Christmas Gift Guide : Perfumes!

It's about time things got a little more festive over here and Fashion Mumblr, but for me, I can't really get my head around Christmas until my birthday is over! (OK, it's still officially my birthday if you're reading this on the day it was published, but still!) But I thought a great way to kick things off would be my first (of many) Christmas Gift Guides - Perfume!

Fragrances are such lovely gifts to buy, and to receive and this year there are SO many incredible options that I decided to devote an entire post to them, as well as letting you know who I think they will work best for! So I hope this post gives you a little guidance to kick off your Christmas shopping!

For the Sassy Teen! Ariana Grande Eau de Parfum

I'm not usually a fan of celeb fragrances, let's just get that one out there straight away, and to be honest it's the seriously stylish bottle that made me want to include this in my gift guide! BUT, having said that, the fragrance isn't actually as offensive as I thought it would be from the sweeter-than-sweet pop star, oh no, it's actually..... rather nice! It's fruity and floral, playful and sweet, yes, but with a musky undertone that makes it very wearable.

For the Stylish Lady! Chlo� Eau de Parfum

It's a timeless fragrance, and one which you really can't go wrong with buying for a gift. The classic scent of roses in a floral, feminine scent. The bottle is beautiful too - the iconic fluted glass with delicate bow around the lid, it will look beautiful on any dressing table!

For the Party Girl! Jean Paul Gaultier Eau de Parfum

As soon as I laid eyes on the sparkly bodice edition of the classic Jean Paul Gaultier fragrance, I absolutely knew I had to feature on the gift guide! The fragrance itself is a sexy, floral, oriental fragrance which lingers for hours, with fruity top notes including Raspberry and Bergamot.

For the Always-On-Trend friend! Calvin Klein Euphoria

In it's striking silver bottle, Calvin Klein Euphoria is one of those fragrances that never goes out of style. If you're struggling for a gift idea for the friend who always looks great and absolutely has to be wearing the latest trends, you can't go wrong with Euphoria. I'm yet to meet someone who doesn't love the musky, orchid and black violet tones.

For the Mysterious Lady! Jimmy Choo Illicit

There's something seriously special about the new fragrance from Jimmy Choo. A certain veil of mystique lurks on the skin after spritzing on this modern floriental (I love that word) perfume. It's elegant and edgy at the same time, with notes of Ginger and Bitter Oragne as well as Rose and Sandalwood.

SHOP THE POST

For The One Who Sets The Trends - Elizabeth Arden Always Red

This fragrance is seriously under rated, and your girlfriends who love to discover new trends is bound to fall in love with this dry, sophisticated floriental fragrance. With ingredients such as Passion Fruit, Jasmine, and Velvet Rose Petals - it's unusual but instantly likeable.

For the Glamorous Gal - Theirry Mugler Angel Passion

Lovers of Thierry Mugler's iconic Angel fragrance will be lusting for this more glamorous and seductive eau de perfum. Notes of  patchouli and red berries give this classic scent a captivating edge - and the red star bottle is simply striking.

For the Haute Couture Honey - Miu Miu Eau de Parfum

The first scent from the Miu Miu fashion house truly encapsulates the spirit of the brand. The combination of lily of the valley and akigalwood is instantly a familiar scent, it's contemporary and natural but the soft blue glass bottle with the translucent red disk gives a pop of Miu Miu's signature quirky ways to the scent.

SHOP THE POST

For the Teen Beauty Queen - GHOST The Fragrance Gift Set

With the Ghost fragrance and a body lotion too, this gift set makes a lovely treat to unwrap on Christmas day. Scented with fresh flowers followed by notes of Vanilla and warm amber, it's hard not to fall in love with this scent. 

For the Fashionista - Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Gift Set

A fresh and floral fragrance which is light and easy to wear - with notes of Violet Leaf, Strawberry and Jasmine as well as a warm top note coverage of Musk, Vanilla and White Woods. The bottle itself is a pleasure to see, with delicate daisies decorating the glass - this gift set both looks and smells incredible!

For the Daring Darling - Tom Ford Noir Pour Femme

Utterly extravagant and undeniably sensual, Tom Ford Noir is one of those fragrances which women aspire to wear. A floral oriental which encapsulates the Tom Ford woman in a sleek black and gold bottle, this is one to treat your utterly glamorous and unashamedly daring friend or lover.

For the Luxury Lover - Jo Malone London Pomegranate Noir

This is the scent that I reach for on special occasions, and there's something incredibly luxurious and warming about the scent of fruity pomegranate on the skin. It's fruity and spicy, a very familiar scent which would make the most beautiful gift for anyone who loves a touch of luxury!

For the Fearless Fashionista - YSL Black Opium

An incredibly wearable luxury fragrance, it would be impossible for the recipient not to love you for tucking this EDP into their stocking. With hedonistic notes of black coffee, with sensual Patchouli and white woods - it smells as good as it looks in the glittering bottle whose diamond dust finish replicates the rock edge but modern glamour of the scent within.

SHOP THE POST

Have I featured your favourite fragrance? Which would you most like to unwrap this Christmas?

xoxo

I Am Juicy

As a child of the nineties, I grew up dreaming of the day I'd finally own a Juicy Couture velour tracksuit, and those pop-tastic brightly coloured handbags. Although sadly I never got my hands on either of the above, I did manage to somewhat collect Juicy Couture fragrances, and, delighting the pre-teen version of myself - Juicy Couture has launched a new Eau De Parfum - I Am Juicy. Who am I kidding - even the twenty something version of myself is obsessed with this fragrance!

If you're a fan of the previous Juicy fragrances (especially Viva la Juicy) then you'll detect a familiarity with I Am Juicy - with notes of Gardenia and Cashmere Woods, following a pop of Raspberry and Passion Fruit top notes. The Raspberry notes linger, giving the fragrance a sweet scent, but it's still a creamy and gentle perfume.

The bottle is a chic, golden, almost idol-like creation. It exudes glamour, just like the scent within. I've been reaching for it both in the day time and for nights out, and find it extremely long lasting and suited to almost every occasion. Yes, there's something about it which gives the fragrance a hint of nostalgia, but as our generation has grown, as has the brand, making it every bit as desirable as those velour tracksuits back in the nineties!

The fragrance is out now, and available online at �50.00 for 50ml.

xoxo

Fragrance Friday // A Bespoke Experience with Floris

Last Saturday, something really rather special happened. I was invited to the Floris boutique in Belgravia for an appointment with a master perfumer, to create a bespoke fragrance. I have to say that I was a little nervous, my fragrance knowledge leaves much to be desired, my preferences change almost every other week, so how could I decide on a specially created personal scent?

Upon stepping into the shop on Ebury Street, my nerves subsided as it became clear that this wasn't just about making a fragrance, it was about making and reliving memories, an experience that's all about you. In the back room beneath the store, surrounded by huge glass bottles which are expertly labelled by the perfumer, the 'nose training' session began. I was presented with four types of fine fragrance bases - all from within four fragrance families; citrus, floral, woody and oriental scents. Each one I tried before narrowing it down to just two, which were applied to my hand to see which had the nicest fragrance on the skin. During the consultation I was told about the history of each fragrance, who had worn it throughout history - and with a list of celebrity and royal fans as great as Floris', it made for very interesting conversation! I chose Amaryllis as my base note, but as for the rest? Well, that's top secret!

I was then presented with a range of complimentary fragrances including citrus, spice, wood and flower scents, again reducing twenty or so different scents down to my favourite four or five before testing these on my skin. I picked up so many snippets of information that I'd previously not known about some of the most common fragrances - such as did you know that musk is a product of the Musk Deer from the Himalayas?! I certainly didn't!

I waited patiently while my unique cocktail of ingredients was mixed together, before being presented with my bespoke perfume. A blend of all my favourite scents and memories, all encapsulated in a personalised glass bottle. As you become familiar with your fragrance, you choose a name. I went for Thudufushi Noir - if you've been reading my blog for a very long time (or maybe you just know me) then you'll understand why this is terribly soppy and meaningful, but if not? Well, that's just my little secret!

It's hard to put into words what an incredible experience it was, and one which of course i'll remember for years to come when I spritz on my bespoke perfume. If you are looking to buy someone something which is luxurious, unique and totally romantic, then look no further. The entire experience is all about you, your likes, loves, dislikes, your emotions and your memories. It's therapeutic, discovering a little more about yourself, or remembering parts that you'd forgotten. If it sounds soppy, I'm sorry, but words fail to describe what an incredible experience it was.

A Fragrance Consultation at Floris is �450, and includes your bespoke Eau De Parfum and a beautiful engraved bottle, as well as your very own fragrance recipe so that you can have your very own fragrance remade for you when it is all finished.

Thank you to Floris for inviting me to such an incredible experience!

xoxo

Jimmy Choo Illicit

When I think of Jimmy Choo, I think of decadence, indulgence, luxury. Add to these some serious kick ass girl power and you've pretty much just summed up their newest fragrance; Illicit. 

Last week I headed to the beautiful penthouse lounge at the Mondrian in London where Jimmy Choo unveiled the newest eau de parfum, and this was no ordinary cocktails and canapes launch, but instead an exclusive and captivating performance from Sky Ferreira who gave us a preview of some of her upcoming singles. Sky's confidence and independence make her the perfect face for Jimmy Choo's new fragrance, which is coming out in August this year. 

For me, Illicit is younger, more fresh, and definitely edgier with some serious rock glamour. Jimmy Choo's creative director Sandra Choi told us how Illicit 'embodies the daring spirit of the Jimmy Choo woman, she is alluring, hypnotic and lives her life to the full.' This most definitely sums up Illicit - it's feminine with bitter orange and ginger top notes, but the deeper scents of Rose and Jasmine as well as Honey-amber and Sandalwood come out the longer you wear this fragrance.

I'm no perfume expert, but for me, this is one of my favourite fragrances I've ever come across, and will be knocking all my other 'evening' fragrances off their prime positions on my dressing table. I have a little 'Perfume Hall of Fame' (in my head, I'm not tragic enough to have an actual hall of fame!) where only the best perfumes get a position, and Illicit is straight up in there along with Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb, YSL Black Opium, and Liz Earle Botanical Essence No 15.

Let's also take a moment to appreciate the bottle. Decadent, luxurious and fabulous. You can see the inspiration from art deco style crystals, and the golden liquid within could almost be the finest champagne. 

Jimmy Choo Illicit Eau De Parfum will launch in the UK on August 31st, 40ml will be �42, 60ml will be �54 and 100ml is �78. 

Will you be trying out Jimmy Choo Illicit?