Fragrance Shop Discovery Club Spring 2015

Fragrance Club are celebrating their 2nd Birthday with this amazing bumper box of classic male and female fragrance samples! As you can see the packaging for this box has changed completely, rather than being a small square box, I have a rather long and thin oblong shaped box, much to my personal preference as it fit through the letterbox rather nicely.

The reason why I am such a fan of this subscription box, which costs £5 per quarter is great value for money and allows you try a huge array of fragrance samples at home, away from stores to give you a chance to decide whether or not you like them.

So what do we have in this bumper box?

Hugo Boss - Hugo Woman is a fruity, floral fragrance with an unconventional, boyish twist, combining unexpected naturals and pioneering molecules. The scent creates a contrast of tones and sensations, fusing traditionally feminine and unexpected masculine notes.

I really like this fragrance and have already reviewed it on my blog HERE.  It is one of those great fragrances which mixes both the floral and fruity so well that most people will like it and it will wear well on their skin.

Givenchy - Very Irrésistible Eau de Toilette dresses up with a delicate floral print ribbon and packaging inspired by a famous Givenchy Couture pattern. The bow is removable and can be re-used as an accessory.

I absolutely adore this fragrance, I was first introduced to it from this box and have loved it ever since.  It has floral top notes of rose and the exotic daring combination of peony and rose fantasia. A very appealing feminine scent which is simply wonderful.

Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Couture Eau FraicheFrom Guerlain's popular collection La Petite Robe Noire Collection. Guerlain has added this irresistible Eau Fraiche edition. Showing a completely different side to the fragrance. La Petite Robe Noire Eau Fraiche is light and radiant.

This has been a recent edition to my perfume collection and is again a perfume I love and have reviewed right HERE. The first thing you get a sense of is fresh flowers and that is due to the roses, jasmine and orange blossom which give it a really delicate fragrance. Add to that cherry, apple and blackcurrant which make up the middle notes leaving white amber and musks to finish off the scent with its base notes. All of this together makes for an amazing scent and it lasts such a long time that when I spray it in a morning on my way to work, I can still smell it on my way home from work 8-9 hours later.

Versace Eros Pour Femme - Attraction, desire, passion. Eros in a perfume. An alchemy of tempting, bright and feminine notes. A refined accord of lemon and jasmine, exalted by sensual and smooth. It oozes power,seduction and elegance.

This is one of the fragrances I have been itching to try because apart from the bottle looking absolutely stunning, I am a huge fan of the male fragrance.  It did not disappoint either, as soon as I spritzed it on my wrist, I knew I would love it, the mixture of Jasmine and Lemon together makes for one stunning fragrance, the kind that could be worn day or night!  Now I just have to get my hands on a full sized version!

Dolce & Gabbana - Dolce Floral DropsDolce Floral Drops has the rare beauty of a fresh, floral scent. The Eau de Toilette is inspired by the notes of Dolce Eau de Parfum, preserving its harmonious signature of white flowers, with a heart of White Amaryllis.

Another fragrance I had been wanting to try and again it hasn't disappointed and is definitely one for those of you who love floral scents.  Quite a light but refreshing scent, it is perfect for Spring and Summer.

Stella McCartney - Stella The new STELLA Eau de Toilette is inspired by the idea of a fresh, dewy rose captured in the morning sun. Underscored by sparkling green notes, this bright and bold composition creates a young, fresh fragrance.

This is one scent I hadn't expected to like,  but actually really did.  The scent of roses mixed with Mandarin and Lemon makes for an incredibly fresh scent and again one which is perfect for both Spring and Summer.

Versace Eros - This fragrance captures the Greek mythology of Eros, God of Love, this fragrance is a powerful, masculine scent.

I absolutely love the scent of this and my hubby Beautykinguk reviewed this aftershave right HERE and he describes it as being "Perfect for daywear, special occasions and those romantic nights out I promise you that this would make an excellent addition to any collection either for yourself or as a gift for a loved one"

I first brought this box to my blog back in April 2013 as new subscription box from The Fragrance Shop Discovery Club. If you are still not sure whether or not this is for you, you can see HERE and again in June which is HERE and then September which is HERE, then the final box of 2013 HERE if you didn’t see it. Already in 2014 I have had the spring edition which you can find HERE, the summer edition which is HERE and the Autumn Edition which I showed not too long ago on my blog is HERE

So there you have my Spring Box for 2015 and I have to say it has been one of my favourite boxes to date.  There is a good mixture of new and old scents all of which are perfect for coming seasons.

What do you think?

Sampling

It has been a long time since I have done one of these posts, but as I have made a point of trying and using up some of my sample products, instead of just hoarding them, I thought I would share with you some of my favourites over the past couple of months. There are 5 products in total and it is fair to say, they have all made a huge impression on me.

Ole Henriksen Pure Truth Youth Activating Oil - This is a product from my Look Fantastic beauty Box and because my skin is often quite dry in parts, but oily in others, the joys of combination skin, I wasn't too sure how my skin would react to it. My skin loved it and after using just once, it felt incredibly hydrated, smooth and not at all as oily as I had feared, infact there was less oily patches the following day, when my lunchtime I would be grabbing my compact to dab off anything excess. This is one product I will finish and if I had nothing similar it is one I would purchase without debate because I like it that much. A full sized bottle retails at £47 

Eve Lom Cleanser - I received this within my first Look Fantastic Beauty Box, I've heard amazing things about this hot cloth cleanser from many bloggers who really rate it, so I was really looking forwarding to giving this a try. Considering I live in London where the air is not exactly clean and I wear makeup on a daily basis, I found this cleanser really does do a fantastic job at removing every single trace of my makeup not to mention surface dirt and grime which just seems to cling to my skin.  Eve Lom describe this product as "a multi-tasking marvel which removed every last trace of make-up, even waterproof mascara, it also decongests, tones and gently exfoliates the skin".

After using, I found my skin to be feeling extremely soft afterwards and really clean feeling but at £85 for a full sized tub, it didn't wow me enough to want to rush out and purchase it when I have similar products which do the same job just as well for a whole lot less. 

CoLab Dry Shampoo - I got these two beauties from my You Beauty Discovery Box and as someone who loves dry shampoo, I couldn't want to try them. I have heard amazing things about them and I have to say they more than live up to the claims as to how good they are. 

The one thing that started to bug me about dry shampoo was the 'white' residue that was left behind, no matter how much you shook or brushed your hair, throughout the day more would drop onto your shoulders. Not doth these! For a start there is no white residue, you simply spray it onto your hair and massage in, them brush your hair and voila, fresh looking and smelling hair! This is one product I will definitely repurchase!

This Works Sleep Plus Pillow Spray which comes from my October LookFantastic Box. It is described as acting faster than the original spray it is a fast acting natural remedy to help restore healthy sleep patterns for restless sleepers and is clinically proven to provide a better night’s sleep. It contains a potent blend of Lavender which naturally encapsulates to gradually release aromatherapeutic benefits as you sleep. This edition has more of a lavender fragrance and does smell a little medicinal. 

Firstly, I love this spray, whilst it doesn't send me off into a quick sleep, what it does help with is restlessness and it is relaxing and calming, perfect for spraying on your pillows whilst you are getting ready for bed, cleansing your face and adding your night cream. Once it has settled it smells absolutely divine.

Estee Lauder Modern Muse - I got this in my November Fragrance Shop Discovery Box and it is a scent I have come to absolutely love.  Described as follows: "Be an inspiration. Experience the fragrance that captures your style, your confidence, your creative spirit. An alluring contrast of sparkling florals and sleek, sensual woods". 

Now this scent is really lovely, one you would perhaps use for special occasions rather than everyday wear and it is one of those long lasting scents, once applied you can literally smell it all day and there is a wearing time of around 7-8 hours for me before it becomes obsolete. 

So as you can see the money that I have been spending on Beauty Boxes has really paid off. Firstly it is unlikely, other than CoLab that I would have bought anything by Eve Lom or Ole Henriksson, though I might possibly I have bought Sleep Plus given the rave reviews. Secondly, they are all really good sized samples and big enough to give you more than a couple of weeks usage. 

As much as I love sachets, unless it is a facemask, I am often left on the fence as to whether I like something enough to buy it after squeezing enough out to try it the once, I tend to use them when I am away for a LNG weekend as they might travelling lighter.

Have you tried any of these products? Do you like the sound of any of them?

Fragrance Club Discovery Box - Autumn Winter 2014

I am a huge perfume fan, love it and I am one of those people who loves perfume samples. What better way to decide whether or not you like the scent of something? We do it with make-up, so why not perfume? Back in April 2013 I brought to my blog a new subcription box from The Fragrance Shop Discovery Club which you can see HERE and again in June which is HERE and then September which is HERE, then the final box of 2013 HERE if you didn’t see it. Already in 2014 I have had the spring edition which you can find HERE and the summer edition which is HERE.

For those of you not in the know this is the description of the box, which is a subscription:

"If you love fragrance, then you'll love our Discovery Club.

Our exciting new club allows you to explore the very latest fragrance launches from the comfort of your own home. For just £5 per quarter, each edition comes with fragrance samples for you to try, details on each of the fragrances included, as well as discount vouchers so you can make some big savings on all the scents featured."

This quarter I have the Autumn Winter Edition 2014 which includes both male and female scents and this is what is in the box:

So inside the box as you can see there is:

Jean Paul Gaultier Classique Intense, which is an update on the original Classique fragrance. The new scent is more vivacious, intensive, oriental and solar, containing notes of tiare, pomegranate and gourmand accords at the top, with the heart of orange blossom, rose and jasmine and the base of patchouli and vanilla.

I have to admit I do like this, I didn't want too though, there is something about Jean Paul Gaultier which annoys me.  This scent contains a lot of my favourite scents - Rose, Jasmine, Orange Blossom and thankfully the Vanilla is over the top headache-making.

Kenzo Jeu d'Amour celebrates the romantic lovers game with an ultra-feminine, sensual and captivating fragrance. While notes of tea, mandarin and pomegranate set the mood, tuberose and freesia sign an ultra-feminine floral heart over a sensual base of musks and creamy sandalwood.

I actually really like this once it has settled on my skin. It is so delicate and floral you cannot help but love it.  One that I am tempted to purchase.

Loewe Quizás Seducción. Representing seductive sexiness, Quizás Seducción has a fruity-floral aphrodisiac quality. Top notes of blackberry, passion fruit and sweet orange give way to elegant sambac jasmine with strong tuberose and orange blossom. Base notes include caramel and vanilla.

I am currently not a fan of this scent, it smells nice until it hits my skin where it then smells horrid which is a shame because it has all the ingredients of being a lovely scent.

Loewe Aura Eau de Toilette. The scent represents feminine mystery and magnetism. A relaxed and carefree force that is inescapably alluring. Loyal to the past, loyal to the present, loyal to Loewe. A fresh floral and fruity Eau de Toilette.

I can't decide whether I like this or not, it is one of those fragrances which leaves me sitting on the fence.  It is nice, but I doubt I would buy it, though I would be happy if someone else bought it for me.

For the men folk we have:

Jimmy Choo MAN -  This masculine fragrance is a woody aromatic fougère. Top notes of lavender and mandarin spray are softened by the fruity notes of honeydew melon, followed by heart notes of pink pepper and geranium mixed with pineapple leaf. Finally the fragrance unveils a lasting print of patchouli, suede and ambery woods.

I really don't like this and I should do because it again contains all the ingredients I really like the scent of, but there is just something about it which is really just not for me, not that I would be wearing it, but isn't one I would buy for someone else.

So this quarter has produced a really interesting box again, one or two perfumes I would want to buy and some I most definitely would not.  The thing I do like about these boxes is that I get to sample the products at home. I can wear then to work, around the house, going for coffee with friends or just shopping.  I am not trying them in a department store where I can be easily influenced to part with money for a scent I am not totally sure of.  That said, the spring box did lead to my buying Valentino Uomo for Beautykinguk who has written his own version of what he thinks of the fragrance on his own blog.

So what do you think to this quarters box? Are there any perfume samples you like the sound of?