Minty Christmas

One thing I love about the festive season is the Christmas scents. Being in the midst of summer means our Christmas differs quite vastly from the experiences of those across the pond, we wear summer dresses rather than Christmas sweaters etc. and it doesn't always feel right to indulge in warm and spicy scents as the air con roars. Instead, I like to partake in a bit of peppermint action as I feel like it's a year round winner for me - creamy warmth if it's cold and a fresh tingle if it's hot = perfect!

Presenting to you, my pepperminty Christmas body product favourites!

I have hoarded my Bath & Body Works stash since our honeymoon in late '14 and brought the Twisted Peppermint Body Lotion out for another round this year. The sweet edge of this makes it more like a sweet peppermint lolly than a spicy mint on the skin which is what makes it so wearable in my opinion. I really regret not buying it in candle and body wash form, I think it would have been amazing for that as well. 

Back in October I purchased the Palmolive Peppermint Crush Body Butter Exfoliating Body Wash to squirrel away for use in December and it's something I always sniff when I'm doing the groceries but had put off buying for some reason. It's seriously delicious and lathers up perfectly with a shower sponge - it's very light on the exfoliation however, so would be great for lovers of light, everyday scrubs but may let heavy-scrub-lovers down if they're buying it for that reason.

I'm off to continue smelling like a walking candy cane thanks to these two beauties - hope your December is shaping up to be a great one!
-Emma

Perfume Purge

I have to admit that I adore the freedom that having a large perfume collection allows me, but at this point the range has become overwhelming and I'm slowly but surely using up those heavy glass bottles and making room for some other fragrances. The images below aren't the whole collection, just a selection that sit out on my shelving unit. My collection is made up of a mix of things - PR samples, birthday gifts and bottles I've hinted about to Mister over the years. My favourites have come through all of these avenues to be honest, but I'm not terribly well versed in the crazily priced luxe perfumes that are available so you won't see those here. I've made it my mission to use up these three bottles before Christmas, and as this goes live I'm one fragrance down and doing well!

My sister bought Michael Kors Very Hollywood for my birthday many years ago and I remember being so excited to receive it after sniffing it countless times at the Myer Fragrance Hall. It's a really likable white floral and according to Fragrantica it has notes of "mandarin, frozen bergamot, moist jasmine..." That mix is definitely a first for me, haha. I'm happy to say I've finished up this bottle, so the perfume purge is already going well!

I am quite fond of a rose scent every now and again and Bvlgari Rose Essentielle is probably my favourite one. I love the powdery notes of it (though I can imagine that it would turn some rose-haters off) but the nozzle has become hard to use and I'm looking forward to finishing this one up and turning to another powdery scent in its place.

Last but not least on the chopping block is my travel petite parfum of Urban Rituelle's Cotton Candy (reviewed here, and mentioned here) I still have a full bottle of this and love it to bits, but the nozzle on this petite is also knackered and I need to use it up and move onto other sweet perfumes in my collection.

I have a few perfumes on my Christmas list this year, so I'm really hoping to purge these perfumes this month before the 25th! What new scent do you have your eye (or nose?) on?
-Emma x

Week in Perfume - August 2015 (The Sample Size Edition)

I'm a huge fan of travel sized perfumes, both for their handbag portability and the fact that they allow me to try a range of scents without encumbering me with 100ml bottles to store in my beauty room. Inspired by Larie's recent 'Scents of the Week' and a discussion we had in the comment section of the post, I went about gathering up a few perfumes to set aside and use for the week. It wasn't until I got to number 5 that I realised I had only chosen sample and travel sized scents - seems this sample trend was meant to be!

Kim Kardashian - Kim Kardashian EDP

This is a strong, sexy white floral that I really enjoy wearing. I've gone through a full bottle of this in the past and when I saw this travel rollerball in Las Vegas last year I jumped at the chance to buy it in this format - one of my favourite things about visiting Sephora and other American stores is the huge travel size selection available! It's something we definitely miss out on as Australian's!

Candide Bath & Body Chocolate Macaron Fragrance Oil*

This smells just like I've baked something delicious...in fact, not long after applying it I popped into the kitchen and whipped up a batch of chocolate chip cookies, I just couldn't help myself! The rollerball leaked a little bit before it got to me so it's a slippery little sucker to open, but delicious nevertheless.

 

Urban Rituelle Caramella Petit Parfum*

After the immense success of the Cotton Candy parfum (one of my all time favourites!) this was a greatly anticipated release from the team at Urban Rituelle! It's definitely sweet and the edge of caramel gets me comments each and every time I wear it (much like Cotton Candy, actually)

 

Lush Lust Gorilla Perfume*

This scent is definitely full on - wear with caution! I originally had the solid perfume in this strong jasmine scent and had wanted to pick up the travel spray, so when I was offered a wee Lush spree at an event I took the opportunity and love that a little spray goes a long way with this stuff.

L'Occitane Sun Verbena EDT

This was the scent I wasn't expecting to like as much as the others, verbena isn't typically a scent I wear as perfume very often...but as it turns out, I quite like wearing a citrus scent! I have a feeling the orange blossom note in this is what turned it from a cleaning product to a happy little jolt of sunshine on my wrist. I think it was my first time using a perfumed towelette to apply a scent sample - that was a pretty interesting experience! Sadly I just found out this is a discontinued scent - L'Occitane do have a regular Verbena scent though!

 

Do you change your perfume daily, or do you have them sorted into work/weekend scents? Are you equally fascinated with travel sized sprays, or is it just me?

-Emma

 

 

*Marked items provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

Week In Perfume - March 2015

It wasn’t until I switched my beauty room from one spare room to the other that I realised how many perfume bottles I actually own (hint: a ridiculous amount!) What makes this fact even worse is that more often than not I forget to apply a spritz from a bottle before I head out the door, relying on my Travalo purse atomizer to keep me smelling sweet throughout the day. At the moment it’s filled with Vivienne Westwood’s ‘Flirty Alice’ so that is getting a good workout, but I thought it was time to rotate and show some love to other scents in my fragrance wardrobe. Here are the scents I wore last week!

Saturday 21^st March - Vivienne Westwood 'Flirty Alice'*

“Embodying the flirtatious charm of the Westwood heroine, this composition begins with fresh and sparkling citrus notes of bergamot accented by aquatic shades of green tea. Its feminine heart captures the scent of rose buds that are ready to bloom. Vanilla and blonde woods blend in the carefree base of the perfume.” (Fragrantica notes)

This is definitely my fallback perfume at the moment, it’s light and easy to wear but still has a bit of spunk about that I think comes from the citrus tones in the fragrance. I feel as though my nose can tell this isn’t an affordable fragrance and that it’s been made by a designer brand, which I also tend to really like. Despise the name but adore the perfume!

Sunday 22nd March - Elizabeth and James 'Nirvana White'

“Both [Nirvana] perfumes are described as sensual, edgy and mysterious. Nirvana White is a musky - floral fragrance composed of peony, lily of the valley and musk…” (Fragrantica notes)

This is a strong, sexy floral scent that reminds me of many of the Stella McCartney scents that Mumma Bovary wears. It’s a punch of fragrance and I love it for that, just wish I had’ve bought the full bottle on our honeymoon! If you follow me on Pinterest you might have noticed my undeniable obsessed with the Olsen family – they can do no wrong in my eyes!

Monday 23^rd March - Benefit ‘So Hooked on Carmella’

“So Hooked on Carmella by Benefit is a Oriental Floral fragrance for women... launched in 2010. Top notes are grapefruit, amalfi lemon and rhubarb; middle notes are tiare flower, peony and cyclamen; base notes are sandalwood, amber and vanilla.” (Fragrantica notes)

This is all about the vanilla and amber for me – my two favourite notes in any fragrance! This induces headaches almost immediately in Mumma Bovary so I can’t wear it around her, but Mister and I love a good strong sweet vanilla scent so I adore this cute perfume.

Tuesday 24^th March – 'Lolavie' by Jennifer Aniston

“Lolavie by Jennifer Aniston is a Floral fragrance for women. Lolavie was launched in 2010. Top notes are citruses and rose; middle notes are jasmine, violet and lily; base notes are musk, sandalwood and amber.” (Fragrantica notes)

Back again with a white floral amber, I just can’t seem to help myself when it comes to scents like this. I originally had this on my wishlist after seeing Allison Andersen (Amarixe on YouTube) talk about it in some videos and I ended up buying this little travel bottle in Vegas and wearing it through our whole holiday. I love how scents can bring back such strong memories with ease!

Wednesday 25th March - Ralph Lauren 'Midnight Romance'*

“Passions are awoken by raspberry, Italian bergamot and juicy litchi in top of the composition; the heart encompasses seductive peony, sambac jasmine and freesia warmed with a sexy blend of black vanilla, ambroxan and iris absolute.” (Fragrantica notes)

I’m not sure that this sweet and fruity scent awakens passions in me, but I can see where they were going with it. This reminds me of Lancome Tresor Midnight Rose which also has peony and vanilla, but in this Ralph Lauren scent I feel like a bit of blackcurrant comes through alongside the litchi/lychee aspect of the fruit notes.

Thursday 26^th March -Demeter ‘Daffodil’*

“Daffodils come in many types and variations. We chose the Poeticus Daffodil for the heart of Demeter's Daffodil, creating a light, almost playful floral scent with hints of greenery. Very feminine and slightly sweet, Daffodil is in the tradition of other Demeter florals that are inspired by the living flower, not a concentrated, perfumed version of Daffodil.” (Demeter Fragrance Library notes)

Mumma Bovary’s favourite flowers are daffodils and mine are jonquils, so it made sense to choose this fragrance to test from MU Australia when they reached out to me. I definitely sense the ‘greener’ aspect of this and it doesn’t really smell as strongly as a jonquil flower (which is probably better for most people as they find it too strong, but the scent happens to be my all-time favourite natural scent!!) I love how original and inventive Demeter fragrances are!

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I found changing up my perfume everyday a really positive experience, it was great to use unloved bottles and it has made me notice trends in my scent wardrobe which I think will be helpful when I decide to buy another bottle of the pricy juice. My favourite picks from the week would have to be ‘Nirvana White’ and ‘So Hooked on Carmella’ – the sweet and strong prevail, it seems!

What perfumes have you been wearing this week?

-Emma

*Provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

Bought in August

Another frugal monthly haul is ready for perusal, I did indulge in some drugstore bits but once again I kept away from the Myer counter and was content to cover my hands and arms in swatches instead.

The new Revlon Shadowlinks were definitely an impulse buy after a bad day, as was the Maybelline Chocolate Chip eyeliner – but I’d had my eye on the latter for quite a while so it was going to be mine sooner or later. I’ve got a bit of an obsession with Essie Mojito Madness after seeing it on Larie’s Twitter header, and I bought an essence polish in an attempt at quashing the lemming until I reach U.S shores where I can pick that shade up. I'll have a full post up on that another time!

I bought quite a few wedding related things this month, namely my wedding shoes (squeee!) and gifts for the bridal party as well as a few jewellery contenders for myself for the big day. Does anyone have an online jewellery store recommendation for me for blingy pieces? Would love some help in that department! As an aside, I’m thinking of posting some wedding related things up here, is there anything you’d like to know about at this point? Less than 2 months to go then it’s honeymoon time!

I saw the Revlon Playful Plum blush in the clearance section of Priceline and even though we’re coming into the warmer weather when I’d hardly wear a shade like this, I’m a fan of the Revlon cheek formula (see my post here) and decided to pick it up anyway. The half price Maybelline sale was the cause of the Colour Tattoo in Edgy Emerald, coupled with my obsession with the aforementioned green shade…green bags, green tops, green shoes, green makeup, greeeeeeen!

Mini set of Antipodes at 40% off? How could I say no!?

Cute jewellery pieces on sale from Colette and Equip

A few things  I picked up with the 30% off NYX sale at Target, and my beloved Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara finally went down to $10 at Priceline.

I splurged on some of my favourite Urban Rituelle Cotton Candy purse sprays while shopping at Forever New (full review is here) and some of the Juicy Couture Dirty English mini’s while buying Dad’s Fathers Day gift (Enrique Adrenaline!) – technically a male scent, this discontinued gem is my ‘signature scent’ for winter. My sister in law was so sweet to buy me this Nicole Richie No Rules bottle while we were out for coffee one day, and looking at it now on the screen I can see it was a scent-centred month indeed!

September might have a few splurges at the shops, but not too many...my second iPhone button just broke but I’m hoping it will hold out until we leave for our honeymoon. The rest of our cash is for wedding related activities – can’t wait for my hens and my kitchen tea!

Did you buy anything exciting this month so I can live vicariously through you?

I can’t wait for a big haul in Vegas, it is well overdue!

Emma x

Mumma Bovary + The Perils of Perfume

For me, the Estee Lauder brand was always a little harder to dip into than more youthful brands when I began having an interest in the beauty industry. Their counters always seem so polished and the staff (at least in my experience) are always lovely mature ladies who smell incredible. It wasn’t until recent launches like the Cello shots and the Modern Muse fragrance that I began to understand that mature and fun can coexist simultaneously without too much effort after all. Then I realised that I should have known this all along, because Mumma Bovary is one of the most mature ladies I know funnily enough, yet she is also the most fun to be around and has a wicked edge to her personality. I was elated to receive a Mother’s Day gift idea from Estee Lauder and wanted to share this gift idea with you in case you’ve left gift-buying to the last minute (I often do, but not this year!)

Mumma Bovary has a tendency to put funny things on her head and let us take photos...

 

 

As soon as I opened this parcel (I was in the car with my sister K) we both squealed! The pink and rose gold combination is just breathtaking, and classy beyond belief meaning those who like simply sticking a bow on a present can laze away – EL have the packaging done for you, people! I hadn’t smelt the Sensuous Nude fragrance before, but it is definitely something I could see Mumma Bovary trying. If I were buying it for myself I would probably turn to the Modern Muse set ($130) which is more floral than this scent, but I think this one is a nice one for those who like strong perfumes that aren’t headache inducing. Mumma Bovary can only wear a select few fragrances and even I have to limit my scents when I spend time with her lest I cause a migraine! She loves anything by Marc Jacobs (notoriously light and lovely) and also has a penchant for Stella McCartney and SJP. She recently bought Issey Miyake perfume from duty free, which drove me insane since it was a scent I wore, but it smells good on her that I am happy to share. I think a trip to the EL counter is next on the agenda for Mumma!

 

Seriously, look at that detail!

 

 

Estee Lauder Sensuous Nude is described as a woody musk with notes of bergamot and rose in as well, and is a permanent perfume on the EL roster. The actual Sensuous Nude Set ($120)* with 75ml Body Veil, 75ml Body Cleansing Crème and 50ml EDP spray is limited edition though, so if you have already bought your Mother’s Day gift but think this would make a great birthday or Christmas gift to pop away, I’d hop to it if I were you. They have a big range of sets available if you want to peruse online here, but my pick is the Modern Muse Set (do you think I could vouch for Charlie as my furbaby and swing a puppy-mother’s day gift my way…?)

I love buying luxe gifts like candles and perfume for Mother’s Day, but this year I’ve bought her an adorable floral gardener’s kit and a silver necklace personalised with her nickname. We’re having Mother’s Day lunch at a Thai restaurant on Sunday and I am looking forward to the Massaman! Are you spending this weekend with loved ones?

Emma x

*This gift set was kindly provided for consideration, all swooning is my own and completely honest. Honesty, always!

 

Smelling Sweet for your Sweet this Valentine's Day

The idea of Valentine's Day is something I like - the romance in the air, the pent up expectations of a sweet gift, expressing your devotion to someone...the reality, however, doesn't always come through with the goods. Though Mister Bovary and I have shared a few nice dates over the years on February 14th, we aren't true romantics at heart and often choose Breaking Bad and homemade pizza over a fancy restaurant. It's the little things that he does that really make me swoon, the insignificant details he remembers and the way he always looks out for me.

Enough of the swooning - let's get to the 'heart' of things! ;)

I find fragrance to be a mood breaker every day, and at this time of year when the weather is sticky and love hearts decorate promotional images, I like to smell sweet like candy. Cotton Candy* to be precise.

 

This yummy Urban Rituelle scent originally only came as a purse spray until the brand wised up to how amazing Cotton Candy was, and created the larger EDP for us to enjoy. Considering I've gone through many of the purse sprays over the years, receiving this really made my day!

Even the classic bottle that Urban Rituelle chose to house this sweet scent in makes me swoon, and I love the way it looks on my vanity. I can't wait to get our new bedroom suite so that I can organise a daily scent tray on my dresser - it is how I hope to rotate my scents from now on, so we've been looking around for new furniture to make it happen already!

Those who aren't big fans of spun sugar scents probably wouldn't get on well with this, but I find it to be amazing and it is said to be their best seller, so I know that I am not alone in loving this pink treat.

I was perusing their website and saw that they also have a limited edition Romance soy candle for sale right now - jasmine, musk and amber, now doesn't that sound lovely!?

Urban Rituelle's Cotton Candy EDP retails for $34.95 AUD, and the range also contains hand cream, reed diffuser, candles and a lip balm for those who want to inject a bit of sweetness into their Valentine's day.

Will you be following my lead and buying yourself a Valentine's gift this year?
Are you a fan of sweet scents?

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

*Provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

The Sniff List - Top 5 Scents to take a Whiff of for Summer

Each time we reach the end of the year, I begin thinking about which perfume I'd like to pop onto my wishlist. Since my birthday is but a week after Christmas, I pretty much need to make a monster list to make it easier for my family to cross me off their present list. I perused my fragrance stocks (some are still boxed away, woe is me!) and pulled out 5 awesome scents that would make lovely gifts for somebody else, or for yourself!

I don't really know much about Vivienne Westwood, so thought 'cute bottle' and not much more when Flirty Alice* hit my desk. One spritz and I was hooked though, this is probably my top pick from this bunch. It smells citrusy with some vanilla somethin' somethin' going on, and a quick check of Fragrantica says it also contains some green tea, rose buds and blonde woods (though I prefer brunette, ha!)

 The latest Marc Jacobs just had to be included, if not for the scent then the adorable bottle alone! Marc Jacobs Honey* is a soft and floral honeyed scent which is something Mumma Bovary would go crazy for - she likes it a bit sweet but most perfumes give her migraines, so Marc Jacobs is her go-to for soft and wearable scents.

Michael Kors Very Hollywood was on my wish list for the longest time, and was a gift from my beautiful sister for my birthday two years ago. It is a strong white floral, and I love the pink/coral and gold accents on the bottle. A great light summer fragrance is Clarins Sunshine* - you know I adore this brand, and so a orange bottle of their juice was bound to be a hit with me! It smells sweet, floral and citrusy, perfect for hot weather!

 

Last but not least is a great 'out for dinner' perfume that is super strong - Paco Rabanne Black XS. I nabbed this from Mumma Bovary who bought it duty free after loving the scent of it on my cousin when she lived with us, but it is too strong for her so I scored big time! I am also eyeing off the Kim Kardashian bottle she bought at the airport, as I've already finished my bottle and would love another!

 

How often do you spritz on a new scent? Are you a fan of commercial scents, or are a die hard indie perfume fanatic?

 

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

 

*Provided for consideration - honesty, always!

 

Failing a Beauty Challenge

For those who are regular blog readers, you probably see various beauty challenges across a range of different sites. I’m definitely not strong-willed enough to partake in a project pan (I love too many products to rid myself of them!) but the Perfume Purge I undertook before we moved in the house was something that I almost enjoyed.

my initial perfume challenge

Using the same group of perfumes day in and day out was a little bit frustrating, but not having to cart some of these bottles to my new house was well worth the challenge!  I ultimately failed this Perfume Purge as I didn’t manage to get through my Bvlgari Rose Essentielle bottle, but the other four are empty so I’m not too down about the whole situation.

the scents I manage to use up!

I often ponder the idea of beauty bloggers and their obsession with empties (an obsession I share!) and think about the reasoning behind it all. The feeling of adding new products to my collection is often wonderful, but other days I feel weighed down by the amount of my stash that isn’t getting very much love at all. Ultimately I don’t really crave a pared down collection, I definitely don’t fit into the minimalist outlook of life, but a more manageable collection full of great products is definitely something I am aiming for overall.

What are your thoughts on project pans, perfume purges and paring down your collection?

Do you enjoy your collection, or stress a little about how big (or small!) it is?

Jimmy Choo EDP // A Sweet Scent to Enjoy with a Cosmopolitan

Launched in February 2011, the simply named Jimmy Choo fragrance was the very first from the brand.  For me, the Jimmy Choo label is synonymous with Sex and the City, and the thought of sky high heels and cosmopolitans is quite a positive connection to have with a brand. When I first heard that the brand had jumped into the bustling fragrance world, I immediately hunted it down for a sniff. It wasn’t until recently that I had the chance to try it on for an extended period of time, thanks to a sample vial I procured at a Myer counter.

The pink snakeskin design wouldn’t be my first choice of packaging, but I think it ties in nicely with the grenade style bottle said to be inspired by Murano glass. Tamara Mellon was the mind behind the design, and it is said to be a fragrance that is "feminine yet empowering, with a lot of sensuality to it”

This is the description taken from Fragrantica:

“The seductive composition is a modern chypre fruity, with green top notes, tiger orchid, sweet toffee caramel and Indonesian patchouli.”

Being someone who isn’t well versed in fragrance, I smell a lot of sugar in this 'sweet patchouli' scent, and the caramel becomes quite evident on my skin. As with most fragrances this isn’t incredibly long lasting on me, but it does sit longer than others and I’m happy with that. I did really enjoy wearing this, but I’m still unsure as to whether or not a full bottle would be justified. It reminds me quite strongly of my sister in law, who is a big fan of it and wore it on our first holiday together, so perhaps I will leave it to her and enjoy it when I am in her presence.

Jimmy Choo EDP retails between $99-$139 and is available at Myer and David Jones.

 

Do you forgo a new perfume if you know it is someone’s signature scent?

How sweet can you go with your fragrances?

A Fragrance Wardrobe

I have a plethora of scents in my possession, but I’ve taken to keeping a select handful on my desk to help me use them up faster. I swap some of these out and I do still use scents from the rest of my ridiculous collection, but these are the ones that have taken their place on the desk shelf lately!

 

 

I spoke at length about my issues with Lancome Tresor in Love, and I’m hoping to use a lot of this bottle before our next anniversary rolls around, to increase my chances of getting a new bottle of juice. This is a fruity rose scent, with notes of nectarine, bergamot, peach and Turkish rose, and I tend to wear it at night when we go out for coffee.

A recent launch from one of my favourite brands, Illamasqua Freak* is definitely a unique part of my scent collecton and unlike anything else I own.  It smells spicy and rich to me, and I tend to wear it when it is cold out and I feel quite tough and brave. I had to look up the notes for this, and they include opium flower, poison hemlock and frankincense. I have personally smelt this on quite a few people and it is definitely one you have to try on in store to judge, as it changes drastically depending on your skin.

Balenciaga Paris*, a powdery floral scent with notes of violet, cedar and carnation, is one of the most luxurious scents in my stash. I find this stays quite close to my skin when I wear it, and I use it sparingly as it is a travel sized sample gifted to me from the Balenciaga PR. I adore the bottle and have been hoping to add a full size Balenciaga to my collection once I use up a few more bottles, and this is a contender for that top spot.

Tucked away in the back in that image is a gorgeous Jo Malone bag filled with a teensy bottle of Orange Blossom* and a body cream in another scent, that I have been squirrelling away since before I began beauty blogging a few years ago. I received this in a Primped goody bag, the very first bag of that kind that I had ever received. I absolutely adore both the aesthetic and the scents from Jo Malone, and know that when I begin full time work my Jo Malone collection will grow from this small bottle up.

So Hooked on Carmella from Benefit is one of the stronger scents in my collection, and was purchased from a blog sale a while back.  Classified as an oriental floral, this contains notes of grapefruit, lemon, rhubarb, peony, sandalwood, amber and vanilla. Most of these notes are my very favourites, and though I can’t wear this scent around my sensitive-nosed Mumma Bovary, I do pop it on quite often on days when I know I won’t see her.

Last but not at all least is my all-time favourite fragrance, and the one I hope to wear for the rest of my days here on earth. Guerlain’s Champs Elysees is a fruity-floral that contains notes of mimosa, rose almond and forest fruits, but most of all it smells like me!  I feel strong, powerful and intelligent when I wear this, like I am the woman I want to be.

 

Isn’t it amazing how fragrances can make you feel certain things?

Soap & Glory Flake Away : Transforming Scaly Legs from Reptilian to Radiant!

I must admit I am a bit of a body scrub fiend, and because I use them almost every time I shower, I get to try out quite a few different types and brands. The latest one I’ve used is Flake Away from Soap and Glory! I bought this tub from Boots in Thailand earlier in the year, and even though it was heavy in my suitcase it was on sale if you bought two (I totally stashed the other in Chris' suitcase when he wasn't looking!) so I couldn't pass it up.

This scrub has that well known ‘Soap & Glory’ scent, which reminds me quite a bit of Miss Dior Cherie perfume. The scent is quite a strong one, so I would definitely suggest having a sniff in store and being certain that you are a fan of it before you purchase. The tub is a huge 300ml and at Kit Cosmetics it is only $16.95!! I honestly thought it was much more than that, for the amount of uses per tub that is incredible value. They also have a travel size 50ml tub for $5.95, if you have a holiday planned or wanted a stocking stuffer, mini S&P is the way to go.

 

Flake Away is quite sandy in texture, but has plenty of oils inside to keep it smooth and easy to use. It definitely gets the dead skin cells away, and though it leaves a bit of residue I found it moisturising without feeling gross (unlike the Burt’s Bees cranberry scrub, review here) The scent lingers on the skin for quite a while, so if you are pairing it with other Soap & Glory products (like their Hand Food hand cream!) or that Dior perfume, it could work perfectly when layered. I tend to use it before bed, and find it sits nicely with my L’Occitane Cherry Blossom Solid Perfume* which I apply on my pulse points every night.

 

Even though the labels ended up peeling away on my tub of Flake Away, I love the packaging of this scrub. The pot is sturdy and water tight, the sayings make me giggle and overall it looks attractive sitting in my shower. It is quite a large tub, so it doesn’t fit where my usual scrubs go – those with tight shower spaces might have to stash it on the floor! All in all, this is something from Soap & Glory that I would happily recommend, provided the scent is something you enjoy. It is very affordable, does a great job at scrubbing and leaving skin soft and moisturised, and is readily available here.

 

Have you tried any Soap & Glory scrubs? What do you think of the scent of their products? I have The Breakfast Scrub* waiting in the wings to be used, and my oh my I’m looking forward to trying it!

 

*Marked items were provided for consideration, but I bought Flake Away myself.

Nostalgic Scents // Marc Jacobs Daisy

 Smell is one of the most amazing senses that a human has, and has the ability to transport you to a moment in time, or remind you of someone in a split second. Some scents in my perfume collection make me feel strong, some dainty, some masculine and some sexy. The smell of most Lynx deodorants completely reminds me of boys in high school shooting spit bombs at one another. An unknown cheap male aftershave reminds me of my highschool boyfriend (both quite stinky;p) and the beauty below reminds me of my beautiful mother.

Launched in 2007, Daisy is a watery floral with notes of strawberry, violet leaf and grapefruit (according to Fragrantica here) I am not known for my ability to draw out certain notes from perfumes, so to my nose I smell a light floral fragrance, which on my mothers skin is muskier than it is on mine. In my experience, Marc Jacobs fragrances disappear quite quickly on my skin, but on other members of my family the scent is much stronger and longer lasting. That is, of course, the beauty of sampling fragrance in small sizes/at a fragrance hall or store.

Daisy has been recreated in the form of Daisy Eau So Fresh, a much fruitier and more summery scent, in my opinion. The latest release from Marc Jacobs is Dot, a sweet and tropical scent with the cutest bottle ever! My mum has just purchased this from duty free, and I'm looking forward to sneaking a few spritzes and sharing my thoughts with you here once more.

 

Some scents are so rich and evocative of certain people, and even though I don't suit this perfume, it holds a dear space in my heart and makes me smile and think of my Mum every time I sniff it. Every person I know has their 'signature' scent, and I love the connection that can be made between a human and a scent.

 

Do you have a signature scent?

What scents do you associate with the people around you?

 

*This perfume is from my Mum's collection, and smells great on her. Honesty, always.