New Perfume Additions

I have a slight addiction to perfume. I think anyone with a shopping habit can admit that fragrances are some of the easiest things to splurge on. The bottles are pretty, they smell amazing and there's always a sale somewhere! I've acquired a few more fragrances recently, so instead of reviewing them individually and rambling on, I thought i'd do a quick (ish) round-up. It's really difficult to review a perfume because everyone's tastes are different, but i'll give it my best shot. Just so you know, the sizes of the bottles pictured do not necessarily reflect the prices i've mentioned. I've started with the lowest price for the smallest amount to give you a rough price bracket!

Calvin Klein Endless Euphoria Eau de Parfum* (From £37.50 for 40ml, The Fragrance Shop)

I absolutely loved the original Euphoria and I was slightly disappointed when I found that it didn't really resemble anything to do with the old fragrance at all. But that's not to say this isn't an amazing fragrance on its own. It has hints of cherry blossom, violet and bergamot, making this scent really refreshing and light. It's described as quite dream-like, and I totally agree. This would be a perfect scent to throw in a bag (Maybe not literally!) when you're going away, as it's perfect for both day and night. 

Victoria's Secret Sexy Little Things Noir Tease Scented Body Mist (£22 for 250ml, Victoria's Secret)

This is the only body mist out of the new additions and the reason for this if i'm totally honest is that I really wanted the proper bottle but didn't want to pay the £50 for the small Eau de Parfum! This scent is boidoir-inspired, with black vanilla and sandalwood bottom notes for warmth layered with top notes of red apple and lychee to keep it light. It's sexy, flirty and just the perfect combination of musky and fruity! I do think I will purchase the actual EDP after this is finished because the staying power isn't great (obviously) and i've heard amazing things about the EDP's leaving a strong scent for hours.

DKNY Be Delicious City Blossom Rooftop Peony Eau de Toilette* (£37 for 50ml)

This is probably my least favourite, purely because i've never been much of a fan of the DKNY perfumes. Containing mandarin, pink lady apple, raspberry and peony, this is just far too sweet for my liking. Whenever I smell it I can always smell the alcohol used to create it, which i'm definitely not a fan of. The bottle is pretty, but as it settles it just smells really powdery and floral; a little too wishy-washy for my taste.

Balenciaga Paris L'Edition Reflets Eau de Parfum* (£75 for 75ml, John Lewis)

Now this is a posh one! Containing violet and woody musk, this is something I would wear on a fancy night out or special date night. This is my second Balenciaga perfume and both of them always make me feel really confident and classy when I wear them. It's safe to say this is the most 'grown up' fragrance I own and i'd like to think its something that will grow on me in time.

Fantasy Stage Edition by Britney Spears* (From £29.50 for 50ml, Boots)
What I didn't realise when I was given this perfume was that it's the same Fantasy fragrance but in a new bottle? This scent reminds me so much of being a kid and being so excited to get hold of Britney's cupcake-inspired perfume. It also contains white chocolate, musk and kiwi, so its safe to say it's pretty sickly. I fear this one may be a little young for me, although I think it may be nice in the summer. Either way the bottle is really pretty and it's ideal if you want a distinctive scent that'll linger for a while!

Nina Ricci La Tentation de Nina Limited Edition Eau de Toilette (£34 for 50ml, Feel Unique)

One word to describe this perfume: YUM. Inspired by the smell and taste of a French macaroon, this little scent is bursting with almonds, raspberries and lemons to give you a combination of sweetness and elegance. The packaging is absolutely gorgeous too, with the neon pink really standing out against the rest on my fragrance shelf. 

Penhaligon's London Empressa Eau de Toilette* (£100 for 100ml, Penhaligon's)

I didn't photograph this because I only received a sample from a press event, but I literally cannot get enough of this perfume. Penhaligon's are a fragrance company that i've only just started to get to know, and I just love their elegant packaging, classic scents and general style. If you walk into a Penhaligon's shop you feel like you've been instantly transported to the early 1900's, and the bottles are so elegant and old fashioned I would keep them for decoration after i'd finished the actual product. Anyway, Empressa contains pink pepper, blood orange and vanilla with hints of patchouli, cocoa and sandalwood to give it a rich sweetness. The best way I can describe it, is that it smells almost exactly like Coco Chanel Mademoiselle, only a little bit richer slightly less floral. Unfortunately it's not something I would repurchase purely because of the price, but its definitely something i'd love to splash out on if I ever had the money spare!

Have you bought any perfumes recently? What are your favourites? Let me know, as i'm always on the hunt for more!

Wonderstruck By Taylor Swift

I have a confession... I love Taylor Swift. I don't know why i'm saying it like it's a sort of guilty pleasure, her songs are incredible and she has legs the length of my entire body.
Therefore, purchasing her signature perfume was inevitable. I was hesitant at first, as I feared that if I knew she released a perfume that I despised I would be gravely disappointed. However, after playing "Enchanted" on repeat a few hundred times (Where the word 'Wonderstruck' was sung repeatedly), I decided to take the plunge - that, and the fact that Boots had the 30ml bottle on offer for an amazing £13!

The design is exactly the way I imagined it would be. Very bohemian, away-with-the-fairies, and almost mythical -  taking me back to the setting of her  'Love Story' video (Fangirling, sorry!).
 With heart notes of honeysuckle and vanilla whoopie pie, it's definitely one of the sweetest perfumes I own. With added peach, amber and a hint of musk, it's quite indulgent. I think this is quite a child/teen perfume, but I can imagine it would be a hit for anyone who wants to compliment their outfit with a beautifully sweet scent. The perfume is very authentic, with the scents chosen by Taylor that encapsulate her memories and experiences. With the 50ml bottle, the neck is adorned with beautiful Moravian star, birdcage and dove charms that were also chosen by Taylor.

I don't usually like doing perfume reviews as every scent is slightly different on everyone, but i'm just in love with it. It's playful, enticing and sensual enough to wear in the evening. It's also great when you need a little pick-me-up too, nothing puts me in a better mood than smelling like a sweet shop!

You can purchase Wonderstruck from your local perfume shop or online here from £19.50.

My Perfume Collection

I've always found perfumes extremely difficult to review because I believe that perfume is extremely individual and smells totally different on everyone, but I really wanted to do a general overview of my staple fragrances that I simply cannot live without. I'm a real girly girl, so most of my fragrances are very fruity and feminine. Obviously this isn't my entire collection (I have two glossyboxes full of both full-sized and travel bottles of various fragrances!), but its certainly my most used. I really believe that looking at a persons perfume collection can really tell you a lot about them, so here's mine:

 Clockwise from left:

(1) Chanel Coco Mademoiselle* - From £46 for 35ml

 This will always be my favourite perfume regardless of how many I buy, purely because it was the perfume that made me want to start an actual collection. With hints of floral jasmine, this perfume combines the luxuriousness and sensuality that Chanel incorporates in all of their perfumes, but with a playful and feminine twist, making it perfect for the younger woman. I've always wanted to own Chanel No5, but i've found that it's a little too 'old' for me, making this a perfect alternative for my age and personality.

(2) Florabotanica by Balenciaga* - From £53 for 50ml

 With base notes of amber and accords of mint, carnation and hybrid rose, Florabotanica is a vibrant floral scent that I like to wear on early mornings to wake me up! It may seem quite a strong scent for some, but i've found just two spritzes is enough to last the whole day.

(3) Ghost Enchanted Bloom - From £23.50 for 30ml

Every girl needs a Ghost perfume, and this one has quickly become one of my favourites, closely followed by Ghost Sweetheart. As the name suggests it's extremely floral with top notes of voilet leaf and cranberry, following by scents such caviar peach, musk and freesia that combine to make an extremely romantic scent that I like to wear on informal evenings out. It's one of my least expensive perfumes but the scent definitely holds its own amongst the rest.  

(4) Christina Aguilera - From £29.50 for 50ml
Sometimes you just can't beat an original! The singers debut fragrance has been one of my staple fragrances for years, so much so that whenever I wear it I feel instantly transported to my senior school days, where I felt really mature and grown up to own a perfume in such a gorgeous bottle covered in lace! With top notes of peach and blackcurrent to maintain that feminine feel, mixed with base notes of musk, vanilla and sandlewood - this is a perfect combination of fun and sexy that I love to wear on a day-to-day basis.  

(5) Burberry Body - From £45 for 35ml
This is one of my more recent fragrances, but has quickly become one of my favourites so it will soon need replacing! Effortlessly elegant with an eclectic mixture of vanilla, amber, cashmeran and sandlewood, it's a feminine fragrance with an earthy undertone that oozes elegance and sophistication, like the brand itself. 

(6) Flowerbomb by Viktor and Rolf - From £55 for 50ml
Oh, how I love this perfume! I could literally talk about it all day. I discovered it by simply walking past my flatmates bedroom and having to do a double-take as smelling it actually stopped me in my tracks. It's quite decieving, as it actually smells more like a sweet-shop than a bouquet of flowers. It smells like marshmallows, with a hint of jasmine and freesia (although you can't really smell these very much!). It's probably the sweetest perfume I own, but its extremely playful and can be worn for both day and night - it's currently my most worn our of the entire collection.

(7) Curious by Britney Spears* - From £22.99 for 100ml
It could be argued that i'm a little too old to be wearing this perfume, but this could be because this was one of the first perfumes I bought for myself when I was in my early teens (That, and it's actually described as 'Youthful'). With a mixture of lotus flower, golden anju pear and my all-time favourite vanilla-infused musk, its very vibrant and certainly original. It reflects the big kid in me, so I wear it whenever i'm needing a little reminder that i'm a bit too young to start acting my age! 

Lush's 'Vanillary' Gorilla Perfume

What you will notice within the next week or so, is that i'm having a bit of an obsession with vanilla - and this was the product that started it all!

I'd always seen Gorilla Perfumes by the counter at my local Lush, but they were just something i'd never thought i'd try. It was only until I ended up taking one of my ultra-expensive perfume bottles to work in my bag with me and I spent the whole train ride terrified that it would smash, that I knew I needed a practical alternative.

Gorilla Perfumes are the brainchild of Simon and Mark Constantine - perfumers dedicated to producing quality perfumes that go against mainstream fragrances. The 13 featured fragrances are a combination of completely unique scents, and perfumes that are created to accompany the scent of another Lush product e.g.: A bath ballistic or a massage bar. Vanillary is the accompanying scent of the Vanilla Foundation bath ballistic (Which was created after a few Lush employees visited the amazing Heston Blumenthal's restaurant and became inspired by one of his dishes!) and is one of Lush's best selling perfumes.

Described as a "Warm, cosy hug", the perfume contains main notes of real vanilla and jasmine, along with the caramel-like scent of tonka bean. The solid perfume is a simple push-up stick with a screw-top lid making it perfect for a perfume on the go. It's compact and in a plastic casing so instantly fulfills the 'glass perfume bottle' dilemma I was having. What's amazing about this perfume is that, once applied, you smell as though you've just stepped out of a kitchen after cooking. It's sweet and warm with a hint of seductive jasmine - a perfect, comforting winter scent.

To apply, you simply rub the stick onto the areas (I use it on my neck and wrists, but you can use it on the backs of the knees and even the ankles!) and the product simply melts on. I must admit it is ever-so-slightly sticky straight after applying, but nothing that would stop you from using the product. Like I said, the perfume uses real vanilla pod, so you don't need a lot of the product to ensure your covered all day long. Best of all is the price - this little beauty can be yours for just £6.50. You can also buy any of the solid perfumes in spritzer (£12 for 10ml) or atomiser (£25 for 30ml) form, but this is perfect to keep in your bag for when your rushing out the door and forget to spritz. This now has a permanant place in my university handbag, and i'll definitely be visiting Lush soon to purchase more scents so I can have one in every handbag I own! 

Vanillary and other Gorilla Perfumes are available from your local Lush store, or view the full range online here.

Review: My first Glossybox! The Harrods Edition - March 2012

I've been so excited to write this post. Ever since I started blogging i've wanted to start receiving a monthly Glossybox - a selection of luxury miniature products for a bargain price of £12.95 a month (Including P&P) delivered right to your door for you to sample and adore. To be honest, although it isn't an insane amount of money for what you receive, it took a lot to convince me to sign up. After reading lots of reviews on February's box, I saw that they were bringing out a limited edition Harrods box. They had me at 'limited edition', I could not wait to see what products I would receive.

First of all, let me apologise for the quality of the photos. I didn't have a lot of time to take them and only had my iPhone with me.

I love the gorgeous packaging, the chic white box definetely adds to the exclusivity of the limited edition box. 

Here's what I received in my first box:

Vanitas Versace Eau de Parfum

What a gorgeous little sample of one of Versace's newest fragrances that's perfect for spring. It's floral but not too overpowering, with hints of cedar wood to create a balance of innocence and seduction. The little bottle is so cute, it's great for my handbag. 

Clarins' Extra-Firming Body Cream

 I was so excited to see something from Clarins in my box, as I'm such a big fan. It aims to create firmer skin and a more 'youthful' body - Well, i'm only 20 so I'm unsure whether this applies to me. However, a full size version of this product costs £39.50 in Boots, so I'm happy with the tester to see if it tones and smooths my skin. As it is for the whole body, I don't know how far this product will go.. I can only see myself getting three or four uses. 

Bliss Blood Orange + White Pepper Body Butter

I don't quite know what to think about this product. I've never been too fond of the use of orange as a scent, I find it too tart and makes my face scrunch up like i've just bitten into a lemon. The back of the bottle describes the product as 'vibrantly-scented' - you could call it that! There's no need for perfume with this body butter! When I tested it, I found that my skin clearly felt softer, but I found the mixture quite thick and heavy on my skin and required a lot of rubbing in so my skin wasn't sticky. This will be a good travel product as the blood orange does give it a tropical feel and it's a good size, and luckily you can't smell any of the white pepper! 

Revive Intensite Creme Lustre SPF30 

 

This is the smallest sample of moisturiser I have ever seen! I didn't know quite to do with it. Much like the Clarins product, this moisturiser promises to produce firmer skin and reduce wrinkles (I suppose it's never too early to start trying to stop wrinkles - i'm sure to have visible laughter lines by the time i'm 25!).  I don't think this will do for more than two or three applications, however this is a generous size seeing as the full price product retails at £235! I haven't tested the product yet, but i'm unsure as to whether I will bother writing a review - £235 for a moisturiser is just plain ridiculous.

Lancome Juicy Tubes in Toffee

This was the product that immediately caught my attention, and what I was the most excited about! I've always wanted to purchase one of these legendary lipglosses, but never got round to it. It smells absolutely delicious, so much so that I will probably need to buy another tube as I keep licking it off my lips! The perfect end to the Glossybox, i'm so happy to have one of these gorgeously scented glosses to carry around with me at all times! 

Overall, I have extremely satisfied with these products. I read disappointed reviews on various other blogs about the limited edition box, but I can safely say that I will be continuing my subscription with Glossybox, and can't wait to show you all what I get next month!