Sample Sunday - Perfume!

Over the past few weeks I have been delving into my stash of sample perfumes to see if I can find one or two that take my fancy.  I am a subscriber to The Fragrance Club Discovery Box and the one good thing about it is that I am sent samples of fragrances I might not perhaps think to try.  

Having also been to one or two events and been lucky enough to receive some more samples and  as spring has arrived and summer will soon be upon us, I have found this is a really good opportunity to try out and test some of those sample perfumes.

So the ones I have tried are:

Elie Saab - L'eau Couture.  This is the only sample which comes in a cute little box and offers the following description "From the house of Elie Saab comes a new deliciously addictive, soft, almondy floral fragrance. Created to offer a taste of summer, the scent kicks off with a citrusy top that sparkles with zest which leads into a couture-inspired heart topped off with an addictive base".  

This scent I also really like, it is a light scent which is perfect for spring and can be worn either during the day or at night for me.

GUERLAIN - La Petite Robe Noire Couture.  It is described as "The third fragrance to join the hugely successful La Petite Robe Noire collection by Guerlain. The range is inspired by the little black dress, a must have for any fashionista wardrobe. La Petite Robe Noire Couture is a fruity floral vivacious scent fit for the red carpet, perfect for when a splash of luxury is needed!".  

I am indifferent about the scent of this, it is nice, but I wouldn't purchase a full sized bottle, I am happy enough to use the sample.

Loewe Quizas Quizas Quizas pasion which is a Spanish brand that has just come to the UK and is said to be inspired by The Art of Tango - The deep red juice bursts with fruits for a romantic fragrance that leaves a lasting trail wanting those left in its wake wanting more.

I am still on the fence with this scent, it is quite floral and fruity and definitely has a wow factor as soon as it is sprayed but I find it doesn't really last that long once on my skin and I need to reapply it later in the day.  That said, it is a lovely fragrance.

Givenchy Very Irrésistible is the perfume world's first Aromatic Floral. This fragrance is feminine, energising and timeless. It pays homage to the brand's historic culture and reflects an Irresistible woman. floral notes centre around a plethora of roses. Its central floral harmony is made up of five Rose notes: Daring Peony, Spontaneous Fantasia, Intense Passion Rose, Sensual Emotion Rose and Elegant Centifolia Rose. Following this is the aromatic notes of the fragrance, a harmony of Star Anise with a pinch of Verbena leaves. 

If there was one perfume from this sample I would buy from those I have been trying, this would be it.  I absolutely love it, not a perfume I would ever think of trying but now having tried the sample, it is a hit.

So those are the perfumes I have been testing.  I have another batch to test over the next few weeks, so look out for that review too.

Have you tried any of these perfumes before? 

Have you got any samples to try?

Sunglasses by Affliction

I have always found it really hard to find a decent pair of sunglasses, ones that I am happy with, that I think suit me and ones which aren't some kind of weird shape or that make me look like a fly – you know where the eye bits are really massive.

Good old TK Maxx have some right old bargains to be had, whenever I pop in I never ever elave empty handed, it is far too tempting, especially where handbags are concerned.  With Summer round the corner, my local one now has a massive rack of sunglasses to tempt you in and I thought as I was in I would have a look.  Naturally there was all kinds of weird and wonderful shapes on offer, all the colours and patterns you can think of and I actually managed to find some that I liked and here they are

What I like about these glasses I the design on the arms, that was the first thing I saw and when I tried them on, I happened to like how they look but there was one problem, they are technically male sunglasses, though to me they are too good an opportunity to miss when you like something and they were on offer from £99 to £19.99 – BARGAIN!! And they give 100% UV Protection    The only downside is I couldn't find the matching case and nor is there a cleaning cloth, but I have this funky yellow striped cover to keep them in and I use my glasses cloth to clean them.

What kind of sunglasses do you go for?

 Do you have a favourite pair/brand?

La Roche-Posay Rosaliac CC cream

Over the last few weeks, I have been lucky enough to try out La Roche-Posay Rosaliac CC Cream and I have to admit then I read 'one shade fits all' claim, I was quite sceptical, more so because I have quite pale skin and some of the BB Creams I have tried have looked a tad orange on me and having yet not found my perfect foundation for that very reason, I was slightly apprehensive about trying it.

I am not overly familiar with La Roche-Posay and to date have only used their Thermal Spring Water which I have to admit, I do adore and reviewed HERE and I hoped that I would love the CC cream too.  The one reason I wanted to love it is because of its claims to cover redness and those of you who read my blog will probably have noticed that I tend to suffer with flare ups of Rosacea which can be more than annoying and rather than slap on a lot of make-up to cover it, I like to try and find something else that works just as good with minimal coverage.

So, as soon as I squeezed the tube onto my fingertip I was surprised to find that the CC cream wasn't orange looking, it looks much like a tinted moisturiser, quite average.  Having applied it with my fingertips I immediately hated the look, the coverage for me was far too heavy and that orange tint looked certain to appear, so not wanting to be too put off, I grabbed my buffing brush and began to blend it, starting with my cheeks.  Having done so, I was surprised at how different the CC Cream looked on my skin, it was nowhere near as orangey as it was before I started buffing and instead it gave really good coverage and something I would happily wear on its own without anything else on top.

Hopefully you can see the difference it has made.  The top photo showing the redness on my cheek, the second is just having applied it with my fingers and the final photo shows the finished look having used my Buffing Brush.

This CC Cream has worked wonders on covering my redness and it doesn't cling to any dry patches that I have by the side of my nose which I am really happy about and it also works wonders to conceal those under-eye shadows when you have had a restless night.  It is definitely something I would feel comfortable wearing on its own, which for those hot summer days is ideal and as an added bonus this CC cream also has SPF30.

For me, this is a fabulous product and one I am enjoying using, it currently retails for £19.50 in Boots and is widely available online.

Have you tried is CC Cream? Did you like it? 

Do you have a favourite CC cream?

Nailing it with Ted Baker

Spring has arrived and summer isnt too far away and now is the time to ensure hands and feet are in the best condition we get them in so we can be wearing cute sandals and flip flops with toenails being painted some amazing shades and the same for our fingernails as the darker winter shades are final stored away and out come the lighter, happy bright colours.

With that in mind, Ted Baker have a list of beauty tools exclusively available in Boots that we need to use to achieve that beautiful manicured nail and pedicured foot look.

Teds New Buffer* which is a clever four sided nail file, comes encased in the beautiful foxglove packaging and it allows you to file, smooth, buff and polish in 4 quick steps.  This file is so handy, since I got my hands on it i have used it a lot and for £5 it is an absolute bargain.

Next comes Ted's nail clippers* which again have the same print packaging as the nail buffer and they have been designed for accuracy and ease to leave your nails looking trim and beautifully neat. Priced at £6 these clippers are a lot smaller than ones I am used to using, that said they fit perfectly in my make-up bag.

No Ted Baker collection is complete without some stunning nail polish and this time we have a set called Delightfully Dusk* which are described as being an iridescent pair of precious metals , Silver lining is a lustrous shimmer that when coupled with the prettier-than-pretty Delightfully Dusk, is designed to make you shine.  The photo below shows Delightfully Dusky which is such a beautiful dusty pink colour and when it catches the light, not only is it really sparkly, but there are also hint of silver too.  This duo is available for £8.50

What do you do to ensure your nails are in tip top form for the start of summer? Do you have any hints, tips and secrets we should all know about?