The Perfume Post!

This is my perfume collection, the one I'm currently trying to shop from, before I buy any more gorgeous scents. Note: I said 'try'. Yes, I have already failed the no buy and added more liquid gold to my collection but ahem, more about that later!

This 'no buy' phase has left me with an interesting mix of perfumes to choose from each day.
I thought today I would pick a few highlights (or in the case of one or two, lowlights) to share with you. Just before we start, there are a few perfumes here so I'm not going to go too much into notes or history (in some cases, I've done that in earlier reviews and such trivia can always be found via google). Instead, I've concentrated on what stands out for me about the fragrance or how it makes me feel as this is usually the information I process when I decide if I want to get that fragrance to the tillpoint or not.
And now without further ramble, to the perfume . . .

Beckham, Intimately

The perfume that will always make me smile. So, so pretty and I know this is not going to sound right but the notes almost flutter. Yes, honestly, I said flutter. There is a rave here.

Benefit, Something About Sofia

Yep, this one is still hanging around even after my review almost two years ago. Hmm, now it is getting colder, it might be time to give this one another go.

Britney Spears, Fantasy

This vanillary one is great value for the every day and I think, I prefer it to the very hyped Vera Wang, Princess.

Ghost

You might remember that this is my "grown up" perfume, the one I will wear when I want to be all mature and worldly. This scent makes me feel safe and confident. I love the security it gives me yet personally, I feel it is quite understated in the sense of a girly perfume. I just get something deep, musky and cosy from it. However, this one gets quite a few compliments.

Gucci, Flora

I've posted about my Gucci scents before and I have yet to find one that I do not like but Flora (originally reviewed here) is one I feel I've grown in to even more over the last year. It is very feminine and quite sophisticated. It reminds me of the city slicker rush hour in London. I'm sure half the girls catching the tube to work were wearing this. I like to wear this scent when I'm shopping, especially in the city or the department store. This scent allows me to feel a little bit richer then I am and certainly a whole lot more richer then I am, by the time I get home from said shopping sprees!

Gucci, Guilty

Gucci Guilty is a perfume, I love. It is also a perfume that can not be denied, if worn. Make no mistake, this perfume makes itself known. See my original view here.

Gucci, Rush 2

Gucci Rush 2, again Love! After all, it is a Gucci but this one is very unique. The Rush line smells very different to any other scent out there and those who like these scents do not just like them but really love them. See my thoughts here.

Michael Kors, Very Hollywood

A scent which includes notes of bergamot, orange and gardenia and one I expected a lot more from. After all, many people name it as their signature scent and then there are the illusions of red carpet glamour that the name and bottle create. This is what Michael Kors has said about, Very Hollywood,

“My original Very Hollywood Michael Kors Eau de Parfum pays tribute to old Hollywood glamour. Inspired by iconic screen sirens, it’s indulgent, sexy and sophisticated. . ." Quote found here.

It all sounds very exciting and yeah, almost life changing. Imagine what you could do if you felt indulgent, sexy and sophisticated?!

Now for the reality.

Granted, I have the eau de toilette (not the perfume) and it gives off an ok scent but nothing more then that. I wouldn't say it is immediately identifiable as a fragrance. There is not really a rhythm to the notes and nothing in it really changes as you wear it. There is just a constant dull hum (scent style) of an almost plastic, unremarkable room scent.

There is no edge to Very Hollywood and for me, it does not do enough. It is too immature and too safe. Saying that, I have almost finished the bottle but most of it was used to scent the sofa and on the few recent occasions that I bothered to wear it myself, I have only done so in partnership with The Daily Smooth, Ralph Lauren, Romance style, to give it an extra something. Sadly with so many perfumes out there to try, I don't think that I would purchase this one again.

Tom Ford, Black Orchid

Now when I first tried Black Orchid (aka, Sex In A Bottle!), I found the top notes so intense, deep and unique that it scared me and so then instead of adding an edge, I tried to take it away by pairing it with the Jennifer Anniston scent. I thought this was a pretty smelling pair.

However, I now wonder if instead of teamwork being key, it was just the magic of time and the middle notes in Black Orchid which resulted in a more feminine, pretty scent.

Black Orchid is absolutely divine after about two hours of wear. Honestly, it is like it bursts in to blossom. You can almost pinpoint the exact moment and from there on in, for the next five or six hours, everything in the wake of this scent smells gorgeous. However, then we get to the bottom notes and unfortanately these notes are what scare me when I consider wearing this fragrance more. You see, it seems as Black Orchid starts to go off, it smells almost like I've being frying food. Umm, yeah, not exactly how I want to smell! I've tried respraying another spritz of Black Orchid to lose the less attractive edge but that doesn't seem to bode well. I've come to the conclusion that Black Orchid seems to have its moment (which lasts a good five or six hours, by the way) but then, there is no recreating it until you shower and start all over again. I like this scent a lot but it is not the easiest to wear!

Valentino, Rock and Rose

I love the name but have never really got this scent. I find there is something almost medicinal in it. I don't mind wearing it but it is not really one I reach for. It has took me about two or three years to get through 30mls.

So that is pretty much it, there are a couple more floating around in my collection but they are more non-descript such as one from Monaco with no name (very nice though, darn) or the So . . . ? And then of course, there is Romance which I reviewed recently. Ooh and there is the Jimmy Choo original, the one I recently broke my 'No buy' for. We're still getting to know each other but so far, no regrets! It reminds me a lot of Flora and has the whole shopping, feminine aura about it.

Due to the no buy, my collection is currently lacking a few perfumes that I would like to become staples. These include Givenchy, Very Irresistable (have no doubt, got to be in top five scents ever); Davidoff, Cool Water (so easy to wear); Elizabeth Arden, Beauty (I wore this every day for a year or so sometime during the Uni years) and Paco Rabonne, Lady Million (Now the darker nights and numerous hot chocolates are almost here, the 'No Buy' may have to broken again for this one since for me, Lady Million is the perfect winter scent! See my earlier post here).

I'm also tempted to list Katie Price, Stunning here (see my rave, here). Stunning is a gorgeous scent with staying power at a great price. Also, it is regarded as a dupe for Miss Dior Cherie and reminds me a lot of my beloved pink Soap and Glory scented products.

In the never tried before section, I'm still lusting after  212 VIP and now also, lusting for a bottle of Illamasqua, Freak. I also want to get a proper bottle of Shalimar. I've only had the samples before and now each time I try it. I like it more and more.

Ok, I actually think I'm all perfumed out now. Ha, bet that won't last long. What are your favourite scents and go on, tempt me to break my no buy, what scent are you wearing now?
Hope you're all well and have a fabulous weekend. Please, if I can ask you to do one thing, this weekend. It would be to please check out Nicoletta's post CLICK HERE!, if you haven't already. It is such a special one and she has obviously put everything in to it.

X

Ralph Lauren: Romance

I'm about to finish yet another bottle of Ralph Lauren, Romance. For the last five or six years, it has been a staple in my perfume collection yet I don't think I've ever brought a bottle of it for myself!
 

A few years back, this ad gave me major hair envy. I love the girl's hair. It looks so healthy. Er, obviously I was going to yearn for the scent, that was going to give me the beautiful barnet and then of course, there was the leading man . . ! Both points, valid reasons for Romance to land on my Christmas list.

Consequently now, despite edits to my list, Romance is the fragrance that I always get as a present and it is one, that gets me quite a few compliments. Yet, ironically, for a fragrance called Romance -like Ghost- it seems to be one that gleans favour from other females! I have noticed, in fact, that some males actually start to sneeze or itch when I'm adorning Romance in their company. Ha, there are times when it could be fun to explore this a little further . . !

As far as my own thoughts go, the fact that some others seem to like Romance goes a little way in redeeming the scent.

The name, Romance, suggests a very special fragrance that could magically create a happily ever after for you but to be honest, I don't find this fragrance very magical or intense. Ralph Lauren say to 'spray on lavishly for a distinctly feminine sensuality'. Yet this perfume doesn't make me feel particularly girly. It just gives me a nice, clean air.

I like a perfume that flutters and occasionally sends something pretty up in to the air. I don't sense too much movement within the floral or woody notes of this perfume. Romance seems to steadily provide a clean, powder like baseline scent which lingers for hours. Occasionally in the first hour or two, there does seem to be a very occasional sharp puff of something but to be honest, it is almost peppery (could explain the sneezing) and not particularly pretty. However, thankfully, this perfume does not offend in any other way unlike some other more intense and deep fragrances that after a few hours, almost seem to rot on you. I'm sure that I can smell bacon after wearing one very famous, gorgeous ( up until that point) perfume for a few hours.

One way I have upped the flutter factor with Romance is by layering it with Soap and Glory, The Daily Smooth Body Butter. I really like the scent of the pink Soap and Glory products and this just seems to give Romance a flattering little flutter of feminity.
Sidenote:I do this SG layering thing with a few fragrances that I feel need something a little more. In fact, at the moment, to be honest, I don't see much point in wearing Very Hollywood without layering SG!

I know, that "nice" is often thought of as a cop out adjective but in fact, I think it is apt to say here, that Romance is a nice, safe scent (as long as you are not allergic to it). It is spot on for work and casual wear (Note: I find this perfume very long lasting) but for evening, seduction and romance, I don't think Romance would be my first choice.

I like this fragrance but it doesn't excite me. It is one that I will always use up but usually more when I'm trying to save a little money and shop the fragrances that I already have. I'm reluctant to say that I would never buy this perfume for myself because basically using up all the Romance gifts of yesteryear has, inevitably, meant that this fragrance has played quite a part in my life.

I think Romance is a perfume I will miss (and love) but only when it is gone. Truthfully, I can not imagine not having it there in my collection. I think, if ever, there is a Romance sized gap then the moment I smell it on somebody else, I would be like 'Hey, thats my scent' and have to rush out to buy a bottle.
I guess even now, I do like Romance but I'm just not sure why, when it comes across as a scent that does not really do anything at all. Maybe it is not so much, that familarity creates contempt but that flattery and shared memories really do glean favour!

Have you tried Romance? Any thoughts?

PS In a sidenote, does anybody know why blogger does not let me comment on any blogs, including my own, anymore?! Argh!!

X

Gucci, Guilty!

So what with Christmas and one fabulous birthday, my perfume collection has blossomed over the last couple of months.

Yay!

I absolutely adore perfume and there seems to be so many beautiful and unique fragrances out there at the moment.

I know I’ve written about some of my lovely perfumes before but today, I thought I would tell you what lovely fragrances I have gained recently. There was Tom Ford, White Orchid; Jennifer Anniston Jennifer Anniston; Givenchy, Play; Playboy, Lovely; Playboy, Sexy; Ghost, Ghost and Gucci, Guilty. I think that is all of them. . , what a lucky girl I am!

I have to say that I have two favourites and they are the Jennifer Anniston and Gucci Guilty. They are both very unique perfumes. Today, I’ve just got to write about the Gucci one as to me it seems kind of a parody within itself.

Picture from here

Many of you may know that I’m a sucker for Gucci scents particularly the Rush line. So as soon as I found out, there was a new Gucci scent coming out late last year, guess where I headed. Yep, straight to the perfume counter to take the obligatory sniff.

Gucci Guilty is an absolutely gorgeous scent, very different to Flora (see my review of that here) and to be honest, I think I prefer Guilty.

Guilty is a peachy mandarin scent with top notes of pink pepper, a heart note of lilac and base notes of patcholi and amber.

Now, be warned, despite my love for this perfume. It is by no means perfect or even an easy one to wear. This perfume has been described as a Sex in the Bottle perfume by reviewers on Make Up Alley.

I have heard this phrase before in relation to White Orchid from Tom Ford yet the two scents are very different. White Orchid is deep but Guilty is very obviously fruity and the peachiness is so intoxicating (reviewers on Make Up Alley have described Guilty as overipe, I get that). For the first hour or so after the initial spray, I keep finding myself looking down almost feeling as if I’ve got too much flesh on show or something. It is almost uncomfortable in that way and certainly not a scent, Mum will be getting on Mothers Day. However once the scent settles, it becomes warmer and easier to wear, settling in to a nice clean powdery scent that I could happily wear all day.

Except I can’t because this scent does not seem to last all day,three or four hours at the most but that second phase, while it lasts, is so pretty and a little more remniscent of Lady Million (another great recent release).

I have found that the body lotion lives up to the scent and in fact, is beautiful. Like most body lotions, it is gentlier then the perfume and therefore, a little less intoxicating to wear but it lasts just as long as the perfume so for the day, this may be a favourable alternative to the somewhat raunchier perfume.

I’ve also found that spraying the scent on to my clothes or hair instead of my skin seems to mute the scent just enough to make me able to go about my day to day business more comfortably yet smelling lovely.

Rereading this post, I feel it sounds as if I’m almost warning you off this perfume. I’m not, I love it but yeah, I guess I did feel a bit “guilty” wearing it yet you don’t expect fruity notes such as peach to make you feel so guilty yet it does and still comes across as the 'bad boy' of perfumes which I just can't resist.

Hmm, I think this is quite a clever perfume and really do think it is one perfume that every woman (except my mother, gran or younger sister!) should try once. Maybe, take a look at some reviews (I suggest Make Up Alley and here) too. I have found that not everybody gets the intoxicating rawness of the scent and these are the people who actually find the perfume more long lasting. I’m not sure how to explain that. Maybe it comes down to all those extra factors, different body chemistries, noses and temperatures etc but please find a sample, get a sniff and decide for yourself. I, for one, think this is one perfume that is not easily forgotten.

Don’t forget to let me know what you think of Gucci Guilty and what other perfumes you are liking at the moment? I could talk perfume forever!

X

Perfume of the moment!

Now as you know, I do love to try a new scent and the latest addition to my fabulous collection is Lady Million.

Now the branding would suggest that this perfume is not very "me"!

Lady Million is a scent all about excess, gold and wealth. Even the actual perfume looks like liquid gold. It seems destined for those Femme Fatales who want and get everything.

Hmm, nice idea but realistically I'm probably a bit small town and goody two shoes for this scent and, despite the enticing bottle, I'm not sure if I would have tested this perfume amongst the tens in Boots et al. if it was not for the fact that I had heard/read such good things about Paco Rabanne's latest release.

However like Muhsine, I absolutely love this perfume. I have worn it every day since purchase which is quite unusual for me. I have quite a few perfumes that I really like so tend to swap it up a little but no, since Lady Million came in to my world, my old friends, Gucci; Givenchy and Pricey (!) have not seen the light of day.

I love Lady Million. I find it hard to describe perfumes despite my passion for them but I would say that Lady Million seems to me to be what I originally imagined the classic Chanel fragrances to be (but never quite were).

Apparently Lady Million is quite heavy and yes, I agree it is, in regards to the initial spray where it all seems a bit busy, chaotic and excessive. However, the notes seem to settle within the first couple of minutes and within half an hour I become enveloped in this happy cloud of scent and I smell lovely.

Well, I think so!

Actually to be honest, I'm not sure what I smell like. I don't think this scent is a floral but more of a woody concoction that makes me feel warm, safe, cosy and very happy. And it is in the evoking of all these good feelings that my inner femme fatale is in danger of been awakened. When I wear this perfume, I almost feel that I can do anything. This scent just makes me feel so happy and worthy and what is more, the confidence boost and scent lasts all day.

For me, the warmth of Lady Million just caps it and makes it an absolutely perfect scent for his time of year. For those of you who are a bit more scientific about your scent purchases, and better at deciphering this note and that, then apparently Lady Million has notes of Orange Blossom; Bigarade; Raspberry; Jasmine Sambac; Gardenia; Patchouli and Honey.

I know that the scent will probably smell very different to you (and that my description is more of an incoherent rave) but I really do like this perfume and I think with Christmas drawing ever closer, you may want to get a sample and see if it is worthy of a place on your list for Mr Claus!

Have you been seduced by Lady Million yet? What other fragrances are on your wishlist? I have to admit, that since my infatuation with Lady Million, the only other fragrance to really, really catch my curioisty is Gucci Guilty? Have you tried that one? Should I be making a formal request to Father Christmas for that one? I have yet to find a Gucci scent that I can't "work" in one way or another!

X

My July Favourites!

- L'Oreal Volume Million Lash
This mascara has lived up to my initial expectations. It is fantastic. If anything, I like it even more now. I haven't noticed the overpowering scent for a while; the careful light hand approach (which is required) now seems effortless and it still looks very classy in it's gold casing.
You can read my review here http://essjay23x.blogspot.com/2010/07/mascara-mascara.html

- Sable and Satin Taupe
I'm loving Sable eyeshadow at the moment. I know that you might think it quite a dark, heavy colour for the summer but since I've been laying off the foundation, I have needed more striking eye make up. I'm finding that shades closer to my skin tone such as Modellette and All That Glitters just highlight my poor skin and the lack of foundation.
Sable is a way to get striking eyes with the minimal of effort. Colour block it, a slick of mascara and that is my eyes done. I love Satin Taupe but I feel it needs more work (usually with another shadow and liner) to create the same impact.

- Hue
I can never stay away from my first Mac lippie for long. I love Hue. A nice natural, low maintenance lip for the summer. I also like the fact that it is not that red or pink as I'm finding some of my more pink/red lips draw attention to any imperfections or sore skin on my face. You can read more about Hue here http://essjay23x.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/the-first-date-my-mac/

- Lipgloss
I am not the biggest gloss fan but I have worked them a little this month. I'm finding that they have felt increasingly refreshing and moisturising on my lips as the temperature has risen. I have found myself picking up two lipglosses often. One is Underage from Mac ( pictured above). I have always been a bit wary of this gloss as sometimes it looks a bit artificial on my lips and messy like the lipsticks, Barry M 101 and Gosh Darling. However when I use a light hand with Underage, the slight shimmer is much more flattering. You can read about my first impressions of Underage back in January here http://essjay23x.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/the-first-date-my-mac/
Also Kim has done a great review of Underage here http://misskc027.blogspot.com/2010/07/mac-lipglass-comparisons.html.
Gloss-wise, I also like the Jodie Kidd Shell and not just because it was a freebie from a magazine. Shell is very similar to Underage but I prefer the formulation. I find Shell nicer (easier) to apply. I'm always surprised that it looks less pink then Underge in the tube as I think they give a similar finish on the lips with Shell maybe finishing slightly more neatly.


- Dark hair
I have dyed my hair again. Last time I dyed it, I chose Medium Golden Brown. This time, I have gone a shade darker to a Warm Dark Brown and I like it. The Medium Golden Brown was ok but I preferred the colour before it started lifting. So I thought it would be an idea to go one shade darker.

In my dreams, I would love to be a blonde. Oh, how I would! However, I am now starting to face the fact that in reality, I'm always happier when I keep my hair at the dark end of the spectrum. It seems to frame my features better.

- Intimately Beckham
This is an old favourite but I particularly like it in the summer (yes, I do wear it in the day), it is one of those scents that seems to intensify in the heat and linger a while. It is gorgeous and reminds me of carefree days in Ibiza. This perfume never fails to make me smile.

- Eat Love Pray
I have always been a little bit curious about this book. Angela's (http://ohsheglows.com/) recent posts and news of the forthcoming film only heightened this. So when I finally got my hands on Eat Love Pray,  I devoured it in less then a week. It is a brilliant read and very thought provoking. I might go through it again now with a marker. I do like a good quote!

So that was my July favourites. Interestingly, there are not really any new products in there. So that makes me think that either there isn't anything that new and exciting out there at the moment or just maybe I'm getting the hang of this saving thing (yeah, right, after that TopShop haul)! What do you think? Have you any July favourites? Is there anything I'm missing out on?

X

Surprizingly Stunning!

I have never being a big fan of celebrity perfumes. I think I have only ever owned two, Kate from Kate Moss and Intimately from the Beckhams. Ooh actually, I think there are two versions of Intimately. I love both.
Admittedly I have gone through more then one bottle of the Moss one and I adore the Beckham ones so much but they are lonely celebrity ones surrounded by Givenchy, Gucci, Elizabeth Arden, Valentino and Ralph Lauren. So how did I come to Stunning? Well I love the scent of Soap and Glory especially the pink glimmer spray. I have blogged before, about how I would encase myself in body lotion and then spray the Soap and Glory glimmer to get the scent instead of wearing fragrance. I think it was on You Tube, somebody reviewed the Soap and Glory products and said that they smelt like Miss Dior Cherie. Of course, being the Soap and Glory and Perfume fanatic that I am, Miss Dior Cherie went straight on to my wish list but fell in to a more expensive bracket so when I heard Lollipop26 and others rave about what a dupe Stunning was for Miss Dior Cherie, I decided to take a short cut and yay, what a great idea!
I can not compare this gorgeous, fresh, sweet and actually surprisingly 'innocent' (when you consider the celebrity endorsement) scent to Miss Dior Cherie because I have never used it but it does smell just like the best Soap and Glory products. I really do love this so much and have worn it at some point every day this week. It has shoved me out of my perfume stalemate and reminded me not to judge a perfume solely on it's branding or packaging.
Testament to this, is Fantasy. Another recommendation from Lollipop26. Of course, I have been aware of all the Britney Spear branded perfumes but I've never even been tempted to test them because I really do not like the werid alien-ship tacky bottles. And what are the strange 3d spots that stick out all about? However for about £12, I decided to give it a chance and actually I really like the Fantasy scent. At the moment, I prefer Stunning just because it is not quite as dark or maybe as musky as Fantasy. The novelty of the new season (and the sunshine)has not yet worn off so I am currently embracing all things sweet and fresh but as soon as Spring becomes boring, I think Fantasy will be one of the first perfumes I turn to.
Stunning is not that expensive. It cost me about £14 in Superdrug last week. I know tastes differs but if you are looking for a new scent and want something easy to wear and quite girlie then it might be worth giving this gorgeous scent a shot? I find it hard to imagine anybody really detesting it.
I adore perfume but this year, have been disillisioned and almost disappointed by some the scents I have collected. I feel like Stunning and Fantasy have revived my love for all things scent-iful again so do any of you have any perfume likeys to share with me?

X