Sunday 14 August 2016

My Perfume Collection 2016

Since I was little, I've always taken a shining to perfume, and regularly stole a few sprays of my mum's "Eau d'Issey" now and then (unbeknownst to her). I have since tried lots of different scents and fallen in love with many which I wanted to talk you through. I much prefer wearing perfumes and eau de toilettes to body sprays as they feel much more signature and are often more long lasting. 
DISCLAIMER: I am proper, totally crap at describing scents so all I can suggest is you go and give these a smell for yourself!
Enjoy!




Estée Lauder - Beyond Paradise
This was my first ever perfume and to this day is sat sour and dusty on my shelf. Although I don't use it any more (due to its well overdue expiry date), I cannot bring myself to throw the bottle away because of its sentimentality. My mum bought it for me in an airport before our family holiday many years ago, and it's safe to say my dad was pretty annoyed!
The faint lingers of the scent remaining reminds me of exactly why I loved it in the first place - it's aquatic, light and fresh, a perfect summer holiday scent. The bottle has had a redesign, but it is still available on the website.
Brand description: Blue Hyacinth and Orange Flower Templar blend with Laelia Orchid and Crepe Jasmin, warmed with Zebrano Wood

Calvin Klein - Euphoria
This is one of my more wintery scents. It is still a very fresh scent, but I was given it for Christmas and have since associated the smell with that time of year. It is just a very lovely clean scent - light and sophisticated but also slightly woody.
Brand description: The beautiful fragrance starts off with pomegranate, persimmon, and a lovely lush green accord. The heart then blends into a sensual lotus blossom, black orchid which then finishes off with amber, violet, cream and woods.

DKNY - Red Delicious 
Another I was given for Christmas and thus associate with winter! As you are probably starting to tell, fresh and fruity scents are right up my street, and this Eau de Parfum's signature note is apple. Again a nice wintry, fresh scents with sweeter notes.
Brand description: This fragrance is daring crisp and sensual. Top notes of champagne accord, exotic lychee, red raspberry and crisp apple. Middle notes of violet petals, vanilla bean, patchouli and amber. Base notes of raspberry for a kiss of sweetness. 

Lush - Karma
This is my one and only solid perfume which I like as it pretty much allows you to pack on as much scent as you like. The perfume is packed into a small tin and packs a bit of a punch for hot, blissful summer evenings. Karma is without doubt my favourite scent throughout all Lush products, and my friend, knowing this, bought me this perfume for Christmas (I get a lot of perfume for Christmas!). Although I received it in the winter, this for me is defiantly and spring/summer scent. It's super warm, woody, smokey and citrusy ; the overwhelming feel you get from this is that its very hippy dippy and essential oils based. It's just SO GORGEOUS.
Brand description: Recalling London in the 1960's, clouds of patchouli mingle with uplifting sweet orange and cleansing pine. 

Mac - Turquatic (not photographed - apologies! It's lost someone deep in one of my bags)
I first purchased this last summer and as Zoella's favourite perfume, how could I not try it! This is so beautiful, so aquatic and fresh, it's insane. Mac have had this as their one and only perfume for ages and i'm pretty sure removed it from the collection for a couple of years, but brought it back. It is very summery and holiday perfect, falling in a similar category to the Estée Lauder one. At the moment I only have a trickle in the bottle of the 10ml roll on bottle, but am sure I shall be re-purchasing it before my summer holiday.
Brand description: Featuring anemone, lotus, orris and Corsican blue cedar

Serge Lutens - Un Bois Vanille
Unlike most of my other perfumes, Un Bois Vanilla is strong, woody warm and sweet. Before last Autumn, Serge Lutens wasn't really a brand I had experienced much of, in fact I'd never heard of it. But my Aunt had come to stay and, being a bit of a perfume expert, wanted to take me and my Mum out to all the big department stores and try all the perfumes. I sprayed this early afternoon, not expecting much. However, as the day progressed, so did the perfume. The warm, wintry layers unfolded and filled my surroundings. It also is also probably my most long- lasting perfume. I also think it would make a beautiful summer evening scent as it is so warm and sweet.
Brand description: To paraphrase Freud, it's not the evil who are full of regrets, but the good. Both the devil and vanilla like black. 
...Cheers Serge Lutens, great description there.

Jo Malone - Blackberry & Bay
Of all my perfumes, I would say this is my most signature scent. I discovered it a couple of years ago when I had heard Tanya Burr talking about it. I went into Selfridges, gave it a spritz and fell in love. It is light, fresh and fruity (quel surprise). Although it isn't very strong and the scent doesn't linger, it's just so beautiful and a scent unlike any other perfume I've ever tried. I think my love for it might be a throwback to when I was little and used to blackberry pick with my brother in the passage running down outside the bottom of our garden. If you've never tried any Jo Malone at all, I really recommend popping in and having a spray. I would say it is slightly wintry, but basically an all year round scent.
Brand description: Childhood memories of blackberry picking...A burst of deep, tart blackberry juice, blending with the freshness of just-gathered bay and brambly woods. Vibrant and verdant.


TTFN x