Being Belle

Any publicity is good publicity when it comes to companies and their products; when the Belle D'Opium advertisement was banned for 'simulating drug use', it got us all talking. Including me. A few days later this ban I charged into my local Boots and doused myself in the stuff, and was continuing to do so until I got myself my own little bottle.

While some might not like this "disconcertingly bewitching new oriental" its undercurrents of Jasmine keep me coming back for more. 

Top notes: Casablanca Lily, Gardenia, Jasmine Absolute, Mandarin.

Heart notes: Hookah Accord, Tobacco, Amber, Peach.

Base notes: White Pepper, Patchouli, Sandalwood.

And while I mightn't smell like "A woman full of ambivalence, elusive and obsessive, powerful and troubling, ingenue but dangerous", when I wear it, I can certainly give it a shot. Marketing ploy or no, I'm sold.

Whats your favourite perfume at the moment?

Birthday Prezzie #1

Hello lovelies!

Photo from Google

My birthday was this past Wednesday, and my mom gave me a bottle of Chanel No. 5 eau premiere, a softer version of the original Chanel No. 5.

I read somewhere that Coco Chanel wanted the original to "smell like a woman" or something to that effect. It has so many different scents in it, so it's really hard to describe it in a few words. It smells... feminine. Beautiful, but soft. I love it.

I have to say, I feel so classy when I wear it. I've only worn it twice in the past week, but... those were good days :)

Viva La Juicy.... it's finally in my possession!!

I am ecstatic to show you what I just came home with today- the one perfume I've been drooling over for years, Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture!  It's really all thanks to my sister.  She was going to get this for me as my birthday present and have it shipped, but after the shipping costs/giftwrapping it was kind of ridiculous.  She ended up just mailing me a check so I could walk down the street to Sephora and buy it myself.  Well, I finally got her card in the mail last night so first thing this morning I went out and bought it!

I cannot stop thanking her for this- I know it's an incredibly generous present.  

But anyway, enough rambling- here are some pictures.  This is the 1.7oz size:

I wanted to buy this at ULTA (which is close to my dorm building), but they didn't have the 1.7oz in stock.  I was a little disappointed just because I know I'll be shopping there more than Sephora (where I ended up getting this), so I wanted to give them my money, lol.  But that's OK- I'm mainly just happy I was able to buy it today!

In case you haven't smelled this before, it has notes of wild berries, mandarin, honeysuckle, gardenia, jasmine, amber, caramel, vanilla, sandalwood and praline. This is one of those perfumes you can wear year-round, but I know I'm going to love it come colder weather- my favorite season for perfume!

So to end this, I'd love to know, what's your current favorite perfume?  Thanks for reading everyone!

Free sample of Gucci Guilty perfume!

Go to the Gucci Guilty Facebook page and "like" them for a free sample of the new fragrance! Click on the "Click to Activate" image, then scroll down on the next page to the "The Fragrance - Discover It" part, where you can request your sample :)

Perfume: My Favorite Warm Winter & Light Summer Picks

Since I started working in the beauty side of Victoria's Secret, I've come a long way in the world of perfume!  I never used to wear it let alone think it was at all worth my time.  But now I just love it.  Wearing something that smells good makes me feel 100 times better.  It's the perfect way to complete my "look", if that makes sense.

I'm very seasonal with my perfume; I have a hard time wearing heavier scents right now, or lighter scents during the fall/winter.  These are my top picks for perfumes I like in the spring/summer, and then ones I can't get enough of during the colder months (And no surprise- most of them are either from VS or B&BW).  I tossed in a couple of my favorite lotions, too, because I can't get enough of them.  :)

Light scents for warmer weather

(Descriptions talk about the products above from left to right):

Coconut Lime Verbena from Bath & Body Works is an old favorite.  I love this travel size of the lotion too, because it fits perfectly in my purse.  

Fresh. Sugar Lemon perfume was featured in my June favorites post here.  It's such a citrus-y, summery scent.  

Victoria's Secret Dream Angels Heavenly Flowers perfume is a discontinued scent that was brought out this spring.  A big reason it's popular is because it smells similar to Heavenly Bloom, a discontinued scent from 2009.  I personally like Bloom better, but this is a nice alternative and smells, well, like the title: Flowers!

VS At First Sight body spray is part of the Secret Moments collection.  It has notes of "romantic violet and bergamot", and when I spray this I just feel like summer.  I often overlook this scent.  I love it, but don't reach for it as much as I should.  

VS Very Sexy Now 2010 perfume is seriously so YUMMY.  That's one of the best descriptions of it I can give.  It has notes of frangipani nectar, jungle lily, and purple orchid.  The perfume doesn't hang onto my skin for too too long, maybe 3-4 hours tops, but I enjoy it all the same.  One of the best Very Sexy Now's I've smelled.

Warm scents for cooler weather

(Descriptions from left to right):

Sensual Amber from B&BW is one I like to put on right before bed, after I take a shower.  It's one of my favorite "relaxing" scents.  I hate to say it, but between Victoria's Secret Amber Romance lotion and this one, I have to choose Sensual Amber.  I swear I'm not a traitor!

Victoria's Secret Parfums Intimes Velvet body spray is my "go-to" warm, winter scent.  I'd get the perfume in this if I had some extra money!  My mom got me a gift set with the four different scents included in the Parfums Intimes collection for Christmas, this one included, so that explains why it's so small.  It has notes of amber and blackberry in it, and it's just divine!  On me I smell more of the blackberry than I do the amber- probably my favorite part about it.

VS PINK Warm & Cozy body spray has "toasted vanilla, pink peony, and raspberry" notes.  Normally I dislike peony, but you can't really smell it in this spray.  Another favorite of mine from the PINK body collection is the Sweet & Flirty (The purple logo).

VS DA Heavenly Kiss perfume is one I just bought today!  We had these at our semi-annual sale, and there were some leftover.  It's an older one that was discontinued, but gets brought back for the sales.  It's an early birthday present for myself that I got so my mom can gift it to me later, haha. It has vanilla, red berry, freesia, and jasmine in it.  In my opinion, it's versatile enough to be worn all year round.  My current favorite!

VS DA Heavenly Enchanted body spray was probably my 2nd favorite behind Velvet last fall/winter.  It's limited edition as well, unfortunately, but is really nice and warm.  It has notes of amber, raspberry, and coconut milk.  

Have you tried any of these scents?  What are your favorite for the different seasons, or do you wear whatever you feel like no matter the time of year?  

Thanks for reading!

This Makes Me Happy...

Today, I discovered a less expensive version of one of my favorite (high-end) fragrances, Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture.  It is Victoria's Secret's Supermodel fragrance!
Now, this one isn't new to me.  I've been a long time fan of Victoria's Secret perfumes, and I tried Supermodel what seems like ages ago.  But it wasn't until today that I realized how much it reminds me of Viva La Juicy.  This is so awesome, guys!  I just can't rationalize spending $65+ on a perfume, let alone over $50, and since Viva La Juicy is $85 for 3.4oz, it's just completely out of my budget.  I do know that there are retailers that sell it for less- I think Gordman's has a decent price- but usually the size is much smaller too.
Supermodel is $39 for 1oz and $49 for 2.5oz.  It's not exactly the same fragrance, obviously, but I spritzed my wrists with each one today and they were quite similar (At least enough to save some money).
I'm going to wait until VS's semi-annual sale this summer to see if it maybe goes on sale, but if it doesn't, I still think I'll be eager to try it out.

What is your favorite fragrance?  Have you ever found near-dupes for it?

(PS- Expect a haul post either tonight or tomorrow morning!  I have some new goodies.  I need to stop spending money now, goodness!)

(Photos from http://www.victoriassecret.com and http://www.sephora.com)

Spring Fragrance: Satin Rose de Mai from Victoria's Secret

I love the warm, luxurious perfumes that come out in the winter months, but there's something about spring fragrances that makes me so happy.  As a side note, I didn't get into wearing perfume until this past year.  I never realized how great it can make you feel.  I really notice a slight improvement in my mood when I wear a fragrance, though, and having the right one makes all the difference.
The first I fell in love with is by Victoria's Secret.  It's part of their Parfums Intimes collection, and it's called Satin Rose de Mai.

I should mention that I don't love it QUITE as much as I did when I first smelled it, but it's a favorite nonetheless.  And what says "spring" better than rose?  It's a lovely blend of floral and sweetness.  If it were purely "OH MY GOSH rose", I don't think I could pull it off, but it's not.  The floral is off-set with notes of yummy honeysuckle, grapefruit, and mandarin.

Now, I've heard some people refer to this type of scent as "grandma"- I totally disagree!  I think it's both lovely and wearable.  It's not a particularly light perfume, though, so one or two sprays is enough for me.

The Parfums Intimes collection is inspired by "the luxurious fabrics for lingerie".  There are five other scents: Chiffon (The newest addition- peony freesia), Velvet (amber blackberry), Cashmere (vanilla jasmine), Silk (mandarin santal), and Lace (orange flower).  The only one I own is Satin, but I love Velvet for winter months especially.

What scents do you like for spring?  Or do you wear one favorite all year round?

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