New fragrances

Here are a few new fragrances that have been released int he last month or so.

Beyonce Pulse EDP 

Starts at £23 for 30ml

DKNY Be Delicious Golden Apple EDP

Starts at £32 for 30ml

Marc Jacobs Daisy Hot Pink EDP

£60 for 100ml

This is the same Daisy fragrance but in a new funky bottle for Autumn.

All available from Boots and other perfume retailers.

Part 5 - Ghosts of perfumes future

This is the final part in my fragrance mini series and it's which perfumes I want to buy in the future.

Oh Lola - Marc Jacobs

Super G - Harajuku Lovers (Gwen Stefani)

 Information on these can be found in a previous post here.

212 VIP - Caroline Herrera

30ml (£31.00), 50ml (£43.50), 80ml (£60.26)

Top notes: Passionfruit, Rum

Middle notes: Gardenia, Musk

Base notes: Tonka Bean, Vanilla

So this is the last post in my mini series, I hope you've enjoyed it! Please tell me which perfumes you're currently lusting after and if you have any questions please feel free to ask away in the comments below and I'll try my hardest to answer!

Part 4 - Ghosts of perfumes present

Next up in my mini series is which perfumes I'm currently wearing and loving. I have to admit I don't wear perfume that often as I'm not supposed to wear it for work (I work in a hospital) but I do have quite a few bottles!

L'Elixir Hypnotic Poison - Christian Dior

Notes: Liquorice, Star Anise, Jasmine, Vanilla

Taj Sunset - Escada

Top notes: Blood Orange, Nectarine, Mango

Middle notes: Lotus, Raspberry, Waterlily, Star Apple

Base notes: Coconut, Sandalwood, Musk

DKNY Delicious Candy Apple - DKNY

Top notes: Lime, Granny Smith Apple, Raspberry

Middle notes: Magnolia, Peony, Sweet Notes

Base notes: Coca Cola

Which perfumes are you currently wearing and which types do you prefer? Personally I love fruity, sweet scents, any recommendations?

Part 3 - Ghosts of perfumes past

Whilst writing my post on new perfumes I got thinking about which perfumes I first stared to wear years ago and which ones I used to love!

Escada 2005 - Escada

Top notes: Blackcurrant, Nectarine, Green Leaves, Cassia, Cucumber, Bergamot, Lemon

Middle notes: Peony, Magnolia, Orange Blossom, Freesia, Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Rose

Base notes: Orris, Sandalwood, Amber, Patchouli, Musk, Vanilla Tangerine

Live - Jennifer Lopez

Top notes: Pineapple, Lemon, Italian Orange

Middle notes: Violet, Peony, Redcurrant Blossom

Base notes: Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Caramel

 Sui Love - Anna Sui

Top notes: Japanese Osmanthus, Passionfruit, Orange, Sicilian Bergamot

Middle notes: Orange Blossom, Tuberose, Violet, Pink Pepper, Rose, Jasmine, Waterlily

Base notes: Vanilla, Nutmeg, Musk


So can you guess what I'm going to ask?!? What were your first perfumes that you used to wear?

Part 2 - New perfume launches

Next up in my perfume mini series is new perfume launches. It's been a while since I've done one of these posts so I thought as I'm slightly lacking in inspiration at the moment for blogging topics I would focus on perfume which I don't blog about too much.

Fan di Fendi - Fendi (EDP)

30ml (£39.95), 50ml (£57.00), 75ml (£69.00)

Top notes: Tangerine, Blackcurrant, Pear

Middle notes: Jasmine, Tuberose, Rose

Base notes: Patchouli, Leather

Flower Tag - Kenzo (EDT)

30ml (£31.00)

Top notes: Mandarin, Blackcurrant, Rhubarb

Middle notes: Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Peony

Base notes: Musk, Vanilla, Tea

Reb'l Fleur - Rihanna (EDT)

30ml (£20.00), 50ml (£30.00)

Top notes: Peach, Plum, Red Berries

Middle notes: Tuberose, Violet, Coconut, Hibiscus

Base notes: Musk, Patchouli, Amber, Vanilla

CK One Shock - Calvin Klein

50ml (£23.00), 100ml (£34.00), 200ml (£48.00)

Top notes: Passion Flower, Poppy, Peony

Middle notes: Jasmine, Narcissus, Mexican Chocolate, Blackberry

Base notes: Musk, Patchouli, Amber, Vanilla

Super G - Harajuku Lovers (Gwen Stefani)

30ml (£20.00)

Top notes: Tangerine, Pineapple

Middle notes: Freesia, Banana

Base notes: Musk, Vanilla, Raspberry

Oh, Lola - Marc Jacobs

30ml (£37.00), 50ml (£47.00), 100ml (£63.00)

Top notes: Wild Strawberry, Pear, Raspberry

Middle notes: Cyclamen, Peony, Magnolia

Base notes: Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Vanilla

Are there any new perfumes which have caught your eye? Let me know in the comments below! And the next post in my mini series will be posted tomorrow so stay tuned!

Part 1 - Fragrance: what's it all about?

I decided to do a mini series of posts on perfume and fragrance. I don't talk about perfume too much but it can be an absolute minefield why trying to decide what type you like, what strength, where do you spray it etc etc etc. So todays post is a basic guide on all of the above.

What is a fragrance type?
When I worked for a beauty retailer and people asked me advice on fragrance one of the first questions I asked them was 'what type of fragrance do you normally wear?' and this was mainly greeted by a blank expression. There are many different types of fragrance and these are sorted into classifications. Since 1945 the majority of perfumes fall into one of the modern classifications:

• Bright floral - floral bouquet e.g. Estee Lauder - Beautiful
• Green - cut grass & cucumber e.g. Calvin Klein - Escape (for men)
• Ozone - clean e.g. Davidoff - Cool Water
• Citrus - lemon, grapefruits e.g. Calvin Klein - CK One
• Fruity - fruits other than citrus e.g. Jimmy Choo - Jimmy Choo
• Gourmand - edible scents such as vanilla, tonka bean e.g. Thierry Mugler - Angel
• Oriental - sweet animal scents from the middle and far east e.g. YSL - Opium

 Source

How do the scents work together?
To make a fragrance a number of oils are blended together to make the finished product. These are added in different quantities depending on how strong they are and what overall fragrance you want to create. These are normally described as notes.

There are three different categories of notes: top, middle and bottom.

• Top notes - these are what you smell first when spraying perfume. They evaporate quickly and these are normally what you form an opinion on. Generally they last for between 5 and 30 minutes
• Middle notes - these begin to come through after the top notes. These are sometimes called the 'heart' notes as they form the main body of the fragrance. These last for between 10 to 30 minutes
• Base notes -  these are the last scents to come through. They are often heavy, rich and deep scents which you begin to smell around 30 minutes after application

 Source

What's the difference between EDP and EDT?
There are many different strengths of perfume and each lasts a different amount of time. The larger the amount of perfume oil the longer it will last:

• Eau Fraiche - 3% perfume oil or less
• Eau de Cologne -  2-5% perfume oil
• Eau de Toilette -  4-10% perfume oil
• Eau de Parfum - 8-15% perfume oil
• Parfum - 15-25% perfume oil

So eau Fraiche is the weakest formulation and Parfum is the strongest.


Where should I spray perfume?
To make your fragrance last longer you should spray it onto your pulse points: behind your ears, base of the throat, the bend of your elbows. If you apply it to your wrists don't rub them together as this will crush the different notes and you won't get the full scent.

Also to prolong the scent layering is key. This involved using the matching perfumed body lotion, shower gel, deodorant and other products. Not all scents have a bodycare line but Chanel do the most complimentary products.


Why does a perfume smell lovely on my friend but not on me?
So you've tried a perfume which smells gorgeous on your friend but on you it smells awful, if you can smell it at all. You assume you've tried a different variety because why the difference in scent but in fact every fragrance will smell different on each person.

Everyone has a different skin chemistry and the different oils in the skin will 'react' to different scents in different ways, this is why perfumes will smell different on people.


I tried a perfume how long should I wait before deciding to purchase it?
It is so easy to try a fragrance, get hit by the top notes, buy it and then half an hour later can't smell it on you any more. As a rule I would wait at least an hour when trying a perfume so that all the notes will have had a chance to come through. Personally I would wait 24 hours before making a final decision on purchasing a fragrance


How do I store my perfume?
To make you fragrance last store it in a cool room away from direct sunlight. Perfume does go off so if you've had a bottle for a long time test it on your wrist before spraying it all over, trust me there's nothing worse than dousing yourself in your favourite perfume only to find it's gone off and you smell like cat piddle. By spraying it on your wrist you can wipe it off using soap or a face/baby wipe.

Source

I hope this has cleared up a few things for you and if you have any questions leave them below and I'll try my hardest to answer them. In the mean time this mini series will continue all this week so please keep reading!

Fragrance Part 3 - General

This is my last post on new fragrances. This is a general post with new fragrances on, so as far as I'm aware these aren't limited editions. Please correct me if I'm wrong!

Marc Jacobs (unisex)

Curaco Splash EDT (300ml) - £48

Top notes: Mandarin, Lime

Middle notes: Violet, Blood Orange, Pear

Base notes: White Moss, Musk

Cranberry Splash EDT (300ml) - £48

Top notes: Grapefruit, Tangerine

Middle notes: Berbamdi, Cranberry, Honeysuckle

Base notes: Musk, Wood

Ginger Splash EDT (300ml) - £48

Top notes: Coriander, Cognac

Middle notes: Rhubarb, Ginger, Gernium Bourbon

Base notes: Sandalwood, Musk

Lacoste (mens)

Eau de Lacoste White Edition (30 & 100ml) - £25 & £42

Top notes: Grapefruit, Cardamom, Rosemary

Middle notes: Mexican Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang

Base notes: Cedar, Suede, Leather

Eau de Lacoste Green Edition (30 & 100ml) - £25 & £42

Top notes: Italian Bergamot, Iced Melon, Verbena

Middle notes: Fig, Bamboo Wood, Blue Lavender

Base notes: Birch Leaf, Sandalwood

Eau de Lacoste Blue Edition (30 & 100ml) - £25 & £42

Top notes: Pink Grapefruit, Peppermint

Middle notes: Orange Blossom, Sage

Base notes: Patchouli, Cedar, Fern

Ghost (womens)

Enchanted Bloom (30 - 75ml) - £24 - £44.50

Top notes: Violet Leaves, Cranberry, Bergamot

Middle notes: Jasmine Sambac, Waterlily, Freesia

Base notes: Peach Caviar, Ambery Notes, Musky notes

Versace

Vanitas EDP (30 - 100ml) - £45 - £80

Top notes: Lime, Freesia

Middle notes: Tiare Flower

Base notes: Tonka Bean, Cedar Wood

Paul Smith

Optimistic for him EDT (30 - 100ml) - £25 - £49

Top notes: Citrus Fruits, Cardamom, Pepper

Middle notes: Sage, Geranium

Base notes: Cedar, Vetiver, Amber

Optimistic for her EDT (30 - 100ml) - £28 - £55

Top notes: Grapefruit, Raspberry, Litchi

Middle notes: Mandarin Orange, Cranberry, Sweet Pea, Macaroons

Base notes: Iris, Patchouli

Issey Miyake

L'Eau D'Issey Florale EDT (25 - 90ml) - £33 - £66.50

Top notes: Mandarin, Rose Petals

Middle notes: Lily

Base notes: White Wood

Swavoski

Aura EDP (30 - 75ml) - £44 - £77

Top notes: Rose, Litchi

Middle notes: Tuberose

Base notes: Musk, Amber, Benzoin, Pink Pepper

So there we have it. The last in my little mini series! I hope I've given you some ideas for your wishlist! I'd love to try the Marc Jacobs Cranberry Splash, it sounds mouthwateringly good, and the new Versace which also sounds amazing! Let me know what you've got your eye on in the comments below!


Stockists:
Boots, Escentual. Paul Smith is currently a Boots exclusive

Fragrances Part 2 - Men

So this is part 2 of my little fragrance mini series doo-darr! Today is showing a few mens fragrances which are summer limited editions: 

Paul Smith

Sunshine (100ml) - £26

Top notes: Coriander Leaves, Grapefruit, Black Pepper

Middle notes: Coriander, Nutmeg, Starfruit

Base notes: Incense, Moss, Cedarwood

Issey Miyake

L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme EDT (125ml) - £37.50

Top notes: Yuzu, Mandarin

Middle notes: Cardamom, Sage

Base notes: Vetiver, Ambergris

Calvin Klein

Eternity Summer EDT (100ml) - £32

Top notes: Citrus Mint, Coriander Accord, Ocean Air Accord, Watermelon

Middle notes: Anise Star, Galbanum, Muguet

Base notes: Cedarwood, Red Amber, Patchouli

CK One

Top notes: Tangerine, Water Fern, Melon

Middle notes: Lemon, Sea Breeze Accord, Blue Freesia, Rhubarb, Verbena

Base notes: Incense, Cedar, Skin Musk, Peach Skin

Davidoff

Cool Water Summer Dive EDT (100ml) - £31

Top notes: Lemon Peel, Mandarin, Grapefruit

Middle notes: Basil, Sage

Base notes: Juniper, Woods

Jean Paul Gaultier

Le Male Summer Stimulating EDT (125ml) - £37.50

Top notes: Lavender, Mint, Cardamom

Middle notes: Orange Blossom

Base notes: Vanilla, Musk, Sandalwood

So thats the mens fragrances. Are you planning on buying one for that lovely man in your life? Tomorrow is going to be general new fragrance launches.

Stockists:

Boots, Escentual, Debenhams

Fragrances Part 1 - Women

Yep, it's that time of year again when your favourite fragrance gets a limited edition summer twist so here are this years releases for women: 

Thierry Muglier

Sunessence Alien Or D'Ambre Light EDT (60ml) - £40

Top notes: Kiwi

Middle notes: Stanhope Orchids

Base notes: Wood-Amber Accord

Sunessence Angel Edition Ocean D'Argent Light EDT (50ml) - £40

Top notes: Kumquat

Middle notes: Sea Salt Blossom

Base notes: Patchouli, Vanilla

Paul Smith

Sunshine for Women (100ml) - £31

Top notes: Bergamot, Grapefruit, Peach 

Middle notes: Jasmine, Rose, Peony

Base notes: Musk, Sandalwood, Virginia Cedar

Moschino

Happy Fizz EDT (30-100ml) - £23.49 - £49.02

Notes: Magnolia, Musk, May Rose, Osmanthus, Parma Violet, Cedar, Lotus

Issey Miyake

L'Eau d'Issey Summer EDT (100ml) - £39.50

Top notes: Rose, Pear, Water Notes

Middle notes: Carnation, Peony

Base notes: Osmanthus, Woodsy Notes

Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Lovers

G of the Sea EDT (30ml) - £20

Top notes: Crisp Apple, Water Lily, Crushed Berries

Middle notes: Dewy Feesia, Pink Peony, Jasmine Petals

Base notes: Sun Drenched Woods, Musk, Amber

Calvin Klein

Eternity Summer Women EDT (100ml) - £32

Top notes: Violet Leaves, Muguet, Cilantro, Verbena

Middle notes: Gardenia, Jasmine Sambac, Lotus Lily

Base notes: Creamy Musks, Mimosa, Fig Wood

CK One (100ml) - £29

This is a unisex fragrance

Top notes: Tangerine, Water Fern, Melon

Middle notes: Lemon, Sea Breeze Accord, Blue Freesia, Rhubarb, Verbena

Base notes: Incense, Cedar, Skin Musk, Peach Skin

Escada

Taj Sunset (30 - 100ml) - £22 - £44

Top notes: Indian Alphonso Mango, Blood Orange

Middle notes: Watery Blossom Accords, Sweet Primrose Accords, Raspberry

Base notes: Coconut Cream,Musks, Sandalwood

So that was the womens releases. Has anything caught your eye? For me the Escada fragrance is a must have, I buy it every summer! Also Calvin Kleins Eternity sounds nice this year. Might have to try that one too!

Mens fragrances will be up tomorrow and general new fragrances will be up on thursday!

Stockists:

Boots, Escentual, Debenhams

2011 new fragrance launches

2011, a new year and another year where you can guarantee there will be countless new fragrance launches.

So far there has been a number of new launches including Vera Wang Preppy Princess and Jimmy Choo's debut fragrance which is due to be released this month:

(Images from Google Images)

2011 will also see the release of the following new fragrances:

• Carolina Herrera - 212 VIP for Men
• Donna Karen - DKNY Golden Delicious
• Donna Karen - DKNY Woman Energizing EDT
• Givenchy - Very Irresistible L'Intense
• Gucci - Guilty Pour Homme
• Hugo Boss - Boss Orange for Men
• Issey Miyake - L'Eau d'Issey Florale
• Kanye West debut fragrance
• Kenzo - L'Eau de Kenzo Amour
• Marc Jacobs - Daisy Eau So Fresh
• Nina Ricci - Ricci Ricci Dancing Ribbon
• Sean John - Empress

Are there any fragrances which you're looking forward to? I'm looking forward to Kenzo and Nina Ricci.