Sorry I've fallen behind in my sampling. In the last few days, my senses have felt...well, tired. The thing about wearing a new perfume every day is, it starts to feel a litle bit like always wearing someone else's clothes--clothes you like, but that aren't really "you." I've tried so many perfumes that I'm not sure I can say anymore what's "me," but I decided to wear an old favorite, Clinique Happy Heart, and give myself a bit of a break. Happy Heart, like my other Clinique favorite, Simply, does not seem to have a big fan base. Lots of people like the original Happy and Happy to Be, it seems. I'm not sure what keeps all these fragrances in the Happy family, as they all have rather distinct notes. I got a sample of Happy Heart in a gift with purchase (the way all cosmetic companies seem to push things they fear might not sell) and I loved it immediately.
The notes in Happy Heart are water hyacinth, mandarin, and blond woods. It's a bright scent, citrusy and very fresh. It reminds me of the beach, probably because the summer I first tried it we went to the beach rather often, and the sample spray was the perfect size for my travel bag. We haven't been to the beach in a few years (mainly because there's not much left, after all the hurricaines), but when I wear this I can picture sitting under the umbrella in the warm sun, feeling the breeze and watching the clear turquoise water of the Gulf roll up onto the bright white sandy beach.
If you're curious, notes in the original Happy are ruby red grapefruit, boysenberry bush flower, and Hawaiian wedding flower. (And on me, it absolutely stinks. Or, as Kirstie Alley might say on her show, "Fat Actress"--which is funny in a bizarre way--it smells "like ass." In the bottle, it's nice.) The notes in Happy To Be are watery citrus (as opposed to dried citrus, I guess? aren't all citrus fruits watery?), crisp pear, elements of hibiscus, and syringia flower. I'm not a fan of this one either, truth be told, even in the bottle. What a rebel, hm?
I should get it together in the next few days, and when I do, I'll be sampling vanilla fragrances. Please visit and let me know what your favorite vanilla scents are--or if you like them at all.
*photo and notes from Clinique.com
