My Fragrance Collection

Everyone likes to smell nice but not everyone likes to smell the same.  There are many fragrances out in the shops whether it be a supermarket or a drugstore or a department store or even online to name a few, you can find something you like from there.  Now I am not saying I am a big expert on what to look for in a fragrance nor am I an expert when it comes to what notes are in perfumes so I have done a bit of research into my collection (which is not very big) and what notes are in what perfumes.

I don't profess to own a lot but what I do have is a modest collection.  I have decided to include a body spray as I have been using this one quite recently so I thought it was only best to include it.  I am going to review them in the order I got them.  

Some of these I bought with my own money and some where gifted to me as christmas presents or as a gift.

Charlie Red

This has to be the first scent I ever owned.  Back when I was in high school, I always remembered loving the Charlie body sprays and when a perfume came out, I was given it for Christmas and I was over the moon.  I wore it all the time.  Charlie red is a very sweet perfume yet has a floral scent as well.  Top notes include; Orange blossom, Gardenia, Plum, Black current, Violet and Peach.  Middle notes include; Carnation, Tuberose, Orchid, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang, Lily of the Valley and Rose.  The base notes include; Honey, Sandalwood, Amber, Musk and Cedar.  

This perfume is one that I don't reach for as often as I have ones that I like better and I don't know if it would suit me as a 25 year old and for that reason, I tend to keep it for nostalgia reasons.

Benefit Laugh with me Lee Lee

This perfume also has a bit of a nostalgia for me as this is the very first 'proper' perfume I owned.  Way back when I was 19, I had mentioned to my ex that I wanted this perfume after smelling and testing it in a department store.  Little did I know, he bought it for me and I wore it non stop.  Laugh with me Lee Lee is a very floral yet has a sweet aspect to the scent.  The top notes are; Cassis, Melon and Citruses.  The middle notes include; Black violet, Lily and Jasmine.  The base notes include; Sandalwood, Amber and White wood.

I loved this perfume and am gutted that there is no more left and I am toying with the idea to repurchase it.  I have kept the bottle as I feel that it is a quirky, little bottle and it makes me smile looking at the dents and scuffs on the gold bits.  Me and my ex are still good friends so I feel I can't make myself throw it away, even if I got a new one.

Juicy Couture Viva la Juicy

This little bottle is in my collection all thanks to YouTube.  I cannot remember who raved about this back in 2012 but all I know was that I wanted it.  Back then I had to go to a specialist perfume shop to smell and test it but now I have seen it in Boots and Superdrug so it has become a popular brand.   This is the first perfume my current partner bought for me for Christmas and for two years, it would be my signature winter scent as well as the occasional going out scent.  I love it but I am having to limit the use of this as I am slowly running low on it.  The top notes are; Mandarin orange and Wild berries.  The middle notes include; Honeysuckle, Gardenia and Jasmine.  The base notes include; Amber, Caramel, Praline, Sandalwood and Vanilla.  

Michael Kors Glam Jasmine

I first saw this in a Boots store back in my home town and instantly fell in love.  I must have spent a whole semester thinking about how much I wanted this, reading reviews and testing it every time I went into the Boots near uni.  I just didn't know if I had the guts to purchase it myself and I needed something for my other half to buy me for Christmas so on the list it went and on Christmas morning, there is was.  I guess he liked the smell of it too as I know he would have chose something else if he didn't.  This fragrance is quite simple when it comes to the notes of it.  The notes include; White flowers, Jasmine, Cassis and Sandalwood.  

It is a very mature scent so I only ever wear it on special occasions as I feel that it can be overpowering as an everyday scent.

Ghost by Ghost

This was another scent I wanted quite recently and one that I got a good price on.  I have already done a review on this which will be linked here.

Ted Baker Regency House

This is the only body spray in the collection and I have added it into my collection as I have been using this a lot quite recently as it is always in my handbag and I love the smell at the moment.  I have also done a review on this which will be linked here.  It has also become my signature spring scent at the moment as it is quite a light scent. 

So there is my little, modest collection of fragrances.  I have my eye on one but am still toying with the idea to buy it as I haven't had the chance to smell it and I don't want to buy it without at least smelling and testing it first.  

What is your favourite scent at the moment?  Have you got any recommendations for new ones?

Bye for now.

Jess. X

Blogmas day 21 : My early Christmas present.

A few days before I was due to come home for Christmas, my Nokia died...it wouldn't charge, it wouldn't accept any charging unit...it just died.  I was a bit annoyed.  It was not even six months old.  I took it to get it repaired but knew that I wouldn't trust it.  I decided I wanted a new phone.

On Blogmas day 5, I said I wanted an iPhone and that is what I got.  Unlike the iPhone I put on my wishlist, I got an iPhone 4s and am loving it.  I can do so much with it and I don't think I will ever go back to another phone.

I got the iPhone 4s 8GB in black.  I tend to go for black phones as I think they look sleek and professional and if I wanted a bit of colour, I could get a case for it.

As I am at University, I can use my phone for a lot more.  I can access my timetable easier, I can update my blog on the go, I can view University notifications easily...the list is endless.  My Nokia on the other hand was limited on what I could do.  I am so happy with my purchase.

I only wanted a 8GB as I don't think I needed much more than that.  I paid £199 for my new little purchase and I don't regret getting an older version.    I already have an idea on what case I want for my little iPhone.  I will also do a what's on my iPhone blogpost as soon as I have it the way I want it :D

What phone have you got?  What apps can you recommend?

Bye for now.

Jess. X

Blogmas day 20 : Ted Baker Regency Body Spray

As I went Christmas shopping yesterday, there is no way you will not come into contact with sales...two for ones...buy one get one free...three for twos...you get the gist.

I had to pop to boots to get some gifts (I am not going to say what I bought) Upon approaching the till, I was told that it was three for two on gifts and that if I got another product, I would get the cheapest free and this is how I got my new body spray.

Ted Baker's Regency Body Spray is such a lovely scent. The boots website tells me that the spray has notes of Rose, Sandalwood and Juicy Raspberry.  I completely agree with the Raspberry and a slight hint of Rose.  I have never smelt sandelwood either on its own and as a main scent so I couldn't smell it but it hasn't put me off the body spray.  It is currently £6 for a £150ml but if on three for two, you can get it for free as long as it is the cheapest item.

My impression of it is that I really like it.  It has a long lasting wear to it as today I sprayed it on me this morning at about 10am and as I am writing this over twelve hours later and I can just still smell it on my clothes.  I have wore it twice in a row and will always grab it.  I may even repurchase it in the smaller size of 50ml for £2.50.

I am so thrilled with this impulse purchase and I am impressed with the brand and I am willing to experience more from the brand.

What is your current fragrance? 

Bye for now. 

Jess. X

Blogmas day 18 : Favourite Night Time Drink

Now this post is a little bit different as I am sat writing this with a cup of tea.  Now I don't normally drink tea but recently I have gotten into drinking herbal tea.

A few weeks ago, my sleep pattern went a bit crazy and I wasn't going to sleep until 4am!  I know crazy right!  Especially when I had lectures in the morning.  I wasn't getting enough sleep and my concentration was suffering not to mention my skin and body was suffering too.  I kept getting spots and the bags under my eyes were getting to big and concealer wasn't helping at all.  I had had enough!

I went to the chemist and they gave me some Nytol sleeping tablets and I had read online that herbal tea helps.  I popped to my local Morrison's and had a look at their herbal tea range and one popped out at me.  This was the Pukka Night Time tea.  It was priced at around the £2.30 mark and I thought to myself 'Why not try some?  What have I got to loose?'  I bought it and tried some that night.

The packet comes with 20 sachets and the smell from the packet put me off slightly but I carried on with making myself a cup of tea.  I added about half a spoon of sugar to the cup as I had never tried herbal tea and poured the hot water and stirred the bag and sugar around and let it steep for 5 minutes.  The smell was a bit better once the water was added and after it had steeped, I tried some...to my surprise, I liked it.

Pukka Night Time tea is a blend of Lime flower, Lavender and  Organic Oat Flower.  At first, I was dubious of what this would taste like but the taste is quite nice.  The main flavour I get from the tea is a very subtle taste of Lavender which is rather nice.

I have recently just tried another herbal tea which is for the night time and that is Clipper Snore &
Peace Tea.  This tea is an Organic Chamomile, Lemon Balm & Lavender.  This one has a subtle taste of mint and on further reading of the ingredients, I found that it contained Spearmint.  This tea retails at £1.50 from ASDA.

I haven't decided on which one out of the two are my favourite but I will be repurchasing both of them and also trying other herbal teas.  I still don't know if I will start drinking tea as a daytime beverage but I am willing to give herbal tea's more credit.

What herbal tea have you tried lately?

Bye for now.

Jess. x

Blogmas day 15 : Another mini haul.

I have been shopping again!  I know, I know...bad isn't it?  I swear I needed the items I bought.  Again this haul is only two items as that is all I needed.

I needed some make-up remover wipes as I had forgotten to bring some from Uni so I picked up the Yes to Cucumber Facial Wipes.  I have used this brand once before and found that they was so gentle yet they managed to take off my make-up and they smell so good.  I have tried others since but non were as good as these and once I get my student finance, I will stock up on them as I don't think the boots near Uni sell them which is a shame as I love them.

I first saw them on a few youtube videos and they seemed to be only sold in the US so when I was shopping in Boots one day earlier in the year I was so happy to see the Yes to range had come to boots that I snapped up the Yes to Cucumber wipes straight away.  They retail at £3.99 for 30 wipes which compared to the other wipes in the range is better as they are being sold at £3.99 for 20 or 25 wipes so to get an extra 5 or 10 wipes for the same price is not to shabby.  I will always get these wipes until they are sold no more.

I was in ASDA looking for a new shampoo and conditioner as I was running low on my current one when I saw this Miracle Frizz Taming cube.  I only needed enough to last me until I go back so this was a perfect size set and I was pleased to see that it also includes a heat protection spray (I had forgotten mine!)  The kit comes with a travel size shampoo, conditioner, heat protection spray and a comb.  I have never tried this brand before so am looking forward to trying this out.  The cube is priced at the moment in ASDA for £5 so for that price I don't think is bad.  The have four in the Andrew Barton range, the 'Smooth' cube, the 'Blonde' cube, the 'Volume' cube and the 'Curl' cube (These are not the actual names but you get the idea of the types they do)  I got the 'Smooth' cube as I find when I straighten my hair, I get a lot of flyaway hairs and it doesn't look as good so I thought I shall try this before trying more products to combat my frizzy hair.


What products have you recently bought?  Are they a repurchase or are they brand new to you?

Bye for now.

Jess. X

Blogmas day 13 : A very tiny Boots haul.

As I am going home for the holidays, I needed to pick up two items to go in my make-up bag.  These are staples that will forever be found in my small but growing make-up collection.  In fact these will be found in any make-up collection of any beauty fanatic.

Eyeliner can come in different types and in different forms.  The two I prefer at the moment are felt tip liner and pencil liner.  I will always try different brands and there is one pencil liner that I have found that I will use for a while or until I find another one that fits my needs.  Recently, however, I have gotten into felt tip liner and am in the process of trying different brands.  These were the two staples that I needed to stock up on.

Rimmel Scandeleyes eyeliner has been my staple pencil liner for a few
years.  I like the fact it is so creamy and doesn't pull at my eyelids.  It is easily smudge-able if you need to but dries and doesn't smudge once dry.  As it is waterproof you do find that once removed, there can be some leftover but that soon goes after a night of sleep!  I use this mainly for my waterline but sometimes I use this on the top lid depending on what look I want to go for.  I have tried other pencil liners but sadly non have been up to scratch to this.


Collection's Extreme 24 hour felt tip liner is my newest item to my collection.  I have never tried this but I have read some good reviews and am looking forward to trying this.  I use felt tip liner on my top lid and feel that it gives a clean line and looks nice paired with eyeshadow.  I only do a small cat eye as I am only starting to get used to using felt tip liner.

What brands do you use?  Have you got any suggestions for eyeline?

Bye for now.

Jess. X






 

Blogmas day 9 : Illamasqua Glamore Nude Lipstick in Rosepout

I love looking at beauty blogs and one blog called Katie's beauty blog (Which I will link here) reviewed a set of four lipsticks from a brand called Illamasqua.  I had heard of the brand and seen some of the products on videos and blogs but I had never seen a shop or counter selling them.

I was reading her blog when a blog post caught my eye and four beautiful lipsticks caught my eye.  I read though the post and was in awe of the lipsticks...I knew I just had to have one.

I felt at the time that we shared a similar skin tone and looked at what she suggested was her favourite and this one was Rosepout.  I looked at the swatches and what it looked like on her lips against her skin tone and I knew immediately that this was the lipstick for me.  It was all I could think about.  I looked into the lipstick a little more and read a few more reviews (which I found a lack of) and knew for certain that this was the lipstick for me.

The packaging of the lipstick is very sleek and looks expensive and is something that I wouldn't be ashamed to pull out of my handbag and apply in public
















Rosepout is a pink nude which as the website says is a satin lipstick.  The colour is absolutely gorgeous and I think it suits my skin tone very well.  It glides on like butter but doesn't feel sticky or thick.  On my lips the finished seemed almost matte rather than a satin but I don't mind that.  The smell is really nice and I can't quite put my finger on what it smells like.

I would repurchase this lipstick and have backups in case of breakages or I run out (which I don't see happening any time soon)  I would also repurchase just to have one constantly in my handbag.  I would also say that it would suit any skin one whether it be pale or dark skin.  This is a fantastic lipstick and I would like to try more from the range.

In the range there are 7 all together ranging from pink nudes to orangey toned nudes.  They are quite expensive but from what I have seen and tried from this ranged, it is worth it.  They retail at £18.50 and for a lipstick is is quite expensive but they are worth it.

I would also like to try other products from the brand itself as I am impressed with what I have seen so far.



What have you tried from this brand and is there anything that you can recommend?

Bye for now.

Jess. X

Blogmas day 3 : Body Shop Body Butter and Body Scrub in Vineyard Peach.

Way back in September (when I first got my student loan) I went a bit crazy and did a bit of shopping.  I may or may not have gone a bit crazy but it was all stuff I had wanted for a long time and one of those items was the Body Shop's Body Butter in Vineyard Peach.  I had smelt it during the summer and fell in love with it but I had never gotten round to purchasing it.

I moved to my University and once my student loan went in, I went to the Body Shop looking for a moisturiser as I had noticed my skin looking a bit dry (I was not planning on purchasing the Body Butter at the time)  As usual, the shop assistant asked me if there was anything else that I wanted and that was it...I couldn't pass up the opportunity to walk away from the one product I wanted.  I walked over to the Body Butters and asked her if they had the Vineyard Peach scent.  She walked over to it and grabbed it off the shelf for me.  She then told me that it was on 2 for £16 and that was it...Not only was the skin care items on sale at the time but so was the Body Butters.  My heart raced...I love an offer and this was an offer I couldn't refuse.  Unfortunately, I only needed one Body Butter and by the look on her face she knew what I was thinking and she then grabbed another tub and said that the offer was on Body Scrubs as well.  That was it my mind was made up and I walked to the till and bought all that was in our hands (5 items between us)  I paid for them and walked out knowing that I will be using all the products that night.

The Body Sop Body Scrub.  (Apologies for the state of my photos.  I cannot find a way to rotate them.)

This scrub is a very course scrub and is very good at exfoliating the skin.  I have never used a body scrub before and was pleasantly soft on my skin but exfoliated really well. The scrubbing particles are large enough to see and feel and really does the job.  The scent of the scrub is not what I call a true peach scent but there is a subtle peach smell to it.

The Body Butter is of a thick consistency and I made the mistake of putting a lot of it on my skin and found that a little does really go a long way.  I have used a lot of body lotion products but this one feels really luxurious and is velvety to the touch.  The scent of this is way better that the scrub as this has a proper peach scent to it.  I can see myself purchasing more of this in this scent and in others more than the scrub but I may try other scents with other scents.





With the price of both of these at 2 for £16 makes them £8 each and at full price of £13, buying them on an offer is better value for money and they have a long shelf life as well.  I full recommend purchasing both of them and with so many scents to choose from you are spoilt for choice.

Bye for now.

Jess. x

Blogmas day 2: November Birchbox review

I have watched Youtube videos for about two years now and have noticed how beauty boxes have become more popular over the years and they have become my favourite thing to watch.  I like to see what samples and full size products they get.  From brands I have heard of to brands I have never heard of, from high end brands to those you can get at the drug store,I have always wanted to get my hands on some of the brands.  So this is the whole reason why I decided to delve into the phenomenon called beauty boxes.

There are many different kinds of beauty boxes, Glossybox, Birchbox to name a few and so when I watched the November Birchbox unboxing I knew I had to have it.  And with an email from them ( I had already created an account waiting for January to come) I got an email with a £5 off my first box, I knew I had to take full advantage of the offer so I ordered one straight away.

Another reason why I got the November box was because I wanted to sample the box before committing to a years subscription as if I didn't like it or it wasn't for me then I would waste my money.

I was pleasantly surprised to find I really enjoyed opening the box and looking at all the brands I had only heard of and never actually been able to sample or buy them.

The concept of beauty boxes is simple.  Birchbox.co.uk says "Birchbox delivers luxe beauty and lifestyle samples every month, hand-picked just for you!"  And I agree with them  They have three different subscriptions; the monthly box where you pay £10 plus p&p, A six month subscription where you pay £50 and pay p&p each month or the twelve month subscription where you pay £90 plus p&p each month.

In each box you get 5 products ranging from small sample sizes to full size products.  You also get a lifestyle product which are usually sample sizes.  The box is a simple brown and cream box that occasionally changes depending on what they occasion is or if someone has designed the box.  The November box was their signature brown box.  Inside the box is some cards, some welcoming me to the Birchbox community and some with hints and tips printed on the back of some nice pictures which I will be putting up on my dorm walls. Amongst the cards was a list of products I got and how much they are full sized.

Now onto my box.  Like I said above I was very happy with my box this month and I hoping that this will continue when I purchase the twelve month subscription.  Inside my box was six items, five beauty related and one lifestyle.  I am going to describe them in order of what is on my card and describe my reaction and thoughts on them.  Some products I have tried already and some I have yet to sample.







Disclosure:  I am not being paid to review this product and have not been sent this item for free.  All thoughts are my own and I have paid for this out of my own money.  

My first product is a nail product.  Reverence de Bastien Top Coat.  The price of this is £16 full size and in the box, they have included a full size product.  I have yet to try this but have been on the hunt for a new top coat as my old one is getting kind of gross.  There will be an individual review on this later.



The next product is a haircare product.  Beauty Protector Protect & Treat Hair Mask.  The cost of this product full size is £16 and in the box I got two small sample size tubs filled to the top with the hair mask.  I had my hair cut short in September as I wanted to reinvent myself as I was starting university and starting my new life so a hair cut was in order.  I was told by my hairdresser that my hair was a combination of oily at the roots and dry down the shaft and my ends.  She put a hair mask on and the results was amazing.  I was told to use a hair mask from time to time but I have never gotten around to finding one so I was pleased to see that I had been sent a hair mask sample and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really liked it.  The smell was amazing and the card says "...this luxurious mask packed with argon oil, honey, amber and crushed pearls"  The texture of the hair mask is very thick but once it hits the water it thins down into a nice, spreadable consistency.  I left it on my hair for a good 15 minutes and once I had washed it off, I noticed a difference immediately.  My hair felt smoother and softer and that was while my hair was damp!  Once my hair dried, my hair felt healthier and smoother.  I would definitely buy this product full size!



Another product I was curious to learn to use was the Lord & Berry bronzer in Sienna.  The price of this in full size is £19 and they included in the box a small sample.  I haven't used this product yet but have swatched it as when I looked into the pan, it looked a bit too dark for my pale skin tone but once I swatched it, I found that it could be the perfect bronzer for me to experiment with as I have never used bronzer before.



Another full size product that was included (yes we was all spoilt this month with full size products) was a lip balm.  Pixi by Petra Shea Butter Lip Balm is a brand I have never heard of before or seen in any shops.  The price of this full size lip balm is £8 and it is a nice tinted lip balm which give a nice red colour pay off.  It leaves my lips feeling soft and smooth especially in this cold, harsh weather Britain has at the moment.  I think I might have to stock up on this at some point if I can't find somewhere that sells it near me.



I know I said I was going to describe things in order but I feel that the lifestyle choice is not a good product so I am going to talk about that one first.  The lifestyle choice this month in my box is a packet of six capsules called Drinkwel.  It is a multivitamin which is described as a product to use before and after a night of drinking alcohol.  I don't drink alcohol that much and when I drink it is large quantities, I am fortunate enough not to suffer the next morning.  I will however, be trying this out on New Years eve/day as last year I was a bit worse for wear so I may do an individual review in the near future.



I went a bit make-up crazy in September and spent a crazy amount of money of items that some would think I didn't need but I felt that I could justify the items I bought.  One of which was a new foundation (review to follow) and after a few weeks of wearing it I found that it clung to my pores and dry areas and even after getting a new moisturiser, it still wasn't right.  I was in need of a primer and didn't want to be spending lots of money on primers that might not work on me so when I opened the box to find a Dr. Jart+ Pore Refine Recover Primer, I screamed a little inside.  I was so happy that I was given it and although I haven't had chance to try it fully, I swatched a little on my hand and I feel that a little goes a long way.

I have heard that Dr. Jart+ is new to the UK and new to Birchbox (the gave everyone a full sized Dr. Jart+ product) the price for the full size product is £18.  I will have an individual review later.  I am very excited to see how this product fairs.



All in all this box lived up to my expectations and have decided I am going to get the twelve month subscription so expect more unboxings to come in 2015.  Speaking of 2015,  I cannot believe how fast this year has gone.  I started University in September and am already a sixth of the way through my degree.  Graduation is slowly creeping up and I know that it is two and a half years away but if this semester has flown by then the next two and a half years will come faster than I want it to.

I think that is it for now.  Keep a look out for Blogmas day 3 and if you have any suggestions on what I can include throughout Blogmas or for any other blog post, feel free to comment below.

Bye for now.

Jess. x