Small Christmas Sales Haul

Normally, I get up ridiculously early on Boxing Day, check out the sales online, as well as heading to my local shopping centre to pick up some bargains. For the first time in a really long time I passed on the sales shopping, and didn't really plan on doing any sales shopping at all, well, until I came across a few things online at Boots when I was buying my toiletries. In fairness though, I was very restrained, I could have gone crazy buying things but I think I did well and only picked up a few little bits.

I am always on the look out for small and reasonably priced perfumes to throw in my bag for work, and as this worked out at only £4 half price for three little perfumes, I thought it would be ideal. I really like the So...? fragrances too, especially So...? Kiss Me.

The only item I knew I really wanted to pick up from the Boots gift sale was the Zoella Lifestyle gift set with the travel mug and gloves. I really love the colours of the travel mug and I have somehow managed to lose my other one so I actually needed a new one! I like how her branding is really subtle on this. The gloves will come in handy too, I always need gloves.

I also picked up the Little Mix Wishmaker EDP gift set. I'm not ashamed to admit I am a fan of quite a few celebrity fragrances. I really liked the scent of this one, it is a very sweet and fresh scent; and I love that the gift set came with fluffy socks and bubble bath, which I thought was a little different than what is usually included in perfume gift sets.

Did you manage to pick anything nice from the sales?

Cheryl Storm Flower Fragrances

Cheryl Storm Flower EDT & Cheryl Storm Flower Noir EDP

It is no secret I have quite the girl crush on Cheryl. I know her music and fashion isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I personally really like her and I am a bit of a cliche and tend to buy into most things she puts her name on. I must admit I am a big fan of trying out celebrity fragrances; they're usually very reasonably priced, and I really like wearing light and airy scents in the Day time. Ofcourse I just had to buy Cheryl's perfume once I knew about it - I tested it before I bought it and I actually really loved the scent.

I fell in love with the Cheryl Storm Flower scent - it is such a lovely fragrance. The top notes of the fragrance are mandarin and nectarin; making the fragrance very light, sweet and fruity. The other notes are White Grape, Freesia, Muguet, Peach Blossom, White Musk, Sandal Wood, and Vanilla. I just love the fruity, yet slightly floral scent this perfume has - it is a very girly and sweet scent. I loved the EDP and decided to try out the EDT version of the fragrance too. This scent is perfect for day-time wear and for work - it still smells very sweet and feminine, but is light and subtle enough for any time of the Day. The lasting power of the fragrance is good, lasting around four to five hours.

Once I heard that there would be another scent joining the fragrance family, I went ahead and bought the Storm Flower Noir EDP. Noir is a much deeper and richer scent, and is more for evening wear I would say, although you could probably still wear it in the Day. Top notes in Noir are Rhubarb, Mandarin and pear; with other notes including Rose Petals, Orange Flower, Tuberose, Heliotrope, Sandlewood, Ambret Seeds, Brown Sugar, and Captive Musks. I do really like Noir, but do prefer the original Storm Flower scent.

Have you tried Storm Flower? Are you a fan of celebrity fragrances?

Victoria's Secret Fragrance Mists

Since Victoria's Secret is now much more readily available in the UK, and I have a store fairly local to me, I have built up quite the collection of their fragrance mists. I love the scents - there is so much variety and I find that the scents last such a long time! My Sister started off my collection when she first bought me one in Manchester, and it has just grown from then on. Seeing as I have quite a few favourites, I wanted to share my thoughts about them with you all. Are you a fan of the fragrance mists?

Love Spell
This is a really fresh and fruity scent. With cherry blossom and peach notes, this is a really great fragrance if you love fruity perfumes.

Pure Seduction
This is quite fruity and a great day time scent, and perfect for Summer. The scents of plum and freesia give a fresh scent and makes this a great fragrance for all day long.

Coconut Passion
I think this is a great holiday scent, and is very refreshing and light. The vanilla and coconut scents blend really well to give a subtle but relaxing scent - this is my personal favourite.

Love Addict
This scent is perfect for both day and night, and has a light floral scent which I imagine is quite appealing to a lot of people.

Sensual Blush
I think this is a slightly more mature scent than the others I have tried, and I think it is a perfect fragrance for a night time.


Have you tried anything from the Victoria's Secret beauty range before?

*Image belongs to me, please ask permission if you wish to use it*

Boxing Day Sales Haul

I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas! Today I wanted to share the few items I picked up in the Boxing Day sales. We don't have plans for Boxing Day in our family so me and my Sister decided we would wake up early and pop to the shops to see if we could pick up some bargains.

I am a huge Soap and Glory fan (if you hadn't already noticed!) so my first stop was Boots with the main aim to pick up a few of the half price gift sets. I managed to get three out of the four sets that I wanted, which were the Once Upon A Lime gift set, the Zest A Girl Can Get gift set, and finally the Soaprise cracker gift set. I know this is a lot of Soap and Glory, but they are my favourite brand and I have saved so much buying them at half price!

From Superdrug I picked up this Baylis & Harding set for only 99p - what a bargain! I love a pamper so I tend to stock up on bath and body products during the Christmas sales. I also purchased the Cheryl Cole perfume set online for just £10, so impressed with the price.

Finally, I bought a few DVDs and a CD I have been wanting for a while, they weren't in sale but I thought I would include them anyway. I love This Is England!

I also made an order online with Lush... I will share what I bought in their sale in another post soon!
What did you manage to buy in the sales this Year?

October Empties

I love this time of Year - it means lots of pamper nights in and wrapping up warm and snuggly writing lots of blog posts. I love having a good old nosy at other bloggers Monthly empties posts, so I thought I would share a few products I have finished recently.

The product I am most sad about using up is the Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover. I have mentioned previously on my blog that this quickly became a firm favourite of mine. It is brilliant at removing eye make-up and I would recommend if you have sensitive skin like mine.
I hadn't used a Lush product in a while, so I was really looking forward to using Lush The Comforter Shower Cream* which I received in a very generous blogger meet goodie bag. The scent is so comforting (pardon the pun) and is sweet and relaxing. I will probably make a purchase of this next time I head to Lush.
I also used up my Britney Spears Circus Fantasy Perfume recently. I think it makes a good 'day-time' perfume; it smells refreshing, but it didn't bowl me over so I won't be rushing out to repurchase this. Lastly, I used up the Cath Kidston Wild Roses Hand Cream, it is quite moisturising and smells lovely, I didn't find it greasy either so I would probably pick this up again in the future.

Beauty Bargains of the Week

Hi everyone! Being the bargain hunter that I am, I have found a few good beauty deals this Week that I thought I would share with you. I have had some time off work this Week which meant I spent an evening wasting spending time online window shopping on the internet (Oops). 

• MUA Limited Edition 5th Birthday Palette - Free 5th Birthday Palette when you spend £8+ on selected MUA makeup. Superdrug Online
• Beyonce Heat Eau de Parfum 100ml - 100ml EDP half price was £40 now £20. Superdrug Online
• Tanya Burr Lip Gloss - Reduced Was £6.99 Now £1.99. Fragrance Direct
• No 7 Summer Beauty Bag with four mini products - Free when you buy 2 selected No 7 products. Boots Online

Happy Shopping!

A Natural Fragrance for Spring

Since I started writing my blog back in 2011, I have tried a fair amount of beauty products made with just natural ingredients. I will be completely honest - without beauty blogging, I probably wouldn't have heard of half of the natural beauty brands I use so frequently now, and I would have been seriously missing out. Its great to use products made from natural ingredients, as I have noticed over the Years that my skin has become very sensitive to certain ingredients often found in your average skin and body care products. I have sensitive skin, so sometimes certain shampoo, body wash and perfume can cause a lot of irritation. Since using products which are made with natural ingredients, I have found that these products work much better for my skin. 

A brand I have tried a handful of products from is Acorelle; a French organic beauty brand which specialise in skin and body care. 

Finding a nice fragrance without testing it first is often a difficult task, but I picked well with choosing Acorelle's Citrus Infusion EDP. It is refreshing and light, perfect for a day time fragrance and a great match for the Spring and Summer Months.

The notes in this fragrance are; petitgrain, litsea, cedar, neroli, mandarin, bergamot, armoise, cut grass accord and clary sage, which together are aimed to create a calming and relaxing experience. The scent is very fresh and uplifting, and also quite a mature day scent is how I would describe it. Of-course, fragrances are very difficult to describe with just words as unfortunately there is no such thing as smell-o-vision (yet!) but I definitely think that its a very citrus-meets-a-dash-of-floral type of scent. If you like sweet and fruity fragrances, this isn't for you. 

The scent lasts quite well, I would say it lasts around 3 hours on the skin. I am impressed that the fragrance hasn't caused me any irritation, and I haven't had any problems with blemishes on my neck or chest which is always a good sign. 

The packaging is very appealing and sweet, I like the simplicity of the bottle, it is appealing to the eye and sits pretty at my dressing table. It has made a great addition to my perfume collection; it isn't a scent I would normally go for as I usually opt for sickly sweet perfumes, so it makes a nice change to switch it up a little and wear a perfume that uplifts my mood throughout the day. 

Acorelle Citrus Infusion EDP * is available to buy from My Pure online for £30

*This post contains a PR Sample. All views are my own*

Di Palomo Eau De Parfum in Tuscan Rose

Di Palomo is a brand which originated in July 2003 by three friends who wanted to create a collection of body, bath and fragrance products to capture their memories of Italy. Inspired by Italy and made in the UK, Di Palomo is well - loved for their range of bath and body care, fragrances and home scents in four beautiful scents - Wild Fig and Grape, Tuscan Rose, Orange Blossom with Wild Honey and Olive, and White Grape with Aloe. 

Their new Eau De Parfum range is very exciting, as they have a beautiful selection of their four different scents, including this stunning fragrance in Tuscan Rose*. I am a huge fan of any rose fragrance as I love the feminine and fresh scent of rose, so I was very excited to try this Eau De Parfum. 

First off, I absolutely adore the packaging and presentation. I love that the perfume bottle arrives in a beautiful box - making it a perfect gift. I love the simplicity and elegance of the bottle, it looks pretty on any dressing table. I really am a sucker for packaging and Di Palomo really do perfect it. 

Now onto the fragrance itself! The scent smells of sweet, fresh roses - if you are a fan of floral scents you will love this. Top notes include White Tea & Mandarin, along with middle notes of Tuscan Rose, Jasmine & Gardenia, and the base notes of Vetiver, Sandalwood & Vanilla.The scent was inspired by "climbing roses in a Tuscan courtyard" - the scent is delicate and soft, and not too - overpowering. The lasting power is fantastic with this fragrance, as it lasts well for a fair few hours still being able to smell it on yourself. 

I absolutely adore this scent and haven't been wearing any other fragrance since I began using it! I find it perfect for both the day and night, and think it would make the most perfect fragrance for a Summer Holiday. Costing only £25 per 50ml bottle, I think Tuscan Rose is great value for money as it lasts well throughout the day and smells just beautiful. 

If you haven't tried Di Palomo before, you can have a look on their website here to browse their entire range of products. From body butter to candles, there really is something for everyone. They also stock their products on Feel Unique and John Lewis.

*This post contains PR samples/items which were sent to me for consideration to review. All opinions are 100 %  honest and my own. You can view my full disclaimer policy on the contact tab above*

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy

Juicy Couture is a brand I have always been quite familiar with. I have often lusted after their fragrances when looking around Debenhams. I really wanted to own one for myself, and after must consideration, I picked the popular choice Viva La Juicy.I haven't owned many 'expensive perfumes' in my time, but this has got to be my favourite 'higher end' fragrance to date! 

The top notes in the perfume are Mandarin and Berries, which is the scent that hits you when you first spritz this on. When you first spray this perfume, it essential smells very sweet, floral and a little fruity. The base notes are Caramel, Vanilla, Amber, Sandalwood and Praline. Once worn a little while, the scent smells a little more mature and not quite as sweet. Perhaps this is the base notes coming through, it smells beautiful. Other notes in the fragrance are Jasmine, Gardenia and Honeysuckle. 

The presentation of the perfume is simply stunning, looking gorgeous on any ladies dressing table. I want to try more fragrances by Juicy Couture now.

Have you any suggestions?

Recent Empties

 


Its been a while since I have written an empties post but I love reading them and thougth I would share a few bits of used up as of late.

The Body Shop Cranberry Joy Body, Room and Linen Spiriz:
I pick up things like this in the sales and fall in love with them. This scent is much stronger and long - lasting than the Avon Room and Body sprays.

Paris Hilton Perfume:
This is a repurchase as I love this perfume, it smells very girly and super sweet. it is quite hard to rack down though, so I get mine from Body Care or online.

So..? Brit Perfume:
This was just something I had in my handbag for work, it was nice but nothing I would rush out to buy again.

Yankee Candle im Warm Spice:
I bought this when I was in Yorkshire from a Clintons Cards Outlet store and it cost less than £6! Complete bargain. It lasted really well and the scent is beautiful, very strong and made my bedroom smell very much like cinammon.

Soap and Glory Scrub Your Nose In It:
This is a face/clay scrub or mask by the lovely Soap and Glry, I really liked using this as it was very fresh and smelt slightly minty. It made my skin feels fresh and awake so I would buy this again once I have used all of my other face masks.

Batiste Dry Shampoo (for dark/deep brown hair):
Another repurchase, I love Batiste dry shampoo but this is my favourite as it leaves no white marks on my hair as it is aimed for dark brown hair. It gives good volume and leaves hair looking clean and refreshed.

Soft & Gentle Extra Fresh Antiperspirant in lotus and Watermelon:
Just a random one here, this was nice but nothing extra - special, a boring empty roduct but it was pleasant and did the job!

The Body Shop Cranberry Joy Body, Room and Linen Spritz

The Body Shop Cranberry Joy Body, Room and Linen Spritz

£3.50, The Body Shop Sale

Hi everyone, today's post is a little different from my normal reviews, as I am writing about a body, room and linen spritz, which basically means it is a fragrance for the home as well as yourself.

The scent is very strong with berries, filling your home with a lovely homely scent which really does last for hours. It is a multi - purpose product which smells gorgeous, I think I am going back to purchase some more before the sale ends. I adore the scent and the time it lasts is fantastic. It is so fresh and fruity, it really uplifts my mood. Great product!

I assume the product was around £7 full price, but I picked it up for just £3.50 in the sale. Here are some of their current full priced linen room and body spritz which are available. 

You can purchase this in store or online in The Body Shop sale.

Fragrance on a Budget: Next Just Red

Next is famous for its best-selling perfumes - I'm sure you have all tried them and loved them.

This review is on Next's Just Red EDT

Price: £12 for 100ml

The good:

The scent is nice if it is worn lightly

The scent is floral, and remind me a little of pot purri

The price is good for a 100ml bottle, as most Next perfumes, they are a reasonable price

The not so good:

The scent, when worn heavily, can be a little overpowering for my own liking, so I would definitely wear it very lightly

The packaging - now, I do think the packaging is OK to look at, but my bottle, maybe it is just mine, is not good - the 'print' on the bottle keeps chipping. I only have to pick it up and there are little bits of this red chipping everywhere!nMy bag was covered in these flakes from the bottle - gross. Its driving me mad, I hadn't knocked it or dropped it or anything!

Would I repurchase:
No - and this has nothing to do with the fragrance - but the chipping bottle has annoyed me too much to buy it again (maybe I'm just fussy haha)

Hope you enjoyed :)
Comment or tweet @zoelianne_x
Take care xxx

Fragrance on a budget: Accessorize

Hey guys! This is my second post of the day - to make up for my absence!

This is part of a new series I plan to post, about 'budget' perfumes/scents and fragrances and my general opinions on them. After all, we all love a bargain.

This weeks fragrance on a budget is Accessorises original scent!

 Price: £15 for 50ml

Accessorize is Monsoons sister store which sells absolutely gorgeous accessorises - I love it.

So a few years ago when they brought out their first fragrance I jumped at the chance.

It is everything you would imagine from an Accessorize perfume. Very, very sweet, girly and floral.

The good:

Packaging is simply as gorgeous as you would imagine - The bottle comes in a lovely white box covered in pictures of flowers, and the bottle, as you can see for yourself is very cute.

The scent is gorgeous, very, very floral.

The price!

The not so good:

Unfortunately, as much as I love this scent, it isn't very long - lasting. It last for about 2/3 hours during the day.

I haven't come across this scent in a bigger bottle than this 50ml bottle, which is a little dissapointing as it would save from having to repurchase so often!

Again, a 50ml bottle doesnt last long, especially if you use it nearly every day like me!

I have only found it available in Accessorize stores, Monsoon and Boots at Christmas time (in a gift set).

Would I repurchase?

Yes, I have several times and would definetely recomend it if you like girly scents, but not if you are after a perfume which will last all day.

Have you tried this Accessorize fragance? Or any of the newer Accessorize perfumes?

What are your thoughts on this weekly or fortnightly post series?

As always, comment or tweet @zoelianne_x

:)

xxxxxx