little white truths

I was having a bit of a 'what am I going to write' moment this morning and it suddenly occurred to me that I've never posted on my favourite fragrances, which is somewhat odd because I've been a perfume junkie since my teens and it wasn't until I hit my thirties that I broadened my beauty addiction to makeup and skincare. So it's time to talk scents. Not to be confused with 'sense' because, you know, baby brain: the struggle is real.

I guess the other reason I don't review fragrances on this blog is because, perhaps more than any other beauty item, perfume is just so personal that I don't feel 'right' in recommending any to others - particularly because what smells great on one person mightn't smell so good on others. Armani's Aqua di Gio is always my example here: I love the scent something chronic when I spray it on a card or sniff its instantly recognisable goodness on others, but I've never bought it because it smells rubbish on me.

One last thing to note: all the photos and (paraphrased) fragrance descriptions below are courtesy of fragrantica.com because I don't own all these perfumes at the moment so I can't do my own shots. On that, if you haven't visited fragrantica.com yet, you must: it's the best fragrance-related site on the web in my humble opinion and it's definitely worth a look-in if you need a perfume resource.

But enough preamble. Here are my favourite fragrances. I have plenty I enjoy but these are the ones I've repurchased and haven't tired of yet.

Christian Dior La Dolce Vita EDP

This is described as a sweet oriental fragrance with a spicy woody base. Top notes include lily, magnolia and rose followed by peach, apricot and cinnamon in its heart, while the dry-down notes are sandalwood, heliotrope and vanilla. 

This was released in 1994 and I bought my first bottle in 1996. I finished my last bottle a few months back and this is the first time in twenty years that I've not had the fragrance in my collection (that's because I've been waiting for sales, not because I don't want it). Oh how I'm missing it! It's a sweet-ish, complex fragrance that may be too much for many but for some reason it just works on me and if I could only ever own one fragrance, this would be it.

It smells yellow like sunshine and it just makes me happy. 'Nuff said.

Lancome La Vie Est Belle

This one launched in 2012 and it was love at first sniff for me. Fragrantica notes that iris is the key ingredient, followed by orange blossoms and jasmine in the heart. The top notes include blackcurrant and pear, while the base includes tonka bean, praline, patchouli and vanilla.

If you've smelled Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb, to me they smell basically the same - it's just that this one's richer, less saccharine (on me at least) and lasts longer on the skin. Plus it's generally cheaper so it's a better choice overall because I use less per application and don't need to keep reapplying it. 

La Vie Est Belle is quite a sweet fragrance and I generally prefer lighter, citrus-y scents, but it doesn't pull too sweet on me and I suspect I'll be using it for years to come.

Chanel Chance EDP/EDT

Now I can't remember for the life of me whether I've been through two bottles of this in the EDP or EDT version. But let's assume it's the EDT because I have a feeling that the EDP was too musky for me.

The EDT top notes are pink pepper, lemon and pineapple; the heart comprises hyacinth, jasmine and iris; and the base includes amber, patchouli, vetiver and white musk. 

I'm not a fan of musky perfumes and I've seen many reviewers say that this reeks of musk on them, but it doesn't on me and it's my perfect 'anytime' scent. It's neither a summer nor a winter fragrance and it's light while still being interesting and different: it's not a fragrance I've smelled a thousand times before and I can't wait to get my hands on another bottle.

I did hesitate to include this one because my husband is the one who makes sure I always have this in my collection (I think he likes to pretend it makes me look like Natalie Portman), but I do enjoy it and it does make me feel special - it's just not one I reach for without thinking as I do the others on this list. That's because it's a touch too sweet and I have to use just a tiny bit or I find it too much, but it is a really beautiful, complex scent.

The top note is Italian mandarin, the heart is Egyptian jasmine absolute and rose, and the base is patchouli and musk. 

In many ways I prefer Miss Dior Eau Fraiche (that's the green one from this line) because it's lighter, heavier on the citrus and it's more of a unisex fragrance in my opinion because there's something masculine about the scent. But I didn't include that on this list because I've only been through one (admittedly large) bottle so it's not a repurchase. Yet ; )

A final note

I do have other fragrances I enjoy and have repurchased (eg Davidoff's Cool Water Woman, Dior Addict Eau Fraiche and a few of the DKNY apple fragrances), but I tend to get sick of those halfway through the bottle and don't repurchase them for a while until I'm 'ready' to use them again.

I'm also currently using Giorgio Armani's Si because I was able to grab it for a song during one of Chemist Warehouse's big sales, but it's probably not one I'd repurchase since it sometimes smells too sweet on me (perhaps it 'mixes' better with my body chemistry or what have you depending on the season - who knows).

Anyhoo! Them's my favourite fragrances. Do let me know if you have any favourites and whether there's any perfume you can't live without - I'd love to hear.

Speak soon x