The scent that makes me smile: Rush 2

Now we all know that I'm just a little bit obsessed with scents.

Perfume has to be one of my favourite things ever. After all, one size fits all and scent just seems to make each 9 to 5 a little more dreamy. However as much as I love finding a new scent, much of my collection is made up of scents that I just buy again and again. Naming and shaming Lady Million (Paco Rabone), Intimately (Beckham), Very Irresistible (Givenchy), Guilty (Gucci) and Rush 2 (Gucci).

The latter, Rush 2, is the little culprit I want to chat about today.

I love this scent but you hear so little about it and when you do hear something, its not always complimentary.

You only have to look at the bottle design before instant realisation that the Rush scents are the wild cards of the Gucci scent stable.

Square and brightly coloured, there is nothing particularly pretty, classy or alluring about these bottles. Strange because usually Gucci scents are dressed in gold and equal instant sophistication in a bottle.

Now the gamble in the form of the original Rush seems to have paid of, been awarded the holy five stars in Perfumes, The Guide (my bible! Link to updated version here!) and suggested by its authors as the perfect scent for a night out; new; confident; so reckless, so spur of the moment but also cosy and alive.

Now cosy and alive, well actually, that is exactly how I would describe Rush 2. However, the "bible" describes Rush 2 as a dull one liner worth a meagre two stars.

No, no, noooo.

I LOVE wearing Gucci, Rush 2 and I have never ever found a scent like it and I've tried A LOT of scents. Rush 2 IS unique and fantastic.

A tea rose floral with some musk and more unusual notes such as Blackcurrant and Banana. I agree that it doesn't come across as particularly musky or sexy. Yet, it's still alluring and I think, we've noted before, Rush 2 seems to be the one that the men compliment (see my earlier post here. Ooh and there's another one proclaiming my love here)

Gucci Rush 2 just feels so right and always makes me happy. Sometimes this scent is the only scent that will do or indeed, is capable of making me smile. I can turn to it whatever time of year it is and it gives me the confidence for a big night out or a little inspiration to get out of bed in the morning.

Contrary to other reviews, I have never had a problem with its lasting power. It seems to last on me and yep, it has that rhythm and those fluttering notes I've talked about before.

If you can find it (and I worry as it increasingly hard to find), you've just got to give this one a sniff and a spritz on the skin. Its just so unique, let it settle in to your skin for an hour or so and just maybe you will be tempted to snap up a bottle for yourself and then of course, let me know what you think!

What scent do you turn to again and again? Has anybody tried the Guerlain scent, La Petite Robe Noire? It makes me think of stoles (not that I remember ever wearing one) and log fires, a must for my Autumn collection, I think.

Happy Wednesday.

X

In and Out!

So many of you will know that when I got in to blogging a couple of years ago, I was on a mission to make a little more of myself. One of the first bloggers I followed was Laura of Buy Now, Blog Later. At the time, she was posting on her former blog, lollipop26writes.com. In particular, I loved reading her In and Out posts so today, I thought I would post my own.


IN

- 17 Mirrorshine, Beehive

This lipstick is my lip's best friend. It is so incredibly moisturising and this particular shade is very beautiful and easy to wear. The amazing look that Natalya created, for Valentines, used this lippie and I think, I fell in love with it just a little bit more (if that is even possible!) and don't even get me started on the fantastic price (currently £4.59) that the mirror shine lipsticks come in at. Bargain!

- Gucci, Guilty

I quickly went through that bottle of VIP (featured in this earlier post) . VIP was a gorgeous scent but it had very, very little lasting power. Resprays were constantly required and I think, I used the bottle in two weeks. There was no way I could justify £40 odd pounds on another bottle so soon.

Still, maybe that is how it should be, as right now, there seems to be only one scent that smells right (read 'right' as in 'I want to actually wear it!')  and that is Gucci, Guilty.

Surprised?

Yep, me too.

I've always said I love the scent of Guilty but in my earlier review (where I see I referred to Black Orchid as White Orchid,oops!) I was a little wary of it. I found the scent beautiful but in a very obvious and in your face way. It seemed quite sensuous and one I felt a little nervous to wear and on certain occasions, it just seemed  to be a scent that was too distracting and powerful.

However, for some reason, whenever I spray the scent now, it is just as bloody gorgeous but muted. In other words, it is now about as perfume perfect as it gets. I absolutely adore it and at the moment, it is the only scent I'm picking up to spray.

And by the way, Gucci Guilty lasts. Fact! It lingers on everything, skin; clothes; hair etc for hours. So this bottle should last a while.

- My new haircut

I finally got my haircut (FYI: A slight dusting off the ends DOES qualify as a cut!) after more then eighteen months. I am now on a mission to look after my more polished barnet and have brought some new products which I'm hoping to post with new hair photos (!) soon. It's strange but now I've actually had the "snip", I feel a bit stupid that I was so scared about a haircut and held off for so long. I mean for goodness sake, really, what was the worst that could have happened?!

- New Girl



Image from Google Search here!


Normally, I take it or leave it with comedy TV. When it comes to DVDs, for every episode I watch of Friends, I'll watch three or four more of Sex and The City or The Hills. However, New Girl is laugh out loud fantastic. I love it and although, her style is completely different to mine (ie.she always wears a lot of bright colours and I wear black, black, black, maybe a little denim, black, black and navy), I look forward to seeing what Zooey Deschanel's character, Jess, is wearing in each episode. As for Jess and Nick, a big awh, so meant to be!

- Katie Piper

Image from Google Search here!

You all know how incredible and inspiring, I found Katie's book, Beautiful, to be. Well, earlier this week, I watched her new documentary, 'The Science of Seeing Again' and this reminded me not only how amazing and strong Katie is but also, of the fantastic work she puts out there. So I went back and caught up with some of the 'Katie: My Beautiful Friends' episodes and what can I say but that I urge all of you to watch an episode or two of one of the Katie Piper documentaries. At the very least, it will leave you in complete awe of the human body and the courage that some people conjure up every day.

OUT

Image from Google Search here!

- Contact lenses

I thought that these were going to make my life so much easier but I'm really struggling to get them in and when I have to leave for work at 6.20am, I'm not sure just how practical these are going to be. Though once they are finally(!) in, all is good and the world is no longer a blur!

- Phytovolume shampoo

Image from Google Search here!

I have just finished a bottle of this and my hair always looked pretty good (considering it is mine) and big after using this but it was so watery and lathering action was non-existent. It reminded me a little of the Mane and Tail products. Maybe the condition of my hair is just a little too dry then is optimal for these products. The final result was fine but I just didn't like the way this Phyto shampoo made my hair feel as I was washing and drying it. Saying that, I'm pretty sure that this shampoo is much better for the health of my hair in the long term then some supermarket alternatives so may consider repurchasing Phyto (I really rated the citrus conditioning treatment a while back!) in the future but as far as Phyto shampoo goes, I certainly prefer the Phytorhum.

- Spending

Image from Google Search here!

I have so many of those bi-annual payments and direct debits due over the next month or so and I'm literally tripping over products and clothes in my flat so I really am going to try and take a no spend seriously this month. Honest, Guv!

What scent are you wearing? Have you got any contact lenses tips for me? I hope you've all had a fabulous start to the weekend. Don't forget to wrap up warm if it is as cold where you are, as it is here in England!

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

Flora by Gucci.

Gucci Rush is ok. Gucci Eau de Parfum 2 is lovely. Gucci Rush 2 is amazing. So I guess it is fair to say that I am quite partial to a perfume from Gucci! I lusted after the latest addition to their perfume family, Flora, for what felt like the longest time. The name Gucci was enough to draw me to the perfume counter within hours of hearing of the perfume for the first time (I do like my perfume!) and once there, I had to literally shake myself to walk away from the counter empty handed. The little gold bottle with it's cute little bow sat there tempting me, calling to my hands as the fresh, pretty, floral scent filled my nostrils. It smelt lovely but then most perfumes do at the counters and I did have more then enough perfume so with heavy feet I dragged myself away from the beckoning bottle. However, it was impossible to forget this perfume. The tester that I had squirted lasted all night and made me feel like a lady. So all I could do was add it to my birthday list and yay, Mum read the list and a few weeks later, the fragrance was mine. Thank you, Mum and Dad! I wore it straight out to b'day dinner and maybe once or twice after that. It smelt gorgeous. Almost too so and I started saving it. It became 'My Special Perfume' but with few days special enough for Flora, I instead found myself wearing Princess, Diesel or simply body lotion instead. However, I have now ran out of Princess and as Diesel is not so summery, I've found myself wearing Flora a lot again. Every day is special, right?! I really like Flora. It contains Sandalwood, Patochuoli and Pink Pepper (I think!) but it is different from the other Gucci perfumes which I would say are maybe slightly younger and more casual. Flora is not purely musk but there is a certain tinge of darker, heavier notes intespersed amongst the floral flashes and the more subtle hints of fruit. The perfume has something of an assurance about it. The scent lasts a long time and does not really change much over time. Maybe in the first five or ten minutes, it settles down a bit but after that it stays pretty much the same. Sometimes I think a perfume that only smells good when you've just sprayed it cheapens itself when the good has worn off and you are left with the cheap undertones. I would prefer a perfume that only lasts 2 hours if it remains true over that period then one that lasts a whole day but 22 hours of that is just cheap smelling residue. Nothing about Flora is cheap and I'd imagine most grown up girlies would be comfortable wearing it. It seems to muster some class about it in the way that Chanel No 5 does but it is more contemporary and subtle. I actually prefer it to how I remember my New York scent, Chanel Allure, used to smell. Flora is a very, very pretty scent which I find hard to imagine could nauseate or offend anybody but hey, tell me if I'm wrong. We are all different. Of course, perfumes come in bottles of all shapes and sizes. Well, the prettiest perfumes deserve the prettiest bottles and I do think Gucci have delivered here. The bottle is simple and rectangular with a nice little Gucci tie around it's neck. This is very fitting as Flora is actually named after a very popular Gucci print. The design was used to produce a custom scarf for Princess Grace (the Princess of Princesses) of Monaco about 50 years ago. The design was so loved by Princess Grace and ladies everywhere, that Gucci have produced many other Flora products such as handbags and glasses over the years and now we have the Flora perfume which does it predecessors more then proud. I think if you look carefully, you will see the pattern in some of the ads for the perfume. And yes, I am still very curious about some of the summery scents springing in to the shops at the moment-Daisy In The Air, Ghost Captivation-but I'm also really, really enjoying my Flora (and of course, Stunning is still on stand by) so just maybe I will be able to resist. Er, yeah . . ! 30ml of the Eau de Parfum currently costs £35 from Boots online. So Girls, what scents am I missing out on? And, don't forget the details. I could talk about perfumes for hours even though to talk about it in a way that makes sense to others is quite hard to do. I hope you  have got something out of this post. In my long winded way, I guess I am just saying Flora is certainly worth testing next time you are at the perfume counter and from there on in, it is up to you! X