How I'd Spend £500.00 in Debenhams!

If I had £500.00 to blow in Debenhams here is how I would do it.

I'd start off with Marc Jacobs Divine Decadence. The 100ml eau de parfum is £96.00. I love the original Decadence. I wore it yesterday and could smell it all day!

Next I would pick up Too Faced Candlelight glow powder for £25.00.

I would buy two new MAC make-up brushes; MAC 239 eyeshader brush for £21.00 and MAC 227 large fluff brush £23.50.

I would try Kat Von D's Studded Kiss lipstick for £16.00. I'm not a huge fan of the packaging. It looks rather bulky but look at the cute little Kat Von D logo on the lipstick and how nice is the colour in the picture?

I don't think I've ever bought clothes from Wallis before but they have loads of lovely stuff at the minute. This gorgeous, berry top is £35.00.

MAC's dusky rose eyeshadow palette is just £25.00 which I think is amazing value.

If £500.00 doesn't make itself available for me to blow I will be putting Clinique's Moisture Surge Intense Skin Fortifying Hydrator on my Christmas list. It is £34.00 for 50ml. I had a 15ml sample of this a while ago and loved it!

Tom Ford's White Patchouli is £108.00 for 100ml. It is another long lasting scent and it has been on my want list for years.

I would also get myself a Clinique chubby stick intense moisturising lip colour balm for £17.50.

Another purchase I would make would be Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair Serum for £72.00.

I also love this cute Red Herring white pompom hat which is only £8.00.

My final purchase would be this Miss Selfridge gingham pink/cream/camel scarf, which is £16.00 and takes my total spend to £497.00.

I think that would be £497.00 well spent!

10 Fragrances On My Want List!

Here are 10 fragrances I have had on my want list for what seems like ages. There are a few new fragrances I am eager to get my hands on, but these ones seem to have been on my list for ages.

I love perfume and I have a huge collection, but there's always something more out there that I would love.

Dior's Dolce Vita is an underrated fragrance. I hardly ever hear people mention it. I love a lot of Dior's scents and the ones I own have the best longevity and projection of all of the fragrances I have.

It seems like I am the only person who doesn't own Paco Rabanne's Lady Million. It has been on my want list for ages.

I tried Vera Wang Be Jeweled when it first came out and I liked it, but never did get round to purchasing it.

I absolutely love Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb, but I couldn't choose between the eau de toilette and the eau de parfum so didn't get round to buying either. I have the Flowerbomb La Vie En Rose fragrance and I love that one too.

Sisley Soir De Lune is another fragrance I've had on my list for a while. This is a 2006 creation.

I was going to get Tom Ford Violet Blonde for Christmas last year, but then I wanted Tom Ford's Velvet Orchid which came out so Violet Blonde is still on the 'to get' list.

Gucci Flora is another classic I haven't got round to purchasing. I have a few of the garden collection versions; Glorious Mandarin (yellow) and Gorgeous Gardenia (pink).

Jo Malone English Pear and Freesia is another fragrance I would really like. It has a lovely scent; one of my favourites from Jo Malone.

I love Frederic Malle's Lipstick Rose. I tried it in Liberty's early this year and I was impressed with the scent and the longevity so it's definitely one I hope to get my hands on at some point in the future.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh is another classic that I still don't have. A lot of people have said that this is their wedding day scent. I really want to get the 125ml bottle even though it'll take me years to get through.

Autumn Perfumes!

Since the bank holiday on 31st August it has felt like autumn. We have had rain, central heating and most exciting of all candles!

Although it's not officially autumn until 23rd September 2015 I have decided to start autumn early and I have picked out a few (15 to be precise) of my favourite fragrances for the cooler months.

Diesel's Loverdose is a lovely deep, liquorice based scent. I suppose it is a little bit harsh so it won't be for everyone, but I love it.

Dior Addict is a dark, spicy fragrance with florals and a creaminess that balances the fragrance out perfectly.

Lolita Lempicka's Elle L'aime (not to be confused with L L'aime which was released in a similar bottle!) is a very unique scent. It is not as heavy as my other autumn fragrance picks. It opens quite citrusy and then the base is thick and creamy. It always reminds me of caramel although that is not one of the fragrance notes.

Vivienne Westwoof Let It Rock is another dark, spicy, cosy scent, but it is a little bit harsh so it is not one that everyone is going to like.

Roberto Cavalli Serpentine is a fragrance I got for Christmas a few years ago. It reminds me of autumn/winter. It is described as a floral-oriental. I love this one.

Tom Ford Velvet Orchid was my Christmas present from my partner last year. I think it is really well composed. It is quite masculine and spicy, but it is not too harsh and not as overpowering as some of Tom Ford's other fragrances.

Ghost Deep Night is a lovely, creamy, musky scent. I was obsessed with this fragrance about a year ago. It is lovely.

Roberto Cavalli by Roberto Cavalli was released in 2012, much later than Serpentine, which came out in 2005! This is a deep amber scent with some softer floral notes. It is mature and sensual; one of my favourites for autumn.

Guerlain Mitsouko is a classic. It opens very citrusy and develops into a deep woody scent with a hint of spice; very warming.

Illamasqua Freak is an absolutely amazing scent. It is so unique. It is a unisex fragrance and I often find unisex fragrances a bit too masculine, but this is perfect. It has a masculine edge, but it is a thrilling composition of the most exotic and poisonous flowers. I urge you to give this a go.

Yves Saint Laurent Opium is  a smoky, spicy fragrance. Its notes include incense, cedar and amber.

Jimmy Choo Stars was another gift from my significant other. He bought it for me in September last year so it was a favourite of mine during the months that followed. It is similar to the original Jimmy Choo fragrance with a stronger toffee note. It is sweet, but also quite heavy. It has been re-released this year in a bottle with different colouring.

Chanel Coco is another fantastic composition. It is warming and spicy with notes of cloves, amber and sandalwood.

Lolita Lempicka Minuit Sonne was released last year. Every year Lolita Lempicka comes out with a different bottle and a slightly different name for this 'midnight' fragrance and I have a few of them becasue this is one of my favourite scents! It is like the original Lolita Lempicka fragrance, but more intense. It has notes of liquorice flower and iris. It is sweet and powdery. The fragrance is always released in autumn, but I wear this one all year round.

Diesel Fuel For Life Unlimited was one of the few times my partner picked out my Christmas present and surprised me. I didn't like it at first. I remember wearing it on one occasion and I kept noticing it on myself and thinking, 'urgh'! It wasn't until a few years later when I really started getting into fragrance that my tastes changed and I would say developed and now I love it and find it completely inoffensive. It has citrusy notes in it along with liquorice, star anise and white flowers.


I'd recommend trying before you buy as most of these scents you will either love or hate. My favourites are Lolita Lempicka Minuit Sonne and Illamasqua Freak. Some of the heavier, spicy scents can be a bit too much sometimes and I have to be in the mood to wear them, but you can wear any fragrance any time of year. I often wear lighter, fruity-floral scents in the autumn and winter as well as these fragrances and I will occasionally choose a heavier scent in the summer, but I love autumn and these fragrances get me excited for it!

My 2014 perfumes!

I have built up quite a collection of new fragrances in 2014.

I have bought 19 new releases from this year.

Marc Jacobs released more limited edition Daisy fragrances, Daisy Delight and Daisy Eau So Fresh Delight, both of which I love.

Daisy Dream came afterwards with a unique bottle design.

Jimmy Choo have had some fantastic releases in 2014. Exotic was re-released in an orange bottle for 2014.

Flash London Club was a fragrance I was really excited about. It has a similar scent to the original Flash, which is my favourite.

Stars is a limited edition release from Jimmy Choo. It was probably the last thing my fiancé ever bought me before becoming my husband and it was a great gift. It has a scent along the same lines as the original Jimmy Choo fragrance and the longevity is just as impressive.

Cacharel Noa L'Eau was a limited edition release for the summer. The original Noa fragrance is one of my favourites and this version is a light, fresh and slightly aquatic interpretation.

DKNY's MYNY was released in the summer and it is something really different from DKNY. I have lots of fragrances from the Be Delicious range, but this is a lovely, sophisticated, floral scent. I haven't heard much hype about it, but it really is a lovely scent.

DKNY did release a few new fragrances from the Be Delicious range, which I bought into.
There was Golden Delicious Sparkling Apple, Be Delicious Sparkling Apple and Be Delicious Fresh Blossom Sparkling Apple. In the UK these fragrances are only available from The Fragrance Shop.
They are all lovely and fresh, but they do smell similar to previous releases from the Be Delicious range.

Vera Wang Forever Vera is very difficult to get hold of. It was supposed to be exclusive to Kohl's in the USA. It is a really nice, well balanced fragrance. It is quite a mature scent.

Vera Wang's Princess Power is the latest release from the Princess collection. Like last year's release, Pink Princess, Princess Power is only available in 30ml or 50ml bottles, which annoyed me. It is a lovely, crowd pleasing, fruity-floral fragrance.

Vera Wang Be Jeweled Rouge is another 2014 release. It is really sweet and fruity. I love it.

Lolita Lempicka Minuit Sonne is an amazing fragrance. The deep liquorice flower note seems more prominent than in the original Lolita Lempicka fragrance. I love the fragrance, but the bottle has glitter on it, which comes off onto your hands, which is a bit annoying.

Tom Ford Velvet Orchid is a strong, warming fragrance. I love this fragrance. It is unique, mature and lasts well.

Nina Ricci's La Tentation de Nina is another beautiful scent. It is bakery-sweet and really different to other Nina releases. I think this was a great offering and I look forward to trying next year's Nina Ricci fragrance, Les Délices de Nina.

Juicy Couture's Juicy Couture Malibu was released for the summer alongside Couture La La Malibu, which I have not picked up yet. Juicy Couture Malibu is a lovely summer scent. It is similar to the original, Juicy Couture fragrance, but is a bit less harsh. It has a very light, fresh feel to it. I really like this fragrance, but I have to admit it isn't the longest lasting fragrance.

Chanel No 5 Eau Premiere isn't technically a new fragrance for 2014. It was originally released in 2007, but in 2014 it was released in the classic, rectangular Chanel bottle. It is a lovely scent. It is similar to the original No 5, but this one seems lighter and has a more sparkling opening.

2014 has seen the release of many other lovely fragrances that I have not managed to add to my collection yet and I hope 2015 will bring lots of new and exciting fragrances that will no doubt mean my collection will grow and my shelf space will shrink!

What I Got For Christmas 2014 And A Little Bit Of Sales Shopping!

I was totally spoilt this Christmas and I love every gift that I received.

My husband bought me the new Tom Ford fragrance, Velvet Orchid, a gorgeous green floral dress from New Look, a Lord and Berry lip crayon, McBusted's DVD (I was a huge Busted fan) and a beautiful sapphire necklace.

As you may know I am a huge fan of fragrances and I got a few for Christmas.
As well as Tom Ford's Velvet Orchid from my husband I got a FCUK gift set, which has a lovely, fresh scent.

Lovely is a fragrance by Dainty and Heaps, a UK based company that I hadn't previously heard of. The fragrance has notes including star anise and liquorice and the scent reminds me of Diesel's Fuel For Life Unlimited. It's warm and spicy.

Avon's new fragrance, Christian Lacroix Ambre is one that I wanted as I have the other three Christian Lacroix fragrances by Avon; Rouge, Absynthe and Nuit.
Ambre is a lovely scent and the fragrance came with a Christian Lacroix make-up bag and a lipstick and eye shadow. 

I also received a mini fragrance gift set with miniatures of Moschino Pink Bouquet, Ghost Deep Night, Lipsy London and Ted Baker Sweet Treat Polly, which I thought was a lovely gift set as it allows me to try out lots of new fragrances and they are great for carrying around in your handbag. I already have Ghost Deep Night, but I adore it so I'm pleased to have a mini bottle of it now as well.

I received so many gift sets.

I hadn't tried Soap and Glory's new sweet lime scented products until I received the gift set on Christmas day and I love it.

The Baylis and Harding gift set I received is sweet mandarin and grapefruit scented, which I love.

Baylis and Harding also make the Beauticology gift sets and I received a Beauticology gift set (to the
left of the Nivea gift set) with vanilla frosting foot lotion and strawberry frosting foot soak crystals with some red and white fluffy socks, which I took out of the box as I have already worn them.

I received another Beauticology gift set (bottom right) with a cranberry body wash, which smells lovely and a gingerbread sparkle body wash, which has glitter in it and smells lovely. There is also a strawberry frosting scented soap in the set.

There are two gift sets from Next. One is a set of 4 lip glosses and the other is from the Gold range, which includes a small rollerball of the Gold eau de parfum, a scented hand cream, a shimmery nail polish and a pot of nail gems.

I also got plenty of candles. The Glade warm spice candle is really strong, but I love it!
The set of three candles with the silver floral patterned holders are very pretty and they are vanilla and roasted chestnut scented. They smell really nice, but I think the scent will be a lot more obvious when I start to burn them.
The set of three purple tealight holders shown at the bottom of the photo are a lovely design as well. They look very festive. 

As well as my green floral dress I got a few bits and pieces of clothing including a gorgeous grey bird print scarf, some white slippers, some black and pink gloves, which will be great for the rest of winter as I intend to take up running, some big thick Lipsy socks and two pairs of pyjamas.
I love both pairs of pyjamas. One pair are Disney with Winnie The Pooh on them and the other pair have patterned bottoms and a lovely fox on the top, which I think is such a cute design.
I was not disappointed in the slightest to receive two pairs of pyjamas.

I got lots of other bits and pieces shown in the first photo including a clock, a calendar, a purse, some floral note cards, bubble bath, a Tangle Teezer, sweets, a bottle of wine, a wine bottle holder, some ageing cream, a glass Christmas tree decoration, hand cream and a memo block.

On top of all this I got lots of Christmas money, which I bought an emerald and diamond cluster ring with from the Ernest Jones website. I mentioned the ring on my blog over a year ago as I have wanted it for so long, but unfortunately I had to take it back because I found the emerald's imperfections distracting. It looked like there was a crack running through it and I didn't want to pay so much money for something that I was a bit disappointed with.
To me this ring is the perfect design so I am not too pleased that I remain emeraldless after lusting after this ring for so long and even after finally making the big purchase.
I have thought about buying it again and hoping for a better emerald, but it was on sale when I bought it the first time and now it has gone back up to full price so the idea isn't too tempting.    

Finally on to what I got in the sales. I haven't been to the shops, but I have had dozens of emails from online retailers, whose websites I have used in the past and I ended up resisting spending on most websites, but I did make a few purchases from boots.com.

One of my favourite ever perfumes is Marc Jacobs Daisy Sunshine, which was released in Boots in early 2013, but as it was a limited edition fragrance it is no longer available.
I loved the Sunshine range from Marc Jacobs and managed to get a second bottle of Oh Lola! Sunsheer and a second bottle of Daisy Eau So Fresh Sunshine, but Boots were selling Daisy Sunshine again on their website on Boxing Day so they have maybe listed old stock they have found and it was only £22.50 (originally £45.00)!
I already have the fragrance, but I never ever wear it because I'm too scared of my bottle running out and it was the same with the other two scents from the range, but now I will be able to rest knowing I have a spare bottle if my first bottle runs out.

Boots.com has actually sold out of Daisy Sunshine already, but hopefully they will still be able to fulfil my order.

I also ordered a mini Smashbox gift set with a mini mascara, a mini under eye primer and a mini foundation primer, which was £12.50 reduced from £30.00. 

I had asked for the Lord and Berry lip crayon that my husband bought me and I really like it. I found a set on the Boots website with two Lord and Berry lip crayons. It is actually called the lip library gift set. You can get different colours, but I ordered the a red and a pink. The colours are called Fire and Fucsia (a foreign spelling of Fuchsia!?)
I'm hoping the pink isn't too bright as I think pinks can sometimes look really tacky, but the gift set was £13.33 reduced from £20.00 so I'm happy with that.

I also bought a few fragrances from allbeauty.com on Boxing Day to put away for my sisters for their birthdays because they had a deal on where if you spent £85.00 you could have £10.00 off.

I always say this, but I am going to try not to buy much in the sales because I've been spoilt so much this Christmas and there is nothing that I really need so hopefully I'll be able to resist the temptation to look online or in the shops.
It is the most difficult time of year to give up shopping, but I'll do my best.