Armani Code Pour Femme EDP

Hello lovelies,

This is yet another scent from the tiny collection of fragrances I own. Armani Code Pour Femme is a fragrance I fell in love with as soon as I smelled it. Released in Spring 2006, I did not discover this until January 2007 when I was looking for a 'revision' perfume (after being advised that scent and memory are closely linked, I decided to give this revision 'tip' a go). The lady at the counter told me to give this a sniff and it was my favourite out of the bunch. However being a cash strapped 16-year-old, I had to settle for the much cheaper Kylie Mingogue 'Darling' but I never forgot how beautiful this scent was.

I was lucky enough to buy the Eau de Toilette version later that year while in duty-free on holiday. I purchased a 50 ml bottle and was besotted with it. I then dedicated it to being my evening fragrance until early last year when my bottle ran out. So I requested it for Christmas and my Dad was kind enough to buy me a 75 ml Eau de Parfume - much more expensive than I expected to receive.

Giorgio Armani Code Pour Femme EDP

In my opinion, this is a timeless scent. The notes I get most prominently are white floral's and ginger followed by some citrus notes. Others have reported they pick up the smell of honey but it does not come out very strongly on me.

This EDP is definitely a winter or evening scent. This fragrance is heavy and long lasting so can be too much for my sense of smell in warmer weather. I feel the EDT could be used during the daytime as it is much lighter in scent but comes with a downside of not lasting as long as this one.

Would I recommend this to others? Yes. This is a very classy scent which could border on smelling slightly 'old' like Chanel No.5 or J'adore. If heavy scents are not for you, I would recommend the EDT version as it is just as pretty as this.

Have you tried Armani Code Pour Femme? Do you like it?

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

Balenciaga Paris, 10 Avenue George V

Time for another fragrance post! This time it is Balenciaga 10 Avenue George V. When I received this sample, I had never heard of this scent before. From the packaging, it certainly looked like a more expensive brand. However, it is a similar price to most other high end perfumes.

Inside the perfume card, Balenciaga do not have a description of this perfume. I was disappointed about this since most of the other perfume sample I had received gave an idea what to expect. I even found it hard to find a description of the scent online later realising it is known by a slightly different name. I tried this perfume with an open mind not having a clue what fragrance would be in the bottle.

Balenciaga Paris, 10 Avenue George V

For me, this smells powdery and a bit too mature for my tastes. This does smell slightly floral but this isn't the overwhelming smell. This is definitely a 'woody' scent which is something I do not enjoy in most fragrances.

If one was to buy the bottle though, it would look good on a shelf. The bottle is simplistic yet sophisticated. The bottle is like a 'cage' shape and it has a white, spherical top with black 'cracks' in that make it look very chic. 

Personally, I would not pick this fragrance if I wanted a new perfume. I still feel quite young and I feel it would suit my mum or grandma more than me.

Have you tried this perfume before? Were you impressed?

xxxx

This can be bought at Debenhams and other good perfumeries.

Prada Candy L'Eau

I was going to post this review later in the week but I cannot wait to share my thoughts with you :)

Another sample from the hoard I collected on my trips around the town! This time is Prada Candy L'Eau. This is the Eau de Toilette version of their 2011 release of their Eau de Parfum, Prada Candy. This is a sample I managed to get from an extremely polite shop assistant in John Lewis in Nottingham.

With getting so many perfume samples in total, I knew there were a selection of the vials that I was desperate to try myself. This was one of them. Being a sweet fragrance, I assumed I would enjoy it as this is another kind of smell that I enjoy as well as florals. I was looking for a more sophisticated scent to the very young Britney Spears 'Fantasy' which I used a lot in my late teens and gained many compliments. 

Inside the card, this scent describes itself as 'The fresh and joyful allure of Prada Candy L'Eau lies in its mix of zest, radiance and sweetly addictive notes. Vibrant Citrus and delicate Sweet Pea magnify the trinity of Musks, Benzoin and Caramel.' This sample was sized at 1.5ml.

Did this live up to expectation?

Prada Candy L'Eau (sample)

One word that describes this product best is: WOW! I absolutely love this perfume. Although I don't smell caramel, per se, but I do smell a sweet vanilla musk which is absolutely divine. This is definitely a good 'grown-up' replacement for Britney Spears Fantasy. 

It lasted well for a Eau de Toilette. I could still smell it on my wrists at least four hours after I applied it. 

I would definitely wear this. This is my kind of fragrance for sure. Will I purchase this? Yes, at some point. I will probably ask for this for birthday/Christmas (they are both in the same month, boo hoo) as I like it so much. I would love to smell the Prada Candy Eau de Parfum as I would like it as an all day fragrance.

Would this be a safe buy? No. Sweet fragrances are certainly an acquired taste. On some people they smell absolutely glorious on, but with others they can smell as though they have been dipped in treacle. 

Have any of you tried this? Do you love it as much as I do?

This can be bought in John Lewis or Boots (which currently has £10 off any fragrance £50 or more) and any other good perfumeries. 

xxxx

UPDATE: I have purchased this item and my review is here.

See by Chloe

I have decided to review some perfumes for the weekend! I thought I would take a break from the nail painting and bring something different. My nails are begging me for a break. Currently, I have a load of perfume samples because I was asking around the shops for my Mum as she was planning to make 'Ladies Party Bags' for a friends birthday and needed some samples to put in each bag. So I traipsed around the shops asking if they could give me any samples. In total I came away with over 20 and my mum got a lot from her journeys too. So we decided to keep a few of them for ourselves as we love new scents as much as the next person.

See by Chloe seemed to be a sample I was given the most by places. I received six samples total! So I assume Chloe is really trying to push this product. Each sample comes a small spray vial containing 1.2 ml of Eau de Parfum. Inside it describes the scent as 'An addictive floral fragrance: irresistible, sparkling & sensual.'

See by Chloe (sample)

This perfume is certainly floral. The smell of apple blossom is prominent through the initial top notes and heart notes. As it moves from the heart notes to the base notes, musk and a hint of vanilla become evident.

Would I wear this? Yes, if given to me as a gift. I enjoy floral scents and feel they are perfect for the impending summer time. The fragrance is inoffensive and I believe this could be worn by most people. Would I buy this for myself? Probably not. Not because I dislike the smell in anyway, I just find this scent forgettable and could not see this as my signature fragrance. Also I do like a pretty bottle as a bonus but See by Chloe's bottle is too simple and not very striking.

I do believe that if one wanted to buy a perfume as a gift for someone else and didn't know what to buy, this would be a very safe perfume to give.

Do any of you own this perfume? Do you enjoy 'See by Chloe'?

This can be bought at Debenhams, House of Fraser & The Fragrance Shop.

xxxx