My Perfume Picks

Sweet 

Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture is sweet and fruity with some warm amber notes to it. I also pick up on the orange (or 'juicy mandarin' as JC call it). It is a Spring/ Summer scent which can become sickly-sweet if overdone.

Princess by Vera Wang is a favourite. It is subtle and sweet with vanilla at its base and guava and waterlily as its top and heart notes. The fragrance is calming and not brash in any way. My mum likes it too, as she doesn't like OTT, obnoxious fragrances. 

Hidden Fantasy by Britney Spears is not something I would repurchase. It is sweet (candy-sweet) and has sweet orange, vanilla and grapefruit as some of the prominent notes. For me, nowadays, it is too sickly, but applied sparingly, it can work as a daytime scent.

Sophisticated 

Parisienne by Yves Saint Laurent is a pretty, more sophisticated scent. Rose, violet and peony create a strong floral top note, with sandalwood and musk at the base. It has good lasting power on me and makes me feel grown up, without feeling drab. The fruitiness at the heart give the scent a playful side.

Flowerbomb by Viktor and Rolf is a beautiful, comforting floral, which has a deepness to it. Rose and patchouli are the base notes, with bergamot at the top and jasmine at the heart. It is soft and lingering, but gives an air of feminine confidence. Side note: as I am sitting and writing this post, I am smelling all of the fragrances as I write about them. I had to spray myself with this because it is so addictive and enticing!

Ellie Saab Le Parfum appealed to me because of the orange blossom and jasmine. What comes through more for me though is the white flowers and cedar base. This is probably the most sophisticated, lady-like scent I own. Wearing it makes me feel grown-up and professional (granted, I am both of these things, but I don't see myself in that way particularly). 

Sensual

One Million by Paco Rabanne: I am not a man, but I had to buy this, because I sprayed it on myself once in a department store, and became intoxicated by it! It has interesting notes of: rose, mandarin, peppermint, leather and amber- and my oh my is it sexy! The women's version just doesn't cut it for me after smelling this fresh/spicy/deep/sexy fragrance! I think I'm getting overexcited now, so I'll stop!

Contradiction by Calvin Klein is my all-time favourite perfume. It is a long discontinued fragrance, which you can still buy online quite easily. I love everything about this scent: the name, the space-age, bulky bottle, the wonderful metallic note to the fragrance- everything! It is often described as an exotic-floral, which I am happy to go along with. It has many floral notes from rose to jasmine and lily. There is also some eucalyptus (which is perhaps the 'metallic' note that I have heard criticised by some, but I love). My first bottle was bought for me by a special friend at the age of fifteen, so it has been with me for a long time, and I know I will wear this forever.

Deep Red by Hugo Boss is a Autumn/ Winter or evening scent in my opinion. It is, as the names implies, a 'deep' scent and can be too heavy to wear in the day. The base of vanilla, sandalwood, cedar and musk give the perfume the depth and sultriness; fruity top notes provide the femininity. On the right occasion, this can be incredibly sensual to wear.