Last holiday hurrah.
If there's one thing I'll do in 2026, it's expand my (very limited) perfume collection- or at least, expand my knowledge of them. I'm someone who doesn't really know much about scents in general; if I like what I smell, I'll wear it. Most of the perfumes I have currently are mostly light and fruity, such Bath and Body Works' Guilty as Fig and Sunshine Guava-tini, Guess' Mykonos Breeze, the ever-classic, Elizabeth Arden Green Tea, and minis of Hermès Un Jardin Sur Le Nil and Fragonard's Lavande (100% recommend this one and I'd pick a bigger bottle in a heartbeat). These scents are so light, reliable, and easy to use daily that I can pick one at random and know I'm gonna smell good before I leave the house. I want to expand my scent profile a bit and go beyond fruity scents so I guess that's why I want to be more into scents this year.
However, one thing I'm NOT gonna do is blind buy perfumes because they can be pricey as heck which is why I'm so ever grateful for brands that have minis/samples of their perfumes! Not only are samples a more affordable option, they're also easier to bring around so you can spray it anytime, anywhere to really test a scent out. A few local beauty brands (such as Lucky Beauty, Issy, Chu Chu Beauty, and Blk) came out with their own perfume lines last year and I've been hearing nothing but praises all around which is why I'm so eager to also try them out! So to test out the waters, I decided to try out Lucky Beauty's holiday releases first- because even though it's January already, I still have a soft spot for anything holiday related! Admittedly, I'm very late to the game but worry not, I got the minis right away to try. Here are my thoughts!
These are the Holiday Lucky Potions scents: Gingerbread Rouge and Vanilla Eclat! These are described as unisex EDP fragrances that offer a celestial scent and cozy warmth that's perfect for the holidays. These limited edition scents come in two sizes: the full-size 50ml bottle (₱888) and the tester 3ml vial (₱88).
Let's start with Gingerbread Rouge first, shall we?
"Ushering in the long-awaited moment, bright saffron and nutmeg mingle with a caramel-kissed frosted jasmine, like a busy gingerbread bakeshop welcoming its guests. At its heart, the cozy radiance of ginger and cinnamon is softened by the mineral warmth of ambergris and amberwood. As it settles, fir boughs and cloud-like vanilla weave a serene embrace, leaving a scrumptious trail for everyone to follow."
Top notes: caramel, nutmeg, saffron, jasmine
Middle notes: ginger, cinnamon, amberwood ambergris
Base notes: vanilla, fir
As a gingerbread enthusiast, I was fully expecting this one to be cutesy sweet with hints of spice throughout- boy was I wrong! Gingerbread Rouge doesn't start sweet- it punches you with spiced sweetness from the get go. I can instantly smell the gingerbread spices from sniffing the spritzer and they become more prominent when sprayed on the skin. I initially thought they were too much- I mean, I like my spices but I prefer them at the lingering at the back, you know? It was very reminiscent of very spicy men body sprays- the ones that made my head hurt haha! Now this perfume made my head hurt too the first few times I tested it but I dunno, this one's growing on me! Once it settled on my skin, the sweetness from the caramel and vanilla pushed forward, alongside the spiciness of the nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger, all rounded up by a hint of woodiness from the ambergris. It's the kind of scent that you may not like from the start because of how spicy and earthy it is but you'll eventually appreciate the blend the more you wear it. It's not a sweet girl, clean girl type of scent- it's for those who like their scents with a little bite to it.
Next up is Vanilla Eclat!
"The spectral ritual begins with the sharp, clean chill of icy lemon and cracked pepper. It yields to a haunting heart of mineral salt and smudged sage, like a blessing drifting through the cool air. As the fragrance mellows, it sinks into the quiet strength of cedar and sandalwood, tenderly wrapped in a comforting vanilla shroud."
Top notes: lemon, pepper
Middle notes: salt, sage
Base notes: vanilla, cedar, sandalwood
Initially, I wasn't too sold on this scent when I first sprayed it. The dominant scent I first smelled was incense, the type you smell when you're in mass. However, since a lot of people were hyping this up, I thought I'd use it a few more times to smell what they're smelling and I'm glad I did! Once it dried down on my skin, it started smelling like sea breeze on a cold early morning: crisp and cool, with a hint of salt and lemon, with a peppery and woody/musky end. Well, I'll be damned- it actually smells good! As something with "vanilla" on its name, I was fully expecting it to be vanilla-heavy but this whole fresh sea breeze vibe is very much a nice surprise. It smells grown up but not too grown, if you get what I mean? I like that it's a clean scent that's totally different (in a good way!) from my usual fruity scents. I totally see myself wearing this on cool/cold days or nights and right now, I actually am. Between the two scents, this is closer to a clean girl/ clean sheets scent- one that's light, clean, and fresh. Now I know why it's very talked about on the local beauty space!
Both perfumes have lasted on my skin for about 6 hours (although I was still able to smell a faint lingering smell a few more hours after that mark) but surprisingly, they last longer on my clothes! I used Vanilla Eclat two days ago and I can still smell it on my shirt. Same goes with Gingerbread Rouge.
For holiday scents, these pretty much hit the mark. Vanilla Eclat embodies the cold, chilly but wondrous atmosphere we usually have in December while Gingerbread Rouge reminds me of a cozy home full of freshly baked cookies and pastries to be shared with family and friends. Different scenarios but same same holiday spirit, you know? Now that I was able to try both, I fear it's impossible to pick one. I like how easy it is to wear Vanilla Eclat but I like how edgy Gingerbread Rouge is. I think the best solution is to just buy both! I probably won't get them full-size but hopefully Lucky Beauty also releases a 15ml bottle for these two because I will snatch them up ASAP!
These scents are a nice deviation from my very fruit-heavy scents and I like how they opened my eyes to whole new world outside florals, vanilla, and musk. They also made me realize that clean laundry scents are, indeed, great and a must-have in a perfume line-up. Not bad for my first scents from a local beauty brand! Now I want to try the OG scents from Lucky Beauty, especially the Season II trio (I spy one with cranberry, pink pepper and tamarind as top notes!!). And yes, in mini-form again because again: I won't blind buy perfumes. Not in this economy anyway!
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