The Perfume Society: Scent with Love

I am obsessed with perfumes and I am possibly one of the only people you know that has a love of perfume samples. I am choosy about what I will and won't wear, it is rare that I fall in love with a scent on the very first spritz and I detest trying out a perfume in a department store, to me it gives a false impression as to what that scent is and it needs to be given the chance to settle on your skin and breathe before a decision is made as to whether or not it is for you.  So for me, a sample should be something you try over a few days, ask a few people what they think and then make a decision as to whether or not it is added to your wishlist or shopping basket.

The latest The Perfume Society box called Scent with Love is a subscription that would make the perfect gift and treat for someone like me and with Valentines Day looming around the corner, well all I am saying is... do it!

Inside this box you will find something for everyone and it features some pretty amazing brands and there are two sneaky previews of some soon to launch perfumes from Ellie Saab and Shay and & Blue included.

Ellie Saab Rose Couture launches in February and I adore it already. With top notes of orange blossom, peony and rose with heart notes of jasmine, rose, vanilla and fruity notes with a base of sandalwood and patchouli. It has everything I want in a perfume, it is just beautiful and is one I am very likely to purchase.

Shay & Blue's English Cherry Blossom launches in March and has top notes of bergamot, pink cherry blossoms and green mandarin with a heart of black cherry, honeysuckle and iris with a base of cherry wood. I am new to Shay & Blue perfumes, having never tried them before. When I first tried this I wasn't at all keen, but given the chance to settle on my skin and breathe, it was only then that I could appreciate how truly wonderful a scent it is. If you like something which is both citrus and floral, then this is one to look out for.

4160Tuesdays Sex Goddess (2.25ml) - This is another brand that I am not at all familiar with, so I was intrigued to see what all the fuss was about. Sex Goddess has top notes of peach and blackcurrant, a heart of strawberry and geranium with a musk and vanilla base. I have to admit, that this is not a scent for me, the vanilla base is a little too much for my senses and vanilla and I do not go together at all. That said, I know my mum would absolutely love this as a scent, it is quite a fruity scent and the musk gives it that little extra bit of sass. 

Moschino Fresh Couture (1ml) - Is quite possibly the weirdest get kookiest perfume designs I have ever seen. When it first exploded onto the blogs, I wanted to try it for myself and until now, havent managed to track it down. It has top notes of bergamot, mandarin and ylang ylang with a heart of raspberry, white peony and osmanthus with a base of cedarwood, ambrox and white patchouli. Again as soon as I tried this I loved it. The White Peony mixed with bergamot and Mandarin make for a scent that I would happily wear all day everyday and it has been added to my wishlist to purchase.

Narciso Rodriguez for Her (0.8ml) - I haven't worn this scent for a very long time, infact an ex of mine used to absolutely love it and he used to buy it for me. It has top notes of peach and rose, a heart of amber and musk and a base of sandalwood and patchouli. The rose and peach make this a truly wonderful scent for me and it has been nice to be reacquainted with such a delightful scent.

Agonist Vanilla Marble (2ml) - this is everything I should hate in a scent but it is one that makes me want to eat a Cherry Bakewell! It has top notes of vanilla, almond and tiare flower with heart notes of orchid, white fig, amber and patchouli with a base of sandalwood, vanilla, benzoin and tonka bean. I am personally not too sure I would buy it as a perfume, but I can imagine it would make the most wonderful candle.

L'Artisan Mure et Musc (1.5ml) - this is the first time I have come across a L'Artisan perfume and I really like it an awful lot. It has top notes of lemon, orange, basil and lavender, heart notes of blackberry and jasmine with a base of musks, patchouli and oakmoss. The combination of both fruit and musk make this a delightful scent which is perfect for a spring day, it isn't too over the top and it is distinctive enough in scent for people to ask what it is you are wearing.

Juicy Couture I am Juicy Couture (1.5ml) - I have never been a fan of any of the Juicy Couture fragrances to date, I find them a little too synthetic in scent and most definitely not for my age group. This offering has top notes of raspberry, pomelo and passionfruit with a heart of gardenia, heliotrope, rose de Mai and sweet pea with a base of musk, woods and amber. I think my god daughter would love this rather than me.

Taylor Swift Incredible Things (1.5ml) - Again, not a scent to which I would personally purchase for myself but I don't dislike it. It has top notes of grapefruit and pink pepper, a heart of suede, passion flower and vanilla orchid with a base of musk, vetiver, white amber and vanilla.

This is such an incredible box with some amazing scents enclosed but there is also two extra little enclosures which make this more truly incredible.  There is a sample Vial of Aurelia Probiotic Skincare Firm & Revitalise Dry Body Oil which can be used before or after your bath or shower, blended with your moisturiser and used as a welcome skin-soother, post-hair removal. And alongside being intensely nourishing for your skin it sinks in incredibly quickly and I have been so impressed with this sample, that it is on my list to explore more. 

The second extra is a 30ml tube of Time Bomb Hand to Hand Combat Hand Cream. In this weather, we all need as much hand cream as we can. Time Bomb’s advanced formula combines top ingredient that plump and smooth the skin on your hands, ‘feeding’ cuticles to keep them soft and snag-free. It combines vitamin E, essential fatty acids, pea extract and the multi-tasking wonder ingredient, argan oil.

If this sounds like a box you want to explore more, it costs just £12.50 for VIP Subscribers and £17.50 for non-subscribers and you can find it right HERE.

Springtime sunglasses essentials

As my inbox fills up with information and press releases about Valentines Day and Mothers Day, it serves as a reminder that Spring is also on its way and for me, the warmer weather cannot come soon enough. Think lambs in the field, ice cream, not having to wear coat, scarf and gloves and finally wanting to wear something other than chunky knits and twenty three tshirts just to keep warm.

As well as celebrating with new handbags in lovely pastel shades, finally getting to wear my beloved Fitflops again right through until it turns cold, sunglasses become an almost must have accessory for me to have, though there are days in the winter months that I also wear them.  MyGlassesGuru is one of those clever little sites which has glasses and sunglasses in every style, shade and design you can imagine, but what makes it different to everyone else is that it can help you narrow down your choices based on your face shape, hair colour, skin tone, what frame colour is your preference and which designer you prefer and surprisingly you can find Ted Baker, Radley, Swarovski, Tom Ford and even budget brands such as Superdry make an appearance.  

I was quite surprised to find so many options for my face shape and hair colour, but more surprisingly, all of these sunglasses are ones that I would actually wear and they are not too dissimilar to some that I have owned in the past.

Top left we have Tom Ford Eva Sunglasses which are an Aviator with a Twist! The lenses are in a stunning mirrored blue tint, framed with an elegant rose gold rim and classic Havana sides and they retail for £195

Next we have Imogen by Radley (top right) and these are square lensed glasses with full UV Filter in Gloss Nude shade. They retail for just £60

In the middle we have Blair by Ted Baker. These are described as being a full, soft square, acetate frame with spiral metal detail on the temples. They retail for just £61.95 and have three frame colour options.

Over to the bottom row and on the left we have Tom Ford again and this time with Charles. They are again the iconic aviator sunglasses and this option is rose gold frame with full UV radiant brown lenses. Priced at £157.95 they are quite the bargain.

Finally we have Cate by Swarovski, a strong, yet elegant feminine design with Swanflower® motif, pearl and Swarovski crystal detail to temples and in shade Gloss Black. They retail for £178 and I love the oversized frame on these glasses.

If you had to make a choice between these five pairs of sunglasses, which one would you chose?

*collaboration

Eloquence Beauty Skincare Range

One thing I really enjoy as a blogger is discovering new brands. Had I not been blogging then I dont think I would have come across or appreciated the sheer number of amazing products that I have been lucky enough to use. Eloquence is one of those brands.

If you have never come across or hear of Eloquence before, they are one of the UK’s newest beauty skin care companies whose products are made from the finest sourced ingredients with a focus on anti-ageing, skin hydration and skin health. Those ingredients include Sachi Inchi Oil, something I had never heard of until now. The Oil is renowned for its own unique combination of Omega 3 which helps to restore the skins elasticity, Omega 6 helps to combat skin dehydration and Omega 9 helps against premature ageing by intensely nourishing and protecting the skin from environmental stress. 

I have got 5 different products from the range - Facial Cleanser, A Serum, Eye Gel, Treatment Oil and Repair Cream, all of which form part of a 5 step routine.

Purifying Facial Cleanser 20ml contains Cucumber and Coconut extract to cleanse your skin leaving is feeling comfortably refreshed, never tight, pulled or parched. I am a two cleanse kind of girl and I love my cleansing balms. What I love about this is the texture, it is fairly thick and thankfully comes with a pump action bottle. You only need a few pumps to release enough cleanser for your entire face and once on the skin, it literally dissolves anything in its path, even my waterproof mascara which impressed me immensely. It costs just £7.99.

Firm & Tone Serum 20ml incorporates with Glycerin and Coconut oil is said to illuminate the skin and give it a flawless appearance. Hyaluronic Acid has been added to give a boost of Collagen, which will keep your skin plump, smooth and supple. This serum is not at all what I was expecting, to me a serum is usually quite liquid like and almost like an oil. This one looks like a cream and is incredibly soothing on the skin, again it has a pump action dispense and one pump will give you enough to massage into your face, which once completed leaves soft, smooth skin. This product also costs £19.99.

Firming & Moisturising Eye Gel 15ml is designed to target dark circles and puffiness and with added Hyaluronic acid will keep your eye area plump and will smooth out fine lines. I am a big believer in the use of eye creams as it is part of my face that gets quickly dehydrated, so I use an eye cream both morning and evening. This eye gel has been one of my favourite products from this range. I love the design on the tube which has the handy applicator to make the application easy, the eye gel is slightly runnier than some I have tried, so don't over squeeze the tube. It is also hydrating, it is soothing and it does help with puffiness under the eyes. Purchase price is £19.99 and it is well worth its money. 

Protect & Repair 24HR Cream 20ml has added Hyaluronic Acid making it an intensive moisturiser. Use during the day to not only condition your skin but to give UVA & UVB protection, and also at night to hydrate and replenish your skin while you sleep. What I like about this cream is that not only does a little go a long way, but how instantly refreshed and moisurised it leaves my skin feeling. I have only been using it during the daytime and the one thing I wish it had was an SPF but that aside, it is a lovely cream. Priced at £14.99 it is well worth its money. 

Nourishing Treatment Oil 50ml has been blended with Coconut and Sweet Almond Oil which will help to Renew, Repair and Revitalise skin, hair and nails. This oil feels incredible on the skin, it isn't greasy or tacky when applied and with a pump action dispenser, two pumps is more than enough for your face. As well as your face, you can use this oil on any part of your body where you feel there is a need for some nourishing oil treatment. I have used this on my arms, elbows, knees and shins, all my problem dry areas and it is a delight to use. I have also mixed it with my body butter for a bit of a treat and it is just so lovely. Priced at £29.99 this is a product that will last for a very long time.

If you are looking for a new brand of products to try, then Eloquence is more than worth looking at, more so because their products contain no artificial perfume or colour and no harsh chemicals, which makes them suitable for all skin types.

Two New The Porefessional Releases from Benefit Cosmetics!

If you follow me on Instagram, you would have seen that earlier last week I went to meet the Benebabes for breakfast and whilst tucking in to an amazing Avocado and poached egg on sourdough toast, drinking fresh coffee and fresh juices, I was introduced to two of Benefit Cosmetic's latest Porefessional products.

The first of the new products is the Porefessional Instant Wipeout Masks, which come in this really cute little briefcase, which inside contains eight super clearing sheet masks.  These masks, which look a bit like a batman logo,  can be used on your forehead, chin or across your nose and cheeks to eradicate large and congested pores - Wow! However, the most exciting part of this mask is that it comes with a little press button that once pressed releases liquid into the sheet mask and I honestly cannot tell you how satisfying it is to press that button, Benefit should market it as duel product for skincare and stress relief because I could honestly sit here and press those buttons all day, it is like a prettier version of bubblewrap and we all know what fun that brings!

The Instant Wipeout Masks contain mushroom extract which seems to be appearing in quite a few skincare products at the minute.  It is known to help clear pores and has a menthol smell to it, so if something has that clean smell, I have high hopes it will work. One side of the mask is smooth whilst the other side is designed to help exfoliate. I applied the mask to my nose, which for me is always a problem area with being clogged up.  I used mine whilst laying in the bath, in hope the steam would open my pores and allow the mask to work its magic, and do that it did. After the ten minutes of being on my nose, I removed the mask and wiped off any excess liquid, flipped over the mask and gently rubbed my nose and cheeks to remove any debris that had been brought to the surface.  Once I had patted my skin dry, there was no redness and my nose felt and looked less clogged and visibly cleaner.  So these are a hit with me.

The second new release from Benefit is the Porefessional Matte Rescue primer and I absolutely love the original Porefessional primer, so I had high hopes for this one.  Matte Rescue is a lightweight, water based gel primer which has been designed to absorb surface oil and shine as well as blur imperfections and pores, it doesn't say hide them, eradicate them or minimise them, it is to blur them. I have combination skin which leaves me with an oily tzone, so come lunch time, I tend to be reaching for my Blot Stick to remove excess oil from my face, with this primer, it is much later in the day when I am having to do that, almost time for me to leave my office and either head home or go out, so I am impressed with that.   

As a primer, if you love Porefessional, then you will love this, though I do feel Matt Rescue is much lighter in texture and feel when applied than it's big sister.  It doesn't have that silicone feel to it that Porefessional has and I find this one sinks into the skin instead of sitting just on the surface, so when it comes to applying your foundation, which for me is either By Terry or Hello Flawless, it gives a great base and helps my foundation last pretty much all day, I only tend to touch up if I have an evening function, otherwise it is home and make-up off.

I am absolutely loving both of these products, the primer is just brilliant and will now replace the original within my stash and the masks are also lovely and you should buy them just to feel the pleasure of pressing the button, honestly it is such a great stress reliever! Both products have launched and you can find them right here.