Unisex Cologne?... I'm Interested!

As you can probably imagine I receive a fair few emails regarding product launches, I see a lot of those products pop up on blogs I read and much as I love them I don't want to bombard you with the same reviews you will no doubt see a hundred times over that week. With that in mind when I saw that L'Occitane were launching 3 new colognes, one of which was unisex I couldn't not review it! 

I'm not really a floral's kinda gal, I like a sweet and fruity scent but right now everything seems to be pink and petaly and while I'm positive there's a large market for that kind of thing.. I'm not really it. I thought the recent Peony range from L'Occitane was lovely but it's just not really me. The new Eau de Cologne range is much more appealing, there's a female, a male and a unisex fragrance, each is available in 50 and 300ml sizes. I was sent the 300ml which was very generous but not so easy to dispense, I think the idea is to decant it in to your own bottle because it's not the kind of thing you're going to whip out every morning and risk spilling everywhere. The large bottle actually looks like it would be more at home behind a bar, when I got it out to show my Mum yesterday, not knowing what is was she thought I was going to take a swig.. not so much.

Having read the description of the 3 scents online I asked to sample the Universelle as it sounded like the one I'd like the most and let me tell you, it did not disappoint! Its fresh and citrusy, perfect for summer and the bergamot is so energising. I remember having a bergamot body spray from the body shop years ago and it had much the same effect.. great for those mornings when you need a little extra get up and go. For me it's the nicest fragrance I've tried in months and the unisex aspect is just a bonus. I have on occasion reached for my husbands Hugo Boss over my own perfume and generally prefer male scents and while this is not in any way manly it's got a masculine edge compared to the currently popular girly girl florals.

Lee said it reminded him of CK One which is probably accurate as there are few fragrant notes that can work for both sexes I suppose but this is a fresh take all of it's own.

The 50ml is £21.00 and the 300ml is £37.00 here

Although the larger size is awkward it's much better value for money and absolutely worth investing in an atomiser of some sort as I plan to.

 Miss BB

Royal Diamond from Yardley

I've spoken about Yardley here before and am still a huge supporter of the British drugstore brand that  has stood it's ground and remained traditional as well as affordable for generations. With tradition in mind they've created a fragrance to celebrate the current jubilation's, Royal Diamond. I've waited until this weekend to share it with you as it seemed most appropriate. Yardley describe the fragrance as sophisticated and it contains a lot of my favourite scents such as bergamot and vanilla, there's something about it that reminds me of my childhood. It's floral yet woody and just generally surprisingly nice. It's a touch heavy for me upon initial application but it wears well throughout the day and is refreshingly affordable at just £9.99 for 50ml.

it's currently on special offer for just £7.49 here so if you're interested in trying it now's your time.

Miss BB

L'Occitane Pivoine Delicate

I was sent these products a week ago but didn't want to tell you about them until they were readily available in the UK which luckily enough they are today! L'Occitane is a company I came to learn about when working in Debenhams, I would test random products and though I was never driven to make a purchase they were always aesthetically pleasing. The three products from the new (and limited edition) collection Pivoine Delicate that I was sent were the eau de toilette, the hand cream and the shimmering powder. When is comes to fragrance I struggle to review a scent I can only tell you that though it's lovely it's not necessarily something I'd reach for on a day to day basis. It's very floral and that's a personal taste thing.. if you like florals and peony in particular you'll no doubt love this. I would like to note that at £35 for 75ml it's extremely good value so although this scent isn't for me I will absolutely be stopping by my local store next time I'm shopping to check out their other options. The hand cream I knew I would love - little known fact, my brother used to work in a newsagents and at the end of the month they would take the 'free gifts' from the unsold magazines before sending them back to be disposed of.. as a result I have a drawer full of L'Occitane hand creams that I doubt I'll ever run out of. I've always got one on the go and think their formula is really great but let's face it.. you're not interested in hand cream or perfume! You want to know about the bottle of shimmery powder, right? I thought so.

This was definitely the most exciting of the three and the first thing I got out to test drive. I would like to point out to those of you like me (stupid folks) that there's a plastic stopper on the end you need to remove before using the product. I did not and was pumping like a mad woman until I finally realised resulting in a rather large glittery mess all over my (luckily) kitchen floor.

Guerlain brought out a very similar product 2 Christmas's ago and I was absolutely in love, a scented, gold powder you could spritz over your hair and skin to leave you well.. glowing. This is much the same but the sheen you're left with is more a delicate pearl pink, definitely more spring appropriate.

The range also includes Eau de Toilette 75ml, Lip Shines, Lipsticks, Gloss duo and a Fresh Mist and can be purchased online here with prices starting at £11.50

Miss BB

Hitting The Right Note

I don't know about you but I don't often come across a perfume I really like. I generally like sweet scents but I don't actually know what about a perfume really draws me in. I thought I'd take a closer look at the noted found in my favourite fragrances and share my findings with you..

Calvin Klein - Euphoria
Top Notes - Pomegranate, Persimmon
Mid Notes - Lotus Blossom, Champaca Flower, Black Orchid
Base Notes - Liquid Amber, Black Violet, Mahogany Wood

Hugo Boss - Deep Red
Top Notes - Blackcurrant, Pear, Tangerine, Blood Orange
Mid Notes - Ginger, Fresia, Hibiscus
Base Notes - Sandalwood, Cedar, Vanilla, Musk

Paco Rabane - Lady Million
Top Notes - Bitter Orange, Raspberry, Neroli
Mid Notes - Orange Blossom, Arabian Jasmine
Base Notes - Patchouli, Honey, Amber

Vera Wang - Lovestruck
Top Notes - Pink Guava, Mandarin
Mid Notes - Tuberose, Lotus Blossom
Base Notes - Woods, Musk, Vanilla

So as you can see there are a lot of similarities between my favourite perfumes. It still absolutely depends on the measures of each note as to whether I will like the scent of course. For example Hugo Boss was the perfume of my youth.. I used it from about 15 through to 20 and loved it. My best friend still says it will always be my smell to her but I was surprised to learn it contained top notes of Pear as I believe it is that very note in the much loved (by others) Jimmy Choo fragrance that make me HATE it. There were notes I was expecting to see as I knew I liked them, Amber, Sandalwood and Vanilla are three but there were a lot of florals present too. I would have said I didn't like floral scents but again I guess it's finding that perfect balance, I knew I was drawn to woody, musky scents but didn't know that orange featured so heavily too. It's been a very interesting morning learning a little more about the perfumes that I love and I will definitely be taking more notice in future. I'd recommend doing this yourself if you're a total fragrance noob like me! Armed with this new found knowledge I feel confident I will be able to broaden my collection by searching out the notes I know I love.

Miss BB

Vera Wang - Lovestruck

 I allowed myself one purchase in the boxing day sales and it was pre-determined before I even got in the car. I had wanted to buy Vera Wang's Love Struck as soon as I smelt it but having only just bought a new perfume (Lady Million) I couldn't really justify spending the £38. Until I worked in a department store last year I had no idea about the massive fragrance discounts there were to be had after Christmas. The gift sets which often contain a regular sized perfume/aftershave plus extras such as body lotions/shower gels are usually the same price as the fragrance alone. After Christmas they go on sale alongside the still full priced single fragrance so in this case I bought a 30ml perfume gift set for the bargain price of £19!!! I'm glad I held out for the sales and would recommend you do the same for all of your future fragrance purchases. I hope that enlightened some of you that weren't aware of these January deals and I'm pleased to say this one is still available at Debenhams online. 

I'm a massive sweet smells fan and this along with Lady Million and Euphoria are my favourites. I don't have a huge perfume collection and there's not a lot out there I like right now.. I'm not a flowery girl.. hate Jimmy Choo, Flower Bomb.. all the stuff that's really popular with everyone else. So when I find something I like I want it and I'm glad to finally have this on my dressing table.

 

Amazingly Debenhams still have it in stock so if you want it you'd better grab one now!

£19.00 here

Miss BB

November Glossybox

First off I'll admit I was a touch disappointed when I first opened Novembers box. They've spoiled recently with full sized "samples" and real luxury brands so this month was a bit of an anticlimax. I got over that pretty quickly, however, when I looked at what I'd got. I should mention that at the time of writing this I haven't seen another review and have no idea what other products were received so I can't compare my box to others, I generally avoid reading other Glossybox posts as I'd like to think I got the best selection and if I didn't I'd rather not know. So.. here's what I did get...

Arbonne Ultra Hydrating Hande Creme 

Dead Sea Spa Magik Delicate Boosting Mask

Illamasqua Freak Eau De Parfum

Nail Rock Designer Nail Wraps

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer

Now that last one... that really turned me around on this months box. I love any kind of hair treatment and this one looks a bit special. It's an "Intensive, super moisturising pre shampoo treatment for all hair types. Adds elasticity, manageability, bounce and shine." Who wouldn't want to try that? Its a 40ml sample and a full sized 500ml tube would set me back a whopping £52.10 so it's definitely a try before you buy kind of product. I'd very much doubt I'd shell out that kind of money unless it left my hair feeling virgin-soft but it will be a nice treat for my first post-baby pamper. 

The  hand cream.. it's always nice to have travel sized hand creams for your bag, right?

The perfume sample.. I'm not sure about yet... there may be a follow up review on that.

The nail wraps.. I haven't used the last ones I got in my glossy box yet but as these are leopard print they're more likely to get worn.

Lastly, the spa mask. The last sample I got from the Dead Sea Spa range was a huge disappointment. It was the exfoliator sachets and they stung my skin so badly (I don't have particularly sensitive skin so I was surprised at the reaction) so I'm a bit dubious about this one but I do love a face mask so I will definitely try it out.

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The little info card that came with this months box said that November and Decembers selections would be aimed at products to add to your Christmas wish list or gift to others. I like that idea in theory but let's be real.. this box is no different to any other month, the items are not particularly festive or "gifty" but it's a nice marketing spin on the last 2 boxes of the year. I am very interested in the new Mens Glossybox they are launching which was also advertised and will be ordering one for the man in my life for sure.

I love the sample box idea, he will appreciate little bits to try almost as much as I do and the thought of little grey glossy boxes stacking up next to my pink ones has me sold. 

Miss BB

My October GlossyBox

To celebrate their 6 month milestone GlossyBox have included SIX samples in Octobers box and a neat little Dermalogica case as a bonus. I'm not saying that each of the six samples are ones I'd have chosen but as usual there are a couple of stand out products that mean I couldn't care less about what else they padded it out with.

First of all I was SO excited to received Dermalogica stuff as I've never tried it and have always wanted to. Multivitamin Thermafoliant (a thermal skin polisher), Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque (a concentrated mask to help skin recover and regenerate), Renewal Lip Complex (daily treatment that restores lip tissue). As I am composing this from my sick bed I will absolutely be trying this trio today in a bid to make my dull skin look a little more alive.

This month there are THREE perfume samples from Robert Piguet. Given my current, fluey state I'm in no position to judge scents but I shall be trying them all at some point. Well.. I say them all... unfortunately the 3rd sample "Fracas" was empty so I'm hoping that's not the nicest one.

Now this was a cool product to receive. This may well become my everyday staple. Stila Smudge Stick in Moray. It reminds me a lot of Mildew from Urban Decay but a little "dirtier" and with a dark gold glitter running through it... really beautiful, can't wait to use it.

Given that I've recently discovered a hidden love of pink nail polish I was very pleased when I first opened the box to see this. It was the first thing I noticed and I immediately decided Octobers box had outdone itself... that's before I saw all the other awesomeness. I've never tried a Leighton Denny polish but it just looks expensive don't you think? It feels like a little bit of luxury in my hand with it's chunky glass bottle and futuristic looking cap. The shade is "Baby Doll" (how cute is that?) and you will most DEFINITELY be seeing a NOTD post featuring this very soon. I only repainted yesterday and I very nearly reached for the remover when I got this.

One last note on GlossyBox this month.. The index card you get inside has had a bit of a revamp too. It's twice the size and now has little barcodes that will transport you directly to the sellers website when scanned by your mobile phone. It also tells you how much the full sized products are worth which is a nice feature as you would have previously had to wait for the site to refresh itself for the current month or do a little research online to discover how much you were getting for your subscription fee. For me and others who review the boxes on blogs etc that is a handy little bit of information to get with the box.

I'm pretty much in love with everything I got this month  and am very glad I didn't cancel my subscription when so many others did. I don't think I'll be signing up to any other sample services.. it could get very expensive very quickly and I think one is enough.. don't you? If nothing else GB are likely to up their game to keep up with all the competition now (which I think they are doing if this month is anything to go by) so hopefully my loyalty will not go unrewarded.

Are you still signed up to GlossyBox?

What did you get this month?

Outift Month #28

*What I'm Wearing*

You may have noticed I pretty much live in my maternity leggings. I don't know what I'd have done without them... they are the ultimate in pregnancy comfort! I actually bought them at the same time as I bought this shirt and together they are practically pyjamas! This is by far my most comfortable outfit. I only wish the shirt didn't crease so terribly but then I guess it wouldn't be as lovely if it wasn't so cottony soft.

I'm also love love loving my new red bag... total bargain, just big enough for everything I need and still beautifully structured so it looks smart even when empty.

Shirt - Topshop Maternity

Leggings - Topshop Maternity

Pumps - Primark

Bag - H&M

Nameplate Necklace - eBay

One thing I had to mention in todays post is this lovely package I received.

A lovely twitter follower, Charlotte (find her here) responded to my plea a few weeks ago for a coconutty perfume after I developed a small obsession for the scent. Many people came back to me with suggestions but the uber generous Charlotte offered me a spare bottle of her recommended Tahitian Holiday that she had but didn't think she'd use. By no means am I encouraging people to send me things but I had to give her a mention as it was a lovely gesture. She even sent a note... how sweet?

I really like the perfume, I am wearing it today and can report it's very long lasting as I have worn it all day and at 10pm as I type whch I never can usually so I'm really impressed. Thank you Charlotte!!!

September Glossy Box

This month GlossyBox have really excelled themselves in my opinion.

From what I've seen of other peoples boxes they are starting to tailor them to the individual from the questionnaires we filled out upon joining. Everything I got this month I liked and will be used, even the perfume is not terrible... okay I might not use that but otherwise... all good stuff.

SO... here's what I got..

I'll start with the highlight of the month which has to be this palette from HD Brows.

For one it's awesome for me 'cause I'm just about out of my Gosh palette so it's perfectly timed to replace it. For another the colours are a great match for me. You get a nude which I am assuming is to highlight a light brown, mid brown and a deep brown. From what I can ascertain online there are 3 palettes to choose from and this is in the middle, it's dubbed "Foxy" for those wondering.  I also really like that these are multi-purpose and can be used as eyeshadow as well as brow powder, hence the 2 applicators provided. Some of you may know of my constant search for good quality matte eyeshadows... If this hits that spot chances are I will be raving about this very soon.

It's available to buy here for £19.95

The next most exciting product I received this month was this Neal and Wolf Intensive Care Treatment.

I am obsessed with hair treatments and so anything like this would interest me but a full sized luxury conditioner promising to instantly repair and transform my hair? Colour me happy!

I will definitely to reviewing this!

You can buy Neal and Wolf Hair Care here

The Intensive Care Treatment is £12.95

Next, Plum Perfume by Mary Greenwell sample

Of all the perfume samples I've got from GlossyBox so far I like this best. It might not be the best for everyone, I've already heard lots of negative comments from other receivers this month but it has lots of notes I like such as Sandalwood and Amber so it might be a nice change of fragrance for Autumn.

You can buy 100ml of this perfume for £90 from House of Fraser

 

The Green Balm.... ever heard of it? me either but a multi-purpose balm intrigues me.

I'm always looking for the ultimate lipcare so this could fit the bill there but according to my google "research" it can be used for many different purposes from dry elbows to insect bites. Sounds like something handy to have around the house but I don't know whether I'd buy the full sized version.

You can buy 50ml jar from feelunique.com for £8.50

Lastly I got 2 sachets of Dead Sea Spa Magik Salt Scrub. I cannot wait to try this in my next shower. I've been trialling a few scrubs this month so this will make it into my combined review and I'm expecting great things.. it even contains my new favourite ingredient - coconut oil! They say it has a "hypnotic citrus aroma" and You Magazine voted it Best Exfoliator. Another one guaranteed to be reviewed.

You can buy 500g of this for £13.30 here

From what I've seen online already the variety from box to box is widest this month so you may have received totally different products to me but I think you'll agree even if you don't like everything it was a great month for value for money. I more than got back my £12.95 subscription

What did you get in your GlossyBox this month?

Have you tried anything I got?