Hugo Boss Jour Pour Femme Review

Hello lovelies,

I hope you are all having a lovely summer. Unfortunately where I am, it is slightly on the cooler side but I am hoping for some sun soon :)

But I thought today was a day to try out one of the samples I had picked up most recently. Hugo Boss Jour Pour Femme is the new fragrance for women by Hugo Boss. I have seen the adverts everywhere: on catch-up TV adverts and in the magazines. The scent is advertised by Gwyneth Paltrow (who is stunning) and it the campaign seems simple and fresh. So when I picked up this sample, I was excited to try it out. To be honest, I had not heard much about what the actual fragrance actually smelled like but expected it not to be a complicated scent because if it's simple packaging.

Inside the card, it describes this scent as 'A fragrance like the first light of day - full of beautiful possibilities.' I quite liked this description as it was quite philosophical and hoped this fragrance would live up to expectation.

From the notes listed, I was happy to put on this perfume. A lot of fragrances add a lot of different scents which can sometimes make them so complicated they can give me a headache. I was a bit skeptical of the woody notes from the white birch as wood based fragrances are not my favourite.

When I put this on, I was surprised how the notes came out. Initially I got the scent of lime quickly followed by the white birch. I was a little disappointed that the floral notes had not become as prominent as I had hoped. Then BAM! The honeysuckle and freesia developed and seem to form the base notes on me - strange!

Do I like this scent? Yes, very much so. I find this is a versatile scent for all ages. As this is light and uncomplicated, this ideally suits daytime wear although (like any daytime fragrances) can be worn in the evening too. The only downside is the bottle. I am a sucker for an interesting bottle but like most of Hugo Boss' fragrances, this comes in a very plain bottle. Yes it is inoffensive, but I like something that looks good on the dressing table.

Would I purchase this? Probably not. Not because I do not like it, but because this has not got a 'WOW' factor that I am seeking. If I am shelling out money for a fragrance, I want it to be something I feel I cannot live without. Although if this was given to me as a gift, I would be very happy to wear it from time-to-time and it would not be relegated to a back of a cupboard.

Have you smelled Jour Pour Femme? Do you like it?

Honey by Marc Jacobs EDP Review

Hello lovelies,

For some reason, I cannot seem to curb my perfume sample habit and recently picked up a sample of a brand new fragrance that I have only seen on the market for a couple of weeks. Honey by Marc Jacobs intrigued me as soon as I saw it in The Fragrance Shop. Most Marc Jacobs fragrances are overwhelmingly floral (excluding Dot) and with a name like 'Honey' I expected a new edition that was sweet and smelled like summer.

I was offered this sample by a lady in Debenhams in Kings Lynn this weekend. I was thrilled ad I was excited by this fragrance. The bottle is similar to 'Dot' but yellow. I prefer the bottle for 'Dot' because it reminded me of ladybirds and the colour of yellow and black reminds me of road signs. Although I can see why they went for this look as to remind one of bees.

The sampler describes the scent as ' Energetic and alluring, a sunny delicious floral with sparkling notes of orange blossom and a hint of honey.' So the sweet scent I was hoping for is not entirely catered for.

Top Notes:

Pear, Juicy Mandarin

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Heart Notes:

Orange Blossom, Peach Nectar, Apricot, Honeysuckle

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Base Note:

Honey, Golden Vanilla, Smooth Woods

This is a very pleasant fragrance. Any fans of the existing Marc Jacobs perfumes would love this scent. I own both 'Daisy' and 'Daisy Eau So Fresh' and this does remind me of these scents. Although being in similar packaging to 'Dot', this is far more floral than its red predecessor.

The notes most prominent to me were the mandarin, orange blossom and honeysuckle. I think I must be a huge fan of orange blossom scents because I own two that list it as one of its scents (Elie Saab and Armani Code Pour Femme). I love the scent of honeysuckle in this as it is one of my favourite flowers - it reminds me of my childhood!

Despite this being called honey - I could not detect a honey of sweet scent. Maybe it is my nose as my Grandma told me that it smelled on the sweeter side on me.

Would I purchase this? Not yet. I love the fragrance but as I already own two Marc Jacobs fragrances that remind me of it, I cannot justify spending my money on this just yet. Although others have to remember that each fragrance smells differently depending on the individual so I would recommend trying this for yourself to see if the honey notes are more prominent.

Have you smelled 'Honey'? Do you think you may pick it up?

Lancome 'La Vie Est Belle'

Time for a fragrance post!

This is one of the perfume samples I picked up a while ago. I got this sample from The Fragrance Shop while I was visiting Lincoln. I had never heard of this fragrance by Lancome as I had only really smelled Hypnose by them before. So I had no idea what to expect.

It turns out that 'La Vie Est Belle' (English traslation: The Beautiful Life) is a relatively new fragrance by Lancome having been released in Autumn last year. The decription on the card is too long to relay on here but 'The Perfume Shop' website describes it as a 'Floral Fruity Gormand'. As I love sweet and floral scents, I was looking forward to trying this.

Lancome 'La Vie Est Belle'

This scent did not disappoint. The top notes smelled typically Lancome (I know that is not the best description but it is how I can describe the smell around the counter in the department stores.) The top notes are very floral and initially very strong. However, this becomes so beautiful when the base notes develop as it smells of praline and vanilla. The sweetness is just so enticing. The longevity of this is excellent as it lasts a long while on the skin.

This is definitely a sweet scent and not for anyone that does not enjoy a 'chocolaty' smell. It is also described as 'fruity' but none of the blackcurrant notes were very prominent on me.

Would I purchase this? YES! I love this. I could not stop sniffing it. I do however think it is an acquired taste. But if you are like me, you will think this is gorgeous. 

Have you tried La Vie Est Belle? Do you like it?

xxxx