Forevermissvanity - A UK Lifestyle Blogger : fragrance

Choosing the Right Perfume

When there are so many types of perfume on the high street, choosing the right one for you can often be difficult. We are spoilt for choice with all the different types of scents out there and sometimes it is trial and error until you find the one that most suits you. Above is my current collection of perfumes and as you can see, I'm a little bit of a hoarder. I have always been fascinated by the different scents out there and how similar notes mixed together can deliver different outcomes. I'm also a big fan of collecting perfume bottles as there are so many different styles. As someone who has experimented with quite a lot of perfumes, I've decided to give you a rundown of my best advice when it comes to buying perfume.

Leave the perfume to develop

It's always tempting to buy a perfume there and then when you walk into your local beauty counter. Often there are people giving you samples of the newest launches and there's an endless supply of perfume for you to try at your own leisure. One of the biggest mistakes you can do when buying perfume is to buy it on the spot unless you have tried it before. Some perfumes develop straight away and the scent you smell on your wrist is almost exactly as it would smell in a few hours time, however some perfumes take a while to develop. Whilst perfume is settling on the wrist different notes are unleashed and it's not until at least ten minutes later that you will truly discover what the perfume actually smells like. My advice is to test the perfume then go for a little walk and come back in half an hour. By this time you will have allowed the perfume to settle and have given yourself time to make an informed decision on whether you should buy it.

Check the fragrance notes

Fragrance is made up of 'notes' that release scents at different times. The 'top notes' are the ones that you will instantly notice and grab your attention, the heart notes are those that linger in the back of the perfume and the base notes are the ones that add depth to the scent. The base notes can actually take up to 30 minutes to develop once you apply your perfume. There are so many different scents out there that is it important to check the notes on your perfume as it will help with your decision. If you have had floral perfumes before, identifying the floral notes in your new perfume might influence your decision. Similarly if you pick a perfume with a note you haven't heard before, you could be put off. Although many of us don't realise, we're often drawn to perfumes that have at least one note in common so it's worth identifying this for the future to make your perfume buying much easier.

Don't be swayed by labels

We have all been there. Gucci/Chanel/ Marc Jacobs/Jimmy Choo (fill in the appropriate brand here) releases a brand new perfume and because it's a designer brand we line up to buy it. I'm just as guilty, over half of my collection are big brand names and have cost me a fortune. Don't get me wrong, the reason these products sell so much are because they do release great perfumes, but our budget does not always allow for such extravagance. There are so many amazing perfumes out there from smaller brands and it's important when buying a perfume not to be swayed by the labels - after all, it is all about the scent. Yves Rocher are one of my favourite perfume brands and not many people know about them.

Read reviews

If you have concerns over buying a particular perfume or you're looking for some honest guidance, reading reviews can really help. There are so many bloggers these days reviewing the latest fragrances to hit the stores and most perfume shops have their own review section. I find reviews particularly useful as I like to know how many times people need to reapply their perfumes and how long the scent lasts once applied. These are questions that most people are unable to answer unless they have tried the perfume for at least a few days.

How often do you buy perfume?

When Katy Perry's Killer Queen first burst onto the celebrity perfume scene in 2013, it was all the rage. Everyone wanted to be seen with the bottle and all the beauty bloggers adored it. At the time I wasn't really that interested as celebrity perfumes have never thrilled me, but having seen the bottle over and over again in the stores, as time has gone by I've become more intrigued by this product.

Katy Perry's Killer Queen fragrance was inspired by the rock band Queen's 1794 hit as it was a song the artist grew up with and prevalent to the way she felt about herself.According to an interview with Women's Wear Daily Katy Perry said:"Freddie Mercury painted the lyrics of this woman who I wanted to be. She seemed very powerful, and she captivated a room when she walked in...I feel like, after all this time, it was appropriate to use that name in association with something I did. I feel like i'm falling, finally, into that woman Freddie painted."

When I first saw this perfume, it was the bottle in the perfume ads that instantly grabbed my attention. This perfume bottle is inspired by a Queen's specter with a bright luxurious red jewel shape, topped with an elegant gold crown. The bottle oozes glamour and sophistication whilst evoking a sense of a strong, dominant woman who would use this product. Although celebrity perfumes are usually marketed at younger women, this perfume is suited to those of all ages who would like to place a fun and aesthetically quirky product on their dressing table.

The Killer Queen Eau de Parfum is a mix of wild berries, dark plum and bergamot topped with a velvety red flower, sambac jasmine and rainbow plumeria. The base is cashmere, patchouli and liquid praline. Whilst reading this it is easy to imagine the Killer Queen fragrance as sickly sweet, but it has a surprising musky accent that compliments all the sweeter tones and leaves a bewitching lingering scent.

Katy Perry describes her perfume as a 'playful, sophisticated, powerful, edgy and delicious fragrance' and I couldn't agree more. For a celebrity perfume the scent is really unexpected, easily rivalling some of the more luxurious brands available on the market and currently on offer at £10 from Chemist Direct* you really cannot go wrong.

Have you tried the Katy Perry Killer Queen Eau de Parfum?

Hi, my name is Jessica and I'm a perfume hoarder.

Ever since I was a young girl, I have always been fascinated by perfume. My true obsession began in 2005 when my father bought my mum a bottle of Calvin Klein Euphoria - which was new on the high street at the time. Ironically whilst I'm writing this, I have noticed that particular perfume will be 10 years old this year. Calvin Klein Euphoria was my first introduction to premium perfume and when Calvin Klein is sprayed in the room it takes me back to that light bulb moment when I thought hey, I want to draw full of perfume when I'm older.

Now, 10 years on I have probably over 25 perfumes in my collection ranging from Chloe to Chanel, Prada to Gucci and I love each one of them. I love how you can match your perfumes to your personality and cater for every mood that you are in - be it flirty or sensual.

The latest addition to my perfume collection is the debut fragrance by Tory Burch, the Tory Burch Eau de Parfum*. When deciding on the notes for the perfume, Tory Burch said she wanted a 'tomboy meets feminine' vibe and wanted the perfume to give us something 'unexpected'. This has been achieved by a perfectly balanced mix of floral peony, citrus notes of grapefruit and neroli and base of earthy vetiver. If i'm to be honest, it is verging towards being more feminine with the tiniest hint of masculinity, but that's how I love my perfumes anyway. Once the perfume settles on your skin, every now and then you'll be greeted by a beautiful, fresh citrus scent and for me that covers the 'unexpected' element of surprise that Tory Burch was going for.

The design of a perfume bottle can often be mismatched compared to the product inside it. Sometimes you get the most wonderfully scented perfume in a rather peculiar looking bottle and sometimes you get a beautiful with a really dull perfume. For me, Tory Burch has nailed this one as I love both the scent and the pristine glass bottle with signature fretwork top. Overall the Tory Burch perfume has delivered and exceeded my expectations and will be a perfume that takes pride in being placed on the top of my vanity table where I shall wear it on a weekly basis.

Have you tried the Tory Burch Eau de Parfum?

This weekend has been none-stop - in fact, this week has been pretty none-stop too. Yesterday I went dragon boating for charity with all my work friends, last night I went out for my graduation celebration meal and today I picked up my wedding rings. The dragon boat racing was a great way to get to know all my new work colleagues and I had so much fun, I wish I could do it all again and the meal last night was amazing. We ordered a lovely bottle of our favourite champagne and dined at my favourite restaurant. When we finished, we headed out for a few celebratory cocktails at a quiet Moroccan style bar hidden away in Huddersfield. Despite all the fun I had with the meal and the dragon boating, this weeks highlights was definitely picking up my wedding rings. It is now 9 weeks until our big day and everything seems to be taking place. The nerves haven't hit me yet nor my partner, but with it being so close, I do wonder who will be the first to crack. When I slipped my wedding ring onto my finger, it all felt real and I did not want to take it off. This week has been so busy that unfortunately I have barely had chance to blog, but I think with everything that I've been doing, I can be let off.

This short Sunday post is about a fragrance that I received a few weeks ago and can't stop wearing. Since I have been ridiculously busy over the last few weeks, this beautiful product ended up at the bottom of my draw and until now, I haven't had the chance to review it. The Lokum Myndos Breeze (link*) is from an online turkish perfume retailer and the brands philosophy is based around bringing traditional turkish scent and flavours to modern culture, highlighting the products natural beauty. I love traditional turkish scents. My dad went on holiday years ago and brought me back three turkish fragrance oils and I loved all of them. They would linger on my skin for hours and smell nothing like the fragrances we get over here.

A few days ago I applied the Mandarin Eau De Cologne from Lokum to my skin before going to the doctors and I was pleasantly surprised with how long the fragrance did last, it reminded me of those fragrances my dad bought me years ago. Eau De Cologne is much stronger than your average Eau De Perfume and Eau De Toilette and can sometimes be rather over powering, but this Mandarin product is strong enough to smell on the skin, but subtle enough to not make everyone choke when you walk by. The smell of Mandarins reminds me of cocktails and the sun and makes me dream of going on holiday. The perfume settles in my skin nicely and is a scent I can wear all day through. This cologne is perfect for work as it barely needs re-applying and would also benefit someone that is going on holiday and looking for a fruity, zesty summer scent.

Have you tried any Turkish Perfumes?

I'm a bit of a sucker for anything rose orientated and during the summer time, I can't get enough of the flowers. I love the bright red colours, the sweet yet musky scent and the feelings they evoke surrounding romance. If I come across anything beauty related that has a bright red colour or scented of roses, I have to have it in my collection.

St Kitts Herbery are a small brand from Cornwall that specialise in natural, herbal toiletries, beauty products and chocolate. Their products are formulated using organically sourced materials, their first products derived from a packet of seeds which became plants they used from their own garden.

A representative for the brand introduced me to the new St Kitts Herbery collection which is right up my street when it comes to beauty products, a summer rose collection - all with amazingly natural scents.

The Summer Rose perfume (link*) exhibits fruity notes of Cassis, Bergamot, Rose and lychee, mixed with Cyclamen, Lily of the Valley, Magnolia and Violet. The base notes are made of Cedarwood, Musk and Sandalwood. All of these scents combine to make the most deliciously fresh, summer quenching scent. The perfume seeps deep into the skin and stays fresh and light all day through. The hint of musk mixed with the rose top notes enables the perfume to 'pack a punch' yet remain subtle and feminine.

The Summer Rose hand cream is the perfect accompaniment to the Summer rose fragrance as it smells just as delightful and also nourishes your hands. I found the St Kitts Herbery hand cream (link*) a delight to use as it is settles into the skin with minimal effort and leaves the hands feeling soft with no excess grease or product. The summer rose scent lingers for a fair while after use and leaves you feeling fresh and summer ready.

Have you tried any of the St Kitts Herbery Summer Rose Range?

Perfume is probably one of my favourite items to collect. Many people collect stamps, shells, teddy bears - I collect perfumes and quirky looking perfume bottles. My perfume draw is loaded with over 30 different scents that I can choose on a daily basis and my very own perfume making kit for the days when I feel like experimenting. I love looking through the beautiful bottles and sniffing the varying aromas that bring back joyous memories. I think my perfume obsession is due to my slightly sentimental side and I tend to pick perfumes that go with my current emotions. Take the Roberto Cavalli original - the scent is fresh, sensual and really invigorating and I wore this the night I got engaged. My Jimmy Choo original was worn to one of my close friends weddings which is sweet and reminds me of romance.

The latest addition to my perfume collection is the Moment de Bonheur (link*) by Yves Rocher. A few months ago I had my first sniff of an Yves Rocher perfume and fell in love with their intense fragrances which are sweet, aromatic and long lasting. Since my introduction to the Yves Rocher brand, I have been wanting to test further products and I was given the opportunity of reviewing the Moment de Bonheur to celebrate the products spring tantalising scent. Moment de Bonheur is an infusion of Centifolia Rose and sweet apple, with a woody base deriving from Virginia Cedar Essence. The product reminds me a little bit of the drink apple sours, but with a slight sugary sweet twist. The fragrance is delicate, yet powerful and seems to grab the attention of passers by when I wear it. This perfume is an asset to my perfume collection as its beautiful fruity scent is wearable on any occasion.

Moment de Bonheur can be purchased for £38.00 on the Yves Rocher website (link).

These days you can't help but come across a post on Facebook and Twitter that says 'You Weren't a Nineties Child if You Can't Remember This' or something along those lines. Well if we had to do a ' 'You Didn't Live Through the Noughties Unless You Have Heard of This Beauty Product', DKNY fragrances would be included in them. The DKNY fragrances were launched in the early nineties, but as a teenager in the 'Noughties', their affordable price and quirky scents captured me. The DKNY fragrances were my first journey into a more sophisticated perfume palette, but with their fruity style, I was enable to remain an innocent teenager.

DKNY have recently launched their DKNY Be Delicious City Blossom Eau De Toilette limited edition collection featuring a twist on the classic apple scent named 'Empire Apple', a more floral scent called 'RoofTop Peony and finally, my favourite the DKNY Urban Violet. As I have got older, I have been wary that the DKNY fragrances may be a little bit too young for me. I have now grown into more sophisticated, musky scents and stepped away from perfumes with overly fruity notes. However, the DKNY has notes of Mandarin, Blackberry and Apple blossom, accented with tones of freesia and violet, making the fragrance toned down and more of a fruity, yet floral scent. The Urban Violet is still a rather sweet fragrance and captures a more younger audience, but somehow I have found myself getting rather addicted to this little bottle and using the DKNY spray for nothing more than nostalgia for one of my favourite teenage perfume brands. The DKNY City Blossom* is £35 for a 50ml fragrance and it's a great buy for someone looking for an everyday, affordable perfume to wear. The bottle is a beautiful lilac colour and easily transportable in your handbag, perfect for those looking for a go-to product to get them through fashion season.

What is your favourite perfume?

Everyone has that one fragrance or scent that reminds them of a special moment - sometimes it can be more than one perfume. The smell of a particular scent to me is like a time capsule, one sniff and it evokes lots of happy memories. As much as I love Jimmy Choo and being hooked on Marni, it's Roberto Cavalli: Roberto Cavalli that is the fragrance that will always remain close to my heart and yesterday I repurchased it just in time for Valentines day with a 20% off 02 Priority moments voucher at The Fragrance Shop.

The self named Roberto Cavalli fragrance was launched in February 2013 and after seeing this advert I knew it would be a fragrance I would like in my collection. The Roberto Cavalli has notes of sweet vanilla, orchid and white flowers, mixed with pink pepper and a sweet tangy orange. The scent is rather alluring and vibrant, it's the type of perfume that you would wear to definitely get noticed.

I first bought this perfume on a weekend trip to London nearly two years ago. I was walking around Harrods and decided to pick it up as a treat. As I went back to the hotel I sprayed an ample amount of my wrist, donned a little pink dress and got ready to go out with my partner. A few minutes later to my shock, my partner proposed to me and henceforth this perfume has been known as my 'engagement' perfume. It is the scent that reminds me of James going down on one knee and getting out my beautiful engagement ring and the perfume that lingered on me through our engagement meal. I bought this for Valentines day to evoke old memories and to remind my partner of our special day.

On a side note, one of my lovely friends Sarah Lou Allen is doing a Skydive for the Sands stillbirth and neonatal charity, please if you can spare the money sponsor her - it's a fabulous cause and I'm pretty sure she's petrified of heights.
http://www.justgiving.com/Sarahlouallen

Do you have a special perfume?

Perfumes to me are like drugs to a heroin addict. As much as I try to stop collecting them, I just end up with more. Every Time a new perfume is released I get majorly excited and end up rushing to the store and the majority of the time I end up buying it. I really cannot pinpoint where or how my how obsession began or even why. I just love playing around with perfumes and smelling pretty. Today I thought I would introduce you to my three latest perfumes, Marni Rose, DKNY Be Delicious and Michael Kors Sexy Amber.

The first on my welcome list is the Marni, Marni Rose perfume. Marni rose is from the Italian fashion house Marni and floral, fruity, musky, rose and warm spicy notes. Having read the description online, this probably wouldn't be the type of perfume I would have personally picked, but now having worn the fragrance it is probably one of the most beautiful perfumes I own. The scent and the bottle evoke a vintage vibe, the bottle has the most divine little polka dots and the scent has a light powdery air to it. It reminds me of the perfumes my grandma used to own, but not in a bad way. The Marni Rose feels like it has taken it's inspiration from vintage perfumes, but spiced it up. It's refreshing, vibrant and a joy to wear.

I've wanted a DKNY fragrance for quite some time now, but it has always been relatively low on my wishlist compared to the likes of Jimmy Choo and Chloe. Recently I got my hands on the DKNY Be Delicious Fragrance with Benefits* and I'm now wondering why on earth I didn't try this sooner. The scent is fresh apple and unlike most perfumes, the Fragrance with Benefits promotes radiant and soft skin via the moisturising abilities in this product. The DKNY Be Delicious is a classic fragrance that many of us have grown to love over the years and to be honest, the scent isn't really me, but it's wonderful to use when I need a pick me up or need to feel refreshed.

The final newbie in my fragrance collection is the Michael Kors Sexy Amber. A few weeks back I did a review on the Michael Kors Jasmine and expressed my disappointment that I didn't think the product lasted long enough and it was rather weak. It's sister product Sexy Amber is a polar opposite. I think this may be due to the stronger notes of Amber and Sandalwood within this perfume. I find that this lasts longer than the Jasmine and also smells so much better. It may be down to personal preference, but this definitely is the product for me.

What is your favourite fragrance?

As you have seen in the past, I'm a bit of a perfume addict. I believed that I had tried many types of perfume and knew my different scents. There are many types of perfumes I have tried in the past, but they are nothing like the Molecule 01.

Molecule 01 contains 'Iso E super' an aroma-chemical found in our bodies. The initial scent of the perfume is a base note of velty wood, but for a short time this will vanish. After a while, the scent will be replaced with your own unique fragrance, based on your personal pheromones. With Molecule 01s scientific formula, every person who applies the scent will be greeted with a completely different fragrance to anyone else. After a few hours of use, people had commented saying I was wearing a fresh floral scent and I noticed this myself. I had to laugh as ironically, this is the type of scent I usually go for.

I didn't really know what to expect when this little perfume arrived from Harvey Nichols on my doorstep, but overall I'm really happy. As someone that highly values perfume and loves collecting bottles, this is definitely a winner. The perfume arrived in a little black metal box and looked like something that is supposed to be top secret. Underneath revealed this beautiful little bottle. It isn't the prettiest on the shelf, but I quite like the simplicity. This perfume is all about the scent, not the look and it proves itself to be just as worthy as all the other beautiful perfume bottles I own on scent alone. I'm not sure whether the Molecule 01 is my favourite just yet, but it's a contender.

Have you tried the Molecule 01?

I've always been a fan of the Ted Baker clothing and jewellery line, but until this Christmas I didn't even know that they made a variety of scents. When I was finally made aware of their existence, I instantly fell in love with the beautiful little bottles and knew I had to have one in my collection. For this review, I picked the scent 'Polly', which has a sweet floral scent and exhibits the combined notes of mandarin, red berries, peach, jasmine, honeysuckle, peony and base coats of white musk.

When I first sprayed this fragrance I was greeted with a beautiful subtle floral scent that settled easily onto my wrist. Eau de Toilettes are usually known for being softer fragrances that don't last as long as perfume. however the Ted Baker Polly* outlasted my prized Michael Kors perfume and stayed on my wrist all day through.

The bottle is a beautiful girly pink colour and the top has the traditional Ted Baker logo. At £15 for this fragrance, you really can't go wrong. Admittedly, at first I was a little bit skeptical about trying this product as I didn't think it could compare to any of my other perfumes and fragrances, but this is up there in my favourites now and I can easily see myself buying the entire collection.

http://www.tedcares.co.uk/

Have you tried any of the Ted Baker Eau de Toilettes?

Everywhere you go, it's impossible to escape the big red 'Sale' signs at the moment. Each shop trying to lure in customers for half price gear, which in all fairness is usually worth around that amount to begin with. I admit, I'm one of these that can't resist a sale. Show me a big red sign and i'll be in there quicker than you can say stop. In fact, I've been in town nearly most days over the Christmas period and I've picked up some pretty fab items. Despite grabbing a handful of fabulous sale items, I've been pretty disappointed with this years sale shopping. I don't know whether it's just me, but shoppers this year seem to be going crazy. Swishing their way through each aisle and knocking everything over just to grab one t-shirt that has a few pounds taken off it. I've experienced a lot of quite rude shoppers giving me the evil eye for picking up an item before them and I've realised i'm incredibly lucky that I don't bruise easily as I've been knocked about going through the River Island sale rails. Although I paint a picture of a frenzied boxing day, in the end I survived and I walked away clutching a few items that made all the trauma worthwhile.

I didn't really see many beauty items that I wanted this year. My eyes kept wandering around all the nail polish sales, but I already have almost 200 nail polishes that I don't wear so I resisted the temptation. Instead the first beauty item I opted for was this Guerlain La Petite Robe Noir Gift Set from Boots. As mentioned previously, I'm obsessed with perfume so any opportunity to get a new bottle for a lower price I'm there. This Guerlain gift set was purchased in the Boots half price sale on Christmas Eve from the Boots online store for the price of £21 compared to the pre Christmas sale price of £42. I've always been drawn to this gift set because of the beauty bottle shape and I love perfumes with a strong fruity scent. This perfume is based around the fragrances of black cherry, rose and licorice.

My second sale item was this beautiful Lancome Alber Elbaz collectable eyeshadow for approximately £8.00. I spend a lot of my time wearing darker eyeshadow colours and I decided that this time I would opt for something a bit lighter and seeing this colour on sale made me leap at the opportunity. I love the Lancome Alber Elbaz collection - the packaging is beautiful and the shimmering shades look fabulous.

Have you bought anything nice in the sales?

When I was about seventeen years old a friend of the family made a snide remark about a perfume I was wearing.He told me that it smelt 'cheap and I smelt far too young for my age.' In all honesty to this day I don't really understand where those comments came from, but it made me reconsider my future perfume choices. When I had more hours at work I started investing in more expensive brands, searching for top quality perfumes. It was from that moment that my perfume obsession well and truly began and I've never looked back. My current perfume collection currently stands at around 15 bottles with brands from Jimmy Choo to the new Michael Kors Jasmine fragrance. On top of my bottle collection, I also have a tendency to collect perfume adverts as I love looking at scents of the past and also collecting the sample pages so that I can test other scents when I'm running out of my favourites. Since those comments a few years ago, I now look at perfume in a completely different light. I find perfume empowering and it can really evoke different opinions and emotions. When I was sent the 'Design Your Own Fragrance' kit by The Perfume Studio I was like a child in a sweet shop and I felt that santa had already delivered the perfect Christmas present. Having the opportunity to play around with lots of scents really excited me and I couldn't wait to experiment.

The design your own fragrance set comes with six blend bottles, pipettes and blotters for you to test your perfume throughout the process. The oriental set comes with 6 x 5ml blends of musky, spicy, woody, amber and citrus scents - perfect for the winter season. My first perfume mix was mainly focused around the musky and amber scents as those type of perfumes evoke personal memories of my late aunt and my mother who is still alive that wears her perfume.It reminds me of the moments we shared and the hugs I received catching a whiff of her perfume. I always believe that one of the first things you sense about a person is how they smell and i'm forever seeing girls walk past me on the bus and always I'm left trying to figure out what perfume they are wearing, it always leaves a lasting impression. When I walk past someone I hope they feel the same way about me and I hope that with this kit I'll be able to create a scent like they have never smelt before.

The Design Your Own Fragrance kit can be purchased from The Perfume Studio for £29.95*

Happy Halloween. I thought I'd stand out from the crowd and do a post that isn't about Halloween this evening. Yesterday I was walking through my local shopping centre and decided to stop at the perfume concession stall that has been there for the last few months. Pocket Perfumes sells perfume oils that are made to smell like designer fragrances. They were 3 for £10 and I wish I could have bought them all. Firstly they did a consultation and asked about what scents I liked the most and which perfumes I buy the most. The lady serving me then brought out a variety of perfume oils made by the woman that owns the counter and allowed me to try several perfume oil replicas of my favourite designer scents. The great thing about perfume oils is that they last a really long because they absorb into your skin and the majority of the oils are naturally made and don't include the chemicals or alcohol like the originals.

The scents I chose was the ones made to smell like DKNY Delicious Apple, Miss Dior and Jimmy Choo. I was so shocked when I sniffed my wrist after applying their Jimmy Choo style fragrance and realising it smells also exactly like the original. I've been an avid user of perfume oils ever since my father brought back a set from Egypt three years ago. I was given two big bottles of the mixed egyptian oil and I've still got plenty left with it still smelling like it did the day he bought it. These mini bottles shown in the picture above can last up to a month each if used excessively and make a great alternative to the pricer perfumes you can get on the market. Buying these has saved me from going through my new bottle of Gucci Black at such a fast rate and I can now reserve my more expensive items for a special occasion.

If you live in West Yorkshire check out the Pocket Perfume Facebook page or alternatively search there's a different online store called The Perfume Doctor. The Perfume Doctor has no relation to Pocket Perfumes, but it looks to have a good selection of perfume oils for anyone looking to try them for the first time.

Have you tried perfume oils before?

At least once a month me and my partner schedule in our diaries 'date night.' It's a lot like the 2010 film with the fancy dining and dressing up, albeit all the drama that develops later in movie. This once a month night enables us to dress up, spend time with each other and really show our appreciation towards each other in the relationship. We're getting married next year, we spend every night already together, however once a month we like to make things a little bit special. This evening is a quadruple celebration where we will be raising glasses to my new job, our two year anniversary, the fact that we are getting married 12 months this week and the fact that my boy may have a new job too. We are going to our favourite Thai restaurant and a few sneaky cocktails afterwards. I like to think of date night as our classy evening, where we dress up looking like a million dollars and pretend we have all the cash in the world. In reality I'm just a student and he works in merchandising, but this night always allows us to have fun and make the most of being together.

I was approached by Brand Prix asking if I would like to do a review of some of their items. Brand Prix offers discounts on designer items, great for those who love a little luxury, but don't necessarily have the cash.We discussed whether there was any special occasions coming up or what I'd like to show you on the website. I decided to show you these wonderful bra and the Nina Ricci shower gel as I'm so used to showing you what I wear on a night out, but for obvious reasons what's underneath is concealed. I believe a women feels sexier if she's wearing a well fitted bra and a good perfume. It might just be me, but having talked to my friends a lot of them agree. I've needed a new bra lately, because my bust has gone down a size and my favourite red sultry bra looks like it belonged to a bustier woman than me. I'm very skeptical when it comes to bras and I often find it difficult to find one that fits me. With this coming in the post and not being measured in John Lewis sizing before I was slightly panicky. When the bra arrived, I was overjoyed by the fit and my breasts look like I've suddenly gone under the knife and their full of youth energy. The fit is very comfortable and you can easily forget you're wearing it, which is my perfect combination when searching for a bra. This John Lewis bra is £15 on the Brand Prix website.

When opening the second item, I was greeted by a screaming older woman that threatened to steal it off me. This woman was my mother, a die hard Nina Ricci fan. She told me that Nina Ricci was the first ever expensive fragrance she bought and reminds her of her younger days. We both took the top of the shower gel and felt weak at the knees with the divine scent flourishing through the air. The Nina Ricci shower gel is a combination of floral scents and fresh scents that evoke femininity and sexuality. I've never been one for fragranced shower gels, but I've been wearing this none stop since I got it. I've had many compliments and my mum is still stealing it when she can do. By wearing this on date night, my skin feels soft, nourished and has a wonderful scent for my boy to sniffle all night long. The Nina Ricci, Ricci Ricci shower gel can be purchased from the Brand Prix website for £12.

What are your date night 'must haves'?

I'm currently sat in bed feeling rather under the weather, applying my make up and 'spritzing' perfume all around. I love how a touch of perfume can make you feel worth a million dollars and give you an uplift on a really bad day. My day has been eventful to say the least, starting with a trip to the doctors and ending up in hospital for an Xray to try see the root cause of my current back pain. I'm now feeling miserable and sorry for myself, whilst attempting to cheer myself up in the best way I know how.

Loverdose is one of the most popular female fragrances by Diesel*. The perfume is said to be enthused with molecules that can apparently make you lust worthy to those who can a sneaky sniff as you walk by. The box is bright pink, really attractive to a vibrant teenage culture and the perfume bottle is more Rock'n'Roll than the Rolling Stones...okay, maybe an over exaggeration, but I love it. Who wouldn't love a black and pink heart shaped perfume bottle?

The most coincidental thing to have happened is that I was sent this to review by Lloyds Pharmacy to promote the fact that they are more than a pharmacy and they supple an ample amount of beauty and body products. This is the exact same pharmacy I was picking up with masses of Co-Codomol from this morning and when I saw the parcel box, I thought the chemist had screwed up on my order and sent me extra. Would you think of a pharmacy as the first place to buy beauty products? Admittedly I wouldn't, but this whole experience has totally changed my perception. I'm more inclined to skip into the chemist and sneakily grab a few lipsticks and perfume alongside my birth control pill. Beauty products make women feel better and that's exactly what you need when you're under the weather. Lloyds Pharmacy, you have hit a goldmine.

The perfume smells very floral, yet spicy. It's a mixture of scents that bundle together and always leave you surprised. One minute I can smell vanilla, then a few minutes later the liquorice scent seeps through. It evokes a sense of good girl gone bad, floral meets dark and musky. Great for those that like to play around with their scents.

Loverdose costs £32.50 from http://www.lloydspharmacy.com/

I have two major obsessions in my life and when I say obsessions, I mean verging on OCD. The first is checking my emails all through the day, literally every five minutes. This often causes me to wake up at unearthly hours and check for new mail that I know probably won't be there. My logic seems to fail as not many people would really go out of their way to send an email at 3am. My next obsession is perfume. Big bottles, small bottles, flower scented or musk, I can't get enough of them. I'm a perfume addict and I've never been ashamed of it. Don't you just love walking past someone in the streets and being hit by a beautiful scent of wild flowers and fruits? I'm instantly drawn to women with an impeccable taste of fragrance, so god knows how the male species manage to control themselves. With Valentine's day just under two weeks away I thought it would best to show you some of my high street favourites.

La Vie Est Belle - Lancome

I was luckily bought this by my mother at Christmas and I haven't stopped wearing it. It smells really feminine combining citrus fruits with a warm, sweet floral scent. Having managed to go through almost three perfume bottles in the last few months, I'm happy to say this scent is lasting me the longest.

Jimmy Choo - Flash

Those who love the original Jimmy Choo perfume will fall in love with this new scent. I've always admired the Jimmy Choo perfumes and when I had the opportunity to try this the other day, I felt so sad leaving the shop knowing that right now I can't afford it. The bottle is very glitzy and stylish, which would look perfect in your handbag or in your bedroom. The perfume exhibits a very fruity and floral scent with base notes of pink pepper, tangerine and strawberry.

Marc Jacobs - Dot

Marc Jacobs Dot is perfect for anyone that likes quirky designs and wants to stand out from the crowd. I've always been an admirer of Marc Jacobs and his perfumes simply evoke a sense of his crazy design work. The perfume is very fruity with an undertone of vanilla and musk. Great for those who perfume a subtly sweet scent rather than something over powering.

YSL - Manifesto

I love this scent, but unfortunately I have just run out. The YSL manifesto is great for those who like to appear sophisticated and sexy. The bottle is curvy, quite simplistic yet glamorous I love the purple detailing and the signature YSL logo. YSL manifesto is very floral and feminine with top notes of Lily and Blackcurrant and base notes of Cedar wood, Sandalwood and Vanilla.

Finally, here's my very latest perfume and the scent I'll be wearing this Valentine's day - Especially Escada.

From the moment I walked into the perfume shop and tried this product, I knew I wanted it. It was the bottle that drew me in with it's beautifully carved golden top and the pink colouring of the scent.

Unfortunately saving for a wedding has made me sacrifice my perfume addiction and I had to pull away. A few weeks later, I received an email from a wonderful PR lady asking if I would like to try any of their new fragrances. When I saw this bottle being mentioned, I kindly asked if I could have a sample. Happily expecting a vial, I told myself that I would be able to carry that around until I eventually could afford the bottle. Imagine my surprise when I opened my parcel and there was a full sized bottle of the perfume - doing my job definitely has its perks.

Especially Escada is a very feminine and playful scent. Like the advertisement for the perfume, I can easily see myself wearing a little pink dress and picking roses wearing this product. It's fruit and fresh, making this a perfect waking up product. When I spritz this perfume, it makes me feel more awake, more vibrant. The perfume smells of pear, rose, ambrette seeds, Ylang Ylang and musky notes, all combining to make a joyful, bright and alluring spray. When a perfume makes you feel so good about yourself, you know you have to have it. This perfume has my personality to a tee and I can't wait to wear it for my special valentines evening.

What is your favourite perfume?

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My Latest Fragrances

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Mid Week Seduction: Date Night

Perfume of the week: Loverdose by Diesel

Valentines Day Perfume