She Who Dares Perfume

I am a huge fan of perfume and whenever I am asked if I would like to try something new, I always jump at the chance. She Who Dares, very kindly sent me two of their fragrances Eminence and Dalliance.

Who are She Who Dares? She Who Dares has a vision is to see women of every age being recognised, acknowledged and celebrated for doing great things. The She Who Dares range offers the perfect gift for mums, sisters, grandmothers, friends, aunties, nieces, girlfriends, daughters and wives. Inspirational women deserve to be honoured, and at She Who Dares they aspire to do just that. Their goal is to become a brand where recognition blossoms, and one that is timeless throughout the ages. In 2009 Rachel Lowe (developer and creator) was awarded an MBE from the Queen for her services to business. This achievement ultimately inspired her luxury brand that would celebrate remarkable women: She Who Dares. The brand ethos – ‘Never give up, nothing is impossible’, is a symbolic statement for everything she has accomplished.

The first thing I love about these perfumes is the bottle, both similar in style, an almost teardrop shade with a lid that most definitely captures your attention, the one on Dalliance being white and Eminence being Red.

Eminence is described as being a scent that "will capture your confidence and your femininity, a beautiful fresh floral scent with a seductive base that is soft and sensuous, perfect for every-day wear". As a scent it is most definitely a fresh floral note that captures your attention and is one favoured by those who asked to choose between the two.  Using top notes of bergamot and pink peppercorn, at the heart sits a glamorous bouquet with rose, peony, forget me not and lily of the valley and a base of sandalwood, soft musk and sensuous patchouli, it makes for a really lovely scent.

Dalliance on the other hand was my personal favourite of the two.  Described as being a scent which is "Timeless, elegant and bold, dalliance is a sexy and dynamic evening scent, helping celebrate the most special moments in life". From the two scents, for me, this one if more feminine and possibly because it uses a mix of both fruit and floral to capture your attention. Using the tropical white flower notes of jasmine, tuberose and magnolia which are then entwined with luscious ripe pears before resting on a sensual musky base.

So whilst I prefer Dalliance, it is Eminence that lasted longer as the scent on my skin for 7 hours, pretty much the whole day at work.  Eminence was a good 5-6 hours but most definitely needed to be re-applied before leaving to go home.

Overall both are really lovely scents and costing around £32 for 50ml they are more than reasonably priced and definitely something to look out for.

Michael Kors Aviator Sunglasses

Some love it, some hate it, I am in the 'love it' declaration when it comes to TK Maxx. For me it is is one of those places where you can walk in and immediately want everything you see or want nothing at all, there is never an inbetween. My local TK Maxx isn't one of the biggest London stores, but it does have a decent sized handbag, beauty and candle section - what more could I want as a blogger!

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine had asked me to go and look in my local store for a toy she had seen for her son, it was out of stock locally for her and she wanted to see if I could find it. After a few minutes in the store, sidetracked by the new handbag selection, I was walking past the sunglasses section and happened to stumble upon these Michael Kors aviator sunglasses. I tried them on, wasn't too sure, but they did come with a free case and cloth, so I walked around the store, found the toy that was needed along with a few other pieces and tried on the sunglasses one last time. What I hadn't noticed at the time was the price tag, it hadn't even occurred to me to actually look but I am glad I did because instead of costing £120, they had actually been reduced to £19.99, total and utter bargain, whats more is that when I took them to the till to be scanned, they were priced at just £9.99, error or not, that is what I paid!

I am not the best wearer of sunglasses, I always lose them, sit on them, drop them or leave them to rattle around my handbag, so I have owned quite a few pairs. This pair are absolutely stunning, they have a really beautiful rose gold finish and with the lens colour being a slightly brown/amber shade they are perfect for not only shielding the sun from your eyes, but are also offer 100% UV protection.  The nose pads are adjustable and the Michael Kors lettering is very discreet in the corner of one lens. 

I absolutely love these sunglasses, they are comfortable to wear, they look stylish and were the best bargain I have probably ever found in TK Maxx! 

Have you bought anything from TK Maxx lately?

The Library of Fragrance - Unique Fragrances

The Library of Fragrance collection has over 300 unique fragrances, of which 101 of these are available in the UK via their own website plus a selection of favourites available exclusively at Boots. A few months ago I reviewed the Jasmine Scent which I just loved, so the opportunity to try two further scents was something I jumped at.

The two scents are Baby Powder (Female) and Thunderstorm (Male) and they arrived in these amazing tubed bottles. 

As soon as a I spritzed Baby Powder the first thought to hit my mind was Johnson and Johnsons Baby Powder, which I absolutely love the scent of and honestly, it is an exact replica of that scent. The science behind the scent states that some people find the aroma to be calming and I absolutely do agree with it, whether it is due to the emotions it is evokes or memories it brings to life, as a scent it is just lovely and it lasts for a good 5-6 hours on the skin once applied. 

Thunderstorm which is for the men is quite an earthy scent which is said to capture the electricity and raindrops of a summer storm. On the very first spritz, the first thing that sprung to mind was wet grass during the rain and then as it began to settle, it reminded me of the smell you get just before a storm begins, as the rain starts to fall and that first clap of thunder rumbles in the sky. Then once the scent has settled, the smell in the air that is left after the storm is what I can then sense from this scent, it is truly amazing.  Whilst possibly not a scent I can see my other half wanting to wear, what I do love to do is use it for is to clear the air in a room after it has been quite stifling hot, the scent for me brings about a coolness in the air.

The Library of Fragrance is for me just fascinating, if ever you are in your local Boots store and havent tried one of these scents, then do, seriously, they are just so clever and they smell so good.  They have really opened my eyes to trying some a little bit new, a little bit quirky and I am so intrigued by how some of those scents smell, I feel the need to spritz them all, just to check!

The perfumes have no artificial colours, binders, emulsifiers and are phthalates and paraben free. The alcohol used in the scents is naturally fermented from corn.

Have you tried any colognes from The Library of Fragrance? What's your favourites?

You Beauty Discovery Box - April

This months You Beauty Discovery Box is titled 'Organic and Natural' and champions the best that nature has to offer. This month the list to choose from was again amazing and again I was chuffed to find two products listed that I have heard of, never tried and have wanted to try for some time and this is my box:

As always with the You Beauty Box, there are two treats. The first being a sachet of Yours Truly Organics Fix Me! Repairing Serum. Designed to smooth, repair and tighten your skin, the range is formulated with innovative active ingredientssourced from around the world to specifically reduce inflammation and combat oily t-zones. Sourcing only the best natural and organic solutions proven to reduce oiliness and inflammation, the products deliver soft and beautiful skin.

The second treat Linwoods – Milled Flaxseed Cocoa & Berries which says I could add it to a yoghrt, smoothie, cereal or when I am baking muffins or pancakes to enjoy the luxurious taste of Cocoa knowing you are fortifying your diet with extra Vitamins, Minerals and Nutrients! This delicious blend of milled flaxseed, cocoa and berries is a good source of Iron, Zinc, Dietary Fibre and Antioxidants.

Then onto my choices. I was absolutely delighted to see Heaven Skincare offering three different options. Anyone who reads my blog will know that I cannot highly recommend the Bee Venom Mask enough, it is truly amazing and the fabulous Deborah Mitchell is such a wonderful person, supported by the wonderful Donna (who is also a blogger) I have been really lucky and honoured to try a few products from the range. That said, I was chuffed to be able to choose the Chamomile desensitising hydrogel which is designed to calm and soothe.This treatment toner contains chamomile and azulene for their antiallergenic, desensitising and anti-inflammatory properties. 

The unusual properties mean that this toner is not only safe for sensitive skins but actually helps to normalise them. This is something I am really looking forward to trying and if you have never tried a product from the Heaven skincare range, you should, they are amazing!

The second choice for me was the Scentered Sleep Balm because I was curious. Sleep Well Therapy Balm offers powerful, pocket-friendly support to catch up on sleep, something that is quite tricky to do in our busy lives.

It’s fair to say that most of us don’t get enough sleep and rest. It’s time to allow the essential oils packed in this pocket-sized therapy balm soothe your mind and body to get a good night’s sleep.Relax and prepare for a great night's sleep with a sophisticated floral lavender blend that harnesses the therapeutic benefits of fourteen different essential oils, including Lavender, Chamomile, Palmarosa, Ylang Ylang and Ho Wood.

A rich, nourishing balm, which feels a bit like a Chapstick, has a unique blend of moringa and shea butters that won’t leave your skin feeling greasy, whilst ensuring long lasting therapeutic fragrance delivery.  As a 100% natural product which is perfect for carrying around in your luggage if you are away from home. It is also perfect for those suffering disrupted sleep due to an over-active mind, the Sleep Well range clears the head, quietens the mind and relaxes the body, making it an ideal part of any bedtime ritual, as well as a great travel companion when sleeping away from home.

 So this months April Box for me is absolutely amazing value for money yet again, a further two products that I intend to use.

What do you think to this box?  Do you subscribe to You Beauty?