Recent Buys

Here's some of the things I've bought recently:

A beautiful and good quality plain notebook by Emerald & Lime. You can never have too many notebooks, well that's my opinion!

I can never resist a new launch at 4160Tuesdays and I had to have fruity and fizzy Lemon Sherbet which is from the #mrsglossmademedoit range. It has notes of lemon, orange, grapefruit, sherbet dibdabs, musk and vanilla and is perfect for spring and summer...and I got a sample vial with order - Goodbye Piccadilly "a scent for suffragettes, first made for London Transport Museum with materials used in 1914: violet, iris, lavender, leather, vanilla and patchouli".

I discovered Wax+Wick on Sasha's Instagram and found I couldn't resist a little splurge. The bottles are repurposed wine bottles picked up (empty) from the wine bars of Primrose Hill. They are ruddgedly cut making them look more interesting I think. 

The artisan candles handmade with 100% soy wax and interesting blends of essential oils. Grapefruit+Sage is just amazing and I can't wait to buy MORE. They are very well wrapped for postage and come in a drawstring cotton bag making them great for gifting if you can bear to part with them that is!

I'd tried products from Ravenscourt Apothecary before (link). Again, an instagram spot was the delicious sounding Blood Orange Body Butter, which really is mouthwatering. I also picked up a lip balm set. Love the simple packaging and that the products are made with care, love and natural ingredients.

My final recent buy was a reduced Mary Greenwell Plum candle at The Fragrance Shop. Totally bargainous at a tenner (RRP £45).  The packaging is super luxe and I've not decided yet whether to keep or gift!  The Perfume shop also give away 2 fragrance samples with order and I also picked 3 perfume sample vials for £3.

What have you been buying lately?

The Perfume Society: The Holiday Collection Discovery Box

The Perfume Society is a website which shares "everything you ever wanted to know about fragrances".  As well as learning about perfumes you can be one of the first to see the latest launches, get invitations to events, read a super informative e-magazine magazine called The Scented Letter (this is free to VIP Subscribers). Join as a VIP Subscriber for a year for £25. You get the magazine (8 issues a year), invitations to events, a Perfume Discovery Fragrance Edition, special content on the website which is only for subscribers and subsequent Discovery boxes for £10 with free P&P.

As I'm not a subscriber (yet) my The Holiday Collection Discovery Box cost £15 with free P&P.  It is absolutely jam packed with perfume samples and a couple of extra treats.

Inside there are in-depth information cards about each product and a book of blotters - use these before trying the perfume on your skin as the heart and base notes of a perfume are the ones you live with once the top notes subside.

I'll start with a perfume I already love. L'Artisan Mure et Musc EDT 1.5ml - I've been lucky enough to own a bottle of this beautiful scent.  It has top notes of lemon, orange, basil, mint and red berries. A heart of blackberry and jasmine and base notes of patchouli, musks, oak and moss.  I love the fresh blackberry floral notes.  Think a bottle of this is going on the wishlist as I'd forgotten how lovely it is!

Another perfume I adore is Shay & Blue's Atropa Belladonna 2ml - it is an intoxicating scent and I reviewed it here. I'm currently on my second bottle.

The second last scent in the box that I've tried previously is Liz Earle's Botanical Essence No 15 EDP 2ml - a "fresh oriental" with top notes of pink pepper, bergamot and cinnamon leaves, a heart of rose absolute Damascena, cypriol and cedarwood with a base of vanilla bourbon, amberiff, sandalwood and tonka bean. Spicy and warm with floral and earthy notes.

The final perfume I've tried before is Plum by Mary Greenwell EDP 2ml - I didn't love this the first time I tried it but I'll try it again.  It has top notes of peach, bergamot, lemon, plum and blackcurrant with heart notes of gardenia, tuberose, orange blossom, rose and jasmine (I love these notes!) with a base of sandalwood, oak moss, patchouli, amber and white musk.  I'll let you know my thoughts once I've given it another go.

All the rest of the perfumes I haven't tried before. I'll give you an update later as to my thoughts on them when I try them.

Agent Provocateur Fatale EDP 2ml - this has top notes of pink pepper, mango and blackcurrant with a heart of velvet gardenia, orris absolute and patchouli with a base of vanilla, skin musk, chocolate gourmand addiction and labdanum.

Judith Williams I love Milano, Principessa EDP 10ml - this smells beautiful and is a great size!  With top notes of mandarin, green leaf accord and passionfruit, heart notes of jasmine, tuberose and gardenia and base notes of amber, musk, vanilla and solar accord.

L'Occitane Collection de Grasse The Vert & Bigarade EDT 7.5ml - I adore Magnolia & Mure from this range.  This one has top notes of orange and bitter orange, heart notes of green tea and yerba mate with base notes of cedar, thyme and musk.

Versace Crystal Collection - Yellow Diamond, Bright Crystal and Crystal Noir EDT 1ml - two in the trio are florals and one is oriental. They were created to "celebrate the rich and infinite variety of personalities that embody the Versace women".

The extra treats are:

A full size (8ml) nails inc Gel Effect Polish in St James and a 5ml trial size of Sarah Chapman's Skinesis Overnight Facial.

A great box I think. What are your thoughts?