Affordable fragrances for dad from The Body Shop, Avon and Playboy!

The Body Shop White Musk For Men - 100ml EDT - $28 - a modern, masculine, and sensual scent that's an infusion of musk and woods - with a top note of lavender; heart notes of jasmine and geranium; and base notes of sandalwood, tonka bean, musk and vetiver.

Also available as a gift set including the fragrance, hair & body wash and aftershave balm in a purple tin for $45.

Available at The Body Shop stores across Canada and online at www.thebodyshop.ca.

Avon Expoloration - 75ml EDT - $25 - a watery fresh fragrance that celebrates the spirited intensity of the sea with an exhilarating scent bursting with fresh volcanic orange, energizing silver sage and clean vetiver.

Also available in the scent is an After Shave Conditioner - 100ml - $10 and Hair & Body Wash - 200ml - $10.

Available from your Avon rep - 1-800-265-AVON or online at www.avon.ca.

Playboy VIP Black For Him - 50ml EDT - $21.99 - a seductive spicy oriental scent that redefines elegance and style - with top notes of pineapple and bergamot; heart notes featuring thyme and warm cinnamon; and base notes of woody patchouli, tonka bean, and leather notes.

Available now for a limited time at drugstores across Canada.

- Lisamarie -

Fragrant Friday - matchy-match fragrances for her and him from Calvin Klein, Avon and Playboy!

If you're already dressing alike and finishing each others sentences then you might as well take couple-dom to the final frontier of matching fragrances - how adorably (nauseatingly) cute would the two of you be in one of these pairs...

CK One Red Edition for Her - 50ml EDT - $48, 100ml EDT - $68 - an addictive fruity floral fragrance with a top note of juicy watermelon; heart notes of invigorating florals; and base notes of velvety musks.

CK One Red Edition for Him - 50ml EDT - $48, 100ml EDT - $68 - an aromatic woody tonic with a top note of invigorating red pear; a heart of rich suede; and a base of sensual vetiver.

Available now at Hudson's Bay, Sears and Shoppers Drug Mart.

Avon Instinct for Her - 50ml EDP - $30, 200ml Shower Gel - $12, 200ml Body Lotion - $12 - with a unique blend of three distinct layers: top of sparkling greens; mid of exotic camellia; and dry of sensual sandalwood.

Avon Instinct for Him - 50ml EDT - $30, 100ml After Shave Conditioner - $10, 200ml Hair & Body Wash - $10 - with a unique blend of three masculine layers: top of wild mandarin; mid of sage; and dry of exotic ebony wood.

Available from your Avon rep - 1-800-265-AVON or online at www.avon.ca.

Super Playboy for Her - 50ml EDT - $25 - with top notes of margarita cocktail, energy drink accord and mandarin zest; heart notes of paradise flower, freesia and amour en cage; and base notes of amber, massoia wood and musks.

Super Playboy for Him - 50ml EDT - $21.99 - with top notes of red apple, bergamot and black pepper; heart notes of cinnamon leaf, lavender and pineapple; and base notes of cedar wood, patchouli and amber.

Available at drug and mass retailers across Canada.

 - Lisamarie -

Fragrances to couple up with from Fendi, Avon, Playboy and Mary Kay!

Have couple friends who freakishly dress like one another, finish each other's sentences and basically just creep you out? Secretly mock them while thoughtfully gifting them with great scents from:

Fan di Fendi Pour Homme - 50ml EDT - $68, 100ml EDT - $88, 100ml After Shave Lotion - $55, 150ml All Over Shampoo - $41
Fan di Fendi - 50ml EDT - $77, 75ml EDT - $92 - with notes of pear, green tea accord, blackcurrant, calabrian tangerine, lemon petit grain from Sicily, Italian broom flower absolute, yellow jasmine accord, leather and patchouli.

Available at The Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart and Sephora - with the bath line available only at The Bay. 

Bon Jovi for Avon Unplugged for Him - 75ml EDT - $30 - with notes of spicy pepper bourbon, seductive black dahila and warm cashmere woods.
Bon Jovi for Avon Uplugged for Her - 50ml EDP - $30 - with notes of sparkling saturated plum, rich black dahlia and creamy woods.

Available from your Avon rep - 1-800-265-AVON or online at www.avon.ca.

Playboy VIP For Him - 50ml EDT - $22 - with notes of rhubarb, bergamot, rhum, apple, watery accord, lavender, white chocolate, tonka bean and sandalwood.
Playboy VIP For Her - 50ml EDT - $25 - with notes of orange flower sorbet, nectarine, peony, love apple, red fruits, heliotrope, cashmeran, sandalwood and musk.

Available at drugstores and Walmart.

Or if matchy-match people bug the crap out of you but you still want to be able to order their gift from the same place check out:

Mary Kay True Original - 59ml EDC - $59 - with notes of lemon, fuji apple, amber, cedarwood and patchouli.
Mary Kay Dance To Life - 50ml EDP - $55, 148ml Shimmer Lotion - $20 - with notes of wet apple, cassis, freesia, rose de mai, jasmine, burgundy, rose, ylang ylang, magnolia, vanilla and warm amber.

Available from your Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant - find one at www.marykay.ca or 1-866-455-5454.

- Lisamarie -

Have the boy smelling good on a budget or not with Avon, Playboy and Lalique!

Avon Ironman Glory 75ml EDT - $25 - a thrilling rush of iced bergamot with surges of cool mandarin and mighty cedarwood. Also available in: After Shave Conditioner - 100ml - $10 - alcohol-free and enriched with aloe to leave skin feeling soothed and moisturized; and Roll-On Anti-Perspirant - 50ml - $0.99 - offers long-lasting odour and wetness protection with an invigorating scent.

Available from your Avon rep - 1-800-265-AVON or online at www.avon.ca

Playboy Shower Gel - 400ml - $5.99 - in 3 modern and masculine scents: Sexy Hollywood, Cool Malibu and Spicy Miami - great for layering under the corresponding scent or wear it on its own if you prefer more subtlety.

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart, Pharmaprix and Walmart.

Lalique Hommage à l’homme - 50ml EDT - $95, 100ml EDT - $128 - imbued with confident masculinity with top notes of violet leaf, bergamote and saffron; heart notes of chili leaf, violet and black pepper and base notes of cistus, oud and musk.

The scent is elegant and sensual and I'm particularly taken with the bottle - I love the clean, masculine lines - there is definitely nothing girly looking or smelling about this one!

Available in September at Holt Renfrew and in November at Murale and Ogilvy. 

- Lisamarie -

New and Notable at Shoppers Drug Mart - Playboy, Armani, Nicole by OPI and Marcelle

Playboy Play It Rock - 30ml EDT - $25 - with top notes of juicy blood orange, sugary candy apple and saffron; a floral heart of sun-kissed orange flower, luscious passion flower and sultry frangipani; and a base of voluptuous patchouli, black ebony, succulent vanilla and fleur de cuir.

You can imagine that I love the fruity and sweet notes - what really impresses me is the lasting power of such a reasonably priced fragrance!

Armani Acqua di Gioia Essenza - 50ml EDP Intense - $77 - with top notes of amalfi lemon, pink pepper and mint; a heart note of jasmine; and base notes of virginia cedar, cashmeran and sugar.

The original Acqua di Gioia was a little too floral for my taste - this one cuts it with more sweetness so I'm a fan!

Nicole by OPI Shoppers Drug Mart exclusive shades - $10.99 - Pink. Seriously - hot pink; I Love You Cherry Much - romantic red; Great Minds Pink Alike - heavenly pink; Look at Me Look at Me! - silvery-rainbow sparkle; That’s Totally Red-ical! - apple-red; Purple Yourself Together Snap out of it! - polished purple.

Marcelle Reinforcils Waterproof Eye Make-Up Remover - 100ml - $17.50 - an oil free gel which removes waterproof make-up without the gross oily film. Also contains a lash fortifying complex made up of: Lactolan - which stimulates and regenerates lash roots while protecting and repairing for more beautiful eye lashes; Widelash - reinforces lashes to limit fall-out and conditions them so they appear longer, thicker and stronger; and Provitamin B5 - an emollient that calms, softens and hydrates skin.

Marcelle Duo Brow-PRO - $14.95 - in dark, brunette and blond - a double ended product with a slanted, waterproof pencil on one end and a lightly tinted, natural hold gel with a brush on the other.

Marcelle Cream Eye Shadow + Liner - $13.95  - in 8 shades: Enchantmint - mint green; Wisteria - purple; Ballerina - pink; Vanilla Ice - cream; Sunstone - golden; Taupe du Jour - taupe; Sea Breeze - green blue; and Cloud-9 - blue - one side offers waterproof, smudge-proof, transfer-proof and crease resistant colour that will last you 9+ hours! With a formula is creamy and glides on without tugging at your eyelids which also makes it perfect for lining. On the other end is a blending sponge to help smudge the line or blend the shadow.

Marcelle Xtension Plus Mascara - $12.50 - for extreme lash and ultimate curl with a specially developed polymer brush that defines and separates lashes while minimizing clumping and increasing lash length by coating each and every lash. One side of the brush offers a row of longer bristles that grab even the smallest lash and stretches them from root to tip up to their maximum potential with a tapered end that eases dispersion even on those hard to reach lashes.

- Lisamarie -

Frugal Fragrance finds from - mark., Playboy, The Body Shop, and Adidas!

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?

- Lisamarie -

New and Notable at Shoppers Drug Mart - Beyonce, Playboy, NeoStrata, Yes To Blueberries, and Revlon

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:

Buy the Vitamin C Concentrate and get a Spot Lightener Free - $36 (worth $58.50) and/or

Buy the Body Smoothing Lotion and get  an Insta-Tan Free - $34.75 (worth $60.25)

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

- Lisamarie -

Playboy and Guess Seductive for a lusty Valentine's Day!

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!

- Lisamarie -