jo malone earl grey and cucumber review

This Jo Malone fragrance was a little birthday gift to myself. Whenever I pass by a store or a concession, I'm drawn in by all identical bottles with their unassuming labels hiding a multitude of scents...

After spending some time perusing the scents in the Selfridges beauty hall (which is like a black hole of money as it is) - I eventually settled on this little one: Earl Grey and Cucumber Cologne. Normally I would go for something more spicy, less fresh, and those are the scents that I go for these days, however at the time, it was a warm summer day in London, a bottle of my ultimate favourite fragrance, Blenheim Bouquet was on it's way out...

And so I was taken in by this crisp, fresh scent. Supposedly it's akin to Earl Grey tea, with notes of cucumber and bergamot, with a base of beeswax and musk; but it's generally just a delightful fragrance, perfect in the spring and the summer, but lasting just as well into the autumn, splashed liberally over the neck and wrists on the way out of the door; it's one of those scents that I can't get enough of, and you could never wear too much.

Do you have any Jo Malone fragrances - what would you recommend? 

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The Smell of Summer; Blood Oranges by Anthropologie

I bought this little fragrance on a whim in Anthropologie recently - it caught my eye, as so many things in that shop do with its adorable packaging - since discovering there is a store in Guildford, it's been so very bad for my bank balance... I thought it would be great for keeping in my work handbag, and for travelling (as I usually lug about my giant bottle of Miss Dior or some such, and I'm terrified its going to crack all over my suitcase).

I was drawn in by the cute paper tube packaging (although I initially thought the bottle would come out of the tube, but thats okay, it makes it more travel friendly) decorated in blood oranges and vines. I am a sucker for anything that tells me it smells like blood oranges. I think I just have some faux-romantic connection between them and holidays in Italy - who knows, but they really are the scent of summer (that or lemons, or perhaps roses or honeysuckle, or strawberries...).

What I do know is that it smells dreamy, and just like summer in a little bottle. As I am writing this the sky is a flat grey and it's drizzling down (hopefully by the time this is published the weather will be sweeter, too) however one whiff and I can imagine we're in the midst of a glorious English summer. It's sweet and citrusy enough that it makes me long for the hot weather, but there is a touch of something bitter and spicy running underneath that make me think of London in the summer, for some reason; when everything is hot and lovely, and then a bus comes by and all you can smell is exhaust.  I realise that isn't the most beautiful analogy, but I'm not one for sickeningly fruity perfumes these days, I like something with a bit of tartness or bitterness thrown in, and this manages that.

- perfume reviews -

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Tom Ford Black Orchid Review

I remember when I was in college I really loved the song Perfume, by Sparks - and thinking it was really cool that I new all the perfume names... I was young, shh. I do still like the idea of being someone that has their fragrance. Black Orchid isn't that for me, I don't think, but it probably is for a lot of people because it's so iconic. It's a scent I can pick out of a crowd, like Opium or Poison (and, unfortunately, that Paco Rabane 1 Million because every club used to reek of it at one point...). 

Since purchasing this fragrance, I've realised that there are few scents as polarising as Black Orchid. I've had people tell me I smell amazing, and that I smell like a man (I don't consider this an insult, per se, as I love a cologne-like scent worn on a woman, but I think it was meant as one, so I'm including it here). It's definitely something you'll know if you like or not. I knew from the first whiff that I liked it. But because so many others seemed to dislike it, I questioned my taste, so I picked up a small bottle..

I should've realised it's a classic for a reason! This fragrance is really not for everyone: as a good rule, I would say if you like anything sweet and light and fruity and floral, you probably won't like it (though I would still urge you to try it out, as I adore it and I do like some floral scents).

It smells rich, oriental, dark, woody and like incense - it reminds me of the smell of burning incense from the 70's, think ylang-ylang, sandalwood or patchouli. Looking up on the notes, it also tells me that there is vetiver in there, and that is probably the reason why I am obsessed with it (as I love that scent). In reviews, people say it reminds them of 'balsamic chocolate' a lot - which I don't get in the slightest, so who knows.

It lasts on me like no other, too, and I still get a whiff of it at the end of the day, which is a huge plus point for me. In the summer I love those fragrances that smell like a gin & tonic with lime, but they're gone by lunchtime, and you have to reapply.

At the risk of sounding cheesy, also, it's definitely an evening perfume, if you get me. When I look at the word sexy written down, it looks so inadequate, but it's a definite night time, date night, evening fragrance. That doesn't mean I don't wear it during the day, but I wouldn't call it an everyday scent - plus, I like to keep somethings special, and this to me is a definite luxury fragrance.

Do you like Black Orchid? Let me know if you've loved a perfume everyone else has disliked! 

dressing table decor

To my utter delight, I recently discovered my local H&M had a makeover, and now includes a delightful Homeware department... My bank balance will probably be less delighted, in the future, but hey-ho...

new in: miss dior perfume review

This perfume is a feminine indulgence, on my part - I am not a 'feminine' scent wearer, if you will. Anything overtly saccharine or floral, I left in my younger years, when I used to wear some sickeningly sweet perfumes, I actually shudder to think! Generally, when I go for a perfume these days, it's bordering on the cologne side of things, and it nearly always has to smell fresh and citrusy. However, this is a complete variation on that rule. I used to wear my mums bottle of this perfume, it reminds me of her, even though I think I took it and wore it most of the time. I kept smelling a similar perfume on someone at work, and it reminded me of how much I enjoyed this fragrance, so after revisiting and re-smelling it in John Lewis every time I went, I was lucky enough to find it in my stocking on Christmas morning.

I don't enjoy the bottle, but I suppose that doesn't effect the smell, I just think it looks very cheap, particularly with the plastic bow. The smell, though, it really is my perfect girly perfume. It's soft enough to wear in the day time, or layer up for evening, and because it's a 'chypre' perfume, it has that sort of leaning towards old-ladyish scent, which I kind of like. It reminds me of something my great-aunts and grandmothers might have worn. Then it has a citrusy top-note and a rose or jasmine middle note (I'm terrible at identifying florals!), which fade to the musky base notes. In a way, it seems just perfect for this time of year, mixing both the musk and the floral notes for a spring-time scent.

So it's kind of a throw-back for me in several ways, and I enjoy that, and I can see me wearing it a lot over the next year. What are you wearing at the moment, any new purchases?

favourites things in june

SHORTS: I am including this in here for an important reason - basically, I have become body confident enough to wear shorts. Not little skimpy hot pants, but jean cut-offs that come to about my knee. You have no idea how weird this is for me (the girl who hasn't shown any skin above her ankle in public in about ten years). It's weirdly liberating to not give a single fuck if someone thinks my legs are too fat or too pale or too lumpy or too scarred or whatever and just wear them because it's bloody hot outside.  

BIRKENSTOCKS: So yeah, I'm one of those people that wear them. I don't even care if they're ugly, which yeah, I know they are, but I've wanted some for ages since my friend told me how comfy hers were, so I found the Birkenstock Arizona's at John Lewis, paid for them and they were waiting for my the next day when I went into work (I really love Click & Collect). 

NEON NAILS: Now it's all sunny and lovely outside I want to make my feet all ready for summer - which is sort of frustrating because I hate wearing shoes when it's nice outside - so my feet take quite a beating. I have been trying to keep my feet looking nice for the summer, but I saved you the picture of my exfoliating tools (really, I saved you) but my feet are feeling tip-top for summer. Pictured above are Illamasqua's neon yellow Rare (photos & review here) which is currently on my toes, Models' Own Toxic Apple (Instagram picture!) and China Glaze's Flip Flop Fantasy (photos & review here), three of my all-time favourite neons.  

GRADUAL TAN: When you start getting your legs out, wearing sandals and painting your toes highlighter-yellow - you realise your legs are hella pasty and blindingly white. So I found this St. Tropez gradual tanner at work and I stupidly bought the medium/dark one - which may be a teeensy bit too dark for my skin-tone, but it just makes me look super tanned, which I like. Just a warning though!  

ACCESSORIES: Apart from my usual day-to-day jewelery, some other things have made their way into my wardrobe - my trusty all black Swatch watch, and my still perfect Ray-Ban's. Both of which, I really love, I extolled the virtues of my sunglasses when I got them a couple of years ago but they're still a summer essential (they get use in the Winter, too, when the sun is low and bright in the morning) and they just go with everything. They're my first pair of prescription sunglasses and they're honestly the best thing, don't know how I coped before I got them? I also really love my Swatch watch, which I just think looks great when I'm a bit more tanned in the summer. 

SUMMER SCENTS: My standard, go-to, fail-safe summer scent is Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet (full review here), it's still the most heavenly perfume I've ever worn. It smells like gin-and-tonic, like elderflower cordial, like late nights spent outside, warm air, summer rainstorms and it fades to the most delicious, practically spicy, lemon and lime smell on my skin. I've also been using my Crabtree & Evelyn Tarocco Orange, Eucalyptus & Sage hand-cream on my hands, elbows, knees and heels, and it smells like bitter orange blossom, I'm in love.

FITNESS APPS & SUPER BRIGHT CROP-TOPS: I'm still on my weight-loss mission and I'm doing well - things slowed down through the month because of being away, having birthdays and meals out, and they're all excuses, but I am still dropping my weight, and I'm only 4lbs away from losing 4 stone! Which I'm still not quite sure is a real thing, but I know I'm so much fitter, I know that my clothes are so much looser (I've dropped two sizes in jeans!). I've been using the app Myfitnesspal to track my calorie intake and exercise and it makes me really think about everything I'm putting in my body, and it feels great! I'm also loving getting nice work-out gear, which makes early mornings at the gym worth it. I picked up some cute crop-tops (bras, if you're of the small-breasted variety) to wear under vests if they have slashed arm-holes from TK Maxx for under a tenner.

So I was sat at my desk on Sunday night with a slice of Victoria sponge and home-made lemon curd (oh man, that is making me hungry all over again, they'll be a recipe up soon for it!) and I suddenly realised that it was practically the end of June. I sat up straight and opened my calendar and realised, yup, there was only one day left until July. Where did June go? I thought in a panic, I remember my birthday, and being off work, and going away, and so many sunny days I can barely remember but... still, I'm really not sure where it went. Is this a sign I'm getting older? Actually, don't even answer that one, I already feel old enough when all the new kids are at work, telling me how they've just finished their first year of sixth-form (shudder).

Anyway, the point of this ramble (and a super long post) is that I thought I would show you some things that I've been loving this past month, even though it's been whisked out from underneath me and now it's suddenly the 2nd of July, which I still don't quite get (sometimes hot, sometimes not, when are the kids out from school, should I risk the beach this week or will it be rammed with kids, etc etc..).

Share with my anything you've been loving recently, I love to try out new things!

seat, dresser, trinket

If you follow me on twitter, you'll know why I've been rather absent from my blog this week - I have been doing the week-from-overtime-hell (official title). I've been getting up at 6/7AM every day this week and I am beyond exhausted now. I had an early start today and then came home  and had a little (well-deserved) nap. I have tomorrow off and then I am back in on Sunday. At least the weather has brightened up for me! It's supposed to get up into the thirties here tomorrow and I'm quite grateful, I want to lounge around in the sun, my body is craving ittt (I'll factor it up though, don't you worry!).

After work (and my nap) I popped into town and had lunch at an awesome little Italian deli/cafe nearby which I adore - it also sells all my favourite kind of fruit drinks from Italy - and then wandered around the charity shops and found an amazing 70's telephone seat going for only £10! They said they would try and save it for me for tomorrow but it's so cool, I think it will look awesome in the hallway at our uni-house where our phone is currently on the floor and we have to sit there to have a conversation! My mum said everyone used to have them in the 70's but I've never seen one. It looks a bit like this, but more solid, and the seat is a bit different. When I've bought it and got it in the house, I will take pictures for you.

But these pictures above, are, as you can probably tell, of my new dresser. I got it from Ikea (because I need cheap furniture!) and I got the mirror there too, and the blue cloth, and the little plant. I kind of threw everything together when I got home but I really liked how it looks. I've had this little gold enamel bowl for a while and I use it to store my jewellery in at night so I don't lose it, and I also have my most-reached for perfumes. Generally, I really love it and feel all ~grown up~ with a proper dresser! I really want to get a vintage glass trinket box to keep some earrings in and then I'll be completely happy with it.

penhaligon's blenheim bouquet review

 

 

Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet Eau de Toilette, £80.

I posted that I had recently acquired this a couple of weeks ago now, for my birthday, and I wanted to wait until the initial love-affair had worn off before reviewing it properly for you. Well, the affair isn't over, it has just intensified. Sorry! I will try and be as unbiased as possible.

I will get onto the packaging later, and shall start with the most important thing - the scent. You get an initial burst of fresh, limy, citrusy goodness, with a spicier undertone. The freshness lasts on me for quite a while, despite it only being an eau de toilette. As time wears on, you get a slightly different scent, one that is more spicy, and smells more like the base notes of pine, musk and black pepper, I find however, that even when it's starting to wear off (usually around the end of the day) I get little flashes of the sweeter, lighter lime and lavender head notes.

I'm generally not too concerned about staying power of a perfume, as I know if I want a strong perfume, to go for parfums with a richer and deeper scent.

What I really love about it, is that it's fresh and citrus based without it being too girly. I used to love girly, fruity scents when I was younger, and I still sort of do, except they can smell quite cheap overpowering and thats not really what I want. A lot of Penhaligon's perfumes are unisex, and my housemate said he really liked this one, and it smelt like something he would wear, so I think it's quite suitable for both men and women.

The packaging feels very expensive - because it is. This costs £80, which I don't actually think is unreasonable, not for 100ml, however, it was a birthday present, I didn't buy it myself. The box comes in two parts, the top three quarters lifting off to have the perfume resting in a little stand. It's thick, reinforced card, not cheap. The whole experience of the shop is amazing, too. I got this from the little store in the Burlington Arcade in London, where a very lovely woman ran me through various scents that I would like and let me try and uhm and aah, even throwing in a few samples of the other ones I liked. 

I absolutely love the bottle itself. The label is beautiful and exactly the kind of thing I love, right down to the typeface used. Apparently they used to come with little glass stoppers, hence the top, but this lifts off to reveal a typical spray pump. The bow is the only thing I don't like, because it feels a little cheap and you can see the glue. However, everything else is perfect so I can't fault this one thing.

This concludes my mammoth post! I've never reviewed a perfume, even though they're one of my absolute favourite things in life. I had put myself on an extreme perfume ban (I own too many!), I haven't even had any bought for me in over a year and a half, so this felt like such a treat. Is it bad that I have my eye on Castile already?

oh gosh

I am fully aware that I have already posted once today.. but I didn't think that I would have such an enjoyable day that I wanted to post when I got home! (Or have the energy! Hence the scheduled post.) Anywayyyy, me and my mama popped upto London today - it was sort of my birthday treat, because I didn't really do anything with my parents for my birthday earlier in the month. I got a pair of beautiful sunglasses, but my mum says she would've given me money towards them anyway, so she wanted to treat me, and goshhh, did she treat me! My mum wanted to see something at the Royal Academy, and I wanted to see something nearby at the Haunch of Venison, so we thought we would have a little wander around the area, something I haven't done in a long while. We had a lovely lunch at The Living Room (and a few Pineapple Sidecars..!) and browsed many a shop. My huge treat was something I've had my eye on for a while - a perfume from Penhaligon's.. more on that in a later post though! I also tried the Laduree macarons for the first time, popped into Illamasqua and saw a bit of art.. so all in all, a very lovely day for me! Right up my street, so to speak.

So even despite the overwhelming humidity & heat, I had such a lovely day and feel very spoilt and it was so very lovely.

How have you been enjoying this heat? I saw this online earlier today, and it accurately describes how I was on the tube this evening! haha.

There have been too many exclamation marks and elongated words in this post.. oops! And another one.

Leather Goods, Fragrance, and Chanel - the Holy Trinity

Now it is the new year, my thoughts immediately turn to one thing.. my bonus. I work for a pretty good company that gives even lowly part-time Sunday-girl's like me a pretty awesome bonus in February/March. Usually it's somewhere between 15-20% of my years salary. Which works out pretty well! I normally buy myself one extravagant treat - last year it was my Cambridge satchel, which I am still in love with and use daily, when I'm at university. This year, I'm thinking of investing in another statement piece..

A Castor & Pollux Wallet

(Images courtesy of their website)

I saw these wallets a couple of years ago in Vogue.. and god, I still think they they are the perfect wallet. I love frame-wallets, they seem really timeless and elegant, and in a modern colour - like the blue, green, or yellow, they are superbly stylish. They lie flat, have all the pockets necessary, and are beautiful. They're a bit steep, for a wallet, at $168 - about £107. My satchel cost almost that. But god, they're beautiful. I still lust. Also, the brand name totally gets my vote. I'm a Gemini through and through (even though I do not believe in horoscopes, haha, work that one out!), and I love all things mythological and astronomical.. so of course I think it's awesome.

My heart will always desire a new fragrances. I have accumulated so many, I have given myself a ban since Christmas 2010. Then I watched this wonderful documentary about fragrances, bespoke scents vs mass produced perfumes and it has made me lust after a personalised perfume..
Knowing this is still a bit of a pipe-dream I  decided to buy a quality one, instead. I want a brand that has history and cares about making beautiful scents, instead of mass-producing something sickly sweet for the masses. This hunt began in the Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy in Florence, Italy. My mum bought a beautiful rosewater perfume here. However, they were far too expensive for me. I have tried and tested nearly every perfume in the fragrance room at Liberty's, and my hunt has led me too.. Penhaligon's. I was walking through Burlington Arcade recently to get to Haunch of Vension and stopped dead in my tracks. It's one of those places I always pass, but never consider. A quick look on their website, and I'm smitten. Yes, they're pricey. Around £100 for 100ml, they vary. But they are gorgeous. The bottles.. Ah!

Endymion and Juniper Sling

These two sound the most gorgeous, but I have to go and smell, you see. I'll make sure I have a good nose, that day..

The other thing that's caught my eye is Chanel Sublimage. Just because it's so extravagant.

£145-£240 for 50ml? It's crazy, in my opinion.. Maybe I'm that insane because I'm seriously thinking about it. However, I think the Beaute Initiale sounds like it would be more suited to my skin - and my wallet.

There were other things I was considering, too. Sensible, practical things. But these are the things that although I really, really, really don't need.. I really, really, really want. And that is sometimes what you need!