Macy’s Perfume Samples

Regular readers of THE SAVVY SHOPPER know Macy’s is my favorite New York department store bar none. Once in a while Macy’s loves me back by sending me a small box of free perfume samples. The offer is open to anyone and everyone who sees it on Macy’s website and at times on Facebook. A small box of 6 samples arrived today! Below, I listed those 6 fragrances in the order of my most to least favorite scents:

1) John Varatos XX Elixir - Formulated for men, but both men and women can wear it, as it's not a musk, but just a fresh clean smell of bergamot, red ginger, davana and violet leaf essence mixed with rum, Damascus rose. black iris and geranim. There are notes of tonka bean, cistus labdanum, cedarwood, and latigo leather. It is my absolute favorite scent in the box!

2) Prada Paradidme - Ambery woods entwine with Bourbon, geranium, and Calabrian bergamot. I smell a hint of lemon, yet don’t see it listed as an ingredient. Lovely and clean smelling.

3) Dolce & Gabbana My Devotion - A pear blossom, blackcurrant, peony and vanilla blend.

4) Dolce & Gabbana Dovotion Pour Homme Parfum - A lavender, coffee, and woody-amber blend.

5) Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia - Mandarin with gardenia, hedione, and sandalwood essence.

6) Narciso Rodriguez For Her Eau de Toilette spray - Notes of osmanthus, African orange flower, Bergamot, amber, musk, vanilla and vetiver. There is one note in this scent that I dislike but don’t know which ingredient it is. It reminds me of unpleasent much cheaper drugstore perfumes and it stands out.

My senior mom tested the perfume samples with me. She said she liked them. None of the 6 fragrances overwhelmed us, yet lingered for hours, and except for #6, lean towards clean scents over strong perfumes. #6 has that one unidentified note not to my liking. 

Perfumes can smell differently on different people. Before buying a fragrance, spray it on, walk around the store and wait to see how it will interact with your body’s chemistry.

You may also enjoy:

Smelling Like Roses

Eau de Cologne 4711

b. fresh Deodorant Smells Great

Strange Invisible Perfumes: For People Who Don’t Wear Perfume

Smelling Like Roses

I've attended several galas and fundraisers in my life that give attendees parting gifts. From more than one event, the gift bag included a trendy (nonetheless synthetic) perfume. For me, getting an expensive perfume is always a disappointment because I don't value or wear it. As I've said in past blogs, I'm an essential oil kind of gal. 

During a discussion with a friend who's trying to cut back on her discretionary spending, I realized that my aversion to perfume has saved me a ton of money over the years ... and perhaps there's a budget-friendly tip here worth sharing!

If you love an expensive perfume, research it and try to determine what floral oils, essential oils, etc. give it its amazing scent. Without paying for the brand name, you can buy the floral oil, a purer ingredient, or a combination of ingredients in the perfume that pleases your nose for a lot less!

Using my current favorite fragrance, rose as an example, for $10 - $15 I get my rose oil, not from Diptyque, Tom Ford, or Miss Dior, but from botanical companies in the form of moisturizing oil, soap, or shampoo. I find my products either at T.J. Maxx or on Amazon for the lowest prices. 

Also, I like how Amazon gives small businesses and small butch personal care manufacturers a platform to sell their products. You can find top quality for less moola while discovering new retailers who aren't mass-produced -- not that mass production is bad, in fact, SheaMoisture is one of my favorite merchants.

It's fine if the product has a carrier oil because pure floral or essential oils are usually too strong to use undiluted on your skin daily, but make sure the rose oil, etc is one of chief ingredients. The FDA requires a product label to list the ingredients in "order of predominance, with the ingredients used in the greatest amount first, followed in descending order by ingredients in smaller amounts."

Also, do a bit of research on your favorite ingredient(s) to learn which methods of production make it top quality so when you read the labels of products you'll know which ones to choose.

The more you know, the more chances you'll have to find value. Lately, I've been smelling like roses without compromise; doing without; or going broke! You can too. 😍😛🌹🌹🌹

Okay Blended Rose Oil

Woolzies Rose Oil Smells Amazing

Going Organic: Face, Body And Hair

Shea Moisture Beauty Is For Everybody

Okay Blended Rose Oil

Photo: shutterstock

Lately I'm obsessed with rose oil. An essential oil extracted from the petals of several types of roses, rose ottos are removed by steam distillation (a separation process), while rose absolutes are drawn out by solvent (liquid-liquid) extraction. It takes about 60,000 roses to produce 1 ounce of rose oil making it one of the more expensive essential oils to buy. But forturnately, we don't need much to reap its benefits. (And naturally I've found an affordable, quality rose oil product for us all!)

Rose oil comes from 2 types of roses: The damask rose (rosa damascena) grows in Bulgaria, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Syria, Turkey and Uzbekistan, and the cabbage rose (rosa centifolia), which lives in France, Egypt and Morocco.

Frankly, the real reason I rub it on my skin after a shower is I love the scent! It's my latest craze! But others seem to like it too. Whenever I spray on Diptyque Eau Rose Eau de Toilette and the new scent, Eau Capitale Eau Parfum (rose, bergamot and patchouli) at Bloomingdale's fellow shoppers walk up to tell me how good I smell!! Men ask what scent I'm wearing. It has happened several times over. And I know Dr. Hauschka's top-notch skincare line contains rose oil as a main ingredient due to its healing and anti-aging powers. But both luxury brands are expensive, so I had to find a more affordable, high end product to use daily.

Okay Rose Oil, a rose oil blend, has rose oil as its 1st ingredient, and the light oil smells divine! Very floral, pleasant and clean. Never overpowering or artificial like many perfumes. Plus, I desire the anti-aging properties of the rose oil. Heck yeah, I'm not giving that up!

Rose oil contains complex antioxidants and minerals. Not only does it soothe and moisturize dry skin, but it also has antiseptic and astringent components to treat acne, as well as, anti-inflammatory properties to slow down aging and help heal wounds. Some people also use rose oil to lighten skin or prevent scars.

Moreover scientistic studies show that rose oil eases stress, anxiety and depression, as well as, stimulates circulation and is an overall mood booster. Go here to read about several more benefits.

Okay Rose Oil is an excellent choice as you can dub drops directly into your skin and hair (yes, it conditions hair too). Like all essential oils, pure rose oil is too concentrated and should be combined with carrier oils before using. Here the price is right, the smell heavenly, and the high potency blend gentle and effective. Highly recommend!🌹


You may also enjoy:
The Beauty Of Essential Oils
A Simple Natural Bug Repellent
DIY Rich Soothing Hand Cream 
Selecting The Right House Plants