Jo Malone – Peony & Blush Suede EDT

From Jo Malone website – Peony Blush suede

I have always wanted to try a Jo Malone perfume or EDT. This sample I was fortunate enough to receive through the mail a few months ago.

JO MALONE

“An understated style. Defined by an unconventional sense of sophistication. With taste that is rarified, yet a touch audacious. Timeless and elegant…but always infused with a charming dash of wit and whimsy. “

A British company that states it doesn’t test on animals but if you read the small print they also say,

“ We do not conduct animal testing on our products or ingredients, nor ask others to test on our behalf, except when required by law. “

Sorry but that is not good enough for me. That I find very disappointing.

This Peony and Blush Suede scent was launched in 2013 and the creator of the scent was Christine Nagel.

PACKAGING

This is a floral perfume and no mistake. The box is covered in pretty pink peony flowers and is a very feminine package. The bottle inside is a clear glass tall square sided bottle with a silver stopper over the spray dispenser.

The bottle is functional rather than attractive but the box is pretty and very obviously for a floral perfume.

NOTES AND SO ON
This is a ladies perfume and is no way a unisex as it is light and very definitely floral and I can’t see it appealing to any men.

The top note is red apple;
The middle notes are peony, jasmine, carnation and rose;
The base note is suede.

MY VIEWS

I sprayed this on and instantly the first hit was fresh and fruity and very light, not a deep strong fragrance at all.

Some tome later, about half an hour the scent was still very subtle and did become slightly more floral but to me it was still very light and fresh with more peony than jasmine, a light floral. It smelled quite natural, more like smelling a real peony or rose. It was not as strong as a real jasmine aroma so that must be only a small amount compared to the other notes.

The base not is suede and all that seems to do is give a slightly earthier quality to the scent. So that the light, fresh floral notes do stay with the natural scent. There is no way you might mistake this for unnatural floral notes.

I am not sure how Jo Malone creates their scents whether they use synthetic fragrances or natural ones. If they are synthetic then to me they are very natural smelling ones.

These are not cheap scents and they are colognes or EDTs so not long lasting. The 30 ml bottle is £39 while the 100ml costs £78 which I think is a lot for a cologne or EDT. It doesn’t last any longer than the average EDT and after a couple of hours it has faded to almost not noticeable to me.

Just had another sniff and I can just about detect the suede not which is slightly lightened by the floral notes. So sort of suede shoes that have been rubbed with rose petals!

I said at the start that Jo Malone scents had always had an appeal and that was why I was so thrilled to get this to try. I would still be interested in trying the spicier, woodier scents of theirs but this I found pleasant but not exciting. I was also disappointed with the longevity and the sillage or way it carried while I was wearing it.

I will enjoy using the remainder of this but it is not one I will be saving up to buy.

Versace Bright Crystal – EDT

Versace – Bright Crystal EDT

Once more I have delved into my drawer where I keep my perfumes and found another little spray sample that I have not yet reviewed.

This one is from the House of Versace which really needs no further introduction as it is one of the more well known fashion houses. This fragrance was released in 2006 and was created by Alberto Morillas.

ALL WRAPPED UP

Versace Crystal Bright my sample

This one came in a nice mini box similar to the one the full sized perfume comes in. the box is pale pink darker at the top then fading as it goes further down. The top of the box is silver with an embossed diamond pattern. It is quite understated but also classy.

My mini spray is white plastic with a pink lid. Simple and rather functional to my mind. The actual full sized bottle is more attractive and is sort of chunky square in clear pale pink glass with a clear diamond cut plastic/glass stopper of the spray. It is quite attractive but not earth shattering in it originality.

I see on the Boots website that 50 ml of this in a spray bottle will set you back nearly £50 while 100 ml is pretty close to the £100 mark. I suspect if you shop around you may find it cheaper but it is one of the more expensive eau de toilettes generally. I find fragrance direct on line is usually a lot cheaper and often half the price of Boots.

WHAT NOTES ABOUND?

The top notes are pomegranate, Yuzu and frosted accord.
The heart notes are Peony, magnolia and fresh lotus
The base notes are amber extracted from plants, musk and red woods.

MY THOUGHTS

The initial spray of this is very light and fresh, sweet but with a pleasant sort of water melon note to soften the sweetness. That is probably the pomegranate as that is not a sweet aroma. The yuzu is a Japanese orange type of fruit so again fresh and citrussy and heaven knows what frosted accords are except presumably fresh and like a frosty day.

It began to fade after about half an hour which is not surprising as it is an EDT not an EDP. The floral notes became more obvious but again in a subtle way not heavily floral nor too sweet. The strange thing is that I can also smell roses and there is no rose element listed in the notes maybe it comes from the peony notes combined with others. This stage was lovely freshly floral and a very ‘pretty’ feminine fragrance to me.

My mini spray sample

About three hours after I first applied the eau de toilette I could still smell it on my wrist which is where I apply all my perfumes for reviewing purposes. I then write the review over time taking note of the scent developing and changing.

The dry down is still floral and fresh with the warm musky notes giving a depth to the scent. I am afraid the amber was too subtle for my unqualified nose but the end result is a lovely fresh floral scent with a warm heart but not at all heavy.

This to me is a lovely light fresh floral, very feminine and perfect for a summer ‘s day. It is not dominating but it is very much there and I would be happy to wear it.

I can’t say I will be rushing to buy it , mainly as I already have far too many perfumes but also because it doesn’t have the wow factor for me. It is a pretty and youthful scent and I will happily use my sample and would apply it at an airport but probably not buy it myself.

Britney Spears Fantasy the Nice Remix – perfume

 

Fantasy – The Nice Remix

Trawling through my pile of perfume samples I found this double pack of Britney Spears perfume. Inside the cardboard folder there are two glass mini spray samples, one is the Nice remix and the second is the Naughty remix.

BRITNEY SPEARS

I would NEVER go out and buy a perfume endorsed by a celebrity and certainly not one from Britney as I do feel I am way beyond the age of clientèle she is aiming her scent towards. My feelings for Britney stem from the years of having to endure her songs played on repeat by my step daughter when she was a young teen. I still can’t hear ‘Baby bay…’ without thinking of my step daughter and her obsession back then!

Fairy Floss or cotton candy

IT’S ALL FANTASY

Britney released Fantasy back in 2005 and these remixes are based on that popular scent. These two remixes were released in 2014 so are fairly recent additions to the market.
The Naughty Remix is supposed to be slightly more daring and ‘darker’ while this one made for the lighter day time moments or those who like sweeter scents. Both are pretty light and sweet and based on the original Fantasy but emphasize different notes of the original.
“Fantasy is truly an unforgettable scent. Remixing the original notes to create new fantasy scents gives my fans and me more ways of expressing our inner fantasies – whether they’re naughty or nice.” Britney Spears.

PRICES AND SIZES

This Nice remix is available in three sizes 30 ml, 50 ml and for real fans 100ml! The prices as always do vary so it is best to shop around. The 30 ml one varies around the £20 mark and at Superdrug it is £23, the 50 ml one has almost twice the quantity but is selling for £26 while if you like this scent by far the best value is the 100ml one which costs £40.

It is widely available both on line and in many stores so shop around for the best value.

PACKAGING
I do feel a nice package and an original one is a selling point for a perfume. This comes in a pretty pink girly looking box. It has geometric patterns in various soft shades of pink and is very pretty looking especially for younger girls.

The bottle is a tall pale pink galss bottle which is rounder at the base and also lighter pink at the base. There is a gold ‘necklace’ arund the neck of the bottle. It isn’t fancy but is quite pretty and attractive.

WHAT DOES IT SMELL LIKE?
This is sweet, almost teeth clenchingly sweet to me, cotton candy, boiled sweets cooking sort of sweet. It is described as being ‘romantic and flirty’ and ‘a sparkling fruity scent’.

Cupcakes

The notes are one dimensional to me and they are kiwi, jasmine, sweet cupcake and creamy musk. SWEET as you can see. The kiwi lifts it slightly but in truth it is cupcake with cotton candy and nothing more. I sprayed a little on my wrist about two hours ago and apart from becoming slightly more muted the scent has stayed the same.

RECOMMENDED?

Not for me as my scents of choice are usually heavier on the base notes with amber, oudh and the like. This just smells like a sweet shop to me. I do realise I am not the target audience but even so it is very sweet. I think young teens may like it but this is one I won’t be buying or even using again I feel. I think the left overs of this may well end up being an air freshener at some time in a room.

Lush Gorilla perfume ‘ Love’ – solid version

Lush ‘LOVE’ perfume options

Gorilla Perfume was a sort of subsidiary of Lush and was started specifically to showcase the perfumery of Mark and Simon Constantine. They wanted to offer perfumes that were different from the high street offerings that were made with quality ingredients.
Mark is the co-founder of “Lush” and also of the now closed “B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful and prior to that he headed the “Cosmetics To Go” company. In the perfumery he is assisted by his son, Simon.
Love is a Floral Fruity fragrance and was created in 2011 at the same time as TucaTuca and a few others. The fragrance features bergamot, amalfi lemon, lemongrass, red apple, cinnamon, jasmine, rose and ylang-ylang.

LUSH AND PERFUMES GENERALLY
We are very lucky in Derby because our lovely Lush shop in the Westfield centre has the entire range of Lush perfumes as well as the essential oil elements of some. Lush sells a fairly large range of perfumes now and every scent comes in three or four different forms. There is usually a solid perfume which tends to be the form which has the shortest staying power, the next is a small spray which is less concentrated than the 30ml black bottle which has the strongest concentration. Many of the scents also have a small 2ml sample bottle too which is usually in the same concentration as the mini spray or spritzers which I believe has 8ml in it. The solid perfumes weigh 12g so they are not huge but I rather like them to carry in my handbag as there is never a danger of any leakage and you can quickly pop a little on your pulse points without spritzing others in the bargain.

Love atomiser

HOW MUCH?
The perfume I am reviewing here is the small 2ml sample which was a gift from one of the staff in Lush one day. The solid perfume is £7.50, the small spritzers are £15.00, the large 30ml version is £31 and the 2ml sample sells for £3. I think this is one of the more expensive of Lush’s perfumes. The solid versions usually offer good value and will probably be the one I buy myself after this has finished as you don’t need a lot to get a pretty decent aroma but you do have to be careful if it is very hot weather as it does melt very easily. This is not one of Lush’s stronger scents but the solid form works well for me so I don’t think I will be tempted to buy the large atomiser as this works really well for me.

ABOUT LOVE
This scent was created to try and capture the elusiveness of love. It was inspired by Mark watching his sons fall in and out of love. It is flirty and fun and teases with its changing notes. It is quite a light scent sort of apple with citrus and a hint of spiciness. I thought it was a bit underwhelming initially but once I left the shop I realised that is was quite evident and began to enjoy it more.

Love solid perfume

WHAT LUSH SAY
“Feels like: that first rush of endorphins” is the tag line on the website.
“Watching my sons fall in and out of love inspired this perfume, and rather like their relationships, it took quite a while to get right. It is for flirts really, but being a flirt is not something everyone wants to be known for. On the other hand, flirting is so much fun. I have tried to make a perfume that will flirt for you while you pretend indifference. Love is an instantly bright and bubbly fragrance with a vivacious green apple fruit scent and sweet citrus innocence. As the initial burst fades, it’s replaced with a sugary sweet apple pie note while maintaining a sharp lift.” Mark Constantine
“This inspirational scent dreams up images of past flings and future fondles as the citrus, rose and jasmine oils have a party on your skin. Flirtatious and fruity, Love is the scent that keeps on giving.”

PACKAGING
This is Lush and all their perfumes come in the same packaging. The large atomiser is simple and plain black glass. I find that is good in that it keeps the perfume fresh as it is in the dark but annoying in that you can’t see what is left.
I like the simple packaging as I fell the effort has gone into the scent not the bottle but I have to admit I do like pretty bottles and these don’t look so great on my dressing table. The other problem is that all the bottles are the same so you have to keep the little cardboard tag on the bottles to tell which is which.

Jasmine

The spritzer comes in a small black spray, again difficult to see how much is left an dis not recyclable through Lush. The sample is a tiny glass bottle which is clear and has the name on the outside on a black label and can of course be recycled with other glass.
Finally the solid perfume comes in a black tube, a bit like a fat lipstick and this is recyclable through Lush. If you take five of these or a mix of these and the black pots then you can choose a free fresh face mask or fresh hair mask from them as a reward. What a fabulous incentive and one I make good use of so thank you Lush.

MY THOUGHTS ON THE PERFUME
Main notes: Lemon, lemongrass, bergamot, apple, cinnamon, cassia, jasmine, rose, ylang ylang

Initially all I got from this was the very subtle lemon notes, a sort of lemon meringue creamy rather than sharply citrus. Also blending with this creamy lemon are hints of apples and a very subtle cinnamon almost vanilla puddingish sort of scent.
After some time I began to notice the more floral notes coming through and the rose in particular but not sure I could detect the ylang ylang but that didn’t bother me as I am not the biggest fan of ylang ylang, I find it a bit sickly.
This mix of notes almost hops back and forth and this is the flirting that Mark was aiming for. The citrus creamy notes are still there and yet the floral sweet notes also pop through from time to time.
It is sort of like having a bouquet of roses next to a lemon meringue pie you can smell them both and each comes through at different times.

As I write my review I am wearing this. I always wear the perfume I am reviewing as then I can keep sniffing it and remind myself of what smells I can detect. I love writing perfume reviews because of this I sit and sniff then write a bit more.

This isn’t an especially feminine fragrance, but I love it the fruity sweetness suits me. Like a lot of Lush scents this has that strange and unusual blending giving a unique depth to it that you can’t just place . It is creamily sweet at the same time as being light and citrus- like, a summery fragrance it is also mellow and distinctive in its own way.

I would suggest that it is possibly a daytime scent, perfect for holidays or in the summer. It isn’t overly girly and sweet so would suit a range of ages .

I love this and have the solid version to go with my growing collection. I love having different perfumes to wear as my mood changes and I find this is quite an uplifting one but one that suits most occasions.
Mark and Simon Constantine don’t think along traditional lines and so the scents they create and very unusual. They keep on inventing and I keep on trying them. This is a keeper as it is subtle yet fun and would suit most people. I do suggest that you try before you buy and do like I do. Put one or at the most two scents on your wrists and then leave the shop and do some shopping. Try the scents after thirty minutes and an hour and see what you think then as that will give you a better idea than just sniffing in the shop.

Nicki Minaj Minajesty – Eau de Parfum

My sample

I have never heard of this person or brand before I received this sample through the mail. The sample came as a small spray glass vial in a folder of card which was a deep pink colour with black edges top and bottom. It was fairly plain and gave no hint of what I might expect from a bottle of this perfume! Probably not a bad plan considering it has to be quite the ugliest and oddest perfume bottle I have ever seen.

This is a fairly new offering, only released last year by Nicki Minaj. The lady I have discovered is an American rapper or hip hop singer which is why I have not heard of her as I avoid all rap music. She is an attractive girl who seems to dress quite normally. Not in an outrageous manner like some singing stars do. She seems to be outspoken and has come to blows verbally with a number of other singers I have read.

She has released a couple of perfumes, this one and the one that was released before this was called ‘Pink Friday’ has an equally hideous bottle but with straight pink hair on the lady as opposed to the red curly hair on this one. Both bottles show the top half of a woman wearing a decorative bra but they both look a bot dominatrix to me.

The bottle

It isn’t an expensive perfume so obviously aimed at the younger market and despite it rather odd bottle it is aimed at women as it is a light sweet perfume. It costs around £16 for 30 ml which is the cheaper end of the perfume market I would say. It is marketed as a perfume not an EDT but I feel it is a very light scent and more like an EDT.

The scent is marketed to appeal to those wanting a sexy sensual scent “Rule your queendom with Nicki Minaj Minajesty, a captivating and sultry fragrance.

A thoroughly sultry and glamorous statement that raises the bar, Nicki redefines reality with a wink of playfulness. With a nod to her vibrant and animated personality, Nicki conquers with power and femininity as the majestic queen of her luxurious world. “

MY VIEWS

Apart from the fact I think the bottle is hideous and would not allow it in my house I find that the scent is very light. I would describe it as a light fruity floral EDT and sensual and sultry would be low down my list of descriptive words for this.

The notes in this perfume are:
Top notes are red berries, lemon and peach
middle notes are magnolia, frangipani and orchid
base notes are tonka bean, vanilla and musk.

Looking at the list of notes you can see there are no deep base notes, they are all sweet creamy and there is no earthiness or depth to me.
I sprayed this on my wrist about two hours ago and after the first fresh hit that made me sneeze which was very fresh and sweet with the citrus and peach coming through strongly. It didn’t smell too natural to me though, rather synthetic.

The dry down has left me with a hint of sweet talc like scent with a hint of creamy magnolia. It has virtually disappeared in reality.

It has very poor longevity for a perfume , it is even poor for an EDT. The sillage is also not great. When I asked my husband if he could tell if I was wearing any perfume he said no, he couldn’t smell anything so considering he is in the same room sitting next to me shows that it is pretty poor at carrying it scent.

RECOMMENDED?
Well I won’t be buying it. I don’t think I am the target audience and I certainly wasn’t attracted to buy it by the packaging or the fact it was a celebrity fragrance as I have never heard of the young lady in question.

I think the bottle is hideous and the scent is weak, sweet and doesn’t really have any lasting quality. It is far from sensuous and sultry.

Lush Gorilla perfume – Lord of Goathorn

This has to be one of the oddest perfumes I have ever smelled. Lush in Derby had just the one tester bottle in there today and so naturally I had to try it. I opened the bottle and thought it was vile when I smelled it a bit like creosote or something dead really awful. However I thought some of the other new perfumes had smelled a bit odd when sniffed in the bottle so I dabbed a goodly quantity on my inner wrist and then recoiled.

The initial blast is truly powerfully foul. It smells like a wharf side with fish and seaweed, tar and ropes but pungent and rather yukky.

I spent some time in the shop buying stuff and chatting to the staff as I always do and we all thought this was one we probably wouldn’t be rushing to buy. Some were more polite and said it was an acquired taste and maybe it was one you either loved or hated!

They did offer to wash it off but I decided to leave it on and see if it changed at all. For at least half an hour the notes of tar and ropes still hung around but fortunately the fishier rank notes did fade after about twenty minutes.
After about an hour the scent did improve and became quite licorice like on me. On my clothes the stronger notes still hung around a bit more but in fact it became far more acceptable after about an hour or so.

WHAT LUSH SAY
“Inspired by a longshoreman known as the Lord of Goathorn, this is a distinctly marine-like fragrance. Its initial intriguing seaweedy smell turns to smoky lime and basil lifted on a sea breeze.”

FROM THIS INSPIRATION
According to Basenotes this was
“ Inspired by a small, uninhabited peninsula off the coast of Poole – and the fisherman who lived there and had his boats commandeered by smugglers who would then leave him bounty. The smell evokes the sea using seaweed, lime and basil.”

Seaweed

Lush managed to create a distinctly atmospheric one here but not sure if it is one I will be rushing to buy. It is an acquired taste to say the least and I can’t see many people wanting to smell like an old fisherman really!

Lush used seaweed absolute combined with tarragon oil and basil oil to create this one. I can’t imagine how tarragon and basil combined with seaweed to create quite such an odd aroma. If it was just seaweed then it wouldn’t be so bad but where did the tar and fishy aroma come from?

THE BOTTLE
This new range is not presented in the plain black bottles that we are used to in Lush perfumes. These are in clear square bottles and some are round classic bottles depending on the size of the perfume inside. The labels are quite different, this one is a deep pinky red and white. There is a man with a cap and a sack walking and he is in black and white. The name of the perfume is in black with ‘Lord of’ and ‘Goathorn’ below the picture. It is sort of retro cartoon style with the colours and certainly very different from the plain black ones of the original perfumes. They look a bit like mini liqueur bottles to me.

THE SCENT IN MY VIEW
The overwhelming scent that hits you in this one is the seaweed combined with fish and that of tar and ropes. After some time it does improve and the scent becomes one of liquorice which is much more pleasant, sadly you will have to put up with the bus emptying and everyone moving away from you before it mellows to the preferable liquorice scent.

This is such an amazingly strange perfume and the odd scent lasted far longer than I wanted it to. The more pleasant liquorice aroma lasted until I washed it off that night. On my clothes it was the nicer scent that stuck fortunately so I didn’t have to wash my jumper the next day. This is one strong and powerful perfume and not one that you would need or want to top up at all during the day.

The sillage I can’t comment on as I went straight home and by the time I got there it had calmed down a bit. Nobody actually recoiled from me but then nobody said I smelled nice either!!

PRICES AND SIZES
I am sorry all of you who are thinking of buying this as my Lush shop only had the tester bottle and it doesn’t seem to be available on line either despite being on the website so you will have to watch the Lush website with anticipation and wait patiently.

RECOMMENDED?
I am quite sure this one will not appeal to many people. This is a unique scent and a very odd one too. I certainly will NOT be buying it.
If you are in a Lush shop test with great care – you never know you might like it!!! 

This reminds me of strange liqueurs we have bought when abroad that atse disgusting when we get home. I love the fact that Lush create perfumes based on experiences but this is an experience I can live without!!

Jayne Ormonde – Tolu – Perfume

I was lucky enough to receive this sample through one of my many sites I look at regularly for freebies or multi pack samples for good prices.

The bottle is fairly plain and not offensive but not fancy or particularly exciting. The bottle is square and clear with the perfume name and brand name written on it and that is about it. The box is basically a classic one with two colours, mandarin and ebony but it is classy in its simplicity.

Tolu is apparently a fragrance based on tolu balm made of a resin from a South American wood. This scent is created around that fragrance. The creator is Linda Pilkington and the perfume was launched in 2002.

Tolu tree

This is a lovely warm perfume and appeals to the sort of scents I love. I love exotic aromas such as frankincense and amber this blends with orange to create a really lovely scent.

Top Notes: Juniper berry, orange blossom and clary sage
Heart Notes: Orchid, Moroccan rose and muguet
Base Notes: Tolu, tonka bean, golden frankincense and amber

The top notes are juniper, orange and sage which is unusual and the orange or neroli certainly comes through strongest initially. The first hit gives the juniper and then the neroli/orange is very obvious and lasts for a good long time, the sage adds a bit of a deeper hit but is not obviously clary sage to me. This is real essential oil sort of scent, not chemical powderiness at all.

The middle notes are orchid (not really sure what that smells of, rose and lily of the valley but I have to admit that these were not so obvious to me. The floral middle notes give a sweetness to the scent and blend the orange down a little.

The heart notes are the ones that I am really pulled towards and these are tolu balsam, tonka bean which is a lovely creamy aroma Olibanum which I am not sure what this smells of and finally my favourite amber and frankincense. This warmth and creaminess is the best part of the perfume as the top notes and middle notes blend with the deeper notes to give the true scent of this perfume.

The whole effect is really warm and comfortable with a heart of exotic. I really love this one and if I get the chance I will be buying the full version. This is a classy oriental style of perfume and quite heady. On me it lasted well and had good sillage too. I applied it as I went out in the evening and could still smell it on me as I got into bed later so I was impressed. My clothes smelled lovely too the next day as they had absorbed the aroma too.
This will remain a classic , a bit like Shalimar but less in your face than that or Opium. This will appeal to more than those two do as this is softer and more feminine in my opinion.

Although the bottle is very plain, it is classy and the scent within this plain bottle is special, a real gem quite intoxicating , exotic and sweet without being overbearing.

This fragrance is available in perfume and eau de parfum in 50 ml flacon. I have just seen that the sample I have is selling for around £8.75. I can’t imagine why anyone would pay that for 2ml as the full sized bottle is £80 for 50ml. Wow I had no ide it was that price I will be looking after my last 1ml carefully!

If you get the chance to try this and you like exotic oriental sort of fragrances then give it a try. If you like light citrus or sweet florals then don’t bother.

Lush LUST perfume, solid version

LUST

Lush’s tagline for this: “Feels like : getting filthy in a good way”

I love Lush and especially love their wonderfully unusual perfumes. I am having a minor panic as a number of them are going to be removed from sale in the shops and will only be available online soon so I am buying as many as I am while they are still around.

LUSH PERFUMES
We are very lucky in Derby because our lovely Lush shop in the Westfield centre has the entire range of Lush perfumes as well as the essential oil elements of some. Lush sells a fairly large range of perfumes now and every scent comes in three or four different forms. There is usually a solid perfume which tends to be the form which has the shortest staying power; the next is a small spray which is less concentrated than the 30ml black bottle which has the strongest concentration. Many of the scents also have a small 2ml sample bottle too which is usually in the same concentration as the mini spray or spritzers which I believe has 8ml in it. The solid perfumes weigh 12g so they are not huge but I rather like them to carry in my handbag as there is never a danger of any leakage and you can quickly pop a little on your pulse points without spritzing others in the bargain.

Ylang-Ylang

HOW MUCH?
The perfume I am reviewing here is the solid version of LUST which I bought just the other day. The solid version costs £6.00 while the small spritzers are £10, the large 30ml version is £21 and the 2ml sample sells for £2.00. I think the solid version offers good value as the 2ml wouldn’t give me many uses and the solid ones have always given me plenty of use as you don’t need a lot to get a pretty decent aroma but you do have to be careful if it is very hot weather as it does melt very easily. I would also suggest that keeping it in the fridge may affect the scent so would not advise that.

THE STORY BEHIND THE CREATION

This perfume was created to be a sexy man catcher. It doesn’t pretend to be subtle it is sexy jasmine and very strongly so.
“Mark firmly believes that the problem with jasmine fragrances is the temptation to dress them up in a frock and take away the power. With Lust, he went all the way and created a powerfully sensual, dirty jasmine perfume that stirs a primal yearning.
Wear this if you want to get lucky. Cast aside your inhibitions and wear this unadulterated jasmine fragrance.”

Mark on Lust perfume
“I think what you’re good at is what you like to do. I do believe that I’m good at jasmine. I wanted to do a really, really sexy, dirty, lustful fragrance and that’s what I’ve done. I’m very happy with it! I’d done fragrances like that before, but I’d never had the nerve to let them be. British people have a problem with sexy fragrances; there’s always this feeling of having to dress the thing up in a frock and put a bonnet on it. This time, I just went all the way.”

Rose absolute

THE SCENT AND WHAT I THINK

I just love this it is jasmine at its most powerful and sexy. It is ‘Flying Fox’ shower gel in a perfume. The jasmine is strong so if you are not a fan then steer well clear. It is backed up for warmth and depth by sandalwood another favourite of mine and the creaminess and floral notes are given that extra punch with the ylang ylang while a subtle sweetness and lift are added by the rose yet all the while the jasmine still packs its punch.

This is not a subtle perfume in any way shape or form it shouts sexy and you fell good when wearing it.
I have worn it all day today and it has lasted the entire day and I can still smell it on me. I had my hair cut and the hairdresser asked what I was wearing s I smelled really good. She also said it was very unusual and quite heady.

This is no shrinking violet of a perfume . It is strong and intense and a scent that will get you noticed. After you have been wearing it for some time you can still smell the wonderfully powerful jasmine mixing in a heady combination with ylang ylang which is also quite heady and rose and sandalwood they are all there and can be picked out at different times as the scent develops and blend together but still that jasmine powers on come through.

This is just a lovely strong powerful perfume that almost shouts out as you wear it. It is far from subtle so if you like flowery gently light perfumes you probably won’t like this.

jasmine

WHAT IS IN THIS?
The notes in this are not subtle they are jasmine, ylang ylang, rose, vanilla, sandalwood. I have to say the vanilla doesn’t make much of an appearance smell- wise but maybe it just adds the creaminess subtly although there is not much subtlety in this perfume.

AND ALSO
Once I sniffed this in the shop I just had to have it. It is actually quite hard to smell different perfumes in the Lush shop as there are so many smells going on in there. What I usually do is put the perfume on using the samples there. I then go off and do my shopping. I do one perfume at a time. If I like it still after I have finished my shopping it then does on my ‘Wish List’.

I have to admit I do buy a lot on Ebay as you can often get them cheaper there. I just look for which are on there and bid to a certain amount. I miss out on loads but I decide what I am prepared to pay and stick to it. I also ask for them for gifts from the family too and that is how I have built up my collection.

I have the solid perfume in this so when I put this on it REALLY lasts well all day long. The concentration is pretty intense so you have to be careful not to be too generous with your application. I wipe the solid stick on my inner elbows and wrists and then behind my ears. If I want to enjoy it more I wipe a bit down my cleavage as the warmth brings the scent up to my nose then.

I know it lasts all day as I can still smell it on my wrists now and I put this on this morning. This is another of Lush’s heavier deeper perfumes and will appeal to those who like earthy heavier scents. It is not subtle at all.
This has to be one of my favourites of Simon Constantine’s creations at Lush. I like lots of different scents but I am often drawn to the heavier more exotic sexy notes in this and it is unique. I am happy to just sniff the place I have applied this all day long.

Another good thing about the solid perfumes is that the plastic containers that they come in are recyclable through Lush and if you take back five of these or a mix of these and the black pots then you can choose a free fresh face mask or hair mask for your reward.

sandlwood

The solid perfumes usually have a use buy date about a year after they were made.
If you are lucky enough to have a Lush store like the one in Derby with a full range of perfumes I recommend you to give them a try. They are not to everyone’s taste as they are quite strong and a lot of them have quite deep strong and more heavy notes but I love them and spend ages listening to the stories as to the inspiration behind their creation.

To me perfumes are a sort of experience that is more than just the smell. They are a bit like fine wines and single malt whiskeys in that there is poetry and art in their creation. These to me are all part of the perfume, the inspiration, the poetry and the images that are created by you in your head as you first sniff the perfume as well as the effect you have on the scent, the way it changes on you and your own skin. It is all part of the magic to me.

Monsoon eau de toilette

Monsoon – eau de toilette

I bought this eau de toilette a while back from Ebay as the scent combination intrigued me and sounded like one I would like. I didn’t pay very much for it but it sells for around £10 usually so it isn’t one of the top priced designer fragrances.

The perfume came in a lovely purple almost ‘Liberty’ patterned box which looked very classy and exotic with sort of swirls a bit like peacock feathers on it.

Inside the box the bottle has a long neck with a metal cover in the same sort of pattern as it on the box the glass bottle is very squat and round. To me it looks like an expensive perfume bottle, it has lovely colours and an interesting shape.
The perfume even looks pink but I think it might be the glass that is pink however it does look very pretty, girly but also quite sophisticated too.

Neroli

The perfume can be bought in 30 ml, 50 ml and 100 ml and is sometimes on Amazon, ebay and even Boots as well as Monsoon. I would suggest looking on line for the best prices.

The notes listed as being in this eau de toilette are:
TOP NOTES – Neroli, Bergamot and Lychee
FLORAL UNDERTONES – Bougainvillea petal and Moroccan rose oil
BASE NOTES – Eastern spice and hot amber oils.

The eau de toilette has top notes of neroli, bergamot and lychee. This is what hits you first as you spray this on; a fruity fresh light fresh smell which I liked and reminded me of a fruit salad with citrus notes. Later the other notes creep in subtly and I can detect the Moroccan rose and a hint of amber. However the base notes of amber and eastern spice, not sure what that is, really doesn’t come through in my view which is a shame. As far as I know bougainvillea petals don’t have much scent and I certainly couldn’t pick that out. The deeper sensual warm notes are really not there and the sensual aroma is very lacking. This is a nice gentle smelling eau de toilette and I do quite like it but what I find disappointing is its lack of staying power.

It is meant to be Monsoon’s more sensual exotic and heavy scent but it doesn’t manage that I would wear this is the day and certainly wouldn’t describe it as heavy or sensual and wouldn’t be one I would choose for an evening scent except maybe somewhere hot. I always find I like lighter scents when the weather is very hot as they are more refreshing.

Bouganvillea

I would suggest that this would suit younger people rather than sophisticated older ladies. I am not sophisticated so will happily wear this during the day. I am not into the really heavy scents such as ‘Poison’ or the like but rather like the lighter fresher scents. However I do like my scents to be deeper, I like the amber, patchouli, frankincense notes to hang around a bit longer. I like to be able to sniff where I have put my perfume and smell something there a few hours later. I also like the fact that my clothes smell of my fragrance after I have sprayed the scent over me when dressed. This does not stay at all and certainly by the end of the morning I can’t detect any scent at all.
I realise this is not an expensive scent to buy even at full whack but other body sprays that I have used like Soap and glory have lasted longer than this and have been a lot cheaper.

If this is Monsoon’s deeper, heavier more sensual eau de toilette then the lighter one must barely be worth wearing. Sorry Monsoon although this smells lovely and fresh as I spray it on me I am very disappointed in the lasting quality of the scent. It is described on sales sites as “Sophisticated and elegant” but I’m afraid it doesn’t do it for me.

This is a beautifully presented eau de toilette in a pretty purple paisley sort of ‘Liberty’ patterned box with a nice delicate shaped bottle. I loved the patterned lid too and think the product looks very elegant and classy. However I am not saying this so bad I would give it away. It smells lovely but lacks any staying power. This is not one I will be buying again.