Over the years, I've amassed quite the perfume collection; thank you duty free! And I thought I'd share with you my top 5 most worn ones in the Autumn/Winter months. But first off;
Seeing as I have a major sweet tooth, it's no surprise, that most of my perfumes are of the fruity/sweet variety, with vanilla as a base note...YUM!
All the graphics you see the perfumes resting on are from Zoé de Las Cases' Secret Paris colouring for mindfulness book, which I love (mind you I wish the paper was thicker, so as to not let pens bleed through, but you can't have everything I guess). Furthermore, all the perfume descriptions come from fragrantica.com which is an amazing site, I highly suggest you check it out, if you're ever interested in finding out what scents your favourite perfumes are the agglomerations of :)
Jo Malone - Blackberry & Bay (Cologne)
First off, the odd one out. This one is the only non-sugary-sweet one, I own. It has a very "fresh" quality to it and therefore I wear it most during the Summer. However, the blackberry trait it possesses carries me through the awkward transition from Summer to Autumn that is the beginning of September.
When you're still saying goodbye to the warmer weather (or if you live in Belgium the couple of extra °C gained during said "warmer" months) but you're not yet ready to start wearing the heavy scents of Winter. This is where Blackberry & Bay comes in, every time I wear it, I feel like I'm going blackberry picking (not that I've ever done that in my life) and it suits the crisper and colder air you get in September perfectly! Furthermore, it's a lovely "palate cleanser" throughout Autumn and Winter, when you just fancy a quick "fresher" scent to break up the monotony of the heavier ones.
As a side note, the men in my life (my dad and my brother #singleforlife) love this scent on me! I'm not sure if that's just because their noses are not used to getting a break from all that sugar (I'll never quit...never!) or if it really is just the perfume. The only other perfume that ever got that same reaction from them, was Vera Wang's Princess, which I used to wear on a daily basis when I was 14, and still do occasionally wear today.
- TOP NOTES: Blackberry and grapefruit
- HEART NOTES: Bay leaves and cedar-wood
- According to Fragrantica and not Jo Malone's official site, this perfume also features floral notes (not described) and vetiver.
Guerlain - La Petite Robe Noire (Eau de Parfum)
This has been my signature scent for the last couple of years (I'm already halfway through my second bottle). It released near the end of my academic exchange year at the Sorbonne in 2012, and just because of that, it has a special place in my heart (along with the YSL Parisienne perfume I received as a gift from my mum before leaving for said exchange year...the name having nothing to do with it of course...I lie, runs away guiltily).
It is a very unusual scent, apparently, and for the longest time was not released in the UK (I'm sure it has been released now). It still causes puzzled looks, when I mention it at perfume counters when I'm asked about my preferences (but I think this is just because they don't know it, not because they're wondering who would wear such a thing). But recently I've loved to layer this "heavier" perfume under the next one I'll be talking about, which is Jimmy Choo's Jimmy Choo (bless you!!!).
- TOP NOTES: Black cherry, bergamot, red berries and almond
- MIDDLE NOTES: Bulgarian & Turkish roses, liquorice and smoked black tea
- BASE NOTES: Aniseed, tonka bean, vanilla (see I told you), iris and patchouli (another favourite)
Jimmy Choo - Jimmy Choo (Eau de Parfum)
As I've said above, I love to layer this one on top of La Petite Robe Noire. It can be worn on its own, obviously, and sometimes I do, but I've found that this perfume is a bit short-lived. I always spray perfumes on my clothes or scarves (I don't want to irritate my sensitive/needy skin) and I've found that I stop smelling this one after more or less 4 hours. So this is why I tend to layer it, because as it wears off, my base notes from La Petite Robe Noire come in.
But why do I like this scent so much? It reminds me of wandering through flowery meadows at sunset...no, just kidding, it reminds me of...wait for it...YOGURT!!! Yes! You read correctly. Yogurt, is the only way I can describe this one, it has a softened "artificial" fruity scent to it, that is exactly what I would picture those kid fruit yogurts to smell like, from their taste. If you're French, think of those fruit multi-pack Gervais yogurts you ate as a kid, picture that artificial milky/fruity taste and you've got this perfume (to me anyway).
Now why would I want to smell like a tub of yogurt? I have yet to ask my subconscious that! But... let me explain...no, grabs hold of jumper...no, don't leave...come back! :P I guess you're just going to have to smell it for yourselves to see what you think of it, I personally adore it :)
- TOP NOTES: Pear nectar & sweet Italian orange (I think I see where I'm getting "yogurt" from)
- MIDDLE NOTE: Tiger Orchard
- BASE NOTES: Sweet toffee caramel and Indonesian patchouli (there it is again)
Britney Spears - Fantasy; The Naughty Remix (Eau de Parfum)
As you can see I'm not fussy when it come to what brand I buy from, if I like it...I like it! My taste is so nit-picky (some might say peculiar) I don't tend to question when I find a smell I like. So this one is new to me this year, I bought it beginning of April thinking it would be perfect for the upcoming Autumn and here we are. A bit like Jimmy Choo, Fantasy (The Naughty Remix) has a fruity softness to it (that I'm apparently drawn to) but unlike the former, this one doesn't remind me of yogurt! It's much sweeter and less "milky" than Jimmy Choo, and I love it!
- TOP NOTE: Jasmine petals
- MIDDLE NOTES: White chocolate orchid and sweet cupcake accord (YUM!!!)
- BASE NOTES: sensual woods, orris root and creamy musk
Coleen - Butterflies (Eau de Toilette)
This is the newest addition to my collection and although it features butterflies on its bottle, I chose to look past that, for the sake of the smell. I know, could I have picked a more harmless creature to be afraid of?...And don't get me started on moths...shudders.
I saw this perfume featured on a UK website for 20% off or something, and looking at the notes it looked like it would be a perfume I liked, but I'm not the gambling kind, and I always smell perfumes before I buy. Sometimes perfumes can end up being a very horrible concoction of all your favourite smells, so I would never base myself off notes alone and highly suggest smelling before purchasing!
So then came the tricky part, finding a store in Belgium I could smell it at, I searched the only two shop websites I could think of (Planet Parfum and ICI Paris XL) and nothing! Then came the UK website (The Perfume Shop) and again nothing, a couple of months later I was in the UK for a family wedding and I was browsing the isles of The Perfume Shop in an Outlet Centre, and right at the bottom of a bargain bin, there it was - Butterflies!!! Smelled it, loved it, bought it! Plus it was 50% off, couldn't believe my luck :o Again, fruity and sweet, just what I like.
- TOP NOTES: Citruses, rose and hibiscus
- MIDDLE NOTES: Black pepper, nutmeg and vanilla
- BASE NOTES: Vanilla, rosewood, amber, tonka bean and cedar
So there you have it, my top 5 Autumn/Winter 2015 perfumes.
What are your favourite perfumes to wear this time of year? And what's on your wishlist?
I know I have my eye on Diptyque's Volutes even if my brother thinks it smells like cough syrup. It will be mine one day; shake fist at the Perfume Gods...why...oh...why are some perfumes so expensive?
xxxemma