Parfums Caron is a French perfume house that was founded in Paris in 1904. The company had achieved great success when the threat of Nazism forced the founder, Ernest Daltroff, to flee to America in 1939. Imagine the scene: As Ernest approached Ellis Island on the boat that brings him to safety, he gazes upon the Statue of Liberty. The majestic splendor and imposing beauty overwhelms him as she welcomes him to the land of liberty. Deeply moved by this moment, he promises that he will create a perfume to commemorate Lady Liberty. 60 years later, his dream becomes a reality with the introduction of Lady Caron.

In 1988, Mr. Patrick Alès, the founder of Phyto hair care, became the owner of the famed Caron perfume House. Mr. Alès was touched and inspired by Mr. Daltroff’s story, so in 2000, he revived the legend and fulfilled Ernest Daltroff’s dream. In collaboration with Mr. Richard Fraysse, Caron’s current in-house nose and master perfumer, Lady Caron was created as a tribute to the Statue of Liberty and to America, the land of freedom.

It is a lovely story for a perfume with a delectable list of notes. It has magnolia, jasmine absolute, and neroli in the head notes, rose, raspberry, and peach in the heart, and oak moss and sandalwood at the base. The bottle is also stunning, featuring the face of the Statue of Liberty in the center of the glass. If you click on the thumbnail, you will see a larger version of the image.

I haven’t had the opportunity to try Lady Caron yet, but hope to soon. I love the romanticism behind the story and the notes sound really pretty. Lady Caron retails for $95 for 50 ml EDT, $130 for 100 ml EDT, and $180 for Pure Perfume Extract. It can be found at the Caron boutique at Phyto Universe (715 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10022), as well as select Saks Fifth Avenue, Henri Bendel, Bergdorf Goodman and Nordstrom locations.

Occasionally, I get a backlog of stuff I want to write about, especially stuff that doesn’t really need a whole blog post. Instead, we have the blitz blog, where I cover all the tidbits I’ve been wanting to mention.

First, check out the new Ryoko travel fragrances at Kenzo USA. Ryoko means travel in Japanese, and these cute pebble-shaped perfume bottles are meant to be air travel friendly.

Remember when I wrote about how much I love the new Nivea body washes? I discovered that the special no-poof formula also makes them really great when shaving your legs. The super-creamy lather gave a great close shave, and of course, the scents are still great. Touch of Happiness is currently in my shower, and I’m really loving the slightly floral-yet-orangey scent. If you want perfectly soft skin this summer (at a great price!) check them out!

Physicians Formula has new Organic Makeup removers that look nice. I haven’t tried them yet, but I would like to.

It’s been a rather long day and I am feeling quite tired, lazy, and cranky. So today’s blog post is a list of 5 things that would definitely cheer me up if they landed in my hot little hands. As always, in no particular order…

1. These NYX eyeshadow palettes look GORGEOUS. I particularly want I Dream of St. Thomas or I Dream of St. Lucia! Plus, can’t beat the price!! I feel an order coming on…

2. I’m kind of feelin’ my place or yours Gina eau de toilette from Benefit. Once the attack of pink pepper wears off, it mellows out into a delish raspberry-patchouli vibe.

3. This Fresh Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15 looks FABULOUS!! Me want!

4. Don’t these Mini Mark It Stick for eyes and lips from mark. look adorable? I want green opal and violet opal for eyes, and peachy pearl and plummy pearl for lips.

5. I REALLY want to try this evolution of smooth lip balm. Badly. Soon. It’s something about the packaging, the spherical shape, the pretty pastel colors… I’m a sucker.

Do you use Q-Tips? Chances are you do, because if you’re like me, they are the Unsung Hero Of The Medicine Cabinet. I use them all the time, for fixing makeup, removing makeup, applying makeup… And trust me, you don’t want the generic brand. Get the real deal, because all the fake brands stink – the sticks bend, the cotton falls right off, etc. Q-Tips recently introduced these cute little vanity packs that look good in your bathroom, too. So don’t scrimp, get the real thing!

Fellow Beauty Blogger Clumps of Mascara has this ADORABLE post on the many uses of the Q-Tip that I wanted to share with you, so go check it out!

What other Unsung Heroes Of The Medicine Cabinet can you think of?

Remember when I posted about L’Oreal HIP Color Presso and said that because of the way the applicator works, you probably won’t get the exact same color combo each time you squeeze? (Click the link if you don’t remember, lol.) Avon’s new SpectraColor Lipstick solves that problem with a nifty color dial for more precise results each time you apply it.

Here’s the scoop. The product consists of an outer tube that houses two color tubes inside, one light, one dark. There is a slant-tip applicator at the top and a dial at the bottom. You turn the dial to any one of seven settings, and you get seven different shades, from (you guessed it!) light to dark. It’s all very cool and gadget-y, and I like that you basically are getting seven colors in one product. It’s labeled as a lipstick, but personally I’d call it more of a highly pigmented gloss. It’s definitely liquid like a gloss, but not as shiny and with a longer lasting finish on your lips. Did I mention it’s got pigment?The colors are very rich and deep, especially at the darker end. I have The Wines, and it gets No Kidding dark and very dramatic.

It’s not without some drawbacks. I’m not in love with the slant-tip applicator – it’s a little large and unwieldy, and tends to lead to a somewhat sloppy application. I just use a lip brush or my finger, problem solved. The whole tube itself is also a bit on the large side for a lip product, but it’s not a big deal unless you are trying to squeeze it into a tiny evening clutch or something.

Overall, I give it two thumbs up for uniqueness, more bang for your buck, and the excellent rich color. Right now, get it at avon.com for $7.99.

Did you know that June is National Candy Month? I didn’t either. It’s also National Accordion Awareness Month and Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome Awareness Month, but those are harder to tie into beauty…

A candy binge is never a good idea (calories! cavities!), but don’t worry – you can have your cake and smell like it too! To honor this light-hearted holiday, save on calories and instead look for a scent inspired by your favorite sweet!

Do you crave decadent white chocolate? Try Hilary Duff’s Wrapped With Love, described as a perfect combination of white chocolate mousse notes wrapped in a combination of milk and vanilla beans, highlighted by sunkissed raspberry. Get it at elizabetharden.com, $38 for 1.7 fl oz.

How about toasted marshmallows? M by Mariah Carey has a warm and inviting marshmallow note woven throughout the fragrance, evoking a sense of comfort. This indulgent accord captures Mariah’s fondest childhood memories of being in the kitchen with her father. Get it at macys.com, $55 for 1.7 fl. oz.

If it’s vanilla ice cream and cake you want, try HIDDEN fantasy Britney Spears. Mexican Vanilla Bean and Napolitano cake (as well as a lovely citrus note, it’s actually very orange sherbet-y in the beginning) notes wind throughout the fragrance. It’s $45 for 1.7 fl. oz. at elizabetharden.com.

Last, but not least, the original Fantasy Britney Spears is laced with a yummy cupcake accord, jasmine petals and sexy white chocolate orchid. Get it at macys.com, $45 for 1.7 fl. oz.

For extra fun, we are giving away one of these fragrances to one lucky reader! Just enter your name and email address in the contest box, as well as which fragrance (from the four featured here) you want if you win, and one lucky winner will be drawn on July 1st.

Click on Details for specific rules. Also, please use the contest box. Names & email addresses left in the comments will NOT be counted. Thank you!

New York Magazine has a really cool feature that I wanted to share: Shop-A-Matic lipsticks. 115 different lip products are identified, by type, color, and price. Click on one, and you get the details – including a color swatch, a picture of the product on the lips, and where to purchase online.  You can either view all (sorted by price, high or low) or view by color or by type (again, sub-sorted by price… is sub-sorted a word? I just made it up.) It is super-cool! It’s kind of embarrassing to admit how much time I could spend browsing through all the products…

Hello Lovelies! skyn ICELAND is giving away their new Glacial Cleansing cloths to the first 25 people who sign up for their mailing list. Here’s the details!

Skyn ICELAND says “Glacial Cleansing cloths are the ultimate solution for cleansing on-the-go. You don’t need water – just rub the sides together to create a lather, and sweep over your skin anytime, anywhere. The small package is ultra-portable, and super easy to slip into a gym bag, a beach bag, or in your desk at work. Naturally, we’re madly in love with them.”

Go to their blog at www.skyniceland.blogs.com and click the Club ICELAND link on the right side of the blog to join the mailing list. Fill in your information, and make sure you enter “I want to cleanse on-the-go!” in the comments section. That’s it!

I have been a fan of skyn ICELAND ever since I tried their awesome eye cream back in the day. Definitely check out their products!