Don’t let these sharp dressers fool you. The adorable tiny bottles in the Benefit Crescent Row Coffret Holiday Kit ($36) look like they’re begging to be spritzed, but you might need a degree in rocket science to get ’em open.
The limited edition set comes with four almost impregnable bottles of 0.34-oz. eau de toilette — the light and fresh Laugh With Me LeeLee and Garden of Good and Eva, and warm and cozy Lookin’ To Rock Rita and So Hooked on Carmella.
The official fragrance notes…
- Garden Of Good And Eva: pear, watermelon, ozone accords, muguet, rosebud, jasmine petals, green violet leaves, freesia, sandalwood, musk and cedarwood
- Lookin’ To Rock Rita: lemon, coconut, freesia, fig, hyacinth, violet, sandalwood, Brazilian rosewood and vanilla
- So Hooked On Carmella: lemon, grapefruit, rhubarb, cyclamen, peony, tiare flower, vanilla, sandalwood, amber
- Laugh With Me LeeLee: cassis, melon, citrus, black violet, lily, jasmine, blonde wood, amber and santal
I’ve been fiddling with them for days and still can’t tell if the tops are designed to snap or screw shut. I like all four of the long-lasting fragrances, but truth be told, the packaging’s been a bit of a distraction. Maybe they need a special chant or a sacred dance to close, haha!
And because I’m accident prone, I can see myself making a mess with these. They don’t have spray diffusers. Instead, the applicators are open like a men’s cologne, grrr… It’s only a matter of time before I spill one all over that pretty box of Bella Bamba blush, sigh.
Packaging woes aside, I do love these fragrances and the idea behind ’em, especially Eva and Lee Lee (my favorites!).
PRICE: $36 for four small 0.34-oz. bottles
AVAILABILITY: At Sephora, Ulta, Benefit boutiques and benefitcosmetics.com
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I like the look of the packaging, even if they’re hard to open. I like colorful stuff, and I like the small bottles. Because, really, who ever finishes a large bottle of fragrance anyway.
Seriously! The only bottle I’ve ever come close to finishing is one ages old Laura Mercier scent I’ve had since 2002.
Have you (or anyone else here) ever finished a bottle of perfume?
I’ve finished many a bottle of Clinique Happy Heart! I knew it was a winner when I was able to finish a whole sample bottle. : )
That’s a good scent. The original Happy takes me back to 1998 when I just finished college. Yup, good times!
So cute! But it would bug me too that they don’t have sprayers. I asked for Carmella for Christmas!
Have you ever tried Rita? I can see you digging the coconut notes. 🙂
no I haven’t. that was the other one I was eyeing, but decided to go with Carmella since I already have lavanilla vanilla coconut!
It’s a really subtle coconut, but you can still tell it’s there — more like a toasted coconut, rather than your traditional tropical sorta note.
I have to smell that Lanvilla scent. I like a lot of their “flavors” (LOL) but some are too strong for me.
mmmm, toasted coconut sounds awesome!
have you sniffed vanilla grapefruit? that’s my fave of the 3 lavanila’s I have! I always get compliments on it!
I think I did a loooong time ago. I love citrusy scents so the combos totally my style.
LOL, every time I talk to you I swear I get hungry!
Teehee! I’ll take that as a compliment!
It totally is! Speaking of food, I’m on a total soup kick these days. 🙂
The weather is perfect for soup! It was in the 20s with flurries today here in GA!
Do you have a fave soup recipe? I can email you my fave tomorrow when I’m on my computer…
Dude, that’s COLD. I couldn’t hang! Does it full on snow down there?
I am still looking for my holy grail soup recipe, LOL! Please send me yours tomorrow.
About to eat some potato leek soup right now, nom nom.
Lavanila’s Vanilla Grapefruit is my favorite too (rollerball for me, of course).
I’ve gone through 2 bottles of Vera Wang Princess, and I’m working on my third XD
That’s a really pretty scent! My mom gave me that a few years ago. I love the bottle… it’s so girly. 🙂
i’ve gone through bottles of Romance by Ralph Lauren and J’adore . My two absolute FAVOURITE perfumes!!!!
these look really cute though! too bad about the troublesome packaging..
J’adore is one of my faves of all time! I have a huge bottle and have made it through 75% of it. Have you ever tried the shower gel or the moisturizer? I kinda want to try both.
ok that was weird. When I came to reply before I couldn’t see this post at all! anyway, my response is below 🙂
ok that’s weird! I can’t find my original post!
but RE: the J’adore shower gel and moisturizer, I’ve tried the lotion (I got a gift set with the perfume, shower gel, and moisturizer). It’s quite nice if you don’t want as strong a scent from the perfume and feels quite nice also. I only use it on my chest/shoulders though. I’ve used the shower gel also but it’s nothing too special, it leaves a very light scent but fades fairly quickly. Their gift sets are usually very beautiful though! And a great value!
I once got one from Saks that had the perfume, lotion, and a refillable gold perfume purse spray bottle!! I LOVE that bottle because it’s the perfect thing to put in my handbag when i’m going out or for travelling. And it’s a beautiful bottle also!
That refillable purse spray sounds fabulous! What a nice gift. 🙂
In general I feel the same way as you about shower gels for fragrances — they’re nice, but usually not $40 nice, ya know? I still kinda want the soap though…
Anywho, I’ve smelled J’adore on so many women and it seems to be one of those scents that’s perfect on almost everyone!
I’d quicker go for the lotion or a gift set that includes all than just buying the shower gel on it’s own though.
I tried looking for the gift set but I was unsuccessful! I know Saks offered it two years ago (when i first got it) and again last Christmas. Who knows, maybe they’ll have it again!
I think J’adore is one of those perfumes that you either hate or love!. My mom has tried it and it smells awful on her (she said so herself!!) But I’ve gotten so many compliments almost every time I wear it.
Well Happy Holidays Karen!! 🙂
PS Since I started reading your blog a year ago, I am now a make-up addict!! My make-up collection has almost doubled since, and I am also now NARS obsessed (not too great for my poor wallet but oh well!!!)! But don’t ever stop cus this blog is AWESOME! Thanks so much!! 🙂
That would be nice. If they did I’d snatch that up with a quickness. 😀
Aw, I’m so glad you’re enjoying the world of makeup. It’s easy to get obsessed with it — and brands like NARS only feed the need, LOL! I wonder if we share any NARS faves. Mine are Dolce Vita lipstick, Amor Blush and the Orgasm/Laguna Duo.
Happy Holidays to you too! 🙂
well Orgasm blush was my first NARS purchase and I fell in love instantly. And i recently got Dolce Vita Matte Lip Pencil which I really like too. My new fave lip colour. I keep reading great things about Laguna so that might be one to get in the near future =)
Aww, these are adorbs! Too bad they don’t have spray diffusers, though — I’m a total klutz, too 😛
Aren’t they cute? I can already see a spilled bottle in my immediate future, LOL!
So Hooked on Carmella sounds delicious. I really love the bottles these come in, too bad they’re so hard to open. I can see myself accidentally breaking them pretty easily.
I LOVE with Carmella. I got a sample from Sephora and have been dropping major hints so maybe someone will pick it up for Christmas.
I was thinking this would be a great gift for my sister for Christmas but if the packaging is somewhat whack (hee hee) I may have to look elsewhere. I have Laugh with Lee Lee & Garden of Good & Eva and I really enjoy those scents.
I <3 Carmella. I got my sample from birchbox.com. The others smell too..nature-ish for me.
I was able to test ‘my’ scent Rita last summer in London, but it was waaay too coconutty and sweet for me. Bummer.
i have LEELEE and i wear it just about every single day . i love the sweet smell <3
I like the sound of all those flavors but I’m with you on not being keen on the bottles. Hard-to-open cap, paired with cologne-style opening? Definite spill disaster! I have a Love and Toast with the same opening and I much prefer a spray. Well, I actually want everything to be in a rollerball. 🙂 I always finish every perfume. I also finish all my make-up and clean my plate at dinner. Such a good girl. hee hee!
i want those — in rollerballs pls!
benefit – are you reading this? 😛
srsly though – ive sniffed those @ sephora and … i. love. em!!!!
i want those — in rollerballs pls!
benefit – are you reading this?
srsly though – ive sniffed those @ sephora and … i. love. em!!!!
Finished a bottle of Marc Jacob’s Oh Lola and a bottle of Justin Bieber’s (I know… I know) Never Say Never – both smelled amazing, and even repurchased Oh Lola… Someone gave me Biebs’ scent as a gift but it didn’t smell quite as good as it did the first time around.