Perfume for me makes an amazing gift and this year I have totally moved from the confines of my comfort zone, mainly constant repurchases of Bvlgari Pour Femme, and have branched out and have been lucky enough to try some amazing new scents.
I know there are scents that I will not like no matter how good the blurb is and just because I dislike something intensely doesn't mean others will - Thierry Mugler Angel continues to be a best seller and yet for the life of me, I cannot fathom why. So here are some of the most amazing fragrances that I have discovered this year and ones which would make an exceptional gift.
Zadig and Voltaire This is Her is perhaps my obsession right now. I seriously can not get enough of the scent, which I loved from the very first spritz at the launch party. The female fragrance is described as being sensual, free and jauntily. The woody, floral and gourmand This is Her, signed by perfumer duo Sidonie Lancesseur and Michel Almairac, contains notes of pink pepper, Sambac jasmine, milky chestnut cream, vanilla and sandalwood. As a scent it is cosy, it is sweet, it is indulgent and most definitely unique. I love that it smells so totally different to anything else I currently own or have tried and on the skin it starts out being quite floral until the fragrance settles and is mixed with vanilla and sandalwood it becomes just beautiful and I cannot get enough of it. Sold in most fragrance stores on and offline you can expect to pay around £50 for 50ml and John Lewis have a great offer on right now too.
Elizabeth Arden Always Red Femme is another scent that I new I would like from the onset but I was quite prepared for how much I would love it. Always Red Femme is a mixture of fresh fruits, delicate florals and warm woody tones and is a scent which you notice from the very first spritz, it isn't shy or light, but instead arrives with a punch to let you know it is there. With zesty top notes of the blackcurrant bud, lemon and green pear it lands quite heavy and takes a few minutes to settle before you are greeted with the heart notes of peach blossom, ily of the valley, davana and jasmine which take in most of my favourite scents together to create what is a beautifully refreshing scent which are beautifully crisp and light and dry down as Patchouli, moss, cedar and vanilla from the base notes finish off to leave a beautifully fresh floral and fruit scent. At £54 for 100ml here it isn't overly expensive and it is one which lasts.
Monsoon Rose Gold is a scent which surprised me because the base notes are everything I am not a fan of when it comes to a scent - Vanilla being the main issue. But I do like it and I do wear it and once it has settled on the skin, there is quite a floral tone to the fragrance, so if the florals are your thing, then this fragrance is one to look out for. This is a fragrance to look out for due to its rounded bottle and rose gold colouring as well as the scent, it is aesthetically pleasing as it is a delightful scent. When it comes to the price, a 30ml bottle costs £29 and is available from Boots.
Molecule 03 Escentric Molecules is a very new fragrance for me and one that I loved immediately. I am a huge fan of the entire range and have shared my views right here. 03 created by Geza Schoen was constructed around single scent ingredient, or aroma-chemical: vetiveryle acetate, a refined vetiver note which is celebrated at its purest in this fragrance. As a scent it is dark, woody and earthy and the vetiver scent being totally dominant makes this a stunning fragrance for him or her. Priced at around £69 you can find it here.
Viktor and Rolf Bonbon Couture Eau de Parfum is a scent I also adore. The fragrance opens with a juicy combination of mandarin, neroli oil and peach and as soon as the fragrance is spritzed you get a hit of fruit, as the scent settled the heart notes of orange blossom and Sambac jasmineare then sweetened by a potent caramel note. The base notes are what akes the scent and with sandalwood, patchouli, a hint of vanilla and blonde tobacco giving it a woody accord that works well alongside the fruity notes. A 30ml bottle is priced around £50 with John Lewis having the current best deal.
L’Occitane Arlesienne Eau de Toilette. If you like your floral fragrances, then you will love this because it is just such a stunning scent. It belongs to the Musky Floral family and has Head notes of Bergamot Essense, Saffron Extract, Galbanum and Hawthorn Accord. Immediately when it is spritzed the bergamot note bursts into life for the citrus effect and is settled with Saffron and the slight almondy scent of Hawthorn alongside the greenness of Galbanum. The heart notes of May Rose Absolute and Violet Leaf Absolute brings to life the floralness of the perfume. A 75ml will cost you just £49 here.
L’Occitane Arlesienne Eau de Toilette. If you like your floral fragrances, then you will love this because it is just such a stunning scent. It belongs to the Musky Floral family and has Head notes of Bergamot Essense, Saffron Extract, Galbanum and Hawthorn Accord. Immediately when it is spritzed the bergamot note bursts into life for the citrus effect and is settled with Saffron and the slight almondy scent of Hawthorn alongside the greenness of Galbanum. The heart notes of May Rose Absolute and Violet Leaf Absolute brings to life the floralness of the perfume. A 75ml will cost you just £49 here.
Miller Harris Vetiver Insolent is a scent I should have disliked but infact the total opposite and it is one I just absolutely adore. From the first spritz it is outwardly masculine with its woody and earthy tones, but as it settles, the scent becomes much more crisp and sweet but not at all sickly and it lasts forever on the skin and for me that is always impressive. Vetiver Insolent is definitely going to be a scent you either love or hate, I expected to not like it, but I love it and I expect it to be a scent I wear all year round rather than per season. At£85 for a 100ml bottle you get your moneys worth and then some, find it here.
Paco Rabanne One Million Eau My Gold is a scent I disliked intensely for some time, much lie Chanel No.5 which I now also adore. A friend recently sent me this bottle as a thank you for recommending a scent to her and in return this was hers to me! With a composition of mango and the zesty freshness of grapefruit. Violet leaf and orange blossom absolutes lend the floral heart a sparkling feel. Finally, cedar heart and ambery musks reveal their sensuality for an explosion of freshness. An 80ml bottle of One Million Eau My Gold will cost around £45 and you can find it right here.
Paco Rabanne One Million Eau My Gold is a scent I disliked intensely for some time, much lie Chanel No.5 which I now also adore. A friend recently sent me this bottle as a thank you for recommending a scent to her and in return this was hers to me! With a composition of mango and the zesty freshness of grapefruit. Violet leaf and orange blossom absolutes lend the floral heart a sparkling feel. Finally, cedar heart and ambery musks reveal their sensuality for an explosion of freshness. An 80ml bottle of One Million Eau My Gold will cost around £45 and you can find it right here.
So there you have 8 fragrances which have been a big part of my life this year and all of them are scents that I would not usually look at or try, but moving away from my comfort zone, I have found some new favourites.