Isaac Mizrahi Explains How To Be Fabulous
When it comes to fashion, Isaac Mizrahi is a household name. The sartorial icon debuted his first fragrance last fall (we can hardly believe he waited so long!) and named it Fabulous. This month, we sent the perfume to some of our subscribers, but we wanted to get the inside scoop on what makes it so special. So we went straight to the designer and Jennifer Mullarky from The Cloudbreak Group, who worked with Isaac to develop his debut scent. Read on to find out more.
Q: What was the inspiration behind the fragrance?
Isaac: The inspiration behind Fabulous was to somehow distill the spirit of my brand, my over 20 years of work, into a scent. I think it’s one of the most emotional things that a woman wears. It’s the thing she puts on before anything else. I grew up in New York, so I was exposed to a number of very fabulous women.
Q: How long did it take to develop the fragrance?
Jennifer: The fragrance process took about six months. We worked with several different perfumers on a number of directions and then finally selected the fragrance, we felt this was the right fit.
Q: How difficult was it to find a blend of notes that worked well together?
Jennifer: When developing the fragrance, we really focused more on the entire composition of the fragrance instead of the individual notes. We wanted the fragrance to have an element of fresh radiance with underlying sensuality.
Q: When naming the fragrance, why did you settle on Fabulous?
Isaac: I always use the word and It’s a honest expletive, I never lie when I use the word Fabulous!
Q: What’s your best tip for being fabulous?
Isaac: Confidence, it’s every woman’s greatest asset.
—Meredith
We’re suckers for rollerballs. Pick up Fabulous in a truly portable size here.
Winter weather is still lingering here in New York, and we’re antsy for spring to arrive so there can be an end to all this dry air and parched skin. Our favorite trick to fake blooming season? Indulging in the scents of our favorite flowers with a mini pampering. That’s why we invited our community to a shindig last month with a little help from our friends at Jouer. We gave a few lucky Birchbloggers the opportunity to try the gardenia, jasmine, and honeysuckle-scented Body Butter and Signature Rollerball Fragrance. Here’s what three bloggers had to say about these spring-scented picks:
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We’re always talking about the staffers in the Birchbox office, but the ones who you interact with everyday are the ladies of our hard-working Ops team. These fabulous femmes handle all of your customer service woes. We wanted to give you a chance to get to know them even better—so here’s a peek at who’s on the other side of the phone.
As Ops associates we get to try and learn about every Birchbox product so we can answer any questions that customers may have. Which is why when someone on the team has fallen head over heels for a product you know you can really trust that it’s amazing. Last month Audrey told everyone about her favorite signature product from Miracle Skin Transformer. This month Dana is telling us why the Juicy Couture – Juicy Couture fragrance is the product she just can’t live without. Read on to see why Dana is in love and why you should be too!
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We approach scents much like we do our wardrobe: mixing, matching, and rotating fragrances throughout the season. Is it any wonder that our favorite fashion looks tend to influence both our outfits and our spritzes? While reporting at the Fall/Winter 2013 shows, we spotted three trends that we can’t wait to add to our closets. And since we’re never ones to selectively shop, here are the fragrances that will be joining our fragrance wardrobe.
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In the 9th century, Persian women and men crushed thousands of fresh blossoms to score a few drops of sweet-smelling oil. Like these ancient beauty gurus (and early Birchbox Men), I have my own perfume ritual.
Every couple months, I rearrange my prized—and ever-growing—perfume collection and choose one bottle (and therefore one scent) to take center stage. (Dorky, I know!) But it keeps me from falling into a rut and forces me to cycle through all my favorites. For February, I’m loving Juicy Couture’s latest scent, Juicy Couture La La, which makes me feel ultrafeminine.
With bright opening notes that mellow into a body of soft floral notes, the blend is fresh and pretty without being overtly girly. It’s the perfect thing to pair with a vintage cocktail ring, cashmere sweater, and cigarette pants—or maybe just your usual jeans and tee.
Beyond the packaging and lush scent, I love that Juicy created Juicy Couture La La as an ode to fearless free spirits. Every time I wear it I can’t help thinking of the free spirit who inspired my perfume mantra: Andy Warhol. The iconic artist once explained,
“I switch perfumes all the time. If I’ve been wearing one perfume for three months, I force myself to give it up, even if I still feel like wearing it, so whenever I smell it again it will always remind me of those three months.”
What new scent are you adding to your fragrance wardrobe?
—Ally
For a front row look at this season’s hottest shows check out our New York Fashion Week photo feed!
As much as I love complex scents, I find that too many fragrance notes can sometimes go from head-turning to overwhelming in a single spritz. That’s how I came to adore aerie’s soft shimmer. This chic scent is perfect for those days when you’d rather let your statement necklace be the focus of your outfit—and not your perfume.
Shimmer is a lightweight fragrance blend featuring some of my favorite notes (vanilla, bergamot, peony), and the pretty frosted glass bottle is a fun addition to the growing perfume collection on my ever-crowded vanity. And if you’re still on the fence about switching to a pared down fragrance check out what some of our savvy customers have to say:
Daydreamer256 says: ”I’m quite picky about fragrances, but I really loved this one. It’s light and fresh. It could easily be worn to work without overwhelming the office. I would definitely consider this as my new perfume when I run out of my current one.”
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![Estée Lauder’s Modern Fragrance, Beyoncé Officially Not Pregnant, and More
Estée Lauder’s first fragrance in nearly a decade skips the middle note entirely. [Refinery 29]
Sorry Beyoncé fans – Bey and Jay and are not expecting a second child (for now). [MTV]
Apparently Gwyneth isn’t the only one rockin’ the side butt trend this year. [The Cut]
Our kitchens are about to see a lot more action thanks to these adorable single-subject cookbooks. [Kickstarter]
An 18-year-old woman invents a device that can charge a cell phone in 20 seconds. We can’t thank her enough. [NBC]
Here are 15 uses for duct tape that can help you on your way to better health and fitness. Who knew? [Greatist]
– Bre
Self-confessed contouring addict and Birchbox staffer Deepica shares her tips for an everyday contour look.
(Photo: WWD)](http://25.media.tumblr.com/cf6f6b54632a1e445bd9a2d315196ed5/tumblr_mn4aoyiH9M1qbz3xno1_500.jpg)
![Oscar’s New Fragrance, Alber + Lancome, and More
Oscar de la Renta launches his third fragrance, Something Blue, inspired by matrimony. [WWD]
A match made in makeup heaven: Lanvin’s Alber Elbez collaborates on a colorful new line with Lancôme. [Glamour]
Check out the cutest and coolest statement-making manis at this year’s 70th annual Golden Globes. [E! Online]
Getting to know the HBO Girls breakout star Zosia Mamet, a.k.a Shoshanna. [Huffington Post]
Lance Armstrong has admitted to doping and sources say that he will testify against several of cycling’s most influential individuals who knew about it. [NYT]
—Charisse
Want to see more of our favorite manicures? Here’s our top five winter shades.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/38da9f81a0a032d05948aea283a5c7f9/tumblr_mgn1jsudIy1qbz3xno1_1280.jpg)
