It all makes perfect scents...

With the perfume market more saturated than ever, it's easy to stick to our signature scents and  be reluctant to try something new.  The major brands seem to be churning out new fragrances constantly, resulting in my opinion in an industry flooded with samey smells and a high chance of disappointment, which sticks in the throat when you've spent nearly £50.00 on something you won't use. I have my favourites, Lolita Lempicka being my go-to, as I love the liquorice and aniseed combination and the fact it's not a well known. 

La Petite Robe Noire - Guerlain

           

I was instantly won over with this the minute I saw it - beautiful bottle, especially the stopper and curved top, which is a replica of the classic Guerlain bottles (think L'Heure Bleue). I literally want to eat it. The top notes include black cherry, almond, berries and bergamot. The middle notes are dominated by roses (Bulgarian and Turkish), alongside liquorice and smoked black tea. Rich, classic base notes such as tonka bean, patchouli, vanilla and iris finish this off perfectly. The branding is too powerful for Paris loving, style obsessed women to resist. If you like black cherry this belongs on your dressing table.

Sizes: 30ml, 50ml, 75 ml Eau de Parfum.
Price: £42.00, £60.00, £86.00
Offers: 30ml gift set with body lotion - £27.99 - Boots and online http://bit.ly/RU28IR

Lolita Lempicka

My all time favourite, the marketing and branding is perfect and ethereal, the bottle is quirky, fairytale like and unique, and the scent is distinctive and different. Released in 1997 by the French fashion designer of the same name, this was the first fragrance which soon outsold the whole fashion line. This gourmand scent has distinctive base notes of liquorice and sweet praline, so not necessarily for everyone (liquorice is a bit like Marmite, I think)! The success of the first fragrance led to many more limited editions being added to the collection, which I'm going to blog about separately later.

Sizes: 30ml, 50ml, 100ml EDT and EDP

Price: £34.00, £46.00, £60.00
Deals: Big discounts at cheapsmells.com (save up to 50% on RRP)

Chanel Noir

      

It's generally hard for me to be persuaded not to go for Mademoiselle if I'm anywhere near the Chanel stand,  but they really have come up trumps with this. Chanel don't churn out new fragrances willy-nilly, so you know that a lot of time, effort and research has gone into it. Citrusy topnotes of grapefruit and bergamot, a predominantly rose heart, with obvious base notes of sandalwood, vanilla and tonka bean. It's a bit too easy nowadays to stick "noir" on the end of anything to evoke mystery and seduction. For those wanting something a bit more hard-hitting than Mademoiselle and not as overpowering as No.5 - this could be your new signature scent.

Sizes: 50ml

Price: £75.00
www.chanel.com

Dahlia Noir - Givenchy

        

My sister wants this for Christmas so I had to do my research! I love Givenchy's male fragrances so had high hopes for this. I really like the simple elegance of the bottle, a refreshing change from some of the garish offerings available this year. The branding is very classic and appeals to women who want to project mystery, danger and excitement.

Being a floral chypre, some people might find it a little too powdery. Top notes include mandarin, pink pepper and mimosa, which lead to an intense core of iris, patchouli and rose.The base contains classic notes of tonka bean, sandalwood and vanilla. I'm wearing it now and it is POWDERY - think Agent Provocateur or Prada. For some reason it makes me feel cosy and it seems especially suitable for winter, you would need the eau de toilette in the summer.

Sizes: 30ml, 50ml EDP, 30ml, 75 ml EDT

PrIce: £42.00, £61.00/£35.50, £61.50
Offers: Gift set 50ml EDP, 75ml skin dew, perfumed candle £40.66 (£60.00 RRP) 
Boots - http://bit.ly/VjQoye

Tom Ford - Jasmin Rouge

I think Tom Ford has knocked Chanel from the top spot for me as best prestige fragrance. The blends are just to die for and always are guaranteed compliments.They evoke far away exotic places, luxury and class. Jasmin Rouge is a spicy floral which is ideal for the Christmas period. With top notes of cinnamon, ginger and cardomom, Sambic jasmine at the heart and a leather, wood and amber base if it's spicy and exuberant you're looking for, you've come to the right place.

Sizes: 50 ml, 250 ml EDP
Price: £125 for 50ml
http://bit.ly/10mWphc - Selfridges

Wear your Christmas scent with a smile and grab some bargains - you can never have enough in my opinion!

Top 5 Christmas dresses

It's Christmas party season and you don't want to end up in the same outfit as the annoying girl from the office down the corridor. It's time to be original, go for something a little bit different and not stick to the norm or end up in a Next special. Here's my top ten Christmas dresses with a twist...

Mango - Velvet & Metallic dress £69.99

This is sumptuous and showcases the two of the hot trends of the season - velvet and sequins. It looks a lot more expensive than it is and looks great with a pearl cuff and killer heels. 

Miss Selfridge Power Shoulder dress - £65

Make like a modern Dynasty power bitch in this attention-grabbing number. The sequin top with pointed shoulder detail and long sequin sleeves is a great contrast to the fitted black skirt. Just be careful who you spike with your power shoulders!

Warehouse feather hem dress £80

This eye catching number exudes luxury. The chiffon top panel melts into the fitted velvet bodice. The show stopper is the marabou feather swing skirt which is certain to turn heads! It's in the sale as well!

Topshop studded dress £95

For a more affordable version of Balmain's hot dresses this year, go for this number which has exquisite detail and is beautifully symmetrical.

Karen Millen lace printed pleat dress - £175

The colour of the season, with the added bonus of lace and pleat detail. I love the sheer sleeves and the placement of the lace detail.

Whatever you choose to wear - be daring and be different! Don't conform!

Valentino at Somerset House

Fashion exhibitions have been popular in 2012 and the trend doesn’t seem to be getting tired heading into 2013. The V & A Ballgown exhibition proved hugely popular for museum fans craving elegance and decadence in austere times, and their latest Hollywood Costumes collection is already selling out. It seems the more we are hit with tightening our belts, the more we crave glamour and nostalgia as escapism from very difficult times. The latest designer offering from Somerset House – Valentino: Master of Couture offers the same escape route: ballgowns and haute couture times 100 (over 130 to be precise) - tulle, taffeta, broderie anglaise everywhere. An homage to the Italian fashion powerhouse’s fifty years in the business – it has all bases covered for design fans and the layperson, and makes excellent use of his signature Valentino red.

Walking in past the ice rink I was already in high spirits anticipating the curation and layout. I wasn’t disappointed. If you take the stairs down to the exhibition space, an exceptionally red trail of material hangs from the ceiling to the floor of the spiral staircase, leading you into the luxury of the clothes. Glass cases give a snapshot of Valentino’s life through correspondence, photos and documents from celebrities, business partners and major players in the fashion world. I loved seeing Karl Lagerfeld and Anna Wintour’s two inch high handwriting, and Meryl Streep apologising for not being able to go and see a show because she was heavily pregnant. Thank you cards and keepsakes give an insight into the private world of a very public man.

The words and pictures stopped and the craftmanship took over. The layout was unique – visitors view dresses from the point of view of the catwalk, with a variety of coloured mannequins displaying the gowns either side, placed amongst chairs marked with the names of celebrities who have graced his shows for the past fifty years. Dresses are separated into sections by colour for each decade.  The dresses with the stories stuck out the most for me – Jackie O’s wedding dress to Aristotle Onassis, an Audrey dress and Julia Robert’s Oscar dress. Fashion students were feverishly sketching designs and detail, the usual requests not to take photos fell on deaf ears – they were too beautiful to resist sneaking the phone out one more time. I recommend walking up and down a few times, otherwise it all gets a bit too much to take in.

After the gowns comes the stunning final section, with the beautifully lit wedding dress of Princess Marie Chantal of Greece and some of the most intricate beading and stitching I have ever seen. There is also history mixed with technology - audiovisual of interviews with Valentino himself and his partner Giancarlo Gianmetti, a virtual museum gives more context to the gowns and their place in fashion history. Valentino explains why he gave up in 2007 – too many conglomerates, nothing left to prove. This exhibition certainly confirms that.

Top 5 Christmas Make Up Palettes

Palettes are a great idea for a gift, they look great and combine enough make up products to get a full look into a relatively small area. This Christmas the major players have really stepped up their game, coming up with eye catching original palette design with striking colours perfect for the party season.

1 - Nars Andy Warhol Collection - £39.50

www.narscosmetics.com

I nearly clapped and jumped in the air when I saw this in Space NK. The Silver Factory collection includes the self portrait eye shadow palette below (a collectors item - surely - £39.50) printed with Warhol’s silhouette. Even the product names evoke his unique world - Soup Can and Chelsea Girls to name a few. The full product range includes special edition tins featuring Edie Sedgwick’s face and mini nail polishes.

2 - Karl Lagerfeld for Shu Uemera - £45

http://www.shuuemura.co.uk/collections/karl-lagerfeld-for-shu-uemura/karl-lagerfeld-for-shu-uemura-smoky-velvet-palette.aspx



The eagerly awaited KL collection does not disappoint - quirky kitsch cartoon logo meets great quality and amazing colours. The eyeshadow palette (£45) is a must have and has velvety smooth textures inspired by luxurious fabrics. It comes in two sets - Smoky Velvet (above) with khaki green, sparkly black and crimson red shadows, or Prestigious Bordeaux with more gold and rust tones. The eyelash curlers, brush set and false eyelashes are gorgeous as well and would certainly make my day at Christmas!

3 - Guerlain Liu Eye and Lip Calligraphy Palette - £48.60

www.guerlain.com

The stunning palette is inspired by traditional Asian beauty rituals and calligraphy, and features molten metal eye shades (bronze, copper and white), which look amazing with the intense pigment of the pink red and the blue red for that special occasion. The Liu perfumed shimmer powder spray is worth a mention as well - it looks like fairy dust when you spray it and looks wonderful with your christmas outfit on hair and the decolletage.

4 - Bobbi Brown Atomic Pink Lip & Eye Palette £36.00

www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com


With on trend colours perfect for Christmas parties and an affordable price tag, this palette guarantees quality, brights and sparkle all in one. The Atomic Pink lip gloss is perfect with the quad eye palette in gold, silver, bronze and grey which creates the quintessential smoky eye. The mini lip gloss clips handily into the palette and is great for touch ups.

5  - Topshop Eye Palette in Prism - £16

www.topshop.com


For the “budget” option this is very futuristic and directional with silver, pink and black shades with raised prism surfaces. This can be used wet to intensify the colour. The packaging is cool  - prism lines over the sleek black surface.

Merry Xmas and enjoy perfecting your perfect party look!

Top 5 Christmas Jewellery brands

Top 5 Jewellery for Christmas

With Christmas just four weeks away, jewellery is sure to be top of the christmas list for most discerning ladies. With record jewellery sales expected, the variety currently available is amazing with statement necklaces and popular charm bracelet brands Although most guys are pointed in the direction of jewellery, being left with the decision of which brand and what type is enough to stress out even the most experienced gift buyer. Jewellery buying between female friends is becoming more and more popular.

Is she a bracelet, necklace or earrings kind of girl? Gold or Silver? Costume or more expensive? This is easier if she obsesses about the next Pandora charm, but what about the women who are bored of the over saturated charm market? Read on for ideas!

Alex Monroe

www.alexmonroe.com

My current favourite and top of my wish list, the very talented Alex Monroe designs stunning gold and silver jewellery and also does commissions if something more personal is needed.

His work is quirky, wearable and very affordable. He was inspired by his Suffolk upbringing, surrounded by nature, to design his distinctive, signature insect necklaces - the Bumblebee necklace is a permanent feature in Vogue, Marie Claire and Elle. All the pieces are handmade and beautifully crafted. Alongside the bumblebee, other necklace designs include hummingbirds, hedgehogs, acorns, feathers and birds. Rings and bracelets are also intricately designed with unique detail. I would be very happy to wake up to this on christmas morning!

Alex Monroe Bumblebee necklace - £132


Monica Vinader

www.monicavinader.com

My sister introduced me to this designer, popular for her friendship bracelets in many colours. The combination of the gold vermeil on sterling silver with the vividly coloured cord is visually stunning and very feminine. The designs and simple and striking, using precious gemstones and metals which are surprisingly affordable. The bracelet pictured retails at £115.  The engraveable pendants are also stunning and you can combine pendants to create a personalised piece. A chain plus three pendants combined costs just over £200. You can find the brand in Liberty, Selfridges and Harrods, as well as in department stores nationwide.

Daisy

www.daisyjewellery.com

I have been coveting the Daisy initial rings for some time - they are simple yet very effective (£37). Daisy’s signature piece is the chakra bracelet which incorporates buddhist chakra symbols with cord in the colours of the chakras (£86). The Zodiac bracelets are also a great gift idea - made from 24ct Gold Vermeil and Sterling Silver, with 100% nylon cord.

Tatty Devine

www.tattydevine.com

I’ve loved Tatty ever since I got an acrylic pink name necklace with a little heart attached - the laser cut jewellery is cool and bright, perfect if you’re looking for something quirky or themed. Name necklaces are around £35 depending on length of name. They even collaborated with the Baltic Gallery in my neck of the woods, Newcastle, to create an Angel of the North necklace. The How to Make Jewellery book is also popular at Christmas for creative types who fancy having a go at it themselves.

Vivienne Westwood

www.viviennewestwood.com

Everyone is quite surprised when they realise how affordable some Westwood pieces are, the stud earrings are around the £50 mark and charm bracelets are also not as expensive as you might think. Think ultimately quirky and original - statement pieces which are a talking point at parties. Look closely at the earrings below - the hand detail is so original and perfectly in keeping with the theme of Imperial China from one of her collections this year.

Ivory Imperial Court Earrings £155

I hope this reduces stress for some people who are confused and are desperate to get it right!