Fragrances, makeup and more

FRAGRANCES

So, I thought I'd have a bit of fun with this section. Right now, I have a massive smile on my face and I'm typing as fast as my fingers can race across the keyboard. While I was writing, a thought popped into my head, 'I'm having fun!' Doing this truly brings joy to my heart, and I'd say it's a rather more productive procrastination from my homework which never seems to diminish in quantity.

​

Anyway, I've always loved going to Boots with my mum and smelling all the taster fragrances out on display. We's come home with our bags full of the paper taster strips, and my mum taught me to put them in my cupboard, where my underclothes and socks lie, so that when I open the draws a wonderful aroma rises and you get that instant 'I'm in a bed of roses feeling.'

Fragrance is fun! I'd love to own my own line of fragrance one day in the future, and the ads for them are gorgeous. The Dior ad with Kiera Knightley is a favourite. 

​

So to spice up this section, I thought why not get others involved, and share a couple of recommendations with you.

First up, let's go with my mum. Her favourite is 'Flower by Kenzo'.

​

My older sister Kristina is an avid fan of fragrances, and one can always count on her to be smelling good. Her top two favourites are Dior addict and D&G light blue. 

​

My beautiful friend Alisha's top 3 favourite fragrances are 'Lalique Le Parfum', 'Living Lalique' and 'Twilly d'Hermes Eau Poivrée'. I've gone to the shops to smell this one and I can say it smells lovely- it's spicy, floral and woody- really delicious!

​

My friend Liz's favourite scent is 'Pure Musc Narciso Rodrigue for her'. It's a recent favourite, bought for her by her father, and she describes it as 'super feminine', 'light, kind of musky in a subtle way, very floral...it seems the most youthful to me.' So some pretty good reviews from her! It was bought as part of a set of four scents, and this was her favourite. I look forward to smelling it! 

​

And my favourites would have to be Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet. I mentioned this to my dad, and for my 16th birthday I was presented with a gorgeous 100ml bottle. My other favourite would have to be the D&G L'Imperatrice, introduced to me by Kristina.

​

I'll be keeping this section updated, as I continue to ask others about their favourite scents and continue to sniff away!

​

By the way, the packaging for the Dior perfume that I received is adorable!! I loved the mini version of the bottle, and the bracelet was a sweet idea although it's too flimsy to be wearable, which is a shame. I also wish the actual lid of the bottle was made out of glass, rather than plastic, as I feel like it seems cheaper with the use of plastic.

​

Packaging is another thing which I rave about. The darling little Dior paper bag with the pink ribbon is so cute and elegant, and the Dior print on the bottom of the perfume bottle adds a little touch of detail and makes it that bit more special.

​

So I've been exploring fragrances online, and I found out that perfumes come with three types of notes: Top notes, Heart notes and Base notes.

​

Top notes are those you smell immediately after the perfume touches your skin. Once this initial burst fades, the heart notes kick in to form the essence of the perfume. Base notes are the scent that lasts the longest and is the one you remember most. 

Top/head notes last around 5-15 minutes. Heart notes last 2-4 hours and base notes last from 4-6 hours.

​

Also, fragrances can produce an olfactory emotion. Odours are said to influence mood, evoke powerful experiences of pleasure or displeasure, produce alertness or relaxation and evoke long-forgotten emotional memories. I think this is so cool! When buying a perfume, all this information is usually displayed or you can find out about this on the website.

​

I've also watched a video on where the best places to apply perfume are.They are: behind the ears, on the wrists, elbows, and if wearing clothes where the ankles are exposed then in the crevice behind the knee.

Alternatively, with a spray bottle, one can spray the air directly in front of them and immediately step into this cloud of scent, so that you are covered by the scent. I also love spraying my hair with perfume, and this technique ensures that your hair smells lovely. I use both methods and it's quite fun to spray the air and jump into the cloud!

​