perfume

Perfumerie Fragonard - Le Jardin De Fragonard collection

Here at The Amazing Blog we love a good scent, especially one that comes from a great heritage. Founded in 1926 by entrepreneur Eugène Fuchs, Perfumerie Fragonard was established to sell perfumery products directly to tourists who were discovering the French Rivera’s charms. Fuchs chose the name after the famous Grasse-born painter, Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806), as a tribute to the town of Grasse, the refinement of 18th-century arts, as well as representing his desire to run his business in accordance with traditions. This spirit has been loyally perpetuated by the three succeeding generations who have run and are still running the company.

We love how Perfumerie Fragonard combines tradition with a modern attitude, and we were delighted to receive their Jasmin Perle de Thé eau de parfum (£30 for 50ml) and Jasmin de Fragonard collection (ranging between £10-£18) to try out.

Jasmin-Perle de Thé translates to Jasmine-Pearl Tea. This beautiful and elegantly feminine scent is reminiscent of flowering jasmine, and with additional notes of lemon, bergamot, honeysuckle, green tea, white cedar, guaiac wood and white amber, which makes for a wonderful summer perfume.

We also loved the Jasmin de Fragonard collection, an exclusive range that pays homage to the town of Grasse. Topped by head notes of bergamot and orange blossom, “Jasmin” eau de toilette develops heart notes combining three jasmine varieties (Grasse, Egypt and India) on an amber base. The collection comprises of soaps, candles, toiletry bags, gift sets and decorative objects. Both the Jasmin Perle de Thé eau de parfum and Jasmin de Fragonard can be purchased from the Fragonard website, or from Marks & Spencers.

Carlee's Christmas Wish List

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I can't believe it's already Christmas Eve! Christmas is my favourite time of the year, especially because I love getting the opportunity to spoil my friends and family with gifts. Of course, I have a Christmas wish list of my own, and I'm hoping to see these gifts under the Christmas Tree tomorrow morning!

Depending on what time I fall asleep, waking up in the morning can be a major struggle. I just don’t have the energy (or the time if I snooze my alarm) to properly get ready. That’s where The Library of Fragrance Pure Soap comes into play. The company creates fragrances inspired by life, capturing over 300 scents that surround us every day. What better way to celebrate Christmas than to celebrate the under-appreciated sense of Ivory soap! Let me tell you, this perfume will come in handy. Whether you spray it as you quickly head out the door or in the bathroom at work, the Pure Soap fragrance will provide you with a fresh-from-the-shower scent anytime and anywhere. If you’re always in a hurry like I am or just too lazy like I also am, this might just be the best way to freshen up your day. You can buy a bottle of Pure Soap here at £15.00 for 30 ml.

After a very unfortunate incident at the airport, I lost my all-time favourite moisturiser. For years, I could never pin down the perfect product. No matter what I tried, my face, within a matter of 2 hours, would produce enough oil to fill a bottle. Somehow, I managed to stumble upon Clinique’s Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief. I have worshipped this product ever since. The light cream sinks right into my skin and provides it with hydration all day long. The oil on my face was finally under control and it even helped with my acne. It’s crazy, but I feel so much happier when I use it because I know that it’s the only product that has had perfect results on my face. I cannot wait to receive this for Christmas. It will make my morning and night so much better! You can be just as happy by purchasing the moisturiser here at £34.00 for 50ml.  

I have to have lip gloss on me at all times; otherwise, I panic. As soon as my lips begin to feel dry, I have to moisturise. Even if they don't feel dry, I still have to touch-up my lips. Some might even call it an addiction. Any way, when I heard about Heathcote & Ivory’s new Secret Paradise collection, I knew I had to try something. As soon as I laid my eyes on the Secret Paradise Lip Gloss Tin, I had to put it on my Christmas list. It contains beeswax, which soothes and softens your lips. Not only is it peach flavoured (one of my favourite fruits), but it comes in the most adorable heart-shaped tin. The delicate heart features Madagascan violets and lilies and cute little hummingbirds. With this lip gloss, I will no longer be just a lip gloss freak. I’ll be a lip gloss freak with style. If you share my addiction, you can purchase the Secret Paradise Lip Gloss tin here at £4.00 for 14g.  

If I die, it will be death by chocolate. I can't live without it. If I was stranded on an island with nothing else but chocolate, that would be okay.

Since chocolate is part of my daily food intake, I had to find the perfect balance, which is why I love indulging in Doisy & Dam chocolate. Not only is it delicious, but it's healthy for you too! Each 74% chocolate bar is packed with delicious, health-giving superfoods. Each superfood ingredient brings high levels of vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein and Omega 3. The cholesterol-lowering and antioxidant properties of the dark chocolate almost make these bars guilt-free! There are currently four products in the range and I just love the Mulberries, Chia Seeds & Spirulina chocolate bar. After devouring it within minutes, I knew I would want more for the holidays.

For all of you chocoholics out there, Doisy & Dam chocolate bars are available in 40g (RRP £1.65) and 100g (RRP £3.99) and they are available from the website and selected retailers including Ocado, Whole Foods and Planet Organic.

I hope all of you lovely readers have a Merry Christmas and enjoy your gifts! 

Jul Et Mad - Aqua Sextius

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We here at The Amazing Blog know how hard finding the perfect fragrance can be. So when something new like Jul Et Mad’s Aqua Sextius came along, one can only imagine how excited we were to expand our assortment of scents and give it a try. Needless to say, we were absolutely thrilled with the product.

The first thing that caught our eye about Jul Et Mad’s Aqua Sextius was that the liquid is a peculiar light green hue, reminding us of a breath of fresh air. Aside from being fascinated by the colour, the fragrance had a distinctive ability to provide dual sensations after being sprayed. The initial scent is a combination of citrus, bergamot, mandarin, orange and grapefruit, making us feel like we we’re enjoying a sunny day at the beach. We then instantly cooled down and enjoyed the blend of tea notes, powdery mimosa blossom, white flowers, and fig and pine tree resin. The array of ingredients in this product allows the fragrance to create an all around fresh and light summery atmosphere.

Jul et Mad Aqua Sextius comes in a beautiful 50ml bottle. The company also introduced special 20 ml travel packaging named Le Compagnon, ideal for those who want to test the fragrance before purchasing a large bottle. Each comes in a box made of grey leather and contains the product along with an additional 7ml travel bottle, giving customers the option to refill. For those who love miniatures there is also a LOVE DOSE 5ml bottle available with all four perfumes.

If you feel the need to drift away and get lost with Jul et Mad Sexitus Aqua, the product is avaliable for purchase here.

L’Artisan Parfumeur - Batucada

Here at The Amazing Blog we love new summer fragrances. So when L'Artisan Parfumeur sent us a sample of their new Batucada fragrance (in gorgeous packaging) we couldn’t wait to try it and get into the Brazilian carnival feel.

Getting its name from an African influenced Brazilian percussive sub style of samba, this fragrance is in perfect tune with Notting Hill Carnival 2014. The strong lime and mint top notes are reminiscent of the tropical, fruity drinks of a warm, sunny climate. The middle notes of ylang ylang subtly give the fragrance a beachy undertone. Finally, the bottom sea salt note, so reminiscent of holidays, purifies the senses with its salty fresh fragrance, as if we were on the famous Ipanema beach. Light fresh fragrances are available in abundance, but the citrus notes in Batucada transport you to the Brazilian beaches, giving this fragrance an edge on the competition.

L’Artisan Parfumeur is one of France’s most iconic fragrance houses and has been creating gorgeous scents to suit the seasons since its formation in 1976. L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Batucada is available here for £85 for 100ml.

Friday Favourites - Perfumes

According to some psychologists, the way we smell can alter how attractive we are to the opposite sex, so obviously upon learning this, The Amazing Blog girls decided to test a bunch of perfumes and create a list of some our favourites. A few of our top picks come from Yves Rocher, L’Artisan, Rouge Bunny Rouge, Grasse, Penhaligon, and VZ Hair and Glamour (a slimming perfume!). Yves_Rocher_secrets_essences_neroli

The Yves Rocher Neroli Secrets D’Essences is simply gorgeous. It’s filled with botanical-based ingredients and oozes an orange scent. This fruity fragrance has a lot of personality and is a fun perfume to wear during the day to attract some attention. It’s a good choice if you’re stuck for present ideas this Christmas as it's very aesthetically pleasing. We love long lasting fragrances here at The Amazing Blog and that’s exactly what we get from Yves Rocher. The bottle base is glass and paired with a thick plastic lid, both of which are clear, giving an overall elegant design which looks lovely no matter where it sits in your house. We are drawn to the shape, it’s comfortable to hold and the lid is easy to remove. The bottle also has an added size benefit, perfect for both handbag use and bathroom. Brilliant! It’s only £20 on offer at the moment and can be found on their website.

LA_CHASSE_AUX_PAPILLONS_SIDE_OPENWe have tried LArtisan perfumes before and you can read about it here. We have been impressed before and still are as they have fallen into our perfume favourites again with the La Chasse aux Papillons Giftset. The beautiful packaging is enough to make you want it anyway, you might not even need to look at the perfume. The smell reminds us of a flower garden as you are bombarded with an infusion of wonderful, exotic smells to consume. It is strong so would make a great evening perfume if you are heading out. With a sweet name like ‘Chase the butterflies’ it’s hard not to adore this fragrance. You can purchase this set for £65 on here.img_9f86a14dde4174c2c1bea7e3850275e9We also had a little experiment with three perfumes by Rouge Bunny Rouge. These have a unique smell which may be not be of interest to everyone as they do not follow traditional flowery smelling perfume guidelines. Each has a spicy aroma infused in it. The Embers scent smelt to me like cinnamon, which is an interesting one to have on the skin, making them exciting presents this Christmas if you have friends and family who like more quirky items. Being unisex sets them aside from lots of other perfumes and just brings out a little individuality and edginess.  There is also Cynefin and Silvan which are herbier, with a blend of lavender. The three scents make up the Provenance Tales collection and are each £110.09, and found on their personal webpage.

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The Grasse Au Parfum ‘Sexy Party’ is another popular one with us, apart from the name which we were a little unsure about. The bottle itself is really lovely and ideally sized to have for travelling if you want. The clear bottle and black pump work well together and give the fragrance a simple yet classy feel. The smell is very fresh and youthful and offers a French countryside ambience with with its unfamiliar but charming array of smells. It’s a great daytime perfume as it lasts and isn’t too overbearing. They ship to the UK so have a browse here.

Iris Prima

The Penhaligon Iris Prima perfume is possibly one to appeal more to an adult population. Although we don’t think this scent would be popular with teens, it’s definitely one for audiences with a more sophisticated taste in perfumes. Created by master perfumer, Alberto Morillas, you’d expect a brilliantly elegant perfume like this. The blend is inspired by ballet and you feel this through the pretty and simple charm the scent gives off. It does come with quite a heavy price tag, which again suggests it’s probably more appealing to adults but will be one that lasts as stronger perfumes don’t need as much application. Its £85 for 50ml and £120 for 100ml and you can purchase this on their website.

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VZ Hair and Glamour has an interesting perfume especially designed to reduce and eventually prevent snacking and ultimately lose weight! We were instructed to apply the perfume on our wrists and inhale the scent for 5 minutes before every meal and whenever we got the urge to snack. This application can be repeated up to 5 times a day. It smells very strongly of citrus scents and if anything made us think of eating oranges rather than junk food. The jury is still out on whether or not this product will really work in the long run, but for its modest price, it is certainly worth a try if you are desperate to quit snacking. To get your hands on your own bottle of Diet Slimming Perfume then visit the VZ Hair and Glamour website where you can purchase the perfume for £22.99 for an 8ml bottle.

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If you are on the move a lot, then get hold of a Travalo to make them easy to travel with. You can dispense some perfume into these little containers and keep them with you without having to lug anything heavy around. They are comfy to hold and spray easily, just what you need in your handbag.