currently enjoying...

Hello everyone!  It's been a while since i had a blog post with photos that i took with my actual camera.  I suppose it's just easier to snap a few photos on a webcam and upload them straight to Blogger than it is to take the time to photograph something, upload them to my computer, fix the balance & colors and add my watermark (aka edit them), then upload them to Blogger.  I don't want my blog to turn into just photos of me in crap quality, i'd rather them be pretty photos of other things :).  I'll try harder to do that, promise!

This is just a little post on what i've been enjoying lately.  I guess it's a "five things" post, as i just noticed there are five things that i'm loving at the mo!  Oh, and another thing - i haven't mentioned this in a post yet, but i've added a "subscriptions" page at the top of my blog.  This is a list of my favorite Youtube channels - beauty & comedy/vloggers.  Definitely check it out if you have the time ♥

01. My tripod ♥.  I got this for Christmas and i have already been absolutely loving it.  The legs are flexible, so you can attach them things, or adjust the height with them, etc.  It also helps to stabilize the camera, which i have trouble doing on my own because my hands are quite shaky.  This tripod is from Amazon and was quite affordable for what it does, in my opinion.  The link to it is here!  I used this tripod to take all the photos in this post - including the one of me above.

02. My new phone - HTC EVO.  I mentioned that i got a new phone in my last post, but here it is!  It's so gorgeous haha.  Excuse the black, bulky case on it - i am such a clutz when it comes to electronics, so a case is a must if i want this phone to remain intact for more than a week!  I blurred out my location for obvious reasons.  With this phone came a data plan (my parents absolutely spoils me...), so out goes my social life & in comes my internet addiction!  This phone is brilliant, but the battery life completely sucks.  Well, we can't have it all, can we?

03. & 04.  Classy by Derek Blasberg and The Vampire Diaries.  I talked a bit about Classy in my last post as well, but i'm still enjoying it - definitely recommend it so far!  So, i have been completely addicted to Vampire Diaries lately.  I admittedly finished the entire first season within three/four days (well someone has a life!).  I watched the first like five episodes or so when they first came on TV last year, but i guess i just got busy & didn't bother catching up on them - wellllll, my sister gave me this for Christmas & i'm am addicted once again!  Such an addicting show.  Need to start watching season two ASAP!

05. Victoria's Secret Kissing in Paris Sheer Fragrance Mist.  Another Christmas gift, this one was from my mom.  She said she got it for me because of the name, since i'm going to Paris next April (so surreal to think about).  I thought it was so sweet & thoughtful of her :).  The scent is quite lovely as well, i don't have anything like it in my collection so this was such a nice addition!  It is really fresh smelling, but not floral-y or fresh-laundry smelling either.  Very, very lovely :).

Hope you're all having a lovely week.  I don't even want to think about going back to school on the third.  Also, happy new year if i don't post until then!

♥

Current Perfume Love ♥

Before i start this post, i'd like to say thank you to everyone who gave recommendations of MAC eyeshadows to try out, i have a huge list now!  Thanks again ladies :)

As some of you may know from a previous post, i was looking for a new signature fragrance as i my beloved Vera Wang Princess was on it's last leg.  I hadn't had the chance to really test out all the perfumes i wanted to, so i kind of kept putting it out for a while.  About a week ago, my mom found that my oldest sister Stephanie had thrown out an almost-full bottle of perfume that she never wore.  My mom asked if i then wanted it, since she knew i was in need of a new fragrance, so i took it, not thinking i'd like it.


I have to say, the fragrance has really grown on me!  The perfume in question is Fancy by Jessica Simpson.  I didn't think i'd like it, as i kind of have a prejudice against celebrity perfumes to be quite honest, but this perfume has really exceeded my expectations.

The Scent & Lasting Power
I'm not the greatest at describing scents, but i'll do my best!  On me, Fancy smells quite fruity, but sweet at the same time.  It has hints of vanilla, but it's definitely not too overwhelming.  I'd say this fragrance is for younger girls, not so much more mature ladies as it is quite a youthful scent.  Since Fancy is an eau de parfum, it actually lasts quite a long time on the skin.  When i spray it in the morning before school, i can still smell it by seventh hour - muy impressed :).  The bottle is also huge so this will last for a while!

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It's not the most classic of scents, but i do really like it & i'll be wearing it for a while :)
What perfume are you currently loving?
xoxo

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Signature Scents? ♥

I've been thinking about perfumes quite a lot lately.  It may seem like a silly thing to ponder, but after thinking about them for a while, i realized they can play quite an important role in a woman's life - in her confidence, in her love life (hehe :), etc.

When i was younger, i would always spritz on a bit of "Fantasy" by Britney Spears - a sugary sweet scent, my signature at the time.  After a few years, i grew out of that & turned to a more mature scent.  Now, whenever i pass the perfume counter & see that round, pink bottle with green rhinestones on it, i spray a little bit & it always brings back memories of when i was little & wearing it :)

So many girls i know have experienced the same thing - a certain perfume taking her back to the days she used to wear it & bringing back memories from the past.  This is one of the mains reason i find perfume to be so important, to spark those memories - it's not too bad smelling lovely either ;).

image found on weheartit

My signature scent for the past year & a half has been the famous Vera Wang "Princess".  Princess is absolutely lovely - it's sweet, but not overbearingly so, and it's very original - i haven't smelled anything quite like it.  I've noticed it's quite popular amongst beauty bloggers!

Now that i'm running scarily low on it, i've been contemplating my next move - do i repurchase Princess, or do i take the plunge & find a new signature scent?

I'm leaning more toward finding a new signature to be honest.  The main reason why is because although i absolutely adore how Princess smells, it doesn't seem to last very long on me, probably because it's an eau de toilette - which is less concentrated & therefore less strong than an eau de parfum.

This is where you come in my lovelies!  I would absolutely adore any suggestions you have on what my new signature scent should be!
I guess i should give you a little insight into what i like..i like a nice sweet scent, but not too floral-y (a la YSL Parisienne), and i would like to try something a bit more sexy :).  I'm really open to trying anything though!

What scents bring back memories for you? :)  What's your signature scent?
Remember to please leave suggestions! :)

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♥

Make Your Perfumes Last Longer!

So this was my perfume storage about a month ago...

...Pretty right?!  Well it was while watching one of Lollipop26's videos that i learned keeping your perfumes out in the open, where they could be exposed to sunlight, can actually be damaging to your favorite scents.

Sunlight, air, & heat speeds up the deterioration of perfumes, so as tempting as it may be to want to keep the pretty little bottles of perfume on display, you may want to think twice before doing so :)

I keep my perfumes in the top drawer of this unit.

This is now how i store my perfumes (with the drawer closed of course ;).  This keep them out of the sunlight & exposed air, so they'll be sure to last longer!

A dark drawer like this isn't completely necessary, as long as they're out of direct sunlight.  But since i consider my fragrances to be investments, as well as something quite special to me, i like to keep them safe & try to preserve them for as long as possible!

Sure this storage technique isn't the prettiest and it's quite a shame to not be able to display the gorgeous bottles, but it's worth it to increase the longevity of your favorite scents! :)

Hope i helped ladies! ♥

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♥

Product of the Week: Lush's Candy Fluff Dusting Powder ♥

Last time i went into Lush, the lady that was helping me showed me this product.  It was on my wishlist, but i didn't think of buying it at that time.  Well, i did anyway :)

The product is Candy Fluff Dusting Powder.  Dusting powders are like baby powders, but with a better scent, so any way you would use a baby powder is how you could use a dusting powder.

Scent: Candy Fluff is an amazing sweet, candy/bubblegummy scent.  It's sooo wonderful & whenever i smell it i can't help but smile!  If you like the scent of Rock Star, Snow Fairy (review HERE), or Creamy Candy bubble bar (review HERE), i'm certain you'll love this.

Texture: This powder is pretty finely milled, so it blends into the skin really nicely

Durability: This scent lingers for SUCH a long time!  I shower at night and put this onto my body & when i wake up in the morning, i can still smell it :)  It lasts all day as well

Glitter: There are tiny bits of glitter mixed in & it's noticeable on the skin.  I would say if you work at an office job or something that is a bit more serious, or you're older, you wouldn't want to wear this, but if you don't work at that type of job or you're going out at night or something, it's awesome!

Packaging: I've heard of people having problems with the packaging causing a bit of a mess, but i haven't really had that problem!  I shake a bit into my hand & then use it however.  One the top, there's a sifter on one side & a wide hole on the other side, so you can choose which side you'd like to use

Price: Candy Fluff is $11.25 or £6.10 & that's seriously a wonderful value :)

Uses:

♥ after showering & applying lotion, rub this into your skin

♥ after styling my hair, i sometimes dust a little bit of this on, it makes it smell amazing

♥ if you have greasier hair & you don't feel like showering, you can rub a bit of this into your scalp & it'll help to soak up some of the grease & leave your hair smelling delicious

♥ i haven't tried this yet but i read that you can dust a bit of this into your underwear drawer, or on your bedsheets, & such!

Overall

I'm definately going to be repurchasing this product again, and again, and again...xx

I recommend Candy Fluff Dusting Powder to anyone that loves sweet, candy scents :)

5/5

Don't know how to take a proper Lush bath?  HERE's my recipe for a perfect Lush bath :)

♥

Perfume Collection & Storage ♥

Welcome to my perfumery!  ♥

In this post i'll be showing you lovelies my fragrance collection, with a brief description of each perfume, & how i store it all.

It's by no means a huge collection, but i like it, & i think that's all that matters :)

I simply keep of my perfumes all on top of my (super crowded) bookshelf.

I like to have them on display because it's easy to see them all when i'm in a rush, & of course it looks pretty :)

PS - on the right there's a gold frame (from Goodwill) with a collage i made, & on the right, a photo of Elvis my sister got in London - i added these to make the space look even prettier ♥

Back row, left to right:

Bath & Body Works "Fresh Cucumber" Body Splash

I got this stuff a couple years ago for free when i was shopping with my mom.  It smells fresh & clean, but i don't wear it that much as it doesn't last that long.  I'm also more into feminine & sweet scents than fresh & clean (which you'll notice as you read this post :).  I'll probably end up putting this in my gym locker.

Victoria's Secret "Amber Romance" Silkening Body Mist

This scent is very sweet & very feminine.  I like it, but too much of it can give me a headache.  I got this a while ago (brings back memories whenever i smell it!), but i believe Victoria's Secret still sells it, just in different packaging.

Victoria's Secret "Blossoming Romance" Refreshing Body Mist

I got this as a gift a couple years ago (i see a pattern here lol).  It's not my favorite, but if i'm at home & feel like i smell bad, i'll just spray it.  Mainly just to use it up...haha.

Middle row, left to right:

Romance by Ralph Lauren

This stuff is sooo old.  I got it from my sister, Samantha, & although it's a decent scent, i don't wear it all that much, because i prefer to wear my favorites.

Princess by Vera Wang

I'm sure you've all heard of it because it's very popular - & with good reason!  This scent is probably my favorite that i own.  I got it for my birthday last March & i was trying to preserve it for the longest time, now i use it almost everyday!  It's so feminine & sweet, it really does make me feel like a princess :)

Parisienne by Yves Saint Laurent

This is the newest fragrance that i own, & also one of my favorites - although if i had to choose between Parisienne and Princess, i would probably choose Princess.  This is still soo delicious!  When you first spray it, it kind of smells like "cheap" perfume, but it turns into this really sophisticated & feminine smell and it's amazing!

Bottom row:

This are all samples that i got from Boston Store or Sephora - i have 3 Ralph by Ralph Lauren, 1 Hypnôse by Lancôme, 1 Diamonds by Emporio Armani, & 1 Kim Kardashian by Kim Kardashian.

What are your favorite perfumes?

♥

Lush Review: The Comforter Solid Perfume

As you may have seen in a previous post, i went into Lush the other day & picked this up after just taking one whiff of it.  Mistake!  I thought i'd make a quick post on it because i wanted to inform you all on this :)

Like a majority of Lushies, i LOVE The Comforter Bubble Bar & when i heard that was a solid perfume of the scent, i was ecstatic!  So i went into the store & took one little sniff.  It smelled exactly like the bubble bar (at first), so i bought it.

When i was in the car on the way home, i smelled it again & was like, oh goodness, this doesn't smell like the bubble bar all at, but more like wax.

I then went home, same thing.  I've been smelling it occasionally everyday, hoping it will magically change into the scent i know & love.  It no longer smells like wax to me, but it still doesn't smell like the bubble bar.  I honestly don't even like the scent.

I really, really wanted to like this scent, but i just couldn't.  On the positive side, i've heard many good things about the other solid perfumes & i'm willing to try those out.

Overall, i will not be repurchasing this product, i actually ended up returning it :O

Have you lovelies tried out any of the solid perfumes?

♥