Hero beauty product - Kiehl's Fig Leaf & Sage Aromatic Mist perfume

I bought this perfume for myself as a reward after one of my crazy work-all-hours-god-sends periods.

It's an unusual one for sure.  People either seem to love or hate it, but I really like it.

The packaging is clean & somewhat minimalist but retro.  White background, black lettering and a picture of the bottle inside.  No nonsense there.  The bottle itself continues the same minimalist retro theme - simple shape, clear glass, the retro Kiehls font embossed on to it and a silver cap.  With so much rather verbose, over the top perfume presentation around, I found this rather satisfying.

Image via http://thegroomingguide.com

The perfume itself is strong.  The sweetness of the fig is counteracted by the sharpness of the sage.  It shouldn't work but it does.  Initially the sage is the foremost note but it settles into a rather warm, pleasing aroma.  At the risk of sounding like a press release, it really did remind me of sitting in a Mediterranean garden on a hot day.

I also liked the fact that you can buy it in both small and large size. Sometimes you want to treat yourself but can't spend too much money.

I think it's a great perfume for (hopefully) warm summer days.

*Edited 10/4/14

 

Beauty review - Crabtree & Evelyn's Rosewater Eau de Toilette

It's funny how the weather can really affect your perception of a perfume.

When I first smelt Crabtree & Evelyn's Rosewater Eau de Toilette, I loathed it.  I thought it was an overly sweet, yet somehow insipid little scent that disappeared after an hour.  I tried it a couple of times then the sample rolled to the back of the drawer and I forgot about it.  But, of course, that was during the winter.

Then this glorious, hot, sunny summer came along and I was looking for a light perfume to wear so I thought I might as well give it another go.

Image via shopstyle.com

Well, what a difference a season makes!  

In the heat, it didn't seem sweet, it smelt appropriate, like an English country garden - fresh, light and more importantly, not too overpowering.  Heavy perfumes in summer actually make me feel slightly nauseous.  Weirdly it seemed to last longer too.  I kept getting very faint whiffs throughout the day.

Great perfume but choose carefully when you're going to wear it. 

Hero beauty product - Estee Lauder's 'Sensuous' perfume

A good day to evening perfume can be hard to find.  Either a perfume can be perfect for evening but too heavy for day wear, or light which makes it great for daytime use but too insipid for evening wear.

I find that Estee Lauder's 'Sensuous' straddles the divide perfectly.  I wear this perfume more than any other.

Image via http://wholesalewarehouse.co.nz

It's warm and woody without being overpowering.  There's quite a silky undertone which enables it to make the transition from day to evening perfectly. 

My new perfume - Miller Harris 'La Pluie'

I am bad.  I went out to buy Christmas presents and came back with a bottle of perfume for myself.  In my defence, however, it is La Pluie by Miller Harris which I defy anyone to resist.

Image via http://www.earthmothersoulsister.co.uk

A few months ago I was given a free sample of La Pluie and I knew immediately that I'd be buying it.  It was just a matter of when.  

I love it because it's a such distinctive and natural fragrance.  So many perfumes, especially the cheaper ones, smell as if the notes have been chemically created.  Let's be honest, no matter how well it's made, chemically created lavender/citrus etc will never smell as good as actual lavender or citrus.

It's also nice to wear something that no one else recognises.  Much as I like perfumes like Rive Gauche, Poison and ck one, they are pretty ubiquitous.  And who wants to be ubiquitous?  

Five firsts

First job.  I worked in a tourist souvenir shop on Westminster Bridge Road. It was very, very hard work but I loved it. I'd just arrived in London from Africa and the thrill of seeing Big Ben every day was immeasurable.  And I learnt never, ever to underestimate the public's appetite for complete and utter tat.


First kiss.  A boy called Douglas.  I kissed him at my friend Jane's 16th birthday party...


First perfume I bought.  Chanel No. 19.  I saved up for weeks to afford it.  I just adored the light, clean loveliness of it.  Even now, the faintest whiff of it takes me back to those heady days of being 21 years old with the world at my feet.


First song I bought.  'Brown girl in the ring' by Boney M!!  I hang my head in shame... Naturally when I'm talking to my cool music business friends, I mutter something about Fleetwood Mac or the Rolling Stones.


First show I worked on.  'Brigadoon'.  Funnily enough, this was my first school show and the first West End show I worked on. Yea, I know - it's pretty naff but I had great fun on both occasions and I'll always have fond memories of the show.

Thank you!

It was with great excitement that I got home from work on Friday to find a package from the lovely Ines of All I am - a redhead waiting for me.  I'd won samples of Puredistance in a giveaway on her blog and she'd very kindly sent them along with loads of other perfume samples to try.  The last time I won anything, I was about 11 and I won a book token at school for creative writing, so it was very exciting to receive this.  I can't wait to try them. xx


Here's a picture of spring daffodils I took about a month ago by way of thank you.

Christina Aguilera perfume - the lowdown

Image courtesy of slapiton.tv

I'm most definitely not a fan of anything celebrity endorsed, so when I was given a sample of Christina Aguilera perfume, I must confess, I did approach it with suspicion.


My first impression, when I dabbed it liberally on both wrists was warm & sweet and somehow it reminded me of my grandma.  I really don't like sweet perfumes but as time wore on, the sweetness subsided and just the warmth remained.  Pleasant enough, if you like that sort of thing...  


It was only when I read the fragrance notes that I realized why it reminded me of my grandma.  The top note is vanilla - my grandma loved baking!!


Overall, I think it's a safe, uncomplicated perfume for teenage girls who think that 'sexy' is nothing more complicated than wearing a short skirt and glittery make up.   

Fragrant notes

I have a slight obsession with the smell of things.  

I'm transfixed by the power of the faintest whiff of a scent to evoke long forgotten memories.  There's a cologne that an old boyfriend of mine used to wear.  I have no idea what it is but sometimes a man will pass me in the street wearing it.  My heart will start pounding and instantly I'm back in Lyons in the summer of 2003.  Occasionally I've tried to find out what it is - a fresh light fragrance that reminds me of seabreezes and blue summer skies - but I've never had any luck.  I think it's best to keep it unknown - a special, unique memory.  


A friend of mine wore Christian Dior's Poison for a whole winter. It takes just a waft of that deep rich fragrance for me to want to see her again.  Funnily enough, when she changed to a Hermes perfume, it just didn't have the same effect. 


And then there's the smell of Africa...  I grew up in Africa. The smell of rain on the drought parched, red soil is something I miss with a primal intensity.  I didn't think it was possible to miss the smell of something but there you go. 


The power of perfume is why I love the idea of a signature scent. Something that is 'you'.  I wore Estee Lauder's 'Body Power' for ages.  I adored its creamy, fresh fragrance but it's long been discontinued and I haven't been able to find anything really suitable since.  I'm currently wearing Hermes, 'Un Jardin en Mediteranee'.  It's fine but that's it. Fine.  It's got a harsh undertone which I'm not sure about but I've never smelt it on anyone else which is why I like it. 


Sometimes location can trick you.  Recently, when I was in Paris, I bought L'Artisan Parfumeur's 'Fou d'Absinthe'. Standing in the dark panelled shop in the Third Arrondissement, I fell in love with it's deep woodiness and it's promise of dark exciting evenings to come but somehow, in London, it just doesn't seem the same. Here, in grey, sensible London, it just seems too... well... deep and I realized that the dark, romantic smell was the perfect accompaniment to the dark, romantic Parisian surroundings. 


I'm trying to work out what the perfect London perfume would be. Someone suggested Burberry 'Brit' but that's a bit too obvious.  When I've sussed it, I'll let you know.