**REVIEW** (Update. Sort of) Travalo Refillable Perfume Atomizer

I haven't been posting as much because I've been trying to work on the story collection.That little project is in the editing stage (or what I like to call Writer's Hell)...

A lot of times when I review a product, I don't always follow up with an update. Even if I love an item. Usually, I forget. Until I am, for some reason, reminded. I was reminded to update my review of this item because I had a chance to refill it at the store for the first time in a long time.

                                                 



That is my Travalo Refillable Perfume Atomizer from the local Perfumania.

Reasons that this makes a good buy:

1. It's affordable (and cute)
2. It's makes buying perfume affordable
3. It's affordable (and portable)

I got one a couple years ago for my sister as a Mother's Day gift and, because I liked it so much, I got one for myself. I think I paid just about $10 for it. (I see now that there are fancier ones. I'm going to have to check those out myself!)

Mostly, I've just been filling it with perfumes that I already have around the house. The other day, I was thinking about how much I love Fahrenheit by Dior (which, yes, is for men, but I don't care). As much as I love the fragrance, I only ever buy it (and rarely) to give to my brothers for gifts. The only way I've ever been able to keep some for myself is to snag a handful of samples from nice clerks... So, I wanted some Fahrenheit, but couldn't even think about getting a bottle. Then I remembered my Travalo, which happened to be empty.

Finally, I'm getting to the best part about buying a Travalo: You pay about 10 bucks (for the "classic" one like I have), then you can refill it it at Perfumania for $10. With ANY fragrance in their store.

That might not sound like a big deal but a 1.7oz bottle of Fahrenheit costs around $55-$75.

And, no, that's not actually very expensive for a lovely scent. It's just too much for my current budget.

So, yeah. I bounced my happy behind right over to Perfumania and got my $10 refill. This will give me about 65 sprays - which is more than enough. Also, for an extra 2 bucks, the store will mix up matching scented lotion.

I can't even rant and rave enough about how great a buy this is. For one thing, you get a much better value than with those miniature fragrances (which are from $7, $10 or even $15, depending on the scent), and the Travalo sprayer is evenly measured. You get a good spray without dripping, leaking, or uneven coverage.

Anyway, I needed a little pick me up after a very depressing couple of weeks. This did the trick and didn't damage my budget. There's nothing like looking nice and smelling good to lift your spirits a bit.

By the way, I know that I'm not the only woman that wears Fahrenheit. I did a search for "compatible" or similar fragrances for women and found out that some ladies just use the original. It's not a "manly" smell. I think it has a very unisex appeal.When I wear it, I get compliments about how subtle and illusive it is. When I smell it on a man, I just think, "Wow!"

One last thing about the Travalo. I think that men need to look into getting a Travalo. The container I have might look too femme for most, but go check out those other ones that are on the Perfumania site. (Make sure to ask if your local store honors the refill policy!)

Peace
--Free

Materialistic Moments

It is taking me forever to write this post and get it ready to "publish." It's a little project of mine where I share some of my moments of materialism.

I am a pretty low-maintenance kind of woman (in my more, ahem, mature years) and I long ago got over the notion of money buying happiness. But. I am woman, watch me shop! LOL Actually, I can't and don't really even want to shop til I drop, but this is a game an old friend and I liked to play. We called it dream shopping. We'd pick a specific type of item and then dream about what we'd buy if money were no object. The irony is that we did this when we were sometimes supposed to be working. (We were on the night shift and things often got slow. Had to find some way to kill the time!) It was such fun. I haven't heard from that particular friend in a long time, but our little game is still a fun way to pass the time.

Today's dream subject: perfumes, perfumes, perfumes...

Ahh, what can I say? This is the maker of the most fabulous fragrance ever.

I cannot even describe to you what this scent makes me feel. (You know I belong to the Guerlain site!) There was a time when I had over 15 Shalimar bottles and holders. I hope they are still in my storage, but I believe the man I was married to got rid of them...

Then there was this wonderful scent. The funny thing is, I could only ever find it in miniature sizes. Great fragrance though, and way more (and I do mean waaaay more) affordable than Shalimar. 

Flori Roberts "Gold" fragrance was a winner. I'd have men and women stop to ask what scent I was wearing and where I got it from. Sadly, the scent is discontinued. I couldn't even find a picture of the bottle or box. The pic I'm including is from another F.R. product with a similar looking box. I'm so sad...

I have to explain this one since it is a men's cologne. Somewhere on this blog I have previously posted on how I feel about smelling this scent on a man. Oh. My. Good. Mercy. This is the most intense scent. Ever. I loved this so much that one Christmas I gave the women in my brothers' lives a gift by giving all the guys this cologne. Yes, the ladies were very happy. I even got some for myself. I'd spray it on my pillow and sheets just because it smelled so good. (Okay, and because at the time I was single and just liked having that masculine smell around. LOL) So, yeah, this one is on my dream list.

Laugh if you want, but there was a time when I was all about some Charlie. I had a bottle on my dresser, one in my purse, one in my desk drawer at work, and, yes ma'am, I kept a bottle in my car. I was more "Charlie" than Shelley Hack - and not only was she the model for the fragrance, but she ended up being one of  the "Charlie's Angels." Shoot, you couldn't tell me nothin' about some Charlie... And it was right up there with another favorite:

Emeraude. I still wear this stuff. For one thing, I can afford it and, for another thing, even if I couldn't, I bought so much when I could I still have some! Love it, love it, love it. If only it had more of an oil base and lasted on me more than half and hour. Still, classic.

I won't keep posting the pics. It's tedious because you know I forget what the hell I'm doing half the time. (I just realized I had a couple of pics that have nothing to do with this post, but I kept trying to insert them... Ah, well.)

Other perfumes (or colognes) I have loved: Dune, Hynotic Poison (not the orginal sickening, choke-a-horse crap) and Opium (yum). This one here is also a favorite, but I hate the bottle design.

Yep. It's "Angel." One of the BFF's (Barb) with her bougie ass got me hooked on this one. I think she even got me my first bottle. Then that heffa moved away and I had to support my own habit!

Now here are some scents that I wouldn't be caught alive wearing. I don't believe even my worst enemy would squirt any on me when I'm dead. I mean, what the heck???

Isn't this just insane? Of course this is not a perfume I would buy. I mean, I wouldn't even want this on my dresser... (Okay, maybe if my potential man was into it. I'd agree to keep it hidden somewhere in a lingerie drawer!) Anyway... I remember now that I had heard of products under this name a few years back. There was an uproar by concerned parents and such. The name, by the way, stands for "French Connection U.K." I have a problem getting things past my brain, so I always first see the wrong word - you know, the "bad" word. Silly world, huh?

Surprisingly, Britney Spears' fragrance is not that bad. It's not for my body chemistry, but it smells really nice on my niece. (She is embarrassed that it's from Britney so she hides it in the very bottom of her purse. Idiot.)

Other than Emeraude, I have in my possession (only because I stockpiled when I had a JOB and something called "disposable income"): Hypnotic Poison, Queen (Latifah's really nice fragrance), Halle (a feel-better gift from fam) and like half a drop of Shalimar perfume left in one of the bottles that survived my marriage. I won't even use the Shalimar. I just sniff the bottle every now and then to make myself feel better. LOL

Of course, there are some nasty (in my opinion, of course) scents. You know the ones, those that smell like scented rubbing alcohol, a too-sweet candle,  or (yuk) burning butt. Some scents are nice until the person wearing them decides to suffocate the rest of the world with it -  like some chick in Safeway the other day. I don't think I have ever smelled a fragrance that sugary. And she must have wanted to get rid of a stalker since she apparently soaked in it. It was way horrible. I didn't get closer than ten feet of her and I up with that stench on me. (I am so serious. I got home and my sister asked, "Are you on a new medicine?" Wow.)

Anyway... I hope I gave you a new way to pass the time. Go ahead, dream about what you would buy if you could. In this economy, dreaming is about all most of us can afford to do.

Peace
--Free