What They Say: "Light Comes From Within is a sheer, luminous fragrance that celebrates new beginnings. Its sparkling bergamot top note introduces a captivatingly fresh middle note accord of freesia, honeysuckle and night blooming jasmine. Fresh oceanic musk and white cedar form a base note accord of subtle depth. This fragrance evokes dancing California sunlight, coastal air and more ethereal manifestations of nature's beauty."

What Melissa Says: The floral combination in this fragrance is so pretty; it's perfectly balanced and very feminine, without any overpowering bite. When it starts out, it remind me slightly of a delicate lily-of-the-valley scent, and once it develops on the skin it warms into a fabulously romantic blend. I also didn't find staying power to be an issue with this fragrance at all. This is actually one of my favorites from what I've tried in the past few months. If I were in the market to splurge on a perfect summer feminine scent, I'd consider this one well worth the purchase.

Retail Price: $95.00 (at creativescent.com or go here to find a retail location near you)

(Remember, DeLush doesn't rate fragrances due to differences in taste and body chemistry. Choose "Perfumes" under Product Type in the dropdown box for more fragrance ideas.)

What They Say: (About the Trio) “Creative Scentualization’s “Comes From Within” Trio of fragrances was conceived out of Sarah Horowitz-Thran’s desire to pay tribute to the phenomena of inner beauty. As an artist, she has always striven to create fragrances that express the individuality of the wearer and entice those around them. These latest designs are no different, and are conceptually based on the powerful connection between the spirit, heart, and mind. Each fragrance is formulated to evolve differently on everyone, and can be worn alone or layered with other fragrances in the trio for uniquely beautiful results. Wear these exquisite perfumes, and prepare to enter that place where all great journeys begin.” (About “Light”) “Light comes from within is a sheer, luminous fragrance that celebrates new beginnings. Its sparkling bergamot top note introduces a captivatingly fresh middle note accord of freesia, honeysuckle and night blooming jasmine. Fresh oceanic musk and white cedar form a base note accord of subtle depth. This fragrance evokes dancing California sunlight, coastal air and more ethereal manifestations of nature’s beauty.” (About “Love”) “Love comes from within is an alluring tribute to both the passions that exist within all of us and the treasure that is the human heart. Its seductive clove top note introduces a sensuously sexy middle note of spicy carnation and rose, a flower long renowned for its aphrodisiac properties. The fragrance’s textured, warm base note accord of Tunisian Amber, French Vanilla, Clean Musk and Indian Sandalwood beckons others to draw near as it evolves on the skin. Love comes from within is a fragrance designed to inspire that priceless love of self that makes one irresistible to others.” (About “Peace”) “Peace comes from within is a clean, tranquil fragrance of gentle depth. Its bergamot top note, renowned for its ability to inspire mental clarity, rests upon a base note accord of fresh oceanic musk and meditative sandalwood. Peace comes from within is a perfume that is designed to allow the scent of its wearer’s skin to shine through. Evoking the subtle yet intoxicating fragrance of bare arms that have been caressed by seawater, it both captivates and induces a sense of calm.”

Toya’s Take: I’m not as much an expert on fragrances as I am on make-up, so I wasn’t really sure what to make of all the high-falutin’ language that came along with this fragrance trio. I do understand that fragrances have different notes and that what it smells like when you first apply it isn’t what it’s going to smell like later on, but that’s about the extent of my knowledge. Otherwise, I just know what I like. I pick fragrances based on how they make me feel – what image arises in my head when I wear them or if they change my mood for the better. So, when I got the chance to review these fragrances that are based upon one’s inner attributes, I thought they would be perfect for me.

Light comes from within is a wonderfully light, airy, flowery fragrance. It makes me feel soft and pretty and brings to mind a field of flowers. Actually, it smells a lot like Kuumba Made’s Pikaki Lei, which I wear whenever I want to feel feminine and dainty. I like it a lot. However, I really don’t like Love comes from within, which I tested next. It’s a quite heavy-handed, kind of masculine scent, in my opinion. It smells like the neo-hippies that I’ve known – like patchouli and sandalwood (which is one of the ingredients), like dudes with dreadlocks who burn incense and wear peace symbols and raggedy clothes. Blech! It didn’t evoke “love” to me at all, unless you’re thinking “free love”, which … gross. Thankfully, Peace comes from within is much better. Again, like Light it’s a very, well, light, fragrance which makes me think of sunshine and grass and the outdoors … in a good way.

Retail: $95/1.7 ozs. (Available exclusively at Barneys stores or www.barneys.com)

Samples courtesy of AAM Consulting (www.aamconsulting.com)

What They Say: "Warm, mouthwatering and inviting
Vanilla is a scent that, for many, evokes a sense of home and comfort. Due to its popularity in perfumery, our challenge was to create a vanilla fragrance that is unique. This was achieved through the use of such unusual complementary notes as blood orange and tobacco. Perfect Vanilla is enjoyed by both men and women."

Melissa's DeLush Downlow: After a description like that, it's no wonder I put this on my list for Christmas one year and got it as a gift from my mom! As stated above, I have the pure oil version of this fragrance, but it also comes in eau de parfum, body lotion, bath gel, etc. In fact, Creative Scentualizations has an impressive lineup of scent families to try out. While I can't speak to the credit of all of them, I CAN tell you that this is one of my absolute favorite fragrances. I like the oil form, as it stays all day and just gets better and better as my skin warms it up. I always like to put a little in my hair at the nape of my neck, too, which is a great place to add a bit of fragrance in case you don't already. I love it so much that I get sad when I use it because it's that much closer to being empty.

Retail Price: $36.00 (creativescent.com - other products range from $12 up)