Jo Malone, Limited Editions and Ebay

I'm having one of those moments where I curse myself for being so slow to write about something. I'm not gifted with the talent others have for describing scents, so perfume reviews take me a long time to formulate. I also don't really like to write about items without having something useful to say. However, I should know from past experience that this is not especially helpful though when it comes to limited editions.

I squirted the Bitter Orange & Chocolate Cologne from the Jo Malone™ Sugar & Spice Collection this morning. The initial hit is delicious and reminds me of the smell from an open bag of Jaffas (like orange smarties, only better). The delicious smell reminded me that it was high time that I write about the collection; the Elderflower & Gooseberry and Ginger Biscuit colognes are also lovely but I would struggle to describe them. However, I think if you like fragrances like Haus of Gloi Who Needs Love and Come Hither or the citrus-y scented Guerlain Aqua Allegoria perfumes, I think you would (have) like(d) the Sugar & Spice Collection.

But, here's the rub. My delay in writing about the collection means that, with the exception of Redcurrant & Cream cologne, all of the fragrances have sold out online. I'm not sure whether this is also the case for the boutiques and counters, but I would guess so. What I can see is that you can buy the perfumes for an inflated price on Ebay. I found a bottle of the Bitter Orange & Chocolate cologne for £65 BIN. The RRP was £38.

This is a practice that infuriated me as people clearly buy limited edition items to sell at a profit on Ebay, anticipating the demand once a collection/product sells out. I'm sure the Lord Sugar's of this world would consider this entrepreneurial, I just think it's cheeky. Of course, this is not unique to Jo Malone™ collections, I know it has happened in the past with Suqqu and some MAC limited editions too. I do wonder how quickly the collections would sell out if it wasn't for Ebay sellers buying up so much of the stock? I also realise that people must purchase at these inflated prices, otherwise it wouldn't be profitable.

Anyway, that's enough of me ranting. I'm off to scour the internet for a perfume called Sour Grapes!

Disclosure: Press Samples

Jo Malone Blackberry & Bay

Jo Malone London are about to launch a new fragrance collection, Blackberry & Bay. From the moment I saw the word blackberry, I knew I would love the scent. I'm already eagerly awaiting the transition into autumn and have spotted the blackberries and sloes ripening in the nearby hedgerows. I'm hoping this year I can take the children out to pick the berries with me as it's something I used to love doing with my parents when I was little.

When I first spray this, I get a fresh citrus burst from the grapefruit and it dries down to a surprisingly leafy scent on my skin. The blackberry note I get is like the outer skin and perfume of the blackberry rather than the juicy insides. I definitely wouldn't describe this as a fruity scent.

This fragrance does seem to fade quite quickly on my skin. There's something about my body chemistry that 'eats up' green fragrances, so I like to spritz it onto my hair as well as my skin for greater lasting power. You can wear Blackberry & Bay alone or Jo Malone also recommend layering with Lime, Basil & Mandarin or (my old favourite) Nectarine Blossom & Honey. Today, I'm wearing it over the Lime, Basil & Mandarin body creme to give it more zesty oomph.

The Blackberry & Bay fragrance collection will be available from September and the cologne spray will come in two sizes: 30ml (£38) and 100ml (£76). It will also be available as a body creme (£48), body & hand wash (£30) and a home candle (£38). I'm tempted by the home candle as Mr MB really likes this scent too and I think it would be perfect for our kitchen/dining area.

PR Sample

What's in my Mum's Perfume Archive?

I embarked on a little treasure hunt when I visited my parents at Easter. The house where my parents live, used to belong to my grandparents. Despite my Mum's best efforts at space-clearing (she's really a 'keep it, just in case' kind of gal) there's evidence of my Grandma everywhere. There's also quite a lot of 'stuff' that belonged to both my sister and myself. We never lived in this house but my parents have dutifully held on to our things through their various moves. Which is quite impressive considering they've changed continents, as well as houses, since I left home!

One passion that the ladies in my family share, is a love of perfume. I was certain that if I did a little digging, I would find an eclectic mix of perfume bottles in the house, both old and new. In fact, I found quite a lot more than I expected, including a couple that might have found their way into my suitcase before I left. There are too many bottles for me to try talk about them all individually, particularly as I didn't get chance to sniff them all, but I have tried to list as many as possible. Of course, some of them really do merit a special mention, particularly from a nostalgic point of view.

Yardley Lace // Yve Eau de Parfum by Giovanni Barrini // Ylena by Giovanni Barrini // Accent Solitare // Multiple bottles of Cachet by Prince Matchabelli // Courant Eau de Parfum Mist by Helena Rubinstein // Yardley Gold Deodorant // Panache Perfume Cologne Spray by Lentheric // Four bottle of Yardley Laughter // First Lady by Dadi // Le Jardin Fleur de Rose EdT by Max Factor // Avert Avert Ypres by Constance Carroll // A Touch of Class by Faberge Cologne // Amando Noir Aftershave // Tea Rose by The Perfumer's Workshop Ltd

The collection above is dominated by bottles that belonged to my Grandmother and I was unsurprised to see a lot of Yardley fragrances. You will notice multiple bottles of Yardley Laughter. This was my Grandmother's signature scent and once it was discontinued, the whole family was under instructions to purchase bottles should we spot them. It reminds me that the irritation of discontinued favourites isn't an especially new phenomenon.

Another perfume that I found in multiples was Cachet by Prince Matchabelli. I remember this perfume well and I'm pretty sure one of these bottles once belonged to me. If memory serves me correctly, the USP for this perfume was that it allegedly smelled different on everyone. Although the name Cachet is well known, I don't think I've come across the name Prince Matchabelli before and I had assumed that Cachet was produced by a different fragrance house. Apparently, the Prince Matchabelli name was once owned by an arm of Unilever.

Shiseido - Relaxing Fragrance // Tendre Poison Eau de Toilette by Christian Dior // Tuscany Per Donna Eau de Parfum by Aramis (not pictured)  // Miss Dior Parfum by Christian Dior // Cacherel Eau de Toilette pour L'Homme // Roger & Gallet Vetyver Eau de Cologne // There's also more Yardley Laughter and other Yardley body sprays in the top picture.

Out of this group, I think the Miss Dior perfume was the most interesting find. I'm sure a perfume expert would be able tell me approximately how old this bottle is but I would guess from the packaging that it is a truly vintage bottle. I couldn't resist giving it a try and thankfully it hasn't gone off. I should mention that my Mum is careful to store her hoarded perfumes in a cool dark place, in their original boxes where possible. Even if she can't remember exactly where she's hidden them...

The Cacherel aftershave I know for certain is one of my Mum's purchases. I've often known her to wear fragrances designed for men, one of her particular favourites being Eau Sauvage by Dior. Although it isn't pictured here, I gifted her my bottle of Molton Brown Singosari, as I knew she would love it. Singosari is a unisex fragrance but seems to share some of the notes of the male fragrances that appeal to her.

The Shiseido Relaxing Fragrance was entirely new to me and I hadn't realised until discovering it that Shiseido made perfumes. It's a rather lovely fresh, green scent and, if I thought my Mum wouldn't have missed it, this would have found its way home with me too.

Chanel Allure Eau de Toilette // Yves Rocher Nature // Cabotine de Gres Limited Edition Eau de Toilete // Aftelier Perfume and For Strange Women samples in the tin

With the exception of the Yves Rocher Nature, which is an old bottle of mine, these are my Mum's newer acquisitions. Although my Mum loves perfume, she does struggle sometimes with a scent triggering a migraine. In recent years, she's become quite adept at mixing perfumes in oil form with a body cream so that she can custom blend the strength. Knowing this, I was pretty certain she would appreciate the oils and solid fragrances from Aftelier Perfumes and For Strange Women. Hence, her acquisition of my tin of samples.

Talking of samples, here's a set of my Mum's that I covet. My Mum and Dad have spent a number of years living in the Middle East and this is how she discovered Amouage. She's benefitted from sales and special shopping events and I believe this is how she came by this little sampler set. She also has some Amouage oils which I have never seen in the UK.

I thought I'd leave you with this photo of Miss MB 'helping' me. It would seem that she's poised to carry on the family tradition, maybe not in her desire to wear perfume but certainly in wanting to run off with someone else's!!

Kai Body Glow Spray

I hadn't come across the brand Kai before but it turns out this is a bit of a cult perfume and body range, with a number of A-list fans. Founder, Gaye Straza, created the fragrance as a means of capturing the scent of her childhood holidays in the tropics. I can't attest to whether this accurately captures the exotic white blooms of the tropics but I do love the scent. My very untrained nose picks up jasmine and honeysuckle.

Body Glow is a dry body oil spray and has turned out to be a bit of secret 2-in-1 product for me: not only does it help me moisturise when I haven't got time to apply body cream, it makes me smell like I've remembered to apply perfume before stepping out of the door. Win! Have I mentioned how lazy I am before? It's also packaged in a slightly squidgy plastic bottle, so there's no fear of smashing this on the bathroom tiles.

Kai Body Glow doesn't feel greasy on my body but I do find I need to wipe my hands after applying to my legs and arms. The formula does include silicones, so if you're trying to avoid silicones, this isn't one for you. I've included the complete ingredients list below.

Ingredients: cyclomethicone, caprylic/capric triglyceride, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, parfum, glycine soja (soybean) oil, aloe bardensis (aloe vera) leaf juice, chamomilla recutita (matriaca) extract, cucumis sativus (cucumber) extract, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) extract, linalool, hydroxymethyl-pentyl-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde, isoeugenol, benzyl benzoate, citronellol, hexylcinnamaldehyde, 2-(4-tert-butylphenyl) proprional.

Kai Body Glow costs £25 and is available from Cult Beauty and Beauty Works West. 

Disclosure: PR Sample

A Treasured Find: Dior Tendre Poison

When I visited my parents over Easter, I did some scouting around for perfumes for a future post. There are many nooks and crannies in their house and the bathrooms in particular are a veritable treasure trove. I was mostly looking for perfumes belonging to my Mum and Grandma but I happened upon this bottle of Dior Tendre Poison which I very much remember being mine...no matter what my Mum claims!

I did a little research and apparently Tendre Posion was created in 1994. So I was right in my recollection that this bottle dates from around the time I went off to University. It's moved around a bit since then (and evidently changed owners!) but thanks to the fact that it's been kept in the box and out of direct sunlight, this perfume smells exactly as I remember it. I really can't describe the fragrance and do it any justice: it's an unusual blend of sweet, floral and zesty and it works really well with my skin chemistry. It is a strong scent but I don't find it over-powering and headache inducing which unfortunately my Mum does. Obviously, you can see why I had to rescue it.

Whilst the scent does evoke fond memories, I don't think of it as particularly dated and I was sad to see that it has been discontinued. I know I'm going to be caught between wanting to wear it all the time and trying to conserve it. I will make a point of trying some of the newer Dior Poison spin offs to see if I can find a suitable replacement.

New Home Fragrancing from Jo Malone

Jo Malone have recently added some new products to their Home Collection. The Scent Surround Diffusers (£45) and Room Sprays (£34) are both permanent additions to the collection and come in the fragrances Pomegranate Noir, Red Roses and Lime, Basil & Mandarin.

I have been using the Red Roses Diffuser for a couple of weeks now. I have it positioned high on top of a book shelf in my living room away from curious hands. Although it is up high, it still scents the downstairs rooms nicely. My living area is quite open plan and often suffers from cooking smells drifting in from the kitchen (and also from the next door neighbour's for some inexplicable reason!). The diffuser has done an excellent job of masking those lingering smells.

The Red Roses fragrance from the diffuser is quite strong and very much a true perfume scent. I initially thought it might be too pungent for the living area but both myself and my husband have become accustomed to it now. I look forward to coming downstairs to have the smell greet me in the morning. I'm actually considering getting a more citrussy scent for downstairs, I think the Lime, Basil & Mandarin would work well, and moving Red Roses to my bedroom. I live in a house where I am outnumbered by the male of the species and I suspect the rose scent is touch feminine in the circumstances. However, as no one has mentioned it, I should probably carry on regardless!

The Scent Surround Drawer Liners (£20) and Sachets (£30) are both limited edition items and come in the Lime, Basil & Mandarin fragrance. I rather like the old fashioned appeal of both of these items, I imagine it is a real treat to open a draw or wardrobe door and be greeted with a beautiful scent. I'm tempted to take Lipglossiping's advice and buy some for my suitcases and storage boxes, I'd never have thought of it myself but I think it's a great idea.

The signature Jo Malone black and cream colour scheme has been reversed for the Home Collection packaging and it looks rather stylish. I always think the presentation of the Jo Malone products with pretty bows and tissue paper makes them ideal presents. Even if they're just presents to yourself! 

The new Home Cragrance products are available from Jo Malone stores and online from www.jomalone.com.

Disclosure: PR Sample

Donna Karan Cashmere Mist (EDT)

I realised recently that, although this is my signature perfume, I've only ever mentioned this perfume in passing and never done a proper review. I think it deserve a more attention, especially as it doesn't seem all that well known. Certainly the many DKNY releases get much more attention in terms of advertising. This isn't a new fragrance though and was first released in 1994

This is a perfume that I spritzed many times before finally taking the plunge. I stumbled on it quite a few years ago at the CCO at Bicester Village. I was halfheartedly looking for a new everyday perfume as I could no longer wear my old favourite Kenzo Flowers post pregnancy. Compared to the Kenzo, it is a very subtle fragrance and I think this is why I was so unsure to start with. I would spritz, not purchase but then spend the rest of the day sniffing my wrist. Of course, I caved eventually.

It is a soft, creamy, seductive scent. Although it doesn't scream 'smell me, I'm wearing perfume' (it's far too sophisticated for that) it isn't particularly weedy either and the fragrance lasts well on my skin. There are no jarring or competing elements and, indeed, I struggle to pick up any of the individual notes. The Donna Karan website describes it as 'Moroccan jasmine, lily of the valley and bergamot with warm undertones of sandalwood, amber and musk'. What I smell is a warm, slightly sweetened suede.

I bought this bottle of Cashmere Mist from CheapSmells.com some time ago but they no longer seem to stock it. Alternative stockists are Escentuals.com, Debenhams and House of Fraser. It costs £33 for 30ml of the Eau de Toilette.

Jo Malone Blooms: Iris & Lady Moore Cologne

The Jo Malone London Blooms collection is a limited edition release of three fragrances inspired by British gardens. The three colognes are: White Lilac & Rhubarb, Peony & Moss and the one I have here, Iris & Lady Moore. The bottles are decorated with beautiful illustrations and would make a nice addition to any dressing table.

Iris & Lady Moore is a bit of a tricky fragrance to describe. I'm not the most adept at picking out individual notes and I still tend to work on the basis of 'do I like it or not?'. In this case, I like it very much but it does skate pretty close to being too 'old lady floral' for my tastes, and it took a discussion on Twitter and a breakdown from Lipglossiping for me to better understand what I like about it.

What stops Iris & Lady Moore from being the kind of floral fragrance I wouldn't wear, is what I perceive as a masculine edge to it. This masculine note is apparently thanks to the inclusion of vetiver (cheers Charlotte). The fragrance notes are officially Iris, Geranium (Lady Moore) and Vetiver. What my nose detects is floral mixed with peppery masculine. It is a strong fragrance and although it a mellows over the day, I can still smell it in the evening. The most predominant note on my skin is the pollen pepperiness. It has reasonable sillage and by that I mean that other people around me would be able to smell it without having to stand particularly close.

So far, everyone that I have spoken to likes this fragrance, with the exception of Mr. MB, but I do get the impression that everyone finds it a little curious. It's a certainly a perfume that I would recommend sniffing in person before buying.

The London Blooms collection is available now from Jo Malone shops and concessions as well as online. The colognes cost £72 each which I appreciate is expensive but the bottles contain 100ml of fragrance, so they will last a good while.

Disclosure: PR Sample.

For Strange Women Deluxe Mini Perfume Sampler

I have been meaning to write about the Deluxe Sampler from For Strange Women for months now. I've actually bought a couple of the solid fragrances since I bought this set such was my enjoyment of these natural perfumes. I think my hesitation in writing a review is because I still haven't worn all six of the fragrances in the sampler. I find that whenever I take out my FSW stash I am always drawn to my two favourites, November and Decadence & Debauchery. 

Decadence & Debauchery is actually the perfume that led to me buying this set. Some time ago I fell in love with Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille but wasn't in the position to splash out £120 on a bottle. London Makeup Girl was kind enough to tell me that Decadence & Debauchery would make a good alternative and because it's a natural perfume, it wasn't likely to be quite as intense as the Tom Ford. So, I headed straight to the For Strange Women Etsy store. I ordered the Deluxe Mini Perfume Sampler set as I liked the sound of a couple of the other fragrances and thought it would be nice to try a few at a time.

When my package arrived, I couldn't get over the lovely attention to detail. It really was like opening a present to myself (hence the abundance of pictures). The samples themselves were beautifully wrapped along with cards describing each of the fragrance samples. The little dried rose buds and the business card with the wine goblet were a signal to me that For Strange Women and I were going to get along swimmingly!

The Sampler contains six mini perfumes as well as a small pot of fixative. These perfumes are all oil based and the fixative is designed to lengthen their wear time. I'll admit that I often forget to apply the fixative first but I have not particularly had problems with these scents fading. They probably last around three to four hours on me without the fixative, which is typical of a natural perfume on my skin. Of course, I am mostly at home so topping up isn't a problem.

Just as Grace promised, Decadence & Debauchery is a good dupe for Tobacco Vanille. It's a rich smoky vanilla and I really like how the tobacco scent prevents the vanilla from becoming cloying. It's well rounded and sweet without being sickly. Other notes include ripe blood orange, immortelle and violet. I don't know whether I consider myself the decadent or debauched Victorian type but I do love this scent.

I think I might love November even more though. It's rather fitting as November (and autumn generally) is my most favourite time of the year. The falling leaves, the beautiful rich colours, the crisp, bright cool days and the anticipation of Christmas around the corner. The perfume is sweet and earthy and perfectly captures the scent of walking through a forest on a slightly damp autumn day. I suspect many people will read the description and take against it but if you're a fan of autumn and like slightly unexpected fragrances, I would urge you to give this a try. In fact, if you have and love Haus of Gloi Samhain, you should definitely give November a try.

The other fragrances in the set are: Bollywood, Winter Kitty, Moss & Ivy and Astral Projection. I keep meaning to try Bollywood as I like the idea of a rich and spicy perfume. My Mum did give it a little whirl and said that it was lighter than she had expected so this may not be as full bodied as I had imagined.

For Strange Women perfumes and colognes are all handmade using 100% natural ingredients. The Deluxe Mini Perfume Sampler is still available and costs $34. On their website it suggest that each mini perfume sample contains enough for 3-5 applications, personally I find it's over 5 applications but I suppose it depends on how liberal you are with application. You can also buy the samples of the perfume oils individually and they cost $6 each.

Molton Brown Singosari

Singosari is one of five fragrances from Molton Brown's Navigation Through Scent collection. The collection took inspiration from the history and origins of perfume. Each fragrance is designed to evoke the idea or memory of a particular region. I love that Apuldre, described as London Via Kent, uses juniper berries to transport the mind to a picnic on a Summer's evening!

This is how Molton Brown describe Singosari:

SINGOSARI

LONDON VIA INDONESIA

“May Contain Wonder. Follow the ancient spice trail to the islands of Indonesia. Blood-warm

monsoon rains. Ruined temples and lush green jungles. Exotic. Steamy. Haunting.”

The way we blend it

A top note of incense and ginger. Middle notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. A base of vetiver and

patchouli.

Fragrance description

spicy-woody: Spices and incense elevate and decorate the complex patchouli oil to give an

elegant, rich and deep accord in the base note. An interpretation of patchouli, combined with

spices, brings forth sensuality and mystery. 

This is how it smells to me:

On spraying I get a hit of sharp and spicy. There's something zesty and acidic about the opening.  The first time I wore Singosari it brought to mind Eau Sauvage by Christian Dior. It definitely has a masculine edge to it like Eau Sauvage. The acidity and strength mellows quite quickly and I get wafts of the scent as I move around. I can't pick out any of the individual notes, it just plays as a warm, spicy mix on my skin. As with all spicy fragrances, my skin tends to give this a slightly musky undertone.

I think Singosari is almost certainly a unisex fragrance. I think it will appeal to those who enjoy spicy scents, probably less so to those looking for an overtly feminine perfume or prefer floral fragrances. If like me you've worn Eau Sauvage before (I discovered via Twitter that I am not alone in this) I'd recommend giving Singosari a try. I can't say whether it evokes Indonesia accurately but I'm happy to give my imagination a workout.

Genius!

One of my very favourite things about Singosari is the bottle. I love the design and the chunkiness of the glass. This is probably an odd thing to say but my favourite detail is the 'twist-to-spray' top. It's like the perfume equivalent of a child safety cap and with my little blighters on the rampage, it comes in very handy!

The other fragrances in the collection are Iunu - London via Egypt, Lijiang - London via China, Apuldre - London via Kent (the gin one) and Rogart - London via Canada (more gin!). I have testers of both Apuldre and Rogart and the hit of juniper berries is impressive. All five fragrances come in the same chunky glass bottle and cost £55 for 50ml. They are available from Molton Brown counters and stores nationwide, as well as online from www.moltonbrown.co.uk.


Disclosure: PR sample.

Freak by Illamasqua

Illamasqua launches it's first fragrance on the 20th October and as you may already know, it's been possible to place pre-orders since Monday. As always the visuals for the release are stunning, the bottle itself is rather a talking point too!

Freak is a unisex fragrance and sounds like it will be dark and intoxicating. In their own words "Freak is concoction of dangerously exotic unconventional flowers which Illamasqua has unashamedly blended to celebrate the night".

TOP NOTES

Black Davana, Opium Flower and Belladonna bewitch the senses into uncontrollable lust and passion.

HEART NOTES

Poison Hemlock, Datura and Queen of the Night blossom, caress and kiss.

BASE NOTES

Aromas of Frankincense, Oud and Myrrh, addictively mesmerises and captures the senses.

Although I shall reserve judgment until I can smell this in person, I suspect Freak wouldn't be a fragrance I would wear. What does really excite me is the description of the three limited edition products that will accompany the release: A nail varnish in Hemlock (pale opal with green iridescent), a pure pigment in Queen of the Night (blackened plum), and a sensual sheer lipgloss in Datura (neutral mauve). I'm really hoping that Hemlock is a lighter version of my favourite Bacterium.

Freak will cost £59 for 75ml of the EDP Fragrance. Are you looking forward to this release? Do you think you will be bold enough to get your Freak On?

Stella Print Collection

The Stella Print Collection is a limited edition release of the original Stella fragrance dressed in three different floral print designs, taken from her Spring Summer 2011 fashion collection. The designs are very bold floral illustrations which probably capture the fragrance inside rather well.

I've been spritzing and sniffing the Stella Eau de Parfum for about a week and a half now. I have actually been spritzing this fragrance on and off for years trying to decide whether it suits me. The predominant note is of rose and the amber gives it warmth and intensity. It is quite a powerful fragrance but this is one of those unusual perfumes that my nose gets used almost instantly. On the first wear, it had tremendous sillage and I could smell it all day long. On subsequent applications, I can smell it for half an hour to an hour after the initial spray and then I lose the scent. I had this same issue with Kenzo Flowers and would reapply frequently thinking it had vanished. I was probably the cause of many headaches for my work colleagues at the time!

Image by Jürgen Tesch

Losing the smell obviously makes it difficult for me to pinpoint all the notes and tell you how this develops on me. In view of this, I asked the Biochemist's opinion. He said I smelt a bit like an old lady. How charming!! I imagine it was the strong rose scent he was referring to.

I think Stella Print is probably best described as a sweet and quite intense floral fragrance. It's feminine but without subtlety, if that makes sense? If you like strong florals or you are already a fan of the original, these limited edition bottles would be a beautiful edition to your dressing table.

The Stella Print Collection is available from escentual.com. The bottles cost £35 each and contain 30ml of Eau de Parfum.

Disclosure: Sample received without cost for review purposes.

Guerlain Chamade

At the end of June, I watched the first in a series of Perfume documentaries on BBCFour. The episode focused on the contrast between old and new perfume houses and I found it extremely interesting. Not least because we got a peek inside of the glorious Guerlain boutique in Paris.

The documentary saw a young french girl making a pilgrimage to the Guerlain boutique to choose her first perfume. Whilst my first perfume sadly wasn't Guerlain, I was introduced to their fragrances in my teens by a glamourous family friend. She gifted me a bottle of Chamade and watching this documentary made me immediately want to rush out and buy another bottle.

Source

Smelling Chamade again was like a trip straight back to my teenage years and family holidays. It smells so warm and familiar. I can't claim to be much of a 'nose' but The Candy Perfume Boy mentioned how Chamade smells like pollen and I know exactly what he means.

The first hit brings to mind the pungent pollen scent of lilies. As it dries down it mellows and becomes sweeter and almost powdery. The top notes are listed as jasmine and hyacinth, there's cassis in there and the 'pollen' hit is mellowed by woody and balsamic notes, as well as vanilla.  It lasts for hours but I find the scent wears closer to me as the day goes on. I think it's quite a sexy scent (teenage hormones maybe?) but not in an obvious way. I love catching the final wafts at the end of the day.

I suspect this isn't a fragrance that will appeal to everyone. For me, much of it's appeal is wrapped up in the personal memories it evokes. I love how fragrance has the power to transport the mind in this way. I wonder if the young girl from the documentary will look back on Insolence with the same sort of fondness in years to come?

Escentual.com stock Guerlain perfumes and I'm secretly hoping that the bring out a discovery set of the their fragrances. My joy at rediscovering Chamade has certainly rekindled my passion for their scents.


Disclosure: The sample was sent to me without cost.

Perfume Chat: Lalique, Etat Libre d'Orange and Aftelier

I took the opportunity to make a couple of videos this weekend whilst I had the house to myself. The first one that I want to share with you is mostly me rambling on about perfume. I'm not a natural at explaining the different layers in a fragrance (no, really!) but I wanted to share some of the things I have tried recently and enjoyed.

The video is quite an epic, so for those of you that prefer to read rather than view, here's the (slightly) abridged version.

Etienne de Swardt

I attended a fragrance event hosted by Escentual a couple of weeks ago and was privileged to hear Etienne De Swardt, President of Etat Libre d'Orange, talk about their perfumes and the ideas behind them. Etat Libre d'Orange are a very cheeky little scent house, if you're easily offended, don't look at the artwork too closely! Etienne was so wry and very French in his manner (although I believe he was born in South Africa) that it was easy to be charmed as well as understand how perfumes such as Putain de Palaces and Sécrétions Magnifiques came about. I love the idea of corrupting scent combination and adding challenging touches here and there. Having said that, I still haven't applied Sécrétions Magnifiques and my husband hasn't forgiven me for explaining exactly what the 3 S's were whilst he was eating his dinner......

Moving to a more traditional type of fragrance, something else I was introduced to and have discovered I really like is Lalique Fleur de Cristal. It's not typically the kind of scent I would pick out for myself, often these kind of sharp florals don't work on my skin but this has been very well blended. I won't attempt to describe the various notes but I find it to be a beautiful, feminine yet sophisticated and grown up fragrance. It mellows on my skin very quickly and I've found myself wearing it a lot. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised when I looked at the perfume pyramid on Fragrantica, that Fleur de Cristal actually shares a lot of similar notes to my signature scent, Cashmere Mist by Donna Karan.

In a total change of pace, I wanted to mention the natural perfumes from Aftelier Perfumes that I am working my way through. If you've not come across Aftelier Perfumes before, I urge you to take a look at their website. I spent a very enjoyable couple of hours reading through all of the scent combinations. You can order samples of the perfumes to try, which is a great way to work out which combinations you really like. There are 1ml samples of the oil based perfumes and you can also get small samples of the solids. I have liquid samples of Parfum de Maroc, Tango, Candide, Honey Blossom and Fig as well as samples of the solid perfumes, Orchid and Alchemy. So far, I think the solid fragrances are my favourite because they seem to work very well on my skin but I'm enjoying playing around with all of the scents.

I do very much like trying perfume in sample sizes. Pregnancy has done strange things to my sense of smell and I'm still trying to work out what suits me post children. Like Aftelier, Escentual have sample sets available to buy. There are discovery sets for both Etat Libre d'Orange and Lalique which I think are an excellent idea. I quite fancy the Lalique set myself as it contains Encre Noir, which me and my expensive taste have taken a little liking to!


Disclosure: The Etat Libre samples and Lalique were part of an event bag. The Aftelier samples were purchased by but Mandy was kind enough to include a couple of extra samples for me to try.

A Scent by Issey Miyake

I have wanted to try an Issey Miyake scent for years so when I was offered this to try, I jumped at the chance. I seem to be quite fussy where scents are concerned, unfortunately I don't seem to have mastered the art of knowing if I will like something from the scent description. It's something I am working on though!

'A Scent' is described as "green and feminine....drawing inspiration from natures essentials: leaves, flowers and wood". It has top notes of Verbena, heart note of Hyacinth and Jasmine and base notes of Galbanum. It's very green and a little sharp on my nose and stays that way for about an hour. On me this smells like a glade full of bluebells with a kick of cedar and it is actually a little overpowering. It eventually mellows and I pick up hints of other notes but the scent becomes very close to the skin at this point. I had very much hoped that the Jasmine would be more noticeable for balance but I can't pick it out at all.

This scent never truly blossoms on my skin and fades quickly after a strong opening. Something about it reminds me of Yves Rocher Desir de Nature which I owned years ago, another green floral that would vanish quickly from my skin. I wonder whether it's something about my body chemistry that stops it developing into something more.

A Scent is currently on special offer on www.escentual.com with over 45% off the RRP. The bottles of Eau de Toilette are priced £16.50 for 30ml, £25.00 for 50ml and £33.50 for 100ml. 

I also wanted to point you in the direction of the discovery sets on Escentual which I think look great. I think this is an excellent way to try something new without committing to a full size bottle. I believe that skin care discovery sets are in the pipeline too. I'm very keen on the État Libre d'Orange set which contains 23 x 1.5ml testers. I've heard interesting reports about this is perfume house and I'll admit that the slightly rude nature of some the perfumes definitely lends to my intrigue!



Disclosure: This perfume was scent to me without charge for consideration for review.

My Perfume Collection

I thought I'd give you a little walk through my collection. It's probably more interesting for the sake of curiosity rather than for my excellent fragrance reviews! I'm the first to admit that, although I have a very sensitive nose, picking out and describing scents is not my forte.

The fragrances that I have, in no particular order are: D&G Feminine, Matthew Williamson Sheer, Amouage Ciel, Calvin Klein Obsession, Chanel no. 5 and a tiny bottle of Kenzo Flowers. The Chanel is sadly a fake or at least I'm pretty sure it is, though it reminds me that I would really like to get a genuine bottle. Kenzo Flowers was my signature scent for years but I find it too strong these days. These perfumes are a mix of everyday and occasional wear for me.

Donna Karan Cashmere Mist

This is my absolute favourite perfume. I tested this a lot before I bought it but kept going back. It’s one of my more expensive perfumes but I think it suits me very well.

The fragrance is supposed to be 'like a Cashmere Sweater' and on that point, I couldn't possibly comment! It’s described as a sheer floral with elements of Moroccan Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Bergamot, Sandalwood, Amber and Musk. It is a delicate fragrance, I find it hard to describe in my own words but I love the blend. It feels very feminine and sexy in a quiet sort of way. I’m quite interested in the new version as well.

D&G Feminine

This is an everyday perfume for me. It’s a nice light, fresh floral smell and like quite a few others that I wear, it has a powderiness to it after the initial spray. It disappears quite quickly and I will often have to top it up later in the day. I bought this from Cheap Smells and I believe it is a discontinued perfume. It’s not my favourite but I do like it for those days when I just want a quick spritz before I go out.

Mattthew Williamson Sheer

I will admit that bought this after Lollipop26 mentioned that she liked the perfume and I spotted it at a bargain price on Cheap Smells. I have a feeling that it’s another discontinued line. It was quite a punt buying something that I’d never tested, it worked out ok though. I don’t wear it very often but it’s nice if I’m in the mood for something completely different. It’s a spicy (almost peppery), citrus fragrance, it’s quite masculine in feel. It doesn’t have particularly great staying power but as it was inexpensive I don’t mind a few extra spritzes.

Calvin Klein Obsession

I have had this a very long time, probably in the region of 10 years but as you can see it’s hardly dented. Fortunately the scent hasn’t changed at all from age. It’s described as a spicy oriental, the predominant smell is amber with notes of vanilla and mandarin. I find it quite a heavy fragrance which accounts for why I don’t wear it often. I do sometimes wear it in the day but I find it too much of a statement for everyday wear. It’s has a powdery edge after an hour of so which I really like. It also lasts like no other. If I spray this in the morning, it’ll still be there at bedtime.

Amouage Ciel

My Mum gave me this perfume. My parents lived in the Middle East on and off for years and she bought this when she lived in Muscat. You can buy Amouage perfumes in the UK but they are rather expensive. I have the purse spray and the bottle is amazing in it’s design.

I had previously thought this was quite a strong, pungent fragrance but on spraying it now, I realize I have misjudged it. This is where my lack of ‘nose’ lets me down as I can’t pick out any specific notes. It goes on quite acidic but has quite a light floral scent when the initial hit dies back. The base notes of musk, amber and incense give it an exotic edge but it’s only the merest hint and this is actually quite a light fragrance. It actually reminds me of an Yves Rocher perfume I had with years ago, I think it was called Nature (oh dear, probably showing my age there!). I'm pleased I have given this another try as it's wrongly been stuck at the back of my cupboard.

I haven't bought any new perfumes for a while. I do seem to be a bit fussy and quite a lot of popular fragrances just don't suit me. I would really like to try one of the Annick Goutal perfumes next, though which one I'm not sure of yet. What are you like with perfumes, do you like to have a variety or are you a dedicated signature scent type of person?