Benefit | Crescent Row Perfumes

If there was an award for the cutest perfume packaging (no doubt there probably is somewhere) then I'd give it to the Benefit Cosmetics 'Crescent Row' line.  Small gold cocktail shaker style bottles... How cure are they????  I currently own two Benefit scents and here's what I think of them.

First up let's start with Laugh With Me LeeLee (R), Out of the duo LeeLee is the most fruity floral scent.  It kind of reminds me of Delicious by DKNY. Light fruity with a slight hint of floral, it's very fresh and has spring time written all over it!!

Now Under My Spell Noelle (L) is the complete opposite to LeeLee.  This is more warm,  woody... exotic...  sexy smelling.  I've never sniffed any thing else like this... I love it.   I think it is more a colder months of the year scent,  but I still love using it in spring summer.

Each one is £29.50 for only 30ml which is an ok cost to pay.  I think the packaging is cute like I already mentioned but I also love is the longevity.  It lasts,  honest it really does!!!

I have given See and Be Seen Sasha a sniff and I quite like that one...  but I have got to first use and finish two perfume bottles I have in my collection first before I treat myself to any more.  That's the rules!!

You can buy them both HERE at Benefit.  Happy shopping if you decide to buy! !

Ax

A Few Duty Free Buys

Nothing gets a holiday started than visiting the duty at the airport.  I usually have to hold myself back a heck of a lot not to go crazy.  This time I was prepared with a list of items I wanted to get and others are just right time, right place items.

Clarins | Beauty Flash Balm - Link

I still had a small amount of this in my tube I already had but I'd stopped using it for the fear of running out.  I love this stuff.  The smell, the texture, the feel on the skin.  I like using this as a makeup base but I also like to use it as mask (pretty much every other night).

Ghost | The Fragrance - Link

I have to thank my sister-in-law for the introduction of this into my life.  I got a mini set including a body lotion last year at Christmas and I fell in love.  It is subtle warm scent with a musky-ness as well as florally hint.  It's a bit of mixture but it works well and I loooove it.

Clinique | Bottom Lash Mascara - Link

I'm that typical girl who get panda eyes when I use bog standard mascaras on my bottom lashes.  This stuff... wow it's amazing and doesn't budge an inch.  The teenie tiny brush is the perfect size to coat the bottom lashes individually.  It makes the job so easy with this mascara. I'll totally recommend this to anyone wants an easy solution to panda eyes.

Clinique | Chubby Stick Shadow - Link

Not on my list of things to get but I'm glad I did.  Bountiful Beige is that perfect shade that you can just throw on.  I was surprised how smooth and easy this glided on my lids.  It's great as a base and well as on its own.  Think MAC's Paint Pot Bare Study in stick form.  Got it??

Clarins | Instant Light Natural Lip Protectors - Link

A chance encounter with an airport only offer got me buying this duo set (shades 01 and 02).  And I'm glad I got these as the hype about them is all true.  They are so nourishing on the lips give a beautiful hint of colour without leaving your lips sticky like glue.  Give me more of them.

You can see me chatting about my purchases plus my non-beauty holiday favourites below >>>

Axx

Sephora / French Haul

Last weekend my hubby and I... plus my parents took a day trip to France. Nothing fancy, we usually go to grab bargains in the supermarkets as they are usually cheaper.  Plus with the festive season approaching the French usually have some cool Christmas items to be had.

This trip I demanded we stop off at Citie of Europe and visit the shopping centre there. Main reason...I know there’s a Sephora there!!! :- )

My mini haul

I love Sephora... for me it's a die and go to heaven place - I love it.  Sephora's in Europe differ to the US slightly as they don't sell all the brands which is unfortunate   More annoying they have yet to open a Sephora in the UK.  I wish they would open one.

So in the shopping I put a nail polish by Sephora called My Favourite Jeans which is dark indigo blue (just like your favourite jeans).  I can't wait to try this.  I also picked up these cute fragrances by Sephora as well: Coconut, Cotton Flower, Peony and Vanilla.  Great for throwing your hand bag at €4.50 I thought they were a bargain.

My most expensive purchase at €14.50 was a Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Liner in 2L which is a dark brown with a slight shimmer. I've heard some good things about these liners so I 'm going to put this to the test.

I also got some non-Sephora beauty buys....

Randomly I picked up boring hair slides, they only cost about €3.50 and i needed some so I thought why not.  Random item over lets get on to the cool stuff.

In the shopping basket I put this Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo in Timeless Black.  Why do we not have this colour in the UK?!?! It seems France and the US get all the fun.  They had a few shades which we do not have on the shelves in the UK which is sad but I picked the black shade which I thought would be fabulous for a smokey eye base.

I also got a mini Bioderma (Mummy Jolly bought me this... thanks Mum).  I have always been intrigued to see if all the hype around this product was actually worth it.  So watch this space for my thoughts.  This little bottle cost €4.20.  I didn't want to spend anymore on a larger bottle just in case it was not love at first sight.

Angela xox

I wish I was American! #3

Roller balls!  Yes a roller ball perfume is the reason why I wish I were an American!  Sad . . .but true!  I think the person who invented the roller ball perfume was a genius.

The UK just doesn't seem to of jumped on the band wagon yet of using roller balls.  They still seem to use bottles like the ones in my Big Pony Club post. Rollers are so much more handy as you're unlikely to spill them and you can easily refill them.

Princess

The perfume I have here is Vera Wang Princess, which I got in Sephora in Chicago.  A beautiful scent but expensive if you want to buy the full size bottle.  I have lots of full sized bottles so its nice to have smaller ones, which are more likely yo be used.

I think the roller ball is an excellent idea if you don't know I'd you'll love a perfume but simply just want a smaller version for travelling or a handbag.

So if I were Prime Minster...forget cheaper rail fare requests.  I'd be bringing in the roller balls!

Angela xox

The Big Pony Collection

When Ralph Lauren released his new collection - The Big Pony Collection, I was a little annoyed. Not because I hated them, actually it was completely the opposite. I loved them all! Not just one or two but all of them!!

I knew if I ever went to buy any of them it would be a really difficult choice to just chose one. Perfume is expensive these days. I remember when I first spotted them in Boots, I thought 'I wish they did a set of four in a miniature versions'. Well fast forward a few months later and at Gatwick Duty Free my prayers have been answered.

The collection

When it comes to airport Duty Free shops the best thing for anyone to do is just leave me to it. My holiday has well and truly started when I enter the duty free shop! I never intended to buy perfume, it wasn't on my list. The only thing I actually really wanted was the Ever Matte Clarins foundation but they didn't stock my shade - sob sob.

However when I was in the perfume section I headed over to sniff the Big Pony Collection and to my surprise they were selling a travel exclusive set of miniatures! After a jaw dropping moment of shock, I snatched a set off the shelf and declared that they were mine (Finding Nemo style....mine mine mine!)

This is what the bottles look like

All four bottles contain a different fragrance which are all lovely. You'll agree with me if you smell them it is hard to chose just one.


Number 1 Blue ~ is a sporty scent
Number 2 Pink ~ is a sensual fragrance
Number 3 Yellow ~ is a radiant floral scent
Number 4 Purple ~ is an oriental fragrance


My personal favourite is the purple number 4, it seems similar-ish to Britney Midnight Fantasy - which i love.



Angela xox

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Estee Lauder ~ Sensuous Nude

I own a lot of perfumes - too many to many to be honest . . . I am a bit of a magpie for them!  However I dare say there is another girl out there with more than me so in the end it doesn't make me feel too bad!

One of my go to scents at the moment is the Sensuous Nude parfum spray by Estee Lauder.  Don't get this confused with the other Estee Lauder Sensuous fragrances (there is also Sensuous and Sensuous Nior) this is the Nude version.

The bottle

When describing perfume smells I am terrible, I'm hardly a genius at it unfortunately.  Beautiful is how I would describe it essentially.  But i will say it has a warm smell which is kind of feminine and woody - musky if you prefer but not too strong.  Not to sound silly but the name I think fits this perfectly,  it does feel sensuous on the skin.  I feel like I would be quite happy to literally wear just this perfume if you know what I mean.  A strange way to describe it but it just feels like how your skin would or should smell.

If you are a fan of sickly sweet girly smells then Sensuous Nude will not be for you.  I feel like this is more for a mature late 20's early 30's woman.  It is quite a subtle smell which lasts on the skin for around 2 hours (not long sadly) so it does need a top up through the day.  This is probably the only negative that it doesn't last all day :-(

I love the packaging as well with its rose gold cap and light pink bottle.  There is also ribbing on the back of the bottle in a sensuous curve shape. . . a very pretty bottle to have on any ladys dressing table!

What's your go to fragrance??

Angela xox

Zara Black Peony

I remember reading a blog post from yonks ago (I can't remember the name of the blog) about a very very cool dup.  When I read about it I was intrigued indeed.

High street store Zara offer a Eau De Toilette in Black Peony which is a lovely smelling scent.  At a unbelievable cheap of £9.99, the price tag alone is a winner but the fact you get 50ml for the price is even better.

A strong fragrance which smells of vanilla, citrus and floral notes (peony obviously lol) It is strong at first but the smell does fade quickly, it lasts up to 2-3 hours, but it does linger on the skin just not as strongly.

The fact this a uncanny dup for the Viktor & Rolf fragrance Flowerbomb which is one of my all time favourites makes this purchase all the more exciting.  I had used Flowerbomb for several years and I went through about 4 full size bottles.  Then all of a sudden I met Daisy by Marc Jacobs and the love affair with Flowerbomb ended.

So finding a cheaper alternative is something to smile about.  You can buy a 50ml bottle of Viktor & Rolf for  around £65.00, so to save around £50 is not something to ignore.

Have you found any cheaper alternatives to your well loved favourites?

Angela xox