Fifty-cent Head

Review: White Patchouli by Tom Ford

I posted about Tom Ford's new fragrance, here. And I have been waiting with bated breath to try it. And I have! Do you wonder if it lived up to my expectations?

“the bohemian spirit of patchouli gives it a mysterious power, but has also made it dark and heavy,” says ford. “i wanted to free patchouli from that cliché and present it in a truly innovative way: sparkling, sophisticated, and clear.”

 

Top Notes: Bergamot blended with white peony, with spicy coriander

Heart Notes: Rose absolute, night blooming jasmine, ambrette seed

Bottom Notes: patchouli with blonde woods and incense

Keep reading for the review...

Do you love Harajuku Lovers?

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Gwen Stefani has created a new range of fragrance that should make Hello-kitty, psychedelic unicorn, and Tokyo fashion lovers rejoice! An extension of the Harajuku trend she borrowed for her Love, Angel, Music, Baby (L.A.M.B.) phenomenon, these cute cartoonish fragrance bottles are sure to join a Stefani-fan's collection, STAT! Each bottle represents one of the L.A.M.B. gang: G (Gwen), Love, Lil' Angel, Music, and Baby all have different scents and sport their own look.

What is "Harajuku" anyway? It's a shopping district in Tokyo and it has become known for they edgy fashion the kids who hang out there are sporting. Harajuku fashion can't be pinned down to school girl skirts with tights, neon hair and baby doll makeup, bold and bright-colored makeup, gas masks, legwarmers or platform shoes. Though you'll find all of those in the Harajuku district, the thing that makes Harjuku fashion is that it must make the wearer feel good! Other than that, there are no rules! By the way, I have some images of some fabulous Harajuku fashions after the jump.

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Wanna meet the Harajuku Lovers? Keep reading...

Revisiting an amazing scent...

I was in Saks today and had to go take another sniff of my new favorite perfume: Armani Bois d'Encens.
I wrote about it here.

Naturally, I spritzed it on my wrists and throat and now I can't stop sniffing myself.

This is an incredibly heady scent - not for everyone. But it just does something for me! Now, if only I had an extra $200 for perfume...

      

Tom Ford softens up with White Patchouli

Tom Ford is sex on a stick. How does his new fragrance measure up? 

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You know you love him, right? Who in their right mind doesn't think this is a sexy man!?

And his business is sex. The clothes he designs scream "SEX". His fragrances are downright raunchy. There's no denying that his ad campaigns are soft-core porn.

   
 

Now this modern personification of S-E-X has created another scent: White Patchouli. You know this sometimes-loved, sometimes-loathed, always noticed ingredient features in some of the other other Tom Ford scents. How do you feel about patchouli? Personally, I hate that dirty-hippy smelling patchouli, but a refined patchouli in a well-blended fragrance can't be beat!

According to a quote in Women's Wear Daily in June, this patchouli is "patchouli orpur, which takes out some of the darker, smoky notes of patchouli." Hmm. The deep and smokiness is the part I like!

The description of White Patchouli is this: patchouli, white florals like peony, bergamot, jasmine, rose, with coriander and ambrette seed.

This one could go either way for me.

As soon as I get the official stas on this one, I'll let you know the details.

FCH Review Round-up: Bobbi Brown Almost Bare

Review Round-up: Bobbi Brown ~ Almost Bare

Just a few makeup counters over from Clinique you'll find Bobbi Brown's newest fragrance, Almost Bare. Described as a "fresh floral," this scent is supposed to be reminiscent of summer skin. The notes are Italian bergamot, violet leaves, soft muguet, and jasmine petals with a soft cedar and warm amber base.

The Verdict: Sure, it smells like summer skin, if your summer skin has a "fresh floral" perfume on it. I don't feel like this scent is close to the skin, either - in fact, I feel like it's very present and worry that it bothers people around me. That may be me reacting to the jasmine in it, though. I find jasmine to be very obvious, even when lightly done. The scent itself is like a bouquet on clean, soapy skin. I can see this blending well with Beach if you like to mix fragrances. I go back and forth on my opinion of this one, and so I'm holding on to it. I think I like it, though it's not anything like perfumes I generally gravitate towards. If you like light, fresh floral scents, drop by the Bobbi counter and check this out. If that's not your fragrance thing, skip this one.

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Read the other posts in the Round-up:

• FCH Review Round-up
• Whish Shave Crave

• Olay Difinity line

• Clinque ~ Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief
• M Lab Skincare
• Stila ~ The Kitten collection
• Bobbi Brown ~ Almost Bare
• Clinique ~ Even Better Skintone Correcter
• Clinique ~ Superbalm Moisturizing Lipgloss
• Sally Hansen ~ Lip Fix Lip Repair

And the FiFi Award goes to....

The Fragrance Foundation hosted its annual FiFi Awards ceremony on May 21st, and I'm here to tell you the results. In fact, this was the first time the Foundation allowed regular folk to vote for the various categories. I voted. Did you?

A very random group of people attended. Proof:

• VERA WANG (this makes sense because she was voted into the Hall of Fame)
• ZAC POSEN
• SEAN AVERY
• SALT-N-PEPA (!?)
• DANITY KANE
• ALYSON HANNIGAN
• CYNTHIA ROWLEY
• TAYLOR MOMSEN
• BIANCA BALTI
• WILLIAM LAUDER
• HARRY SLATKIN
• KIM RAVER
• MATTHEW MODINE
• BERNADETTE PETERS
• MINKA KELLY
• ERNEST BORGNINE
• NIKKI BLONSKY
• DANA DELANEY
• PADMA LAKSHMI
• TOM FLORIO

The awards were:

FRAGRANCE OF THE YEAR – WOMEN’S LUXE  |Daisy Marc Jacobs – Coty Prestige

             

FRAGRANCE OF THE YEAR – MEN’S LUXE |Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Pour Homme – P&G Prestige Products, Inc.
       

             

FRAGRANCE OF THE YEAR – WOMEN’S NOUVEAU NICHE |Prada Infusion d’Iris – Puig Beauty & Fashion Group

             

FRAGRANCE OF THE YEAR – MEN’S NOUVEAU NICHE |Armani Privé Vetiver Babylone – Giorgio Armani Beauty

             

FRAGRANCE OF THE YEAR – WOMEN’S PRIVATE LABEL/DIRECT SELL |Christian Lacroix Rouge – Avon Products, Inc.

             

FRAGRANCE OF THE YEAR – MEN’S PRIVATE LABEL/DIRECT SELL | Derek Jeter Driven Black – Avon Products, Inc.

             

FRAGRANCE OF THE YEAR – WOMEN’S POPULAR APPEAL |Intimately Beckham Women – Coty Inc.

             

FRAGRANCE OF THE YEAR – MEN’S POPULAR APPEAL  |Intimately Beckham Men – Coty Inc.

             

FRAGRANCE HALL OF FAME |Annick Goutal Eau d’Hadrien – Gary Farn, Ltd.

             

EDITORIAL EXCELLENCE IN FRAGRANCE COVERAGE – WOMEN’S SCENT FEATURE |Allure

             

EDITORIAL EXCELLENCE IN FRAGRANCE COVERAGE – WOMEN’S SCENT BITE |Marie Claire

             

EDITORIAL EXCELLENCE IN FRAGRANCE COVERAGE – MEN’S FEATURE- A TIE! |Best Life  and Elle

             

TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR |Certified Organic Preservation – The Estée Lauder Companies

                    

RETAILER OF THE YEAR |Bloomingdale’s

      

BATH & BODY LINE OF THE YEAR |Origins Organics – Origins Natural Resources

             

INTERIOR SCENT OF THE YEAR |Gump’s San Francisco Home Collection (Majestic Range, Treasured Range & Opulent Range) – Latitudes International

             

BEST PACKAGING – WOMEN’S PRESTIGE |Daisy Marc Jacobs – Coty Inc.

             

BEST PACKAGING – MEN’S PRESTIGE |Attitude by Giorgio Armani – Giorgio Armani Beauty

             

BEST PACKAGING – WOMEN’S POPULAR APPEAL  |Christian Lacroix Rouge –  Avon Products, Inc.

             

BEST PACKAGING – MEN’S POPULAR APPEAL |Intimately Beckham Men – Coty Inc.

             

BEST NATIONAL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN – PRINT |Kelly Calèche – Hermès

             

BEST NATIONAL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN – TV |Coco Mademoiselle – Chanel

My thoughts:

These sound about right. I love them all!-

FRAGRANCE OF THE YEAR – WOMEN’S LUXE  |Daisy Marc Jacobs – Coty Prestige

FRAGRANCE OF THE YEAR – MEN’S LUXE |Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Pour Homme – P&G Prestige Products, Inc.

FRAGRANCE OF THE YEAR – WOMEN’S NOUVEAU NICHE |Prada Infusion d’Iris – Puig Beauty & Fashion Group Read the FCH revew here!

FRAGRANCE OF THE YEAR – MEN’S NOUVEAU NICHE |Armani Privé Vetiver Babylone – Giorgio Armani Beauty

 

 

             

  This also sounds appropriate. I thought this was a well-executed line-

BATH & BODY LINE OF THE YEAR |Origins Organics – Origins Natural Resources  Read the FCH revew here!

I definitely enjoyed this packaging (if you haven't seen it, check it out at Nordstrom or Sephora or just about anywhere!), so this sounds perfect-

BEST PACKAGING – WOMEN’S PRESTIGE |Daisy Marc Jacobs – Coty Inc.

 

The ads for this were good, but the best? Hmmm....

BEST NATIONAL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN – TV |Coco Mademoiselle – Chanel

See the "movie" here.

(courtesy of a new fave: catwalkqueen)

And I don't even remember these ads!

BEST NATIONAL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN – PRINT |Kelly Calèche – Hermès

   

 

             

 

 

 

      

Black Phoenix Trading Post gives me my one true love...

I am completely enamored of Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs and all related companies and products. I'm besotted and will tell anyone and everyone! And I thought I had found my One True Love before: Morocco. And I still love it! Then I thought I found my One True Love again: O. And that is a damn good scent. In fact, I love both of those oils so much I get stressed when they're running low. But now I need to add to the list. I have a new One True Love: TKO.

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TKO comes in an oil, available at BPAL, in the Pancea Collection. I can't wait to hit up the rest of that collection, man! But since we're focusing on Black Phoenix Trading Company products today, I thought I'd review TKO Pancea Massage Oil.

Sigh...

I don't even really know how to begin, because this is such a lovely blend I doubt I can do it justice (I faced the same problem launching my reviews of Morocco and O.

Basically, I haven't used this as a massage oil, as designed, instead putting it on generously before bed. It is, after all, called "TKO". The implication is that it's good for those headed to Dreamland. In fact, here is the Lab's description of the scent (note that there are no notes annotated):

Many things -- such as loving, going to sleep, or behaving unaffectedly -- are done worst when we try hardest to do them.

And it is true that this helps me sleep. And it helps me stay nice and calm. And I want a vat of it, and another of the perfume oil.

What does it smell like? A gigantic lavender marshmallow, actually. That's the best I can do. It's sweet and it's sugary and it's got a hint of lavender (really, only a hint - I don't love lavender, so I promise it's not much). It's not so foody that it makes me hungry, and not so sweet it makes me sick. It's perfect, actually, and it does exactly what I want it to do, while smelling good at the same time. (sometimes aromatherapy blends or "functional" scents tend to work, but aren't able to pull off a satisfying fragrance while doing it - not so at BPAL)

So, I guess what it boils down to is that I have Three True Loves and a bunch of slightly lesser loves queuing up just behind. Let's just say, I'm eagerly awaiting my next box of preciouses from BPAL, BPTP, or TAL (TAL is my next spree!).

[Editor's Note: I am not affiliated with Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs in any way. They have sent me items to test in the past, but I have also spent a good amount of money there, too. I just talk about them so much because I really do love them that much- not because someone's paying me to. The icons on my blog that lead you to BPAL are also my idea and are not a paid advertisement. I don't even know if anyone at the lab knows they're there, in fact.]"

Black Phoenix Trading Post: ATMOSPHERE (or why does a Drag Queen like the smell of a Cathouse?)

Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs Day here at FCH continues with this offering, technically from Black Phoenix Trading Post.

The first item I'm going to review from the Trading Post is one of the Atmosphere Room and Linen Sprays: Cathouse.

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No, not that kind of cat house. More like:

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What does a cathouse smell like? And why does one want to make a room or a linen smell like one? These are questions I asked myself when I unwrapped the package of Cathouse, but I trust Beth (creator and genius at BPAL) completely, so I decided to give it a chance.

(Note: I will give anything Beth sends a chance - if she sent me a baby diaper in a box and told me to try a sniff, I'd probably do it. That's how much I admire her mad fragrancing skills. This is not a far-off proposition, as she's expecting a baby probably this summer)

Apparently, a Cathouse smells delicious. Who knew!?  Here's the official scent description:

A nineteenth century Southern bordello: magnolia, jasmine, honey musk, tobacco, vanilla bean, bourbon vanilla, and Spanish moss.

I suppose that you have realized now that this is pure genius? OF COURSE a Cathouse smells of magnolia, jasmine, honey musk, tobacco, vanilla bean, bourbon vanilla, and Spanish moss. And if you're wondering what that smells like, it smells like Heaven. Who knew a Cathouse smelled like Heaven? BPAL did, naturally.

I actually spray my linens with this every night (lightly) before going to bed, and that paired with another Black Phoenix Trading Post item (to be reviewed later) has given me the best sleep I've had in ages.

Now, if you're wondering what the other part of this post's title means ("Why does a Drag Queen like the smell of a Cathouse?"), I can't really answer the question, but I can give you an explanation of why the question exists in the first place. I have taken to popping my bottle of Cathouse in my work bag, and spritzing my office with it from time to time. Every single time I do this, a gentleman I work with (who happens to spend some of his off-time as a very lovely Drag Queen) pops his head in and enthuses about the scent. Every single time. This tickles me to no end, because I figure the last person who should be interested in the smell of a Cathouse is a boy who likes to kiss other boys, though I guess since he likes to dress like a lady it all balances out in the end.

At any rate, check out Cathouse and the other Atmosphere Sprays at Black Phoenix Trading Post. You won't be disappointed!

PS: Atmosphere Sprays seem pricey, at $40 a bottle, but trust me: you'll get your money's worth!

Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs | Black Phoenix Trading Post

Falling into BPAL is like opening Pandora's Box - you never really know what you're going to get! If you're not familiar with Pandora, here's a brief: she was, according to the Greeks, the first woman. Blessed with curiosity, like most women are, she opened a jar* she was told not to open, unleashing evil** in the form of slander, vanity, greed, envy and pining.

*Yes, I said "jar". The phrase "Pandora's Box" is a hot mess, 'cause linguists tell us that it wasn't a box at all, instead a jar or jug. Blame Erasmus for the linguistic faux pas - it's his fault. 

 **Evil, eh? See how apropos "Pandora's Box" is for a discourse on BPAL? A quick walk through BPAL shows you the true meanings of vanity (want to smell good, attract a mate, look and feel gorgeous?), greed (ok, well maybe I'll just 6 more imps to this order!), envy (how did she get an aged bottle of Spooky 06!?), and pining (oh, I can't wait for my next order of the precious arrives! i can't sleep, I'm so excited!). I think the only thing BPAL didn't get from Pandora's box is slander, which is currently being monopolized by the presidential candidates.

Now look what you've done, you've distracted me, and I was attempting to explain something.

Ahem.

What I was saying was this: falling into BPAL is like opening Pandora's Jar. You never know what you're going to get. Just when you think you've gotten acclimated to the site - the general catalog and it's kazillion amazing oils, the poetry and prose, the art, the wit, the history lessons; just when you've picked your first imps and ordered your first bottle - BAM!: you discover The Forum! You dive in, hungrily reading review after review, delighting in the imagery (and the clever screen names). After some time, you come out of your self-imposed hibernation, feeling satisfied you've poked and prodded every little corner of the boards and learned everything you can about your fellow BPAL addicts, discontinued scents, and aging Snake Oil - BAM!: someone mentions The Trading Post.

SCREEEEECH!!!!

Back it up a second... what's that? "The Trading Post"!?

Yup. There's more. The Black Phoenix Trading Post. It's where you go to spend even more money experience even more BPALy goodness, of the non-perfume oil variety. There you will find:

• Lunacy t-shirts (and other clothing that pays tribute to your BPAL additction)
• Atmospheric Room and Linen Sprays
• BPAL soaps, bath goodies, massage oils and nail polish
• Scent lockets
• ID cases, cases for your imps, pouches for your precious
• Perfume oil bottle tops, shot glasses, notepads, keychains
• Gorgeous leather clutches, imp cases, and wrist gear
• And other creatures

And hopefully these other goodies, coming soon:

• Solid perfumes
• Boxes

NOTE: Black Phoenix Trading Post and Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs are not the same company, and so orders to one cannot be combined with orders to the other. Please make two separate orders!

I haven't even told you about TAL yet. That's for another day...
The savvy BPALer will find it,
but the rest of you can wait 'til that Pandora's Jug is opened for you! ;)

Mother's Day: flowers... perfume... how to choose?

Traditionally speaking, what do most moms get on Mother's Day? A crayoned picture framed in  macaroni-embellished tongue depressors... a bottle of perfume... a bouquet of flowers...

While most moms will completely cherish all three, why not just go with the picture and a combination of the other two?

This fragrance set is called Soliflores, which means "single note fragrances". This limited edition collection of florals comes from the renowned perfume house  Annick Goutal, founded by former model and designer Annick Goutal, run since her death by her daughter, Camille. (See how that got tied together - a mother-daughter combo for Mother's Day. Clever, no!?)

Each  perfume represents a single flower, favorites of the perfumers. In the collection:

• La Violette
• Le Jasmin
• Neroli (Orange Blossom)
• Le Chèvrefeuille (Honeysuckle)
• Le Muguet (Lily of the Valley)

I got to try out La Violette, which was a treat because I had no familiarity with this line. Oh, I like it! I am now going to include violet in my short-list of notes I like in a fragrance! The length of wear is nice, and it's soft - I'm not going to choke anyone nearby in this. Hours after applying it, it's not powdery, which is a great thing to say about a floral, as I turn many into Johnson and Johnson's...

Price: $400, Available at Saks Fifth Avenue

I'm not so sure about scented mascara...

What about you? That just freaks me out. Scented mascara?

What on earth am I on about, you ask? Take a look:

Thoughts?

Can you direct deposit paychecks to a cosmetics line?

Have you seen the Armani Privé collection? Or, more accurately, have you smelled it? It's not new... it has been around for awhile. In fact, despite wanting to check it out I have continually walked passed it in my Saks Armani boutique. How?

I have no idea what's wrong with me. But today I FINALLY saw it. And then I smelled it! Ah....

Armani Privé is a collection of fragrances created by Giorgio Armani by himself and for himself his friends. Naturally, this meant no holds were barred when it came to research, ingredients, and design. Mr. Armani also demanded natural ingredients to create a blend of complex unisex fragrances that represented important times in his life. Truly a personal collection!

Here are the scents:

1. Ambre Soie | Inspired by silk, and evoking the markets of Morocco and North Africa, this dark and ambery scent is full of cinnamon, clove, cedar and patchouli. Fairly standard fare for a perfume, but unique in its execution. Sadly, it faded almost immediately on me.
2. Eau de Jade | Armani was reportedly shooting for "clarity and purity" when he designed this one, and so he reached for bergamot and neroli and bourbon vanilla - more standard fare.
3. Pierre de Lune | Check out violet, iris, amber... why is this represented by the moonstone and not that Amethyst?
4. Cuir Amethyst | A sweet violet (oh, hey, didn't I just suggest a violet for Amethyst?), vanilla, benzoin, amber.
5. Éclat de Jasmin | Jasmine can be scary - I didn't sniff this one, but when I go back I'm checking it and the 3 above this one (I had to limit the snorting today- 3 sales associates and a heavy schedule made me too twitchy to stay and take my time). Anyway, here we have jasmine, bergamot, osmanthus, rose, patchouli, amber and vetiver - and possibly some plum. I'm sorry I didn't brave this one while I was there!
6. Bois d'Encens | I saved this one for last, though it was amongst the original 4 scents in this collection (see #1 - #3 in this list for the others). Why? Well, you know me: it's 'cause it's my favorite! This one blew me away. It's clearly an incense scent - and there's no avoiding that! If you don't like incense, then don't even pick this one up. It's not headshop incensey, though, and won't make you do a doubletake looking for Jerry Garcia. It's not Crazy Cat Lady "I'm trying to mask the litter box" incensey, either. In fact, I couldn't figure out exactly what it reminded me of, so when I got home I looked up the collection and then it hit me like First Communion! The inspiration for the scent was the Catholic Mass of Armani's youth. VOILA! And you know what? I love it - though I'm a completely lapsed Catholic. I'm so lapsed I don't even know where the closest Catholic church is... but I wold wear this scent daily if I could. PS: That's it, pictured above.

$185 USD for 50ml

Sniff this: Blushing Cherry Blossom

Bath & Body Works has had two cherry blossom scents already - so perfect for Spring! Have you seen the Spring  Cherry Blossoms in Washington, DC yet? If not, make sure you plan a trip to DC to see them next year - you won't regret it. Anyway, the earlier two scents were Cherry Blossom and Japanese Cherry Blossom - both nice scents. In fact, I very much love Japanese Cherry Blossom (it launches with soft fruit scents, shifts to florals, and ends with delicious amber/musk/cinnamon/cedarwood/sandalwood/vanilla rice - my type of scent)! 

The newest member of the B&BW cherry blossom parade is Blushing Cherry Blossom. Here it is:

Pretty, huh?

Meant to represent the first scents of Spring, this was designed exclusively for B&BW by perfumer Jane Konnyou. "I chose to explore the pink, petally, textural floral nature of the flower in springtime, introducing other red and pink tonalities from peony, rosebuds, and fresh jasmine. The results is an extremely feminine expression of blushing pink petals as joyful and uplifting as a fresh spring morning," she said about the scent.

The breakdown:

Top Notes | mandarin, leafy green accord, sparkling quince, lush berries, and fresh melon.

Heart Notes | rose damascena, super hedoine, white jasmin, and rose juliette greco.

Bottom Notes | musk, violet, soft amber and creamy sandalwood.

The review:

I like this scent, though it's more floral than I usually am attracted to. I think because it's soft, it's  something I can handle.  The time of year may also be influencing me, since early Spring has me wanting a bit of a lighter, fresher mood - and perfume. If you like florals, you should definitely try this one!

Blushing Cherry Blossom is only available at Bath & Body Works stores and at Bath & Body Works online. It comes in the typical gazillion formulas, including eau de toilette, body lotion, shower gel, body splash, and body cream, plus a limited edition Satin Body Veil.

 

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Cherry Blossom sign source - thanks!

It's that time of the month!

No, not that time of the month! Geez! We're tight, but we're not tight like that! Pull it together, girl! I mean it's time for A Little Lunacy!

Every full moon brings special tricks and treats to Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs (BPAL), and this month is no exception. Until April 22nd and not a second later, get your Dragon Moon swag...

A LITTLE LUNACY
DRAGON MOON 2008
 
In some cultures, the Dragon is benevolent, bestowing blessings and granting wishes. In others, the Dragon is an icon of destruction and harbinger of catastrophe. In all its incarnations, both baneful and benign, the Dragon is a symbol of strength, authority, and the raw power of nature. Our Dragon Moon represents the forces of rebirth and the vigor that springtime brings: dragon's blood resin, galbanum, blue sage, lavender, peppermint, sweetgrass, frankincense, moonglow magnolia, bergamot, and green cedar.

$17.50 and available online or at the Lunacy events.

Dragon Moon is also live at Black Phoenix Trading Post! Get the t-shirt so everyone knows you were there!

Artwork by Jennifer Williamson. If you haven't checked her out yet, you're foolish.

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Please note: The Atomic Luau Lounge collection hits the road on April 22nd, too, so if you've been dilly-dallying about those scents you need to jump now!