottle has a black lace edged corset design which is a nod to Vera Wang’s ready-to-wear collection. Princess Noir opens with top notes of mandarin, pear and black currant, and then captures her heart with heart notes of cotton flower, jasmine and freesia. Lasting bottom notes include palissander wood, a hint of patchouli mixed with a touch of amber accord, and finally some chocolate notes for a delicious finish.
Available: Kohl’s
She reveres icons, loves glamour and adores flowers…
The legendary Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds is the first – and in my opinion, the best – celebrity perfume ever created. Ms. Taylor demanded quality of ingredients and composition before putting her name on the beautiful bottle. I’m told that each bottle contains 67 fresh flowers consisting of jasmine, rose and ylang-ylang, along with the rest of the ingredients. White Diamonds was created by perfumer Carlos Benaim in 1991 and was inducted into the Fragrance Foundation’s Hall of Fame in 2009. The fragrance opens with a burst of aldehydes along with lily and neroli, and tagette oil (similar to marigold). Heart notes consist of tuberose, narcissus, rose, jasmine and orris. It then nicely settles into base notes of amber, oakmoss, patchouli and sandalwood. As you may remember, Elizabeth Taylor was passionate in helping to fight HIV and AIDS, and still today, a portion of her royalties from White Diamonds and her other fragrances go to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.
Available: Macy’s
She’s the woman who mixes power and grace…
If she unabashedly loves a bold, rich floral perfume, she’ll love Woman by Ralph Lauren. This elegant scent, created by perfumer Anne Flipo, was released last year and its popularity continues to grow. Top notes are pear, rhubarb and black currant. However, this is not a fruity fragrance. The tuberose comes right up into your being and lets it presence be known in a big way. And that’s a good thing. Other flowers in the heart notes include orange flower and Turkish rose. The base notes of soft woods, sandalwood and hazelnut even out the scent and bring that tuberose back down to earth. The little gold flip cap adds a nice touch.
Available: Sephora
She covets the LA lifestyle and an escape from reality…
If you’d never use the words demure, classic or understated to describe her, then Juicy Couture Soiree is her fragrance. Just looking at the pink and gold paint splashed bottle, tied with a pink bow, and two hanging medallions, you know that it’s a fragrance for girls who wanna have fun. Perfumer Honorine Blanc says she created this for the woman who gets the party started when she enters the room. The sparkling fruity fragrance opens with kiwi-fruit, mandarin orange and cassis leaves and then heads into floral mid notes of jasmine sambac, jasmine petals and water lily. The base notes bring some warmth to the composition with notes of musk, amber and soft woods.
Available: ULTA
