International Fragrance Day Offers From Boots.com!

Just a quickie (that’s what she said ;-) oooh-errrr), but it’s International Fragrance Day today and to celebrate, Boots.com are promoting a few fragrance offers to celebrate. I love fragrance, and I love a bargain so thought I’d pass it on to you lovely guys in case you were interested, and didn’t know. 

There’s actually some decent fragrances included in the offers, with Chanel, Dior, YSL, Lancome, Armani and Gucci all featuring in there, so go take a look here. I’m already spending money I don’t have stocking up on a few… Chanel and YSL, I’m looking at you guys... and Lancome, oh go on then, and you too Armani. ;-)  x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Valentine's Day Gift Suggestions: Luxury Beauty, Fragrance & Jewellery Options For Your Loved One!

This guide was meant to be my part 3 in my Luxury Christmas Gift Guide, but alas my scheduling failed and Christmas came and went, so I have adapted it for Valentine’s Day as I thought it a shame to go to waste! Obviously with it being luxury products, I’m not suggesting that you go out and purchase the most expensive gifts for somebody you’ve only just met… unless you’re rolling in the readies and can afford it, in which case go for it! ;-)

Searching for the perfect Valentine’s gift for your loved one can invariably lead to stress, headache, and panic (especially for the unprepared, last minute Larrys)… not to mention extremely painful feet and potential for mild assault from other keen, or spatially unaware shoppers if you’re braving the shops, rather than shopping online. Personally, I try to stick to buying online as much as I can in life, so as to avoid the physically painful part, at least.

Now I know there’s probably loads of Valentine’s guides floating around, but I firmly believe that you can never have too much inspiration if you’re truly stumped for things to buy – especially if you have to buy for somebody who may seemingly have everything, or somebody who appears to want nothing; and so I’ve compiled a couple of guides for you covering a whole host of fabulous looking ‘stuff and things’ in the hope that I can maybe inspire you on the perfect gift to buy for your Valentine.

This guide focuses on luxurious beauty products, fragrancing and sparkly shit (jewellery)… my favourite! It was always going to be seriously difficult to keep the amount of ‘stuff and things’ that I want… errrr I mean that would be lovely for you to purchase for your loved one to so few items – especially because I’m such a magpie who likes lots of things, and so I must add a serious disclaimer that this is by no means a frank, full and complete list of things that I desire. ;-)

So without further ado, here’s a whole heap of fabulousness that I’d personally love to own/receive. I could probably just call all my guides ‘Claire’s Wish Lists’ if I’m honest.

1. Charlotte Tilbury The Glamour Muse and 2. The Rebel Look Gift Boxes £165 each – These complete ‘get the look’ sets are right up my street. I love that you can select a ‘look’ that appeals to your general style, specific outfit, occasion, mood or even knickers (if you so wish) and then be beautifully presented with all the products needed to recreate it. I would probably weep a little with utter joy if any of these were presented to me, at any point, let alone on Valentine’s Day. 

3. Tom Ford Bronzer Brush, £80 – I probably wouldn’t even be able to bring myself to tarnish those perfect white bristles enough to make full use of this with actual, coloured bronzer, and would probably be more likely to be found swiping it across my skin, cooing about how soft it feels instead. Still, it’s a fabulous looking brush and I’m guessing applies bronzer like a dream, for those who are bold enough to use it for the purpose it was made for.

4. Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in L’Exhubérante, £26 and/or 5. Chanel Le Vernis Nail Lacquer in Pink Tonic 619, £18 – I always think it’s worth spending money where it makes a difference with makeup, and I think lipstick is one of the areas where you get better wear from higher end brands (mostly), and this gorgeous pink- hued Chanel lipstick is no exception. Plus, if you were to team it with with this perfect pink polish, not only would it look great, but it would totally have the wow factor for the recipient, in my opinion.

6. Dior 5 Couleurs Limited Edition Eyeshadow Palette in Golden Shock, £42 – I love pretty much all of the Dior eyeshadow palettes, they always have gorgeous sparkly colours that appeal to my inner (and outer) magpie, but aren’t too in your face shade wise, so are totally wearable at any time of year. This one suits Valentine's Day due to its plummy hues, and is pretty universally wearable due to the muted tones.

7. Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir Cologne 100ml, £82 – This is a heady, but fruity scent which I think suits Valentine’s Day perfectly. If I received this tomorrow, I would be over the moon! Then again, I’d be over the moon just receiving a card this year, probably. ;-)

8. Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, £95.50 – I have had so many compliments when wearing this perfume, literally people stopping me in my tracks and asking what I’m wearing!! I adore it, and I find it to be a fragrance suitable for pretty much any age… plus it’ll look great on the dressing table to boot. ;-)

9. Links of London Effervescence Pearl Necklace £695, currently reduced to £347 – I couldn’t not include this necklace in the guide due to my incredible inability to ignore any innuendo (or inyourendo as my friends and I call it) that presents itself to me. I mean who wouldn’t want the gift of a pearl necklace this Valentine's? Especially a fizzy one; better get that looked at, mate. ;-)

10. Tresor Paris Metric Bangle £197 – This is such an unusual piece due to its shape, which is what caught my eye… after the sparkle of course!! I’m obviously partial to the bling, and this appears to satisfy that criteria. Love it.

Due to yet another scheduling fail (come on, Blogger) I've had to adjust this guide, meaning it's somewhat shorter as I've removed products that are seemingly only available online... and edited links to purchase where you can also visit the shop, as it's now too late to have items posted in time for tomorrow.

Whatever you're doing for Valentine's day, I hope you have a great day. If, like me you're a singleton then do what I'm doing, get yourself out with friends and give Valentine's Day two fingers... until such a day where you're not single, in which case I love you Valentine's Day. :-P x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Cher Lloyd Perfume!

Hello my lovelies, how are we all? I'm still struggling with very intermittent (almost non existent) internet here, hence my absences over the last few months with pages being unable to load 99% of the time, let alone upload photographs. I've missed being able to blog daily, but am hoping that this is about to change as we're getting a bit more effort from Virgin in their efforts to sort this mess out.

Anyway, I received an unexpected package today containing the new Cher Lloyd fragrance, imaginatively titled 'Cher Lloyd' and thought I could blog about it immediately, since it doesn't really require any internet stability to upload large numbers of DSLR images that I'd normally have for a product (so apologies for the bog standard images, but hopefully normal service will be resumed sooner rather than later).

Now, I'm not sure that this is a fragrance aimed at my demographic with its Barbie pink plastic diamond bottle, but actually, I don't hate it. It's not necessarily the kind of scent I would personally wear (at least not on a regular basis), but I think that for a celebrity fragrance, it isn't the worst I've ever smelt.

The notes in the fragrance are written on the box, but for the benefit of this review, I shall also list them here:

Top Notes

Golden Quince

Cassis

Exotic Kiwi

Middle Notes

Jasmine Petals

White Chocolate

Orchid

Orris Root

Base Notes

Creamy Musks

Vanilla Pod

Indian Sandalwood

The vanilla is very apparent on spraying, but on dry down my nose also picks up on the creamy musk and a slightly sweet, floral scent with just the slightest hint of fruit behind it. 

I've just read this last sentence ^ out to Mr Beauty Scoop and his reaction was 'what the fuck have you just said to me, you're talking a language I don't understand' - haha, men eh!!

It actually reminds me of the hugely popular Fantasy perfume, by Britney Spears (if my memory serves me correctly) with its sweet, musky scent.

I think this perfume will be quite a hit with teenage girls... and possibly some older ones also, if they have a penchant for sweetly scented fragrance. The price point seems to be very affordable too at £15 for 30ml and £20 for 50ml, which is especially great if you're at an age where you're relying on pocket money to buy you all those things you desire in life. :-)

All in all, I think Cher has achieved what she set out to with this perfume and would happily buy it as a gift for younger female family members.

Available here and here (slightly cheaper, but only 30ml available, correct at time of writing).

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) Opium Vapeurs De Parfum!

I've never been able to wear YSL's Opium before, I've always found it a bit too heavy for my tastes - and although I know it is still popular with many people, even after all these years, I've always steered clear. I even felt this way with Belle d'Opium, which was released in 2010 - I really wanted to love it, especially as the packaging and marketing were totally up my street, I just didn't!

I thought this would always be the case with the Opium range, that was until I caught a whiff of Opium Vapeurs de Parfum a couple of months ago, and I've been wanting to post about it ever since (but due to internet issues, have been unable to do so, until now). It has to be said, I absolutely love it! It's a stunning fragrance, that gives a nod to it's big sister, Opium, whilst being SO much more wearable for the modern girl.

The bottle stays true to the most recent Opium design, with a frosted peachy hue replacing the brown - keeping the classic, sophisticated design, but bringing it more up to date to match the scent. 

On spraying the perfume, the first note I recognise is the pink pepper which gives it a slightly spicy scent, this is quickly followed by the citrussy notes (I can't really tell whether it's the mandarin or the orange blossom at this stage) and finally the amber, vanilla and incense on dry down.

The perfume reminds me of a slightly lighter, more feminine version of Spicebomb (although I personally wear Spicebomb too) - I think this is because of the shared pink pepper notes within the fragrances that my nose really picks up on.

Top Notes

Mandarin, Pink pepper

Middle Notes

Orange blossom, Jasmine

Base Notes

Incense, Amber, Nutmeg, Vanilla, Woods

Wear time is also fabulous on me, I could still smell this after 8 hours of wear, which is exceptional performance for an EDT.

This fragrance should make the Opium range a lot more accessible to younger people in my opinion, it's light, fresh and modern. It's also perfect for both summer and winter due to the mix of light citrus and spicy/warmer notes, I can see me getting a huge amount of wear from this - love it.

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Jimmy Choo Perfume Offer @ Cheap Smells!

I've lusted after this fragrance ever since I first clapped eyes (and nostrils) on it, but just couldn't justify spending so much money on it when I already had a million (ish) other perfumes.

This all changed when I got an email letting me know about this weekend's offer on the Cheap Smells website, for said Jimmy Choo perfume at up to 36% off - I was definitely going to be having some of this, and promply ordered the 100ml EDP as one of my many beauty treats to myself - ha!

Anyway I thought I'd give you the heads up, so that you could go purchase some yourself a bottle - if you fancied, and save yourself some money in the process.

Jimmy Choo Perfume - Cheap Smells!


Ends 18th March 2012, or whilst stocks last!

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Christian Dior, Miss Dior Chérie (Now Just Miss Dior) - J'adore Dior!

I lusted after this perfume for about 6 months last year, desperately trying to wait until Christmas to ask for it from Mr Beauty Scoop. Alas, I caved in about 2 months before and bought it myself... and, not only did I buy it, I bought the biggest bottle in the Eau De Parfum no less (well, if you're going to do something, you might as well do it properly, don't you think?!).

I'm glad I did, as it has quickly become my favourite, and most used fragrance which is quite an achievement, considering how much perfume I own... so  choosing the biggest bottle in the EDP variety was probably one of my better splurges.

The bottle is beautiful, elegant and very deserving of a front row place on my dressing table. However, the bottle isn't why I bought it, so let's get on to the fragrance itself. Put simply, it is stunnng, sweet but fresh and with just a hint of musk to stop it being sickly, whilst also giving the fragrance a bit of warmth too. It's a scent that I believe is suitable for pretty much all ages, and one that I can see being as popular as ever in years to come.

On the skin it lasts for AGES, which I'm very impressed with - but not surprised as EDP's are known to last longer than EDT fragrances. I also knew it lasted well because I used to sneak a squirt whenever I went into Boots whilst I was in my lusting phase! ;-)

I've done a bit of a Google search to try to find out the notes of the fragrance to let you know, but there's some confusion over this as it appears they've been tweaked in recent times, so although I'm showing the notes below, they may not be 100% correct as the site didn't say which version they were from.

Top Notes: Green Tangerine, Strawberry Leaves.
Heart Notes: Violette, Pink Jasmine, Carmelized Popcorn, Strawberry Sorbet.
Base Notes: Fresh Patchouli and Crystalline Musk

The changes are that Miss Dior Chérie will be known simply as Miss Dior from now on (although some of the Miss Dior Chérie will still be on shelves until they sell) and will be the same, pink coloured perfume, whilst the original Miss Dior (yellow-ish coloured perfume) will become Miss Dior Original. It's a little confusing, and ultimately doesn't change a lot but I thought you guys should know, for the purpose of this review and future knowledge.

Whatever the notes or the name, it is beautiful and I recommend it 100%.

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Competition: WIN TOUS H2O Goodies Worth £41!!

You may remember me posting about the Tous H2O Fragrance last summer, a fragrance that not only smells good, but does good too - donating a percentage of its profits to Oxfam to help them to provide fresh, clean water in the countries that they're working in.

Well, you now have the chance to win a 30ml bottle of the fragrance and matching incense stick set worth £41, just by following this blog and entering the competition.

To enter, all you need to do is follow my blog via Google Friend Connect, Networked Blogs, or Hello Cotton (widgets are on the side bar ->)) and fill in the form below!  

Extra entries can be gained by following on Twitter (and tweeting I've just entered @The_BeautyScoop's competition to win TOUS H20 goodies worth £41. www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk/2012/02/competition-win-tous-h2o-goodies-worth.html Have you?), Facebook and Bloglovin - just tell me in the form if you do, and I'll do the rest!

If you simply cannot wait to get your hands on this fragrance, then KLM Beauty (who are kindly providing the prize for this competition) are running a special offer (until the end of March) to get the 30ml bottle for £19.50, saving you £6.50 on the normal price.

Your entries to this competition must be in by 11:59pm on Saturday 10th March 2012 and I'll contact the winner shortly after to get your postal details for the prize to be sent. The prize will be coming directly from KLM Beauty.

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Clinique Happy In Bloom Perfume for 2012!

Every year, Clinique's Happy In Bloom fragrance gets a new look, and this year sees a bold, bright floral pattern adorning the glass bottle that looks lovely. Nothing says spring quite like the reintroduction of bright colours, and the hint of fresh flowers; and Clinique's newly designed packaging for Happy In Bloom 2012 is a fabulous mix of both.

The fragrance is described as a 'fresh, frosty floral fragrance that opens up with notes of yellow plum, a cocktail of frozen fruit, and watery green notes for a crisp introduction. Notes of lily of the valley, white freesia and a mimosa accord from the original Happy, lend a tactile nuance of petals. Transparent amber and white wood provide depth with a natural feminine softness.', and the Limited Edition 30ml spray will be available at Clinique counters from February 1st, priced at £25.

Christmas Gift Guide: Valentino 'Valentina' Perfume!

It's Christmas Eve, oh my god, I actually cannot believe it's here already and will be gone even quicker than it arrived. I had so many more gift guides planned this year, but unfortunately postal and email issues, along with the fact that time has been going at least twice as quickly as it should have really kicked most of them to the kerb so I hope you have enjoyed the little gift ideas that I have managed to post up!

Perfume is always a sure fire hit in my Christmas stocking (I don't actually have a stocking, but it's better than saying in my Christmas carrier bag, or badly wrapped present as Mr Beauty Scoop has forgotten or rushed the wrapping lol), and I am sure many of you ladies feel the same?! Well, this fragrance is one of my new favourites.

For a start, the bottle is beautiful - a pleasure to place on my dressing table and one that stands out from a lot of my other perfumes (I own a lot). The floral decoration actually feels like very thin ceramic or porcelain - I actually thought that it could be plasticky or something before I got my hands on it, not even for any reason either lol.

Side view to show the floral decoration.

The notes in Valentina instantly caught my attention, here's the description that I was sent "Calabrian bergamot is a hymn to exuberance and freshness, shaken up by the insolence of white Alba truffles. In their trail, jasmine, Amalfi orange blossom and tuberose celebrate radiant beauty, while being offset by the rebellious delight of wild strawberries. Finally, the nobility of cedar is seduced by the captivating sensuality of amber" I thought these notes sounded like they'd be really lovely together... and they totally are. I absolutely adore the fragrance.

My first thoughts when I actually smelled the perfume was that it reminded me of Nina Ricci's Premier Jour (even though I don't think they share many of the same notes - from what I can tell they only share vanilla and amber), but my mind changed when it settled as it started to then remind me slightly of Hugo Boss, Deep Red perfume with a touch of Armani Code too, that also share a few notes with it; thankfully it's not exactly like any of these, as I own (and love) all three of them.

I actually cannot stop smelling my wrist whilst I wear this perfume, I can't get enough of it and I've had compliments on it whenever I have worn it. Yet again, my mum is coveting a bottle for herself - her birthday is in February so maybe she'll get lucky for it. :-)

I think this perfume would be perfect for any occasion, day or evening and also for any season as the different elements of the notes keep it from being too floral/sweet (summery) or woody/spicy (wintery)!

Since it is Christmas Eve, I thought I should write about something that you could actually rush out and buy right now, and this is available now from most department stores (I've seen it on Debenhams, Selfridges and John Lewis websites, so I expect it to be in stores too) and also online if you can wait until after Christmas. x

Celeb Sunday - Emily Blunt For Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) Opium!

It would be rude not to show you the gorgeous (and exclusive) behind the scenes footage I've been sent of Emily Blunt in the new TV Campaign for Yves Saint Laurent's Opium fragrance. Opium hasn't had a TV Campaign for 10 years, so it's nice to see that they're putting such a classic fragrance back on our screens, don't you think?!

I think Emily looks amazing, I am totally loving the smoky eyes and glamorous hair and am looking forward to seeing the ad in full - weirdly, I only really like beauty advertisements, the rest get fast forwarded! :-)

The full advertisement will be showing from December 4th but have a little preview with some behind the scenes footage below!

Korres 'Vanilla, Freesia, Lychee' EDT - Flowerbomb Dupe!!

Korres are a Greek company that make gorgeous, natural products of all kinds, from skincare to cosmetics, and even perfume, there’s something for everybody in the range... I don’t think I’ve ever been disappointed in any of their products that I own!

Their Vanilla, Freesia and Lychee fragrance is a total triumph, I love it. It’s actually very strong in scent, even though it’s an Eau De Toilette not an Eau De Parfum and it lasts well on my skin too.

Top Notes: Bergamot, Tea

Middle Notes: Jasmine, Peach, Lychee, Freesia, Sandalwood

Base Notes: Vanilla, Patchouli, Musk

The notes that my nose picks up most on are the vanilla, musk and a fruity back-scent which I assume to be the lychee and peach. I get a slight hit of freesia, but not too heavy.

It all makes for a sweet (almost bubblegum-esque to my nose, but in a good way) and musky scent that works so well and actually reminds me very much of Viktor & Rolf’s Flowerbomb fragrance, a fragrance that I own and absolutely LOVE. This makes sense, since they share many of the same notes - have a look for yourself at the Flowerbomb notes:

Top Notes: Bergamot, Tea

Middle Notes: Jasmine, Freesia, Orchid

Base Notes: Centiflora Rose, Patchouli

So this does appear to be a Flowerbomb dupe, and you might actually consider buying this if you’ve lusted after Flowerbomb but couldn’t stretch to/justify the price tag (since this is £24 for 50ml RRP versus £51 for the Viktor & Rolf 50ml EDT)... or even if you just prefer more natural ingredients in your beauty products (this is 88% natural) and a guarantee of no animal testing (I don’t know Viktor & Rolfs animal testing status, they may also be cruelty free) and no animal by-products!

What do you think my lovelies, do you like the sound of this? x

Boss Orange Fragrance Deals @ John Lewis!

This is just a quick post before I head out as I've seen a great deal on Boss Orange Sunset at John Lewis! I've been lusting after this perfume for a while now (along with Miss Dior Cherie) and was about to purchase it on Escentual (50ml for £26.56); however, I just thought I'd do a quick Google search first, and I'm now glad I did as I just bought the 75ml version for £30 (free postage). This is SUCH a bargain as I think it's meant to be £48.

It's basically cheaper to buy the 75ml than the 50ml version on the site. It does say LOW STOCK now, but if you're quick you can probably get one too if you want it too. If you miss out, why not try ringing your store? I've found John Lewis to be very good when it comes to ringing them as they often tell you which store has it in stock if they don't, and will happily let you pay over the phone and then post it out to you from whichever store if you ask!

If you're more interested in the normal version, Boss Orange, then John Lewis are also offering that at a 16% discount too!

Oh, and if any of you see Miss Dior Cherie (EDP) on offer anywhere, please do let me know as I'm not sure I can wait for Christmas to own it haha! It's just occurred to me that THIS is exactly the reason why I am always stuck what to ask for at Christmas... I am too impatient to wait for the things I desire, so buy them myself, ha! Don't let that stop you telling me if you find it though, there's still plenty of time to think about other options to put on my Christmas list! ;-)

TOUS H20 Fragrance!

I’m a bit of a perfume addict, it has to be said, and so when I was asked if I’d like to try a new perfume I jumped at the chance!

This new perfume isn’t just something to make you smell good, buying it should hopefully make you feel good too as Tous (the perfume brand) are donating a percentage of the bottle price to Oxfam to help those who struggle to get drinkable water with their plight. It’s said that each bottle of perfume sold will allow Oxfam to provide 15 litres of water (enough for 10 days) to one person in the countries that it’s working in.

Also in addition to giving water, the handling of the fragrance and its packaging is carried out in the Arco Iris Foundation‘s Special Employment Centre which benefits those with disabilities too, helping them to get jobs; and all the cardboard used for the packaging is certified by the FSC which ensures that the trees used for it is environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and an economically viable use of the forests.

Now that’s all well and good but if the perfume smells like the behind of a donkey then it’s really not going to sell that well. Fortunately this perfume actually smells rather nice, especially if you’re a fan of fresher, kind of citrusy scents.

The first spray *really* reminds me if Dolce & Gabanna’s Light Blue fragrance... and I love that, it’s one of the scents of my clubbing days (that and Calvin Klein Eternity); I still have a bottle of it now actually. It’s still fairly similar when it settles, although ever so slightly less zingy – if that makes sense? It is a very aptly ocean-y/aquatic scent... you know the kind that the likes of Cool Water (Davidoff) is based on?

I’ve compared the top, middle and base notes from the 3 fragrances (see below) and whilst not completely identical there are definite similarities that I am picking up on – the likely candidates being jasmine, cedar and amber in the D&G and lavender, jasmine, amber and cedar in the Cool Water it seems!

TOUS H20 Notes

I think this would make a great perfume for wear during the day, as personally I prefer a slightly stronger perfume for in the evening, but this will definitely be worn by me through the day, and especially during the summer months as that’s what I feel it’s best suited for.

P.S I love the bottle too, (it’s made out from 25% recycled materials and is 100% recyclable at the end of its life) it’ll look lovely on my dressing table, especially when it catches the light - although not direct sunlight of course, as that would just ruin the perfume!

The fragrance comes in 30ml (£26), 50ml (£36) and 100ml (£46) bottles and is available at Debenhams nationwide and online.

*PR Sample

Speed Reviews: Korres Spring 2011 Fragrances.

Korres new fragrance collection for spring 2011 contains 4 new fragrances (all free from synthetic rubbish and nasties); 2 for the laydeees and 2 that are unisex. I have the 2 lady ones and I’ve got to say, they’re both absolutely gorgeous. Now I know fragrance is very personal so I thought I’d just give you my quick opinion on these perfumes (and their fragrance notes) from Korres.

Paeonia, vanilla, amber, pear.

This is fruity but with a bit of a tang and freshness, rather than being overly sweet. I thought that the vanilla might be the predominant note in this but it’s not at all, in fact my nose barely picks it up!

When sprayed my initial hit was possibly the pear but it does settle and becomes more complex after a short time, when it kind of turns it into a clean smelling scent - think of beautiful freshly washed clothing but still keeping the fruity, tangy yet slightly sweet edge to it. I can only really liken it to a less sweet, less full on Nina by Nina Ricci. I think this is my favourite, it’s beautiful!

"TOP NOTES: pear, apple, bergamot
HEART NOTES: peony, jasmine, rose, patchouli, sage, peach
DRY OUT: amber, musk, sandalwood, vanilla
CHARACTER: intensely feminine, distinct character"

50ml, RRP £24

White tea, bergamot and freesia.

I immediately picked up on the freesia when I read about this (I love the smell of freesia flowers), however I’m not entirely sure it comes through so much in the fragrance; it does still smell kinda musky (not overly, kind of oriental I guess) floral, but the white tea comes through very much so in my opinion, and violet ever so slightly. It’s lovely.

It actually reminds me of something, but I can’t place my finger on it – something is telling me that it could be from when I lived in Ibiza, maybe Armani Elle (hmm yes, actually it could be that)... anyway I’m still not entirely sure but I just hate it when I can’t think of something, yet still feel like it’s on the tip of my tongue. Sorry for taking you through my entire thought process there.

"TOP NOTES: bergamot, mandarin, neroli, cyclamen
HEART: freesia, jasmine, white tea accord, violet
DRY OUT: white musk, cedarwood, moss
CHARACTER: floral, fresh"

50ml, RRP £24.

Disclosure: PR Sample

Love Aveda, I Do!

If you could bottle love and sell it, you would... right? Well for us mere mortals that actually can’t do that, then Aveda might have the next best thing with their aptly named ‘love’ roll on ‘Pure-Fume’.

It’s a beautiful blend of wood, floral and spicy fragrance notes to create a fragrance that feels natural but also warm and sensual. The scent actually kind of reminds me of a Dermalogica Stress Relief Candle, a candle that I adore and one that I may just find myself burning whilst wearing this scent on Valentines night.

I think Aveda have got this scent absolutely spot on, for me anyway – as I know fragrance is a very personal thing, so to help you try to get an idea of what this scent may be like (if you know a little about essential oil scents) then below is a list of ingredients in Love Pure-Fume!

• "Sandalwood - a sensuously aromatic, woody oil reputed for its aphrodisiac qualities and quieting effect on the temperament. Sourced from sustainably harvested and traceable trees in Western Australia because of our concern over the worldwide poaching and deforestation of sandalwood trees.

• Jasmine - a warm, uplifting floral, esteemed in Asia where the blossoms symbolize love or respect. Sourced from Egyptian jasmine flowers.

• Rose - a deep, rich floral, long a symbol of love and beauty. Believed by experts to balance emotions. Sourced from flowers in Bulgaria.

• Organic Ylang Ylang - a sweetly seductive floral believed to be an aphrodisiac and anti-depressant. Sourced from certified organically grown trees in Madagascar.

• Bergamot - an uplifting citrus derived from the rinds of fruit grown in Italy.

• Frankincense and Myrrh - Spicy-sweet, exotic aromas. Frankincense has been used for thousands of years to purify the air and as part of religious prayer ceremonies."

The fragrance comes in a 7ml roller ball bottle and is priced at £20 (7ml doesn’t seem a lot, but remember this is pure fragrance and you only need a tiny amount of it, I think 7ml is perfectly ample), available at Aveda salons, spas, stores and online at the Aveda website www.aveda.co.uk

Disclosure: PR Sample

Clinique 2011 Limited Edition Happy In Bloom - Out Soon!

If you like Clinique’s Happy Fragrance then you might want to get your hands on their new, limited edition Happy in Bloom fragrance for 2011, due out just in time for spring.It hardly seems like spring should be just around the corner, does anybody else agree? Before we know it, it will be Christmas again - eek!

They say:

“Limited edition Happy in Bloom is a fresh, frosty floral that opens up with notes of yellow plum, a cocktail of frozen fruit, and watery green notes for a crisp introduction. Notes of lily of the valley, white freesia and a mimosa accord from the original Happy, lend a tactile nuance of petals. Transparent amber and white wood provide depth with a natural feminine softness.”

It’s available from February 1st from Clinique counters nationwide (RRP £23 for 30ml spray).

Yardley April Violets Now Out!

 
You may remember me posting about the re-issue of Yardley April Vioilets, well I thought I’d post about it again in case you're wondering if it is available yet, as it is! Below is information from the site, and as you can see the prices are MUCH better than previous (and some current) eBay auction prices. So what are you waiting for?

http://www.yardleylondon.co.uk/april-violets.html

"Violet, a spring flower, has been known for centuries and is commonly found in the wild woodland and comprises 400-500 species. Parma violet, at the very heart of Yardley London’s April Violet fragrance collection, has a sweet, delicate smell which is often described as ‘flirty’ because the fragrance seems to come and go.

Yardley London’s April Violet fragrance is a unique, fresh and sensual floral that opens with fresh, green violet leaves, citrus and geranium top notes combined with a heart of sweetly scented parma violets, iris, jasmine, ylang and tuberose with warm base notes of vanilla and sweet powdery accords."

The prices are as follows:

April Violets Eau de Toilette, 125ml is £12.95

April Violets Body Spray, 75ml is £2.49

April Violets Soaps, 3x100g are £7.50

April Violets Perfumed Talc, 200g is £6.95

Yardley April Violets Re-issued

The news that Yardley are re-issuing their April Violets perfume is music to my ears. I just love the sweet smelling violetty goodness. The unmistakeable scent of childhood parma violet sweets brings back memories of being young(er) and eating packets and packets of the things. The best thing though is that I get the parma violet fix without the sugar going into my body and then straight onto my hips/belly/bum etc in weight.

Now I just need Yardley to re-issue their Freesia fragrance too, if only to make my mum happy too!


Update: I have spoken to Yardley directly now and  they have told me that the relaunch will be in September, and that they will also be looking at bringing back some other fragrances too nearer to spring time.