A New Perfume Love: Jurlique Essence of Rose

I've never been a big fan of roller ball perfumes. First of all, I rarely spray perfumes directly onto my skin, as the primary ingredient is alcohol which tends to be very drying. I suffer from dry skin, and have always thought it rather skin-damaging to be putting alcohol on tender points such as the wrist and nape of neck on a regular basis.

Which is why I was immediately intrigued by the Jurlique perfume rollers. I overheard the sales associate telling one of her customers that this was alcohol-free, and that it features a rich shea butter base. I went to try it, and as rose is one of my favorite scents ever, had to smell it. Although it may be oil-based, the perfume doesn't feel all that different from a normal roller-ball. Certainly it's less drying, but it's not greasy and absorbs quickly, leaving a depth of scent in its wake. See below for the back of the package, including the product ingredients.



I would even venture to say this is one of the loveliest rose tones I've sniffed yet. Many I've encountered over the years are either too sickly sweet (e.g., The Body Shop's Moroccan Rose) or almost too fresh (Jo Malone's Red Roses, which I still do love). For reference, I'm a big fan of the Chloe Roses perfume. Jurlique's is I feel a nice balance, with a richness and complexity that makes it smell more like a true bouquet of roses rather than a cheap imitation.

If any of you are looking to try a new perfume out, I highly recommend this. Jurlique was running a sale when I went, so I managed to snag this bottle for 40% off. A nice little addition to my perfume collection.

Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne Review

This was very much a splurge for me, and one I had wanted for literally years. Even with a 10% discount from Neiman Marcus this was still $54 for a one-ounce bottle, which is pretty excessive considering I'd previously never spent more than about $15 for a perfume. Jo Malone is just one of those brands that everyone touts, and I had sampled it in-store a couple times.

Unfortunately, I can't say I would repurchase this, as for some reason this scent doesn't smell nearly as good as I remembered it being when I first tried it. I recall it being heavenly sweet and fruity, but when I spray mine, there's this weird "fresh" undertone that I don't remember being there before, not to mention it isn't nearly as sweet as I recall. I do find it wearable, but I'm not in love with it, and part of me regrets not picking up the Red Roses scent instead.

My lesson learned here is that unfortunately few products are able to withstand personal expectations, even when you've tried them on a couple times. Maybe this bottle got shaken around too much, and I'll have to compare next time I'm in the store, but I think I'd rather just stock up on Victoria's Secret body mists for a fraction of the price.