Leslie Blodgett Perfume Diaries- Bare Skin

Bare Skin from Leslie Blodgett, the creator of the mineral makeup sensation Bare Escentuals, was a mostly positive surprise for me. Their mineral foundation doesn't agree with my skin, and I had very low expectation from a(nother) Sephora-exclusive fragrance. But Bare Skin escapes all the pitfalls and clichés you usually find in a perfume accompanied by beachy-tropical marketing prose.

I was fearing a fruity white floral with a pink umbrella on top and a side of coconut tanning oil, but instead got an almost introverted soft musky wood with a peppery opening and a creamy core. There's a very prominent anise note that at some point battles my skin and becomes too minty/spicy for me to enjoy (It can actually turn my stomach on the wrong day). The drydown is all wood with some soft labdanum. It's very pleasant, warm and dry, and can really feel like sun-soaked skin. The floral note is very elusive and pale. There's no tropical lushness, only a whisper of things that will happen come summer.

While the theme isn't very original and creamy woods seem to be everywhere, I prefer Bare Skin to Lancome Magnifique, DSquared SheWood or Lauder's Sensuous. Not bad for a mainstream scent for Sephora shoppers.

Leslie Blodgett Perfume Diaries- Bare Skin ($55, 1.7 oz) is a limited edition and exclusive to Sephora, online and in store. My samples came with several other Sephora purchases.

Art: Island Muse by Charles Dwyer