Oh Girl you smell so Fine..

I'm a self confessed fragrance-holic (is that a term??) & it's been through a long,painstaking process of self control(Read- Broke) that i have been able to control my urge to buy each and every new perfume that i like. Trust me, i bought so many of em that now when i use them, there are at least 3-4 which i cant tell apart.. because they smell exactly the same. That's how hopeless an addict i was.. 

Well, Past is past and now that i've turned into a more mature person who takes educated  & informed decisions where perfumes are concerned (Yet to mature myself in the shopping front), i'm here to give you a lowdown on the best scents to try this season.

Though my liking is more towards the fruity/gourmand category of perfumes, i have tried to be as unbiased as possible in my search for the perfect perfumes that'll ensure you end up smelling good..and delicious in some cases, no matter what the time or the occasion.. Yes..Finally a post on Fragrances!!

“You are never fully dressed without perfume!”

                                                                  ― C. JoyBell C.

Day Fragrances:

Clinique Happy in Bloom 2013-

First off, i love the bottle.. it practically screams summer!!

Top Notes- Apricot & assorted fruits
Middle Notes- Freesia, Mimose & incense
Base Notes- Woody

This one is a perfect fragrance to wear all day.. be it at work or brunch or at home.. It's beautiful mixture of fruits and flowers, held together by a woody base.. Pure perfection. It's a light, happy scent that lasts all day and has moderate sillage.. i wear this when i need instant mood upliftment.

This one truly is "Happiness" in a bottle.. LOVE IT!

 L'Eau d'Issey Summer-

Top Notes- Pink Grapefruit & Litchi

Middle Notes- Guava. Passion fruit & Flowers

Base Notes- Vanilla & Exotic woods

This latest offering from Issey Miyake is in short, A Fruit Salad.. In a good way!! It's citrusy(you get the hint of sour grapefruit), fresh and very summery.. It's also the perfect smell for a climate like India's. 

The beautiful blue bottle gives an impression of a freshly sliced fruit being splashed in a pool of cool water.. REFRESHING!!

Lanvin Oxygene- 

Top Notes- Indian White pepper & Bergamot
Middle Notes-Gardenia, Milk & Rose
Base Notes- Iris, White Sandalwood & Musk

Smelling this perfume is like breathing clean air.. An absolute delight!! I cannot express just how much i love this perfume... It's a clean and fresh scent but not cold.. It's a warm, milky, creamy floral with bursts of aquatic freshness here and there.

There is nothing run of the mill about this bottle of juice.. It's a feminine spicy scent with sublime floral woods to give it an edge of clean sexy!

The longevity is pretty good..it lasts me the 8 and half hours in office.. and the sillage is soft to moderate. However, i am not a fan of the bottle- i find it too clean cut and futuristic.. the juice inside however, makes it up for it. This one is a keeper!

Night Fragrances:

Lancome Tresor Midnight Rose- 

This is by far the most romantic perfume i've smelt..It's a floral fruity fragrance with a hint of woody virginian cedar and sensual musk.

Top notes: Raspberry Rose absolute

Heart notes: Jasmine, Peony, Currant buds, Pink Pepper

Base notes: Virginian cedar, Musk and Vanilla

This is a delicious smelling fragrance that is sweet without being cloyingly so and has a decent lasting power without being overpowering. It stays pretty close to the skin so if you are looking for a fragrance with great sillage, this isn't the one. This is only for your nose or for close encounters with someone special..Hence, date night :)

Dior Hypnotic Poison-

This one is a classic. Launched in 1998, it still remains my go-to fragrance for nights when i want everyone i pass by to take a deep breath of this gorgeous heady fragrance.

Top notes: Plum, Apricot,Coconut

Heart notes: Jasmine, Tuberose, Lily of the Valley,Rose, Brazilian Rosewood & Caraway

Base notes: Cedarwood,Almond, Musk and Vanilla

Everytime i wear this, i get tons of compliments..and it just takes my confidence to a whole new level. This perfume exudes feminity and sensuality although you gotta be careful to not overspray it as too much of it may become overpowering and too strong for the wearer (it gave me a migraine once when i got too spray happy).

A beautiful, sexy fragrance with an Amazing Lasting Power and equally good sillage ( i could still smell it on my skin the next day). Although it's a bit heavy on the pocket, i wouldn't mind investing on this one over and over again.

Chanel Coco Noir-

Just one word- Gorgeous... In fact, Beyond Gorgeous!! 

This one is a scent that bridges the gap between the original Coco and the lighter Coco Mademoiselle.. And HOW! It's an elegant scent- deeper than the Coco Mademoiselle and lighter than Coco..with a really good longevity and Sillage.

Top notes: Grapefruit & Bergamot

Heart: Rose, narcissus, Rose geranium leaf and Jasmine.

Base Notes: Tonka bean, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Patchouli and White musk

The beauty of this fragrance is that you can change the way it smells by controlling your application. For example, if you are wearing it on a casual date, just spray the air and walk into it..and if it's a special dinner at a special restaurant, Spray it directly on your skin-the pulse points that is.

This spicy, heady, sexed-up bottle of juice doesn't just turn Heads....It makes men want to inch closer to you to breathe you in! Go get yourself a bottle...Enough Said!

Alright Girls, That's it for today.. Do let me know if you have tried any of these beauties..and if not, i'd love to hear your favorites for the summer. Stay stylish, stay fresh!

Till Next Time,
xoxo!

 

 

 

A Shade BRIGHTER

When you start seeing bright blooms everywhere,smell the freshly cut grass & the smell of earth after a spell of rain..When the fragrant air greets you every time you pass a street vendor selling fresh ripe fruits, you know It's official.. Summer is here!!

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”

                                             ― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 

First off, i gotta admit, i'm not the biggest fan of summer..especially because of the intense heat that doesn't let me fully enjoy the beautiful season that it is.. Well, i try to go out early morning to enjoy the weather and then rush back indoors and stay there..till the sun goes down.

For others, who like me, like to spend their summers in the comfort of their air conditioned homes, i thought the best way to deal with this "situation" is -"if you can't go out and enjoy the summer, bring summer indoors and enjoy it's feel".

That's exactly what this post is about.. adding small touches to your homes to bring in the feel of summer. Enjoy!!

Bright Furnishings & Accessories:

I love nothing more than a soothing white room with splashes of color from bright furnishings- cushions, settees, curtains,linen..Anything!!

Image Courtesy- www.Americanhomeliving.com

Image Courtesy- Pinterest

I love this cushioned chair..And the print along with the contrasting cushions adds that extra something.

Image Courtesy- www.denoxa.com

The perfect setting for getting together with a bunch of friends and having fun..This sitting area screams "Cheerful"

Image Courtesy- Pinterest

I love reading..and this reading nook looks so cozy..i just want to curl up with a good novel in one of those oversized chairs and stay there for eternity..Sigh!

Image Courtesy- Pinterest

A plain white room, transformed into a summery oasis..just with the addition of colorful curtains and cushions.

Image Courtesy- www.digsdigs.com

Wall Accents:

I have been experimenting with wall accents ever since it came in vogue some 6-8 years back..and i'm still amazed every time i see a room getting a whole new lease of life just by painting one of its walls or adding interesting wall art. Have a look.

How i wish i had this room as a child..i can easily picturize a mother reading to her daughter in this room fit for a princess. The mural of butterflies and flowers  gives the feeling of being in the middle of a beautiful,fragrant garden with the summer sun shining on us. LOVE!

Image Courtesy- Pinterest

The coat of orange on the wall did the trick for this room..Totally digging it! 

Image Courtesy- Pinterest

I love the use of medallions as wall art.. innovative and classy.. and so very easy to incorporate. The refreshingly blue wall, the bright flowers and the potted plants add the colors to this look.

Image Courtesy- Pinterest

A yellow and white wallpaper & floral bedsheets..for summer..Need i say more?

Image Courtesy- Pinterest

A bright yellow wall and contrasting cushions..Not to forget the green plant..Hello Summer!!

Image Courtesy- www.digsdigs.com

Fresh Flowers: 

I think flowers are the best part of summer.. there are so many bright and beautiful looking (and smelling) flowers available during summers that whatever be your budget, you can still add one or the other kind of fresh blooms to your home in this season. 

Here are some interesting ways to liven up your homes using fresh flowers.

A row of flowers in shades of pink and orange and green on top of the mantle or a corner table, housed in clear see through jars.

Image Courtesy- www.homedesigning.com

 

A bunch of peonies on the Coffee table..

Image Courtesy- www.homedesigning.com

Bright blooms for the dresser..Accessorized with silver artifacts for the color to POP!

Image Courtesy- www.homedesigning.com

Have old mirrors?Just paint the borders with a bright color and get creative with the placement.

Image Courtesy- Pinterest

Flower arrangements in your bathroom is the best thing you can do for yourself..Not only does it add to the look but also imparts a happy feeling in this personal space.

Image Courtesy- Pinterest

Love the idea of a piece of log for a vase..

Image Courtesy- Pinterest

Recycled bottles anyone?

Image Courtesy- www.homedesigning.com

Who would have thought food containers could act as such cute vases..i just hit myself on the head for throwing away my Chinese tea boxes. Bummer!

Image Courtesy- www.homedesigning.com

Recycled beer bottles for these cheerful daffodils here.. Love the whole look of this one.

Image Courtesy- www.homedesigning.com

Sunroom:

This is by far, my favorite. I'm one of those people who needs her sunlight..and her Vitamin D. I just cant live in a place which has no sunlight streaming in through the windows. You can add a small Sunroom on your terrace  or garden and make it your sanctuary.

A bright cheerful Sunroom facing the garden..

Image Courtesy- www.digsdigs.com

The pastels and the bright sunshine..this one is my definition of perfection!

Image Courtesy- www.digsdigs.com

For those who do not have a lot of open space, This would be a perfect option..

Image Courtesy- www.digsdigs.com

And if you have sprawling lawns with lots of open sides, Add this Sunroom to your home..The bright furnishings and wooden furniture adds a coastal cottage kinda charm to this one.

Image Courtesy- www.digsdigs.com

Combination of Brights:

These looks are for people who like their rooms bright..Here, almost everything is bright.. from the walls to the furnishings to the flowers..there's a touch of bright in every element. But one has to be careful as to not go overboard with it as it may end up look overpowering. 

Have a look at how to combine your brights while at the same time, making it soothing:

Image Courtesy- Pinterest

I'm getting this reading area made for myself..Looks like a reader's paradise..And the Colors are so girly and chic..And the quote from Audrey Hepburn just adds to its girly-ness. Love at first sight!

Image Courtesy- Pinterest

  

That's it for today.. Hope you had a good time going through this post. I'm definitely incorporating some of these ideas in my home this summer.. What about you? Do let me know in the comment box below.

Till next Time,

xoxo!