MOTHER’S DAY: TOP 5 SURE BET FRAGRANCE PICKS!

Choosing a fragrance for another person can be stressful.  What I’ve learned, is that when gift giving times such as Mother’s Day roll around, it’s best to stay with the safe bets.  Of course, a lot of ladies prefer that you simply give them their typical refill fragrance, but I feel like I want people to have what I want them to have.  It shouldn’t be the obligatory refill situation year after year.    It gives the illusion that you actually might care when you choose something new and great.

Fragrance is a luxury.  It creates a feeling. For Mother’s Day, the feeling it from a perfume gift should be love.

What I have complied here, are the safe gift bets for Mother’s Day this year.  These are new-ish fragrances that will appeal to the good taste of most females in every age range. Unless Mom is a patchouli loving hippie, you can be sure that these fragrance picks will be a nice surprise and perfect for Spring so check them out!

VERSACE, Eros Pour Femme, fragrance, by Versace, gold glitter nails, ombre, Luxor Living and Style

1.  VERSACE EROS POUR FEMME

This scent is soft, yet sexy. Yes, mom’s like a little sexiness, too….how do you think you got here?  This one is new, having arrived on shelves in Italy this December. The packages says bold, but the scent is perfect for literally anyone of any age.  It’s a citrus, woody, white floral with peony jasmine and musk, among other things. Very nice. Very glam. Get mom some glam. Perfume is a luxury after all.

emozione, salvatore ferragamo, fragrance ideas, gifts for women, perfume, fragrantica

2. EMOZIONE by SALVATORE FERRAGAMO

Emozione arrived on the market in February and is just now hitting some retailers.  A very soft powdery floral with rose and a musky/woody/fresh accord…this one is very smooth.  Not too much, not too little and perfect for sexy summer nights. (There I go again.)  A modern, soft floral. Not a cheap, thin floral.  Nobody hates this one and most people I’ve asked, love her.  Yes, her.  She’s a lady.

#nordygirl, Dahlia Divin, Mother's Day ideas, fragrance, Luxor Living and Style, blog, fragrance blogger

3.  DAHLIA DIVIN by GIVENCHY

This one launched in the fall, but I think it’s perfect for Spring and Summer. It’s a beautiful and long lasting white floral with a touch of spice…and even a hint of Patchouli for the hippies.  This fragrance is very classy, not overbearing and again…I’ve not found one person that doesn’t love it.  My personal description would be a soft, white, classy jasmine heart with a soft woody base. BAM! If Mom returns this one then she’s just a picky bitch because it’s pretty close to perfect.

Jo Malone, Peony and Blush Suede, cologne, Mother's Day gifts, Luxor Living and Style, fashion blogger

4.  PEONY AND BLUSH SUEDE by JO MALONE

While I am not a floral person in my heart of hearts, this one is one that I wear often.  My husband loves it when I put this on before bed or when going to church.  I’ve been known to wear too much perfume so this is one for those times I want to appear to be respectable.  It’s the one I always recommend for people who are gift giving and not too sure about the receiver’s taste preferences.  I’ve seen girls from 17 to 70 fall in love in within seconds of smelling this fragrance.  It’s a tastefully sweet floral, perfect for Mother’s Day and is great to layer with other Jo Malone scents or body cremes for a custom fit.  I layer mine with the Pomegranate Noir for a deeper, richer feel.  Of course, by nature I prefer rich and thick fragrance but it’s so nice to step out of my comfort zone and wear a rich, sweet, innocent floral now and then. Again, I often times recommend this one for gift giving because it’s a sure bet and I’ve never known of anyone to hate it or return their gift!

Si by Giorgio Armano, fragrance gift ideas, perfume ideas for mom, Mother's Day, gold ombre nails, Luxor Living and Style, blog, blogger in Houston, style blog

5.  SI by GIORGIO ARMANI

This one is another sure thing.  Men love it due to the vanilla base but the grapefruit zest makes it modern and light.  The largest percent of women who smell this one, love it and want to own it.  I feel as if it’s a modern version of Calvin Klein’s Obsession for Women.  That one was deeper and richer, but rich and super deep are not really in fashion in the fragrance realm anymore. If mom was a hottie in the late 80’s or 90’s… then she will love this one.  Again…I’ve seen young girls in their 20’s love it as well as older ladies in their 60’s and beyond.

The fragrances I’ve listed above would appeal to a wide variety of women, so check them all out…one of them surely has to make mom happy.  Tell her you wanted her to up her fragrance game and freshen up with a new, trendy/sexy/cool scent and step out of her comfort zone.  Scent is power and power is good…the last time I checked.

-SDS

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SIX SHOTS: MARCH 2015

HLSR, eric Church, Church concert, Houston top blogs, rodeo, Houston, country music, Luxor Living and Style

1. HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO

This past month a friend got tickets to the Rodeo, and invited a bunch of girls to go with her.  Eric Church was the entertainment.

It’s really hard for me to relax and have fun, so I scheduled this night and tried hard to cut loose.  We decided that we would all eat anything and everything we wanted so we all ended up with stomach aches in the middle of the night.  (I guess beer, ice cream and barbeque can do that.) Who knew?  The most fun part was watching these ladies sing old 90’s tunes in the car on the late night drive home. Good times!

 

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2. RODEO WEAR

This is how you do the Rodeo in Houston.  There’s a lot of outdoor walking, so hair tied back, or a hat is good, jeans are a must, and Texasness in glammy mode is needed.  Check the full blog post  here!

 

Marilyn Monroe, Impress for Less in Houston, Home decor, Dress for Success Houston, Charity, Luxor Living, Top Houston Bloggers,

3. MARILYN MONROE

I was lucky enough to be asked to participate in a grande opening event at Dress for Less in Houston! The store was also running a charity event in conjunction with Dress for Success Houston.  The charity helps women in transition.  The store had fabulous discounted clothing as well as home decor and I fell in love with these Marilyn Monroe murals for the home!  They also had items such as Jessica Simpson or Steve Madden shoes and more!  If you’re in Houston, check the blog post to learn more!

 

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4. FRAGRANCE

Have I mentioned that I work in fragrance and cosmetics?  (Among my other few jobs/positions/hobbies.)  I took some shots for a work related event we are having.  I am my happiest when I get to create!

 

Dave Ramsey, Entreleadership, Luxor, business training

5. DAVE RAMSEY

My Valentine’s Day gift from my husband was a Dave Ramsey event coming to Houston in March.  How romantic.  I already listen to Dave dispense financial advice to morons on the radio every day so I was not totally thrilled to go to this event.  I have literally no credit cards, both our cars are paid off, and we are in lock down mode financially so I didn’t feel I needed to go.

To our surprise, this event was an Entrepreneur Leadership event, which lasted all day, and it was wonderful.  We have a business. So we are Entrepreneurs.  We discuss rather loudly at times, who to hire, who not to hire.  hiring was one of the touchstones of the event.  Dave agreed with everything I say when it comes to hiring and doing business.  My husband left wishing he’d gone to the class years ago.  People can be the downfall of your business, so it’s very important who you chose to allow into your universe.  I wrote an article here before attending the event, so check it out if you do any hiring in your position.

We sat in the third row, and were  excited to spend the day together. the most important thing though, was that Dave validated my business knowledge so it’s helping us to see things the same in respect to our business. I would advise all companies, large and small to seek the Ramsey EntreLeadership class for your hiring managers.

 

Wicked Crown , Temporary Hair color, Luxor Living and Style, Stephanie Sjoberg, Instagram, white blonde, lashes, MAC

5. WICKED CROWN

I was sent some Wicked Crown Hair Chalk to review for my blog, and I LOVED it!  I can’t wait to use it again, and try different looks!  This shot was just an INSTAGRAM pic,  or see the blog post here !

Jo Malone, Houston, limited edition fragrance, Plum Blossom, Osmanthus, Sakura Cherry Blossom, The Woodlands, Jo Malone, Order Jo Malone online, gift with purchase, Luxor Living and style , Nordstrom, Jo Malone The Woodlands

6. JO MALONE FRAGRANCE

I took this shot for my friends at Jo Malone in The Woodlands for their Spring Scent Event!  They can ship to anywhere in the USA, so if interested in getting any of your Jo Malone products, just call and ask for Percell at (832)562-4880 .  Tell him Stephanie sent you, and that you’re interested in the gift with purchase for Scent Event, and you will get goodies with your purchase! He is located at Jo Malone in The Woodlands Nordstrom, so pop in and say hi! The best tine to buy fragrance is during special events!  He can even get your bottles engraved for free during this event!

-SDS

 

 

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CANDLE CRAZY DURING THE HOLIDAYS

Nest, Fragrances, New York

Greetings, friends!  Since Christmas is around the corner, I figured it would be a great time to share some great gift giving ideas…. the gift of home scent!

I’ve recently been trying out some candles, because nothing is worse than spending money on a candle that is below par in the scent department!

The candle above, is from NEST FRAGRANCES and it is their Holiday scent!  I’ve also recently purchased other scents from them as well, and every one burns great, gives off tons of fragrance and the price point is not bad at all!  I find it especially interesting that the candle glasses are to be reused as either shot glasses, high ball glasses and there is a very large candle that can later be used as an ice bucket!  That kind of rocks!

Voluspa Candles

I also recently tried, as well as purchased for a gift…a Spruce Cuttings scented candle from Voluspa !  The container is great, and it also can be reused as a candy dish or another candle could be burned in it!  These come in a few different colors so I was sure to purchase a color that would go with my friend’s home!

Pumpkin Chai, candles, NEST

I also purchased some Pumpkin Chai scented candles from NEST.  I’d been told that they were a top seller for the company during winter so I bought a few while I could!  Amazing.  Rich.  Love.

I guess it’s worth mentioning that they also have a candle that is loosely referred to as the “BabyMaker.”  The proper name is Moroccan Amber and it’s a truly sexy scent.  Find out more about Nest here!  It’s also worth mentioning that they have magnificent room defusers as well for those of you who can’t remember to blow out the candle before you leave the house!

-SDS

 

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TOP 5 COLOGNES for HIM

The holidays are here and mens fragrance is always a top go-to when purchasing for him.  I’ve learned that some men can be more picky than females, when it comes to the scent choices they prefer to wear, however, there are also men that will squirt on whatever you give them with no added thought.

I think the vast majority of men underestimate the value of  an attractive scent. If you smell like nothing, there’s not a whole lot of impact unless you look fabulous.  If you smell fabulously attractive, but you don’t look great, you still gain tons of points in the arena of attraction because your scent is doing the work for you. And then there is the prick-factor, in which case, if you are completely unlikeable, at the very least you smell great so maybe someone will tolerate your existence. Just sayin.  Although you can’t buy sex appeal, smelling sexy never hurts.

There’s more and more options every year, but these are my Top Cologne Picks for this gift giving season!

1. AVENTUS by House of Creed

Aventus is supremely sexy.  Most any women would adore the scent of Aventus on the man she loves. Although Creed creates quite a few top choice scents for men, this one, has to be the sexiest.  Actually, you might not want your man wearing this to the office because it’s flat out dangerous!   Aventus is a very masculine scent and it’s quite long lasting.

Top notes: blackcurrant, bergamot, apple and pineapple. Heart: rose, dry birch, Moroccan jasmine and patchouli. Base: oak moss, musk, ambergris, and vanilla.

This scent is amazing, especially for the single guy! It’s a scent that screams of power and success and it’s something special to consider when looking for a specialty gift.

men's cologne

AVENTUS by CREED

 

2. PASHA de CARTIER EDITION NOIRE by Cartier

Pasha Edition Noire is another fabulously sexy scent that I recently fell in love with.  It radiates of wealth and success, which sounds ridiculous, but when you smell it, you will see what I mean.

I’ve read articles on studies of scent and how it can help you to be perceived in a better light by others in the business arena, and this strikes me as a scent of success.

Top notes of  Pasha de Cartier provide freshness in green and citruses, balanced perfectly with the warm aromas of woody amber and cedar.

Pasha_cartier_edition_noire_2

3. TOBACCO VANILLE by Tom Ford

Tom Ford is known for creating modern, sexy, strong scents for men and women.  Tobacco Vanille was launched in 2007, and it smells like the name, Tobacco and a hint of vanilla.  It’s not for everyone, because it’s extremely progressive in nature.  It takes me to a very rich party with fabulous guests, which I’ve never yet been to! This scent is for men as well as women, but again…it’s for a very high end clientele, who appreciates the distinction of it all.

It’s classified as an oriental spicy, and the  top notes are tobacco leaf and spicy notes; middle notes are tonka bean, tobacco blossom, vanilla and cacao; base notes are dried fruits and woody notes. I actually own this one, and it’s very, very sexually charged.  suppose that is the intent of  cologne…an attractant.  I suppose one must decide what they wish to attract when choosing colognes.

TOBACCO VANILLE by Tom Ford

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. TIFFANY for Men by Tiffany & Co

I love Tiffany for Men.  I find it to be fresh enough for every day, yet rich and sexy…just not over-the-top.  It’s log lasting as well.

This scent was created in 1989, but it has a new, modern appeal.  It has complicated structure and composition with the top notes being lavender, green, mandarin orange, bergamot, cardamom and lemon; middle notes of nutmeg, carnation, sandalwood, patchouli, cinnamon, orris root, jasmine, cedar, rose and anise; base notes are tonka bean, amber, oakmoss, vanilla and incense.   I always find that everything I love has vanilla in it as a base note. It is also classified as an oriental spicy.

This is a very appealing scent for a man of any age and everyone knows to appreciate a gift from Tiffany & Co !

Tiffany for Men

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. OBSESSION for Men by Calvin Klein

This is from the heart.  It may not be cool and fashionable for me to discuss to finer points of Obsession for Men by Calvin Klein because it’s not really in. Smelling fabulous is never a bad thing, and Obsession is an old-school go-to that seems to smell great on every man! I’ve purchased this over the years for every male relative because it’s a really good scent for men to wear on a daily basis.

This scent came out in 1986 and yes… it was an 80’s power scent.  So what?  A fresh citrus in the top notes is harmonized with a floral sharp hint of lavender, nut, spiced notes of coriander and warm cinnamon. Carnation and jasmine is toned with warm patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, VANILLA (of course) and amber. Subtle  red berries ad a sensuousness to this scent!

So maybe it’s perfect for dad, and not so much for a 21 year old male… whatever the case, it’s a fabulous scent for men of a certain age for sure!

Obsession-Perfume

These are my top picks for this holiday season.  If you try any of them, drop a line and let me know your opinions in the comments sections!

-SDS

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SIX SHOTS: SEPTEMBER 2014

 

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1.  GLAMMY GLAM VIDEO

I was so busy with transferring the blog to a new platform, that I actually missed the monthly installment of SIX SHOTS.  Here I am, now catching up and this shot is from the Glammy Glam makeup video I put up on my channel! That’s such a scary thing to do, but it ended up being quite fun  The link is here  if you want to watch!  I just purchased better lighting equipment so I can’t wait to try more videos and get better!

 

sam2

2.  SENIOR PHOTO GLAM

I absolutely loved shooting some fun themed photos for my cousin who is a Senior in High School this year.  I enjoy doing make up and it makes me happy to create art.  The SENIOR GLAM PHOTO SHOOT   blog post has more pic of Samantha if you want to peek!  Senior photos are a very big deal to a lot of girls so I hope to carve out the time to do more!

 

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3.  DALLAS

Just kidding, but it reminds me of Dallas… the tv show!  It’s actually just a shot for the blog from a fun mid afternoon date I had with my husband which involved pizza on The Woodlands Waterway!  I had picked up this Ivanka Trump dress at a really great price, and yes, it’s another black dress, but I made a conscious decision to embrace all things black this year out of a need for easy daily dressing more than anything else.  I will try to keep from posting any more photos of my fabulous home on the blog.  (Just kidding!)

 

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4.  BIRD LOVE EAST SHORE

Just another shot from the blog post from East Shore area of The Woodlands.

 

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5.  ALMOST FALL

We do not put tons of effort into our fun little blog posts. We just have fun.  I think this one turned out cool because it’s real.  It’s really me.  I accidentally turned into my mom …well, without the drinking problem.  I wear dresses on my days off, I do my hair and makeup most days and that’s that.  I look like an alien at the grocery store but that’s ok.  A cute and comfy dress is my thing. More…. 

 

Cartier

Cartier

6.  INSTAGRAM

Just a pretty shot from my Instagram account of some new Cartier perfume I got this month!  I work in Fragrance and Cosmetics and I’m getting so carried away with all the different scents and notes and lovely creations each designer puts forth!  More blog posts on different fragrances will be here moving forward.

 

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PERFUME HAUL

Obsession, perfume, fragrance blog, Shalimar, Angel, Thierry Mugler,  perfume , haul, Luxor Living and Style, Texas Top Style Blog, over 40 blogger,

     I should actually have named this blog post, Cheap Bitch… but I refrained.  While it would appear as if I am greedy and self centered, which is only partially true… it is actually the desire to save money in the future that caused me to spend it in the here and now.

     I realized that after Christmas was actually a really great time to get more bang for your buck, and this held true in the area of fragrance. Beloved fragrance.    For those of use who believe that great fragrance is a necessity  and a tool to help you glide through every day life…we love a great designer fragrance however,I know of no one who actually loves paying for it. This would include me.  In light of this, I found a way to get tons of my favorite fragrances on the cheap.

     Some of my top fragrance loves are Shalimar, Obsession, Angel and Poison.  At Christmas,  the fragrance companies send out all the goodies to the fragrance counters at your local department stores.  The fragrance sales people make commission, so they are motivated if you are going to make a big sale.  The vendors with each individual company are also sometimes there with goodies and extras in hopes of boosting sales.  December and January are great times to buy.  There are usually great sets available at this time, as well as extra bonus gifts.

 

For example, I was able to purchase an Angel set , which also had a silver bracelet thrown in for good measure, and this was on top of the extra goodie box that was available with an Angel purchase.

     Then, in January, I’d found some Shalimar sets that were on sale for 50% off because it didn’t sell as well in some parts of town as it probably did in other locations.   Even though I’d already purchased a large bottle a week or so earlier, which came with bonus items, I still decided to invest in my fragrance future by getting two more of the sets because with the extra sets came extra lotions as well as an extra sprayer in each box!

     I probably have about two years of perfumes at this point because I got so much more for my money.  

     It’s a new me, and I’m trying very hard to never pay full price for anything ever again! 


-SDS

-March 10, 2014

 

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