Belara

I stumbled on Belara & Bella both a few days ago while out rambling around at yard sales & shops. As I was driving on a state road outside of a neighboring town, a large bag of Vidalia Onions was sitting next to a hand painted sign heralding it's price, right next to the road. Behind it sat what looked like an ancient cinder-blocked gas station with a very old coat of what was once white paint. The door was open & I could see a few women inside that looked to be in their mid 30s, sitting around a table & drinking coffee. I asked if I could come in when I saw an old magicmarker sign that said "Mark Kay" posted obscurely on the corner of the building & they invited me in. What a treasure-trove jackpot it was for this ole fragrance lover! A former Mary Kay lady had quit the business & was selling out of all of her inventory, her personal toiletries & even some very old Avon products from her prior Avon Lady days. She had 2 bottles of this for $6.00 each & when I smelled one, I knew I had to have both. Actually, I bought all the women's frags she sold! She filled a cardboard egg-crate shipping box full of scents for under $40.00 & that is a winner on my fixed-income budget! For me, it opens with a very lovely, spring-fresh scent of lotus blossom, blueberry & what smells distinctly as honeysuckle. Its a beautiful opening on my skin, which lasts about 20 minutes. As it begins to bridge to the heart, the lotus & blueberry are still fairly strong, with the tuberose beginning to awaken somewhat softly. There is just the softest touch of fig, but not too much to make it more fruity for me. This lasted about 2 hours. As it enters the drydown, it has softened to a clean-powdery lotus & sandalwood blend with only the lightest hint of tuberose & musk. It is such a lovely fragrance! It lasts very well, about 6 hours, has good sillage & smells very much like a classic floral type, with white flowers, woodsy, fruity, powdery, musk. It doesn't seem as intense to me as some reviews posted here but then again, I'm so fond of some of THE MOST INTENSIVE perfumes in my use history! I apply heavy-handedly & have to remind myself constantly not everyone likes to soak in smelly-goods like I do. Moderation has never been my forte. This smells classic, very unoffensive, a good all seasons & all purpose fragrance. I can see how some would adopt this for a signature scent. I love the design of this bottle, too! The lovely colors it brings adds more interest on my dresser covered with all sorts of bottles. The bottle feels good in the hand & it sprays easily. I love this one! What a find!!! It goes to show that when out looking for fragrances in shops, etc., that by only stopping & entering some places that would seem like the most unlikely place to hide such treasures (Sign said "Vidalia Onions" !!!!) can often turn out to be the best places. Be open to all sorts of "shops" because we never know unless we inquire!!! I have actually found some great steals at an old mom & pop BOOK store!?! Books! Onions!.....led to hidden nuggets of perfume gold.

This was, and remains, one of my all time favorites. I would have never even heard of it if not for a trip to a Bed and Breakfast in Newport, RI. The owner happened to sell Mary Kay too. I was smitten with this scent and bought it for years. Losing a Mary Kay rep and having had my first child, I just forgot about it. Now, I need to get some more :)

Very hypnotic, the fruits in this perfume are extremely ripe and the balm really does wrap it all up into a nice balance between an office or night out scent. It definitely reminds me of what you'd expect from a Calvin Klein perfume; very mysterious, very feminine and sexy but not at all musky.

Very delicious. It smells deep and womanly. One of my staples.

This scent is perfect for every day, casual wear.