2 new perfumes for my collection!

Hey girls!

I really, really, really love perfumes! I've always been a bit of a hoarder and with perfumes it's no different. I can never bring myself to get rid of them, no matter how old they are! I don't know if any of you do this, but when my perfumes are close to running out, I leave the last couple of sprays in the bottle and put it in my drawer and save it :) This is especially true if the perfume has a gorgeous bottle! Sometimes I even buy perfumes just because their packaging was nice :).

So anyway, when my mum bought matching his and hers Emporio Armani Diamonds perfumes for my boyfriend and myself, I was ecstatic! The bottles are gorgeous! The womens one is a multi-faceted glass bottle that looks and sparkles just like a diamond:

The scent is floral and fruity, with notes of lychee, raspberry, rose, freesia, lily of the valley, vetiver, cedar wood, patchouli and vanilla. When you first spray the scent it smells a little like candy, which personally, I love as I love sweet perfumes (Britney Spears' Fantasy is one of my favourites). Once settled, you can really smell the vanilla and fruits, but it still smells a little like candy to me. So if you aren't a fan of sweet perfumes then I'm not sure this one is for you, but I'd suggest giving it a try as I think it's lovely. I've read a lot of reviews with people saying it smells cheap and a bit too sickly, so it clearly isn't to everyone's tastes, but as everyone knows, perfumes react differently to every person's skin and so what smells nice on your friend may not suit you, so maybe just pick up a sample to try it :).
I wouldn't say the fragrance is very original, but it is very long lasting and suitable for both day and nighttime :).
Also, the male counterpart is just as gorgeous, I think my boyfriend smells lovely when he wears this, so if you are looking for a present for your boyfriend, consider this! This is how the frangrance is defined: 'The icy opening contrasts with lingering sensual, burning accents. The radiant freshness of the Italian citrus-bergamot accord is enlivened by a vibrant burst of szechuan pepper and the cedar heart is shaken up by the alluring cocoa bean. The slightly smoky gaiac wood and intense vetiver are set off by ambroxan with warm flinty accents to finish.' - Delicious!


The second perfume is Versace Woman, which was a gift from my nan :). It comes in a pretty light lilac glass bottle and is described as having:

Top Notes of Frangipani Blossoms, Leaves, Jasmine and Bergamot
Middle Notes of Eglantine, Padparadscha Lotus, Plum and Raspberry
Base Notes of Blue Cedar of Lebanon, Musk, Amber and Inoke Wood.

As soon as I sprayed the perfume I could smell the fruity and floral notes, which was gorgeous. The scent was really light and airy (in no way overpowering) which makes it perfect for a subtle daytime perfume. Once the perfume had settled, I could still clearly smell the fresh fruit and floral tones, but this time with subtle hints of Jasmine and citrus fruits. I tend to dislike perfumes with Jasmine undertones as I usually find it to be too strong, but this was definitely not the case with Versace Woman - it's very fresh and light :).

All in all, I really like this perfume and I've been wearing it during the day. I think it is the perfect scent for summer as it's so light and fresh and I will definitely be wearing it more often when the weather starts getting a little warmer. It has good staying power - I found that I could still smell it in the evening after uni when I'd applied it that morning. I did, however, notice that this perfume can be a little oily due to the high percentage of perfume oils it contains (between 10-20%), but this only meant that it took a little longer to sink into my skin.

What are your newest perfumes?

xoxo

Get the Victoria's Secret model look!

I've always loved Victoria's Secret, and if you've ever seen the Victoria's Secret fashion show you must have noticed how naturally beautiful and confident the models look. Here are a few makeup and beauty tips to recreate the look! I'm not going to write about the trademark VS model beachy hairstyle here, as that's a whole post\tutorial on it's own! Also, I'll be doing a VS model inspired FOTD and tutorial with pics a bit later :)

1: Skin

The models always have fresh, dewy looking skin. In order to get this it's important to wash with a cleanser that's suited to your skin tone. Follow with a gentle facial exfoliator and always moisturise! I like Olay Beauty Fluid as it's absorbed easily, doesn't leave a greasy residue and leaves a great base for your foundation.
After removing your makeup at night, apply a thin layer of Vaseline over your skin and leave overnight. In the morning you will have beautiful skin as Vaseline hydrates like no other! Also, something I've heard but have yet to test: Vaseline can make your eyelashes grow thicker and longer. Will definitely give it a try sometime though!

2: Makeup

For your makeup, I recommend using a liquid foundation as it is smoother and I find I don't look as cakey with a liquid foundation than a powder. You can put a drop or two of liquid skin luminizer (like Benefit Moonbeam) into your foundation bottle for a dewy, light reflecting finish.

Use either a bronzer or a foundation 1 or 2 shades darker than your skintone. If you have normal or combination skin it's better to use a powder bronzer and apply with a big fluffy brush :) Apply this to the hollows of your cheeks (suck them in and apply to the deepest parts), the sides of your nose and under your chin. You can use the bronzer to play up or tone down certain features. For example, if you wish to tone down a wide forehead apply the bronzer to the sides and along the hairline, and if you want to shorten a long nose, apply it to the underside of the nose.

After this, use a blusher that compliments your skin tone to recreate the rosy, flushed cheeks of the models. Apply it in circular motions starting at the apples of your cheeks and gradually sweeping it back towards the hairline. To finish, dab a little liquid luminizer onto the top of the cheekbones (sweeping around in an arc shape to under the eyebrow), down the center of the nose (but not the tip!), directly above the lip, the chin, middle of forehead and the jaw to achieve that radiant glow! Set with a dusting of translucent finishing powder.

To compliment your glowing skin, create a smokey eye by applying a shimmery white/silver eyeshdow to the lid and around the tearduct to highlight. I like Kitten by Stila, it's gorgeous! Next, apply your lighter shadow colour to the outer corner of your eye and extend just beyond the crease. Also use a small brush to sweep some on the outer 3/4 of the bottom eyelid. Use a darker shade of your shadow colour and blend into the outermost corner of the eye to create the smokey effect :) Highlight the center of the upper lid with the same luminizer you used to the face to draw them forward and brighten them. Also, line the waterline with a black kohl eyeliner.

Luscious lashes are essential! Curl yours with an eyelash curler and apply both a lengthening and a thickening mascara for the best results! If you choose to add falsies to your look, avoid strip lashes which can sometimes look too obvious in favour of individual lashes. Focus on the outer corner of your eye for a sex kitten smouldering look.

In my opinion eyebrows can make or break a face. Make sure yours are tidy and fill them in with a matching powder. Use a thin slanted brush to achieve an arched brow and tame any strays by spraying hairspray on an eyebrow brush and combing them.

Lips at the VS fashion show range from gorgeous nudes to shimmery pinks. Choose the colour that best compliments your skin tone, but keep it sheer. It should be a 'your colour but better' shade to enhance what you have. Add a slick of clear or shimmery gloss to the middle of the lips to give the appearance of a plump pout, but make sure it isn't gloopy. You can also use a plumping gloss to achieve that bee-stung look.

3: Body

As a result of all their time in the gym the models all have very tight and toned bodies. You can start a diet and an exercise regime to get trim, but if this isn't your thing a tan, clever makeup tricks, clothing and control pants can make ALL the difference :)

If you choose to tan, go for a self tanner from a brand such as st Tropez, st Moriz or Xen Tan (to name a few) which are olive based and will give you a natural colour. Make sure you exfoliate thoroughly and moisturise rougher areas to get the best result from your tanner and make your skin glow!
If you want to get a natural tan, make sure you wear sunscreen. A tan creates shadows and makes you look slimmer and toned :)

Use a highlighter such as st Tropez skin illuminater on the shins and collarbones to get those VS model legs!Models also use baby oil to get their glowing skin, but this is really messy and stains clothes and surfaces so it's not advisable to use it. Add a pair of high heels to lengthen your legs and give you the catwalk strut!

Dress for your shape! Be confident and choose styles that make you look and feel good. I'll write a post about how to determine your body shape and how to compliment it soon, so look out for that :)

Finally, smile, be confident and enjoy yourself!

xoxo