Playboy

I love a challenge so when a friend of mine was lamenting the fact that she had been invited to a Fragrance Shower (what a great idea!) and had to bring a fragrance gift that was $20 minimum not to exceed $25 - I was sure that I would be able to knock this one out easy!  It wasn't as easy as I would have thought as I gave myself some strict rules - keeping in the spirit of the guidelines it couldn't be from the $19.99 fragrance shelf at Shoppers, the regular price had to be under $25 and it couldn't be bath products, it had to be a fragrance!  What did I learn? Well, that there are a LOT of cheap, stinky fragrances out there but also that there are some real winners at very affordable prices!  Here are my favourites:

mark. White Vetiver Fragrance Mist - 50ml - $25 - with top notes of black plum and sparkling mandarin; heart notes of tuberose noir and white jasmine; and base notes of Haitian vetiver and patchouli - for the girl who loves to embrace what's different and daring.
 Available from your Avon rep 1-800-265-AVON or online at www.avon.ca

Playboy Fragrances - 30ml - $25 - for the girl who is a little saucy, adventurous and naughty...

Play It Lovely is a fresh, fruity floral with top notes of zesty citrus, ripe blackberry and juicy pear; a heart of cherry baby orchid, belle de nuit and tuberose; and a warm, sensual base of amber, patchouli and tonka bean.

Play It Sexy is a sexy oriental with top notes pink grapefruit, mandarin and a spicy hint of pink pepper; a heart of jasmine teas, osmanthus and liquorish; and a rich seductive base of vanilla, patchouli, sandalwood and tonka bean.

Play It Spicy is a sparkling floriental with top notes of pomegranate, bellini cocktail and pink berries; a heart of elegant tiger lily, passionflower and heliotrope; and a rich mellow base of amber, sandalwood and vanilla essence.

The Body Shop Midnight Bakula - 50ml - $25 - a white floral with notes of juicy nectarine, delicate rose and patchouli and contains Community Trade alcohol made from organically-grown sugarcane from Ecuador.
For the girl who is a little mysterious, exotic and loves adventure.
Adidas Free Emotion - 50ml - $21.99 - a floral oriental with top notes of lemon, Canadian apples (what makes a Canadian apple different from other apples? just wondering...), black currant and raspberry;  heart notes of freesia, delicate rose petals and subtle aromas of fresh lily, hibiscus, banana and African green melon; and base notes of cedar, cotton and musk. For the girl who is sporty, fun and energetic.

Who am I missing - can anyone suggest any other great fragrances for under $25?

Beyonce Heat Rush - 50ml - $59 - with top notes of passion fruit, blood orange and Brazilian cherry; a heart of Yellow Tiger Orchid, Mango Blossom and Orange Hibiscus; and a base of teak wood, honey amber and musk accord
Playboy New York - 50ml - $21.99 - a modern woody fragrance meant to capture the energetic essence of the city that never sleeps with top notes of fusing aldehydes, limes and vinyl accords; heart notes of green apple, elemi and black pepper; and base notes of vetiver, tonka bean and vanilla
NeoStrata Spring Must Haves - if your winter skin is feeling less then radiant, here's some help:


Yes To Blueberries collection - Yes to Carrots or Cucumbers never really appealed to me, I hate the smell of both of those vegetables, but blueberries are something I could see slathering on my face so I just might have to give something from this line a try! Products in the line are 97%-99% natural too!  Available are:
Brightening Facial Towelettes - 30 for $10.99
Smoothing Daily Cleanser - 127g - $10.99
Daily Repairing Moisturizer - 50ml - $22.49
Overnight Hydrating Cream - 50ml - $22.49
Intensive Skin Repair Serum - 50ml - $22.49
Eye Firming Treatment - 15ml - $22.49

Revlon Scented Nail Enamel - $7.99 - smell like the colour name when dry - in 16 shades: Ocean Breeze - turquoise, Gumdrop - lavender, Grape Icy - bright purple, Mad About Mango - frosty orange, Not So Blueberry - frosted purple, Bubblegum - hot pink, Beach - lime green, Orange Pop - orange, Sublime Strawberry - pink, Coconut Crush - frosted white, Raspberry Rapture - pinky coral, Peach Smoothie - light peach, Mon Cherry - red, Pretty in Papaya - orangy coral, Cotton Candy - light pink, Passion Fruit - berry purple

Looking for something a little saucy for V-Day then the bunny is always a good choice!  Newly launched in the most adorable bottles - although I am ashamed to admit that it took me a minute to figure out the silver dot on the bottle in the eye - they confused me by putting the bow tie under the ears so I was thinking the eye was a belly button... I know, it's a good thing I'm cute...

Play It Lovely is a fresh, fruity floral with top notes of zesty citrus, ripe blackberry and juicy pear; a heart of cherry baby orchid, belle de nuit and tuberose; and a warm, sensual base of amber, patchouli and tonka bean.

Play It Sexy is a sexy oriental with top notes pink grapefruit, mandarin and a spicy hint of pink pepper; a heart of jasmine teas, osmanthus and liquorish; and a rich seductive base of vanilla, patchouli, sandalwood and tonka bean.

Play It Spicy is a sparkling floriental with top notes of pomegranate, bellini cocktail and pink berries; a heart of elegant tiger lily, passionflower and heliotrope; and a rich mellow base of amber, sandalwood and vanilla essence.

All come as a 30ml EDT for $25 and are available at select mass and drug retailers.

It's about time that Playboy came out with a women's fragrance!  I noticed that the men's fragrance a few months back came with a GWP that was a pack of Playboy playing cards.  I would like to recommend that Playboy does a version for us - Firemen maybe?  That's one card game that you just couldn't lose at!
 If you didn't get it from the name - Guess Seductive - you sure do from the ad, this stuff screams sex!  I really love the scent - it has top notes of Bergamot, Blackcurrant and crispy Pear; a heart of Orange Flower, exotic touches of Jasmine and precious Florentine Orris, a legendary note harvested in Florence and used in perfumery for centuries to seduce the senses. At the base is warm Vanilla and spicy Olibanum, finished with the musky essence of Cashmere Wood.   Available in:
50ml EDT - $69, 75ml EDT - $85, 200ml Body Cream - $35, 200ml Shower Cream - $35

There are certain scents that men wear that inspire lust in me so I figure that the reverse must be true - I'll have to test these ones out and get back to you with the results!