Review | Giorgio Armani My Way

Giorgio Armani has just launched an uber feminine perfume that I've been desperate to review. 

Designed to "capture a spirit of curiosity and connection", My way is a contemporary floral fragrance created by Master perfumer Carlos Benaïm. Carlos Benaïm is the man behind some of the world's most iconic scents, including Calvin Klein's Euphoria, Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb, and Givenchy's Very Irresistible.

The Sunshine Scents

I love fragrances and am a big believer in bringing out different scents for different moods, events and seasons. I'm clearly not alone in my thinking, as Andrea Rickard, Trading Director at The Perfume Shop, explains, “While perfume choices depend on the person, their mood and often the occasion we do see a small shift in sales as shoppers opt for much lighter fragrances with ingredients such as citrus and zesty notes which make us feel revitalised and fresh in the spring and summer.”

So, with spring in full effect and summer just around the corner, it's time to start switching up your scent stash. Here are some of my favourites..

Grooming: Gucci Guilty Absolute Review

Men of the world listen up. A new fragrance has dropped that you need to get acquainted with. It is the Gucci Guilty Absolute...

Weekly Worship: Cire Trudon Joséphine Candle

Price: £75.00 270g

Stockists: Harrods

If there is one brand in the world that is guaranteed to create a good candle, it's Cire Trudon. Cire Trudon is the oldest candle brand in the world and once provided candles to the royal court of Louis XIV. Cire Trudon consider candle making an art form, blending unique and often surprising ingredients together to create one-of-a-kind scents.

My latest - and now favourite - Cire Trudon candle is Joséphine, a fitting tribute to Joséphine de Beauharnais, first wife and true love of Napoleon. Empress Josephine was famous - amongst other things - for creating an impressive botanical collection in the gardens of Malmaison, full of rare and interesting plants, brought back by Napoleon's war ships during the great age of exploration.

A Guy's Guide to Father's Day Gifting

I know a thing or two about male grooming and I'd like to think I know what a man needs when it comes to choosing products. However, although I know what a guy needs, I don't know what a guy wants. So, with Father's Day fast approaching, I've handed my gift-selecting responsibilities to my fabulous GBF Doug, because no one knows how to select grooming gifts quite like a gay guy, trust me. So, if you are stressing over what to get your dad this Sunday, I suggest you check out Doug's picks below...

Patsy from Ab Fab famously declared, "You can never have enough hats, coats or shoes". However, when it comes to men, the necessary requirements are a little different. One of the most important things a man needs to master is his hair; luckily there are some great products out there to help him.

I love the Toni & Guy haircare range - one of my particular favourite products is the Messy Salt Spray 200ml (£7.49 Superdrug). Not only does it help provide great texture to the hair, it smells gorgeously of salty sea and beach holidays. Another hero in the range is the Styling Putty 75ml (£7.00 Boots), aka the perfect product for taming and shaping unruly hair! Like the Messy Salt Spray, the Styling Putty is a great gift if you're limited to a small budget; your dad will appreciate the hair help and you won't have to break the bank.

For the anti-ageing obsessed dad, I would recommend a good eye cream. Eyes are often the first feature to show signs of aging so, if your dad is rocking crows feet or big bags, he will appreciate a nourishing eye treatment. I’ve fallen for the Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Eye De-Puffer ($20.00 kiehls.com). You just have to roll this cooling agent under your eyes to instantly perk up those red, puffy and tired peepers!

If you have a generous budget for gifting this Father's Day, I really recommend a fragrance. I’ve recently discovered two incredible scents; Issey Miyake Nuit d’Issey and Liquid Imaginaires Fortis. Issey Miyake’s Nuit d’Issey 125ml (£59.50 theperfumeshop.com / $89.00 Sephora) is a hypnotic masculine scent, with a spicy-woody composition. It includes top notes of bergamot and grapefruit, middle notes of leather, black pepper and vetiver and base notes of tonka bean, patchouli and incense. I only got my hands on this fragrance a couple of weeks ago and it has already taken pride of place in my bathroom cabinet.

Liquid Imaginaires Fortis 100ml (£150.00 Selfridges / $210.00 Barneys) is a precious assembly of rare woods and spices - notes include saffron, gaiac wood, amyris, vetiver, sandalwood and vanilla. Only two pumps of this eaux de parfum is needed per use and its smokey, sweet scent lasts several hours. It is the most expensive gift on the list, however it's a real must-have for dads who deserve an extra special treat this year.

Faithful Four: Summer Fragrances

Soap & Glory Orangeasm

Price: £12.00 100ml
Purchase: Boots

The award for the best budget summer fragrance has to go to Soap & Glory's Orangeasm. If you like the smell of oranges, you need  this fragrance in your life, trust me. This fragrance is part of Soap & Glory's new (and very popular) Orangeasm range. It is citrussy sweet, fresh and uplifting - a good go-to fragrance when in need of a morning pick-me-up!

Now, Orangeasm doesn't have the lasting power of the other fragrances on the list, however considering the others are all eau de parfum, this is no surprise. However regardless of this, the scent is strong and lasts a good four hours - pretty impressive considering it costs just £12.00 for 100ml! Also, the scent can be given a little extra lasting power if you apply the Orangeasm Super Rich Body Butter underneath.

BOSS MA VIE Pour Femme

Price: £49.50 / $67.00 50ml

Purchase: The Perfume Shop / hugoboss.com

The BOSS MA VIE Pour Femme has to be my favourite fragrance out of the four. It follows on from the success of NUIT Pour Femme and JOUR Pour Femme, completing the BOSS woman trio.

It is feminine, sexy and sweet and I cannot get enough of it. I would bathe in it if I could! It features a unique top note of cactus blossom, middle notes of rose, jasmine and pink freesia and base notes of sheer woods and cedar wood. This long lasting fragrance is very floral but not overpowering or sickly sweet - in fact, its woody notes help to give it depth and sexiness.

MA VIE Pour Femme is only available in eau de parfam, in sizes 30ml, 50ml and 75ml.

Versace Yellow Diamond Intense

Price: £80.00 90ml
Purchase: Debenhams

The Versace Yellow Diamond Intense is a follow on from - you guessed it - Yellow Diamond, however this perfume packs even more of a punch. With just a few sprays, this sweet and seductive scent can be smelt from miles away and lasts up to seven hours.

It features top notes of citron diamante, pear sorbet, neroli, bergamot, middle notes of freesia, orange blossom, jasmine, osmanthus and base notes of benzoin, amber wood, palo santo and musk. It is summer in a bottle, a Mediterranean summer to be precise!

In true Versace fashion, the bottle is as gorgeous as the scent and it adds some serious glamour to my dressing table. Versace Yellow Diamond Intense is only available in eau de parfam, in sizes 30ml, 50ml and 100ml.

CLEAN Fresh Laundry

Price: £50.00 / $69.00
Purchase: Garden.co.uk / Sephora

There is not a gal alive that doesn't like the smell of fresh laundry so, when Fresh Laundry, an innovative fragrance from US fragrance house CLEAN landed on my desk, I was intrigued. And I can now confirm that fresh laundry is as good on the body as it is on the washing line. I absolutely love it.

The fragrance is fresh and crisp and - just like fresh laundry - it conjures up thoughts of sunny summer days. Notes of brazilian orange, mexican lime, fresh mown grass, cyclamen, rose otto, night blooming white jasmine, petals, heliotrope and musk combine to create this beautiful scent. It is soft and delicate however, being a eau de parfume, it stays on for hours and hours.

CLEAN Fresh Laundry is available in sizes 30ml and 60ml, as well as a 15ml rollerball.

Weekly Worship: Bieber, Smashbox and Stila

I always struggle choosing one product to worship each week as, fortunately, I try a lot of great beauty products throughout each month. So this week I've switched things up and will show you not one, but three  things I've been loving this week...

Price: £24.00 / $36.00 30ml

Stockist: Boots / Sephora

I have wanted to try the Stila One Step Correct for a while as I suffer from dark circles and slight redness. So a few weeks ago I bit the bullet and gave it a try...thank God I did.

This triple swirl helix primer combines lavender, peach and green tones that neutralise redness, conceal spots and pigmentation, counteract sallow undertones and brighten the skin. Not only does this beauty wonder do an amazing job at hiding imperfections, reducing redness and brightening the skin, it also doubles as the perfect primer. It reduces fine lines, wrinkles and pores, creating a super smooth base for makeup application, and it also gives makeup some serious lasting power - which is an added bonus!

Price: £24.00 30ml

Stockist: Boots

Justin Bieber Collector's Edition launched this week and I'm surprised to say that I really love it! The eau de parfum contains top notes of bergamot, pear and passionfruit, mid notes of honeysuckle, freesia and heliotrope and base notes of golden amber, white musk, sandalwood and apricot nectar. The result of this medley is a fresh, floral and fruity daytime scent that has real staying power. Nice work Biebs!

Price: £39.00 / $ 39.00

Stockist: smashbox.co.uk / ULTA

Smashbox's latest beauty tool, the Telephoto 3-in-1 Face Brush, is a dual-fiber, multi-tasking brush that expands out to provide three different coverage levels - full, medium and sheer. No matter what foundation you use, this brush lives up to its promise - you'll get a light, natural coverage with the 'sheer' brush and a maximum flawless coverage with the 'full'. All you have to do is rotate the base until you click into the brush you need, very simple.

I always work to achieve a full coverage foundation look, so this brush rarely rotates! The full brush is dense and firm, yet soft enough to access those harder-to-reach areas of the face. It blends foundation seamlessly and provides a gorgeous even finish. This little guy is now an essential part of my makeup routine and when he is not in my makeup bag, he's travelling with me in my handbag. I'm obsessed!

Weekly Worship: Odin 11 | Semma

Price: £115.00 / $165.00 100ml

Stockist: Liberty / odinedt.com

This week I was lucky enough to meet Kelly Kovack, the co-founder of Odin, New York's favourite menswear boutique and unisex fragrance brand.

Kelly was visiting London to talk all things Odin and launch the brand's newest fragrance, Semma. Hours of research and development go into creating each Odin fragrance and Semma was clearly no exception. The 11th fragrance in the much-loved collection is unique, gentle and sexy and totally  deserving of this week's worship.

Available in eau de parfum, Semma features top notes of warm myrrh and chilli pepper, middle notes of cinnamon bark and herbaceous clove, and base notes of sandalwood, tonka bean and sweet tobacco.

As with all Odin fragrances, Semma is a unisex scent that - unlike most on the market - really does smell amazing on both men and women. Personally I associate this fragrance more with girls due to its warm and semi-sweet scent, however some women and men feel differently. But that is the beauty of a great fragrance - its scent is so subjective!

News: Givenchy's New Face

It has just been announced that Alicia Keys is the new face of Givenchy perfumes.

This is the award-winning singer's first step into the world of beauty - joining the likes of Justin Timberlake, Liv Tyler, Uma Thurman and Amanda Seyfried, who have fronted Givenchy campaigns throughout recent years.

“Givenchy has long been one of the world’s most iconic luxury fashion houses, and a personal favourite of mine” said Alicia Keys, “To be a part of their prestige and elegance is a thrilling moment. I’m honoured to introduce the world to the newest scent by Givenchy”.

Parfums Givenchy Global President Thierry Maman commented, “Alicia is a remarkable woman whose charismatic personality and magnetic beauty are perfectly in line with what Givenchy has always been: noble, distinctive and unexpected. We very much look forward to working with her on an exciting new perfume project”.

Alicia's first campaign for the luxury French brand is due to launch in September this year. There is no information on the fragrance itself, however, knowing Alicia, I'm sure it will be on fire!

Weekly Worship: Fantasy Britney Spears The Nice Remix EDP

Price: £23.00 30ml

Stockist: Superdrug

I have always been a big Britney Spears fan - even after the buzz cut and umbrella assault. So, like any true worshipper, I had  to get hold of her latest fragrance collection, Britney Spears Fantasy Remix.

The Fantasy Remix collection is made up of two fragrances that represent two different fantasies, one 'Naughty' and one 'Nice' - no prizes for guessing which is Brit Brit's favourite!

I went with the Nice Remix as it features notes of kiwi, cupcake and jasmine petals...I wasn't disappointed. The scent is fruity, sweet and long-lasting and I receive lovely compliments every time I wear it. It is also really  affordable considering it's an Eau de Parfum!

Are you a fan of celebrity fragrances? If so, what is your favourite?

Review: Versace Bright Crystal Absolu EDP

The Price: £60.00 / $84.00 50ml

The Stockist: Selfridges / Sephora

Top Notes: Yuzu and Pomegranate

Middle Notes: Raspberry, Peony, Magnolia and Lotus

Base Notes: Amber, Mahogany, Musk

The Review: The Versace Bright Crystal Absolu is a gorgeous follow-on from the fashion house's popular Bright Crystal fragrance that launched in 2006. This new addition to the Versace fragrance family has a floral and fruity scent that is perfect for the spring and summer seasons.

Unlike it's predecessor, Bright Crystal Absolu is currently only available in a eau de parfum. However, although eau de parfum is a little more expensive than eau de toilette, it lasts longer and is far more potent.

This new fragrance is feminine and super sweet and, due to it's light, floral scent, I prefer to wear it in the daytime as opposed to the evening. You don't need to spray too much in order to smell fabulous - which is good to know considering the price tag - and the bottle is absolutely gorgeous!

The Pro: This gorgeous smelling fragrance has strong staying power.

The Con: Bright Crystal Absolu is a little pricey as it's currently only available in an eau de parfum.

PR sample

Weekly Worship: Elizabeth Arden Untold EDP

Price: £48.00 / $59.00 50ml

Stockist: Debenhams / Macy's

If you've ever dreamed of a perfume that encapsulates romance, then let me introduce you to Untold.

Untold, my dear readers, is the new Elizabeth Arden fragrance that I happen to have fallen in love with. With notes of pink pepper, Egyptian jasmine and patchouli, this delicate scent is floral, feminine and sweet.

Untold has the most amazing staying power, which is impressive for a subtle fragrance, and the gorgeous scent has earned me some lovely compliments. And have you seen the bottle? It is as beautiful as the fragrance it contains.

Review: Fendi L'acquarossa EDP

The Inspiration: "The new Fendi fragrance is a tribute to the woman who dares to break down barriers, codes and boundaries. An ode to all those generations of women with a significant aura, a memorable presence"

The Price: £43.50 30ml

The Stockist: Harrods

Top Notes: Calabrian Bergamot, Sicilian Tangerine and Plum

Middle Notes: Lantana Flower, Rose, Orange Blossom and Magnolia

Base Notes: Red Cedar, Musk and Indonesian Patchouli

The Results: When it comes to the art of perfumery, Fendi has it mastered. The brand continues to create exquisite fragrances and the latest offering, L'acquarossa, is no exception.

L'acquarossa is a floral and fruity scent that suits all occasions and moods. The fragrance is rich and incredibly sexy, making it the perfect evening accessory. However, regardless of this, it is still fresh and light enough to be worn throughout the day.

This beautiful perfume also has serious staying power. I can apply L'acquarossa in the early morning and still smell it on my skin before I fall asleep.

The only downside to L'acquarossa is that it isn't available in the US yet. However, fear not! Harrods offer international shipping!

PR sample