Wednesday 31 December 2014

Finding your Signature Fragrance

Personally, I like to find a fragrance that I absolutely adore and then stick to using it. This way, when people smell the scent they instantly recognise it as me.There are hundreds or perfumes to choose from, so it can be very difficult to find a fragrance that completely captures you as a person. Currently, I am using two different perfumes, as I love both of them. I'm not the best at describing scents, so I have used Fragrantica to help with the overviews below.

Daisy by Marc Jacobs
Daisy is a sparkly floral-woody fragrance, fresh and feminine at the same time. It is devoted to a sophisticated, seductive, and dazzling woman, which at the same time strives to simplicity. Charming Daisy fragrance caresses with the fruity strawberry notes, intensive green aroma of violet leaf and sparkling spicy pink grapefruit. Its heart beats in floral rhythm, composed of silky and intoxicating gardenia, delicate violet, and jasmine petals. The powdery soft dry down is composed of white woods, vanilla and musk.
I love absolutely everything about this perfume; with a little dab of it on my wrists and behind my ears it makes me feel fresh and feminine but also strong and confident. The description of the woman it is suited for above is what I hope to be. I wear this almost every day - hence why the bottle is only half full!

Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel
Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel is a Chypre Floral fragrance for women. Top notes are orange, mandarin orange, orange blossom and bergamot; middle notes are mimosa, jasmine, turkish rose and ylang-ylang; base notes are tonka bean, patchouli, opoponax, vanilla, vetiver and white musk.
I got this perfume more recently, and I wear it on evenings when I am going out. It is slightly muskier than Daisy and smells less fresh, but is still absolutely gorgeous. My inner Parisian adores this fragrance. As I am quite young, I chose Coco Mademoiselle but I know when I am a bit older I will go for the classic Chanel No. 5 or something similar.

When it comes to finding a fragrance that is perfect for you, all you can do if think about what scents you like in everyday life, and then go to a perfume shop and smell every tester you can! Try to imagine yourself wearing the scent to places you go to often and decide whether it suits that, and also whether it suits your personal style and personality.


Tuesday 30 December 2014

My Dream Minimalist Wardrobe


                  stylizimoblog.com

My actual wardrobe is currently stuffed with lots of clothes, many of which I hardly ever wear. I have been dreaming of having a minimalist wardrobe ever since I read Lessons from Madame Chic: 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris by Jennifer L. Scott. In her book she writes about how the French tend to have wardrobes of only around 10 items. This completely baffled me, as I probably own hundreds of items of clothing, but I was intrigued. I did a bit of research, and decided that even I could probably live with an extremely minimalistic wardrobe. The key is to make sure all your items can be put together in different combinations, so you look as if you are wearing very different outfits when in fact you aren't. I don't think I can narrow my wardrobe down to such a small amount just yet, simply because I go to college every day and I don't want people to think I don't wash or change my clothes regularly! However, in the future, the following list will definitely be put into action in my own wardrobe.

My Dream Minimalist Wardrobe:
  • Black blazer
  • White silk shirt x2
  • Black tapered trousers
  • Black pencil skirt
  • Black coated jeans
  • Black & white striped top
  • Plain black blouse
  • Plain white blouse
  • Cashmere jumper (navy or grey)
  • Black leggings/riding pants
  • Oversize grey/white t-shirt
  • Cocktail dress
  • Evening gown
  • Trench coat
  • Leather jacket
  • Black heels
  • Black ankle boots
  • Black ballet pumps
  • Tote bag
  • Small bag
  • Weekend bag
  • Sunglasses
  • Black fedora hat
Obviously this list does not include my huge collection of lingerie which I couldn't bear to part with, or any workout clothing. I am aware it is an extremely monochrome selection, but I have never been too keen on wearing a lot of colour anyway, apart from the occasional dash of red lipstick (my personality is bright enough as it is!). I wrote this list with my future self in mind, hence the pencil skirt and shirt as I (hope I) will have a job. I am currently de-cluttering my wardrobe at a far slower pace than I would like, but I will get there eventually!