DIPTYQUE PHILOSYKOS

Not to bring the tone down over here, but when my Nan passed away I got a bit of money left for me. Of course I didn't want to waste that money on make up at all, so I put a bit away for a holiday, bought a computer for uni but I wanted to get something a little bit more personal. One thing she bought me nearly every Christmas was a perfume, so the first thing I thought to get was an indulgent perfume to remind me of her. The Philosykos fragrance from Diptyque had been on my lust list for ages, so it seemed a bit of a no brainer.

Now this is definitely a bit of a marmite scent, I love it yet a couple of my friends certainly aren't too keen. It's a very, very mature scent - it's not sweet at all and is very... earthy? It's figgy but also has an air of summer holidays and foreign ventures about it. At first the scent is really strong, but after a while it dies down to a lovely gentle aroma that lingers on clothes and scarfs for days on end.

I love to pair this with the Escentric Molecules, Molecule 01 to give Philosykos a little kick up the back side and give it a little more of a woody smell. Also, an ode to the beautiful packaging! Without a doubt this is the most luxurious looking bottle on my dressing table, it's an absolute beaut.


Have you tried this? Do you know of any similar fragrances?

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top five fragrances - perfect pressies!

Anyone who knows me, knows I never leave the house without perfume, and these are my go-to fragrances. You can find links to the products below.

Diesel Fuel For Life Denim
This smells slightly masculine, yet floral, but it so nice and long wearing. The main reason I love this is the packaging! It looks gorgeous on my perfume stand. It's not as cheap as the others, but I got this in the Christmas sales last year for a fraction of the price and I'm only half way through the bottle!
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Paco Rabanne Black XS
This is pretty much my all time favourite fragrance, it's sweet, recognizable and incredibly long wearing. I get so many compliments when I wear this, but it is at the end of it's bottle now, sadly. Some people might find it over-powering and a bit sickly, but I love it.

DKNY Golden Delicious 
I lose count of how many people compliment me on this perfume. Again, another that's at the end of it's life, but I have another DKNY apple fragrance on my list. It really does smell like a Golden Delicious apple, not too artificial. I usually wear this on a night out/meal, something I have to look nice for and it really makes my outfit.

Versace Red Jeans
This is very strong, fruity, I don't find it lasts me all day, but seeing as the bottle is so big and is pretty cheap, I tend to wear this almost every day. Another one similar to this is the Tommy Hilfiger fragrance which got re-merchandised last Christmas.

Kate Moss Kate
Another floral/fruity fragrance that I'd wear every day. It's fairly subtle, but you can still smell it well. Quite good for someone aged 15+ I think because it's quite fresh. I find some perfumes can be too old for people, is that just me?! I bought it for my cousin for Christmas this year so let's see how it goes!



Sorry it's not much of a post, it's been a pretty hectic day Christmas shopping and I'm absolutely knackered. Hope this gives you some ideas for presents though, or even for yourself! If you have any questions about them, just ask me below.




PS. I'm looking for some new winter boots/shoes. Anyone got any favourites?! I'd love to hear, my feet are cold. Thank you! xxx

perfect presents for the guys!

Hi! A couple of weeks ago, some of you will have seen my post 'perfect presents for the ladies' which you can find here. I promised I'd do a list for the guys as well, but never realised how hard it would be! But here is my compilation so far.

1. Fight Club 2 Disc Edition.
Every guy, whether they've seen Fight Club or not, would LOVE to receive this in their stocking.
It's a classic film and priced at £5.48 from play.com you can't go wrong. Perfect for teenage brothers, uncles etc. However, the first rule of Fight Club is not to talk about Fight Club...

2. Vivienne Westwood Neptune Watch VV021GDBK
I found this on ASOS and at £175, you want to make sure you chose the right person for this. Perhaps you have a boyfriend or brother that loves designer gear? If my boyfriend wore watches (and I won the lottery) he would definitely be getting this. Including Vivienne Westwood's iconic symbol, the orb, on the second hand, this present is the one for your cherished one!

3. Paul Smith Extreme for Men Eau de Toilette 
£16.09 for a 30ml fragrance is brilliant. I often buy Paul Smith fragrances for family members around Christmas and I have never been disappointed. The fragrance fit most age groups, they don't smell to old to buy for your cousins. The packaging is a simple glass bottle which I think is lovely. The way a fragrance is presented to me has a big influence on whether I'm likely to buy it (just me?), and I'm sure this is going to be one I buy for the family this year. 

4. Illuminated Marco Polo Globe Antique 300mm
I bought a globe for my boyfriend on his birthday, and I have to say it was one of my favourite presents to give him. £22.99 is a decent price for a present that can fit in anywhere and often interests people visiting. This would be a great present for dad's or travelers, and it really looks like you put some thought into their present. 



I hope you like my ideas. I've been doing this post for over an hour, guys are so difficult! 
Do you have any suggestions? I'm going shopping soon and could really use some help!

perfect presents for the ladies!

Hello lovelies! I'm really sorry that it's been a few days, but I've been struggling lately to get any ideas for posts. I don't have any money to buy new products and anything I do have, I'm saving for birthday/christmas presents, so I thought this would be the perfect post!
This post is going to be specifically on ladies presents, but one for the guys will be coming along soon!

1. I don't think you can go wrong with Lush products. Recently these have come very much into the limelight, even outdoing the popular Body Shop brand and I certainly think these would make a fab present. I personally wouldn't buy anything for the face or any masks as you never know if your friend/family member is going to react to any ingredients, and you don't want your present to be at blame, so I'd play it safely. I think the Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub product would be really good for a smallish present, for a sister, or a friend. It's affordable at £7.95 and it's quite a big tub! I would also buy their Bubblegum Lip Scrub for maybe a younger sibling as a lovely stocking filler. It's fun, sweet and edible (always a plus!). I've used this product and was very, very impressed by it. It left my lips tingling, soft and smooth.

2. This Gorgio Armani Miniature Female Fragrance Gift Set is an amazing buy and is definitely on my Christmas list! I like miniature fragrance sets, because there's always at least one you like in it, but you then have so many to choose from and I'm sure you get a lot for your money. At £24.99 I'd buy this for my Mum, Aunt or a good friend. Of course with it being designer, it has a lot more wow factor than if you gave someone four Ted Baker fragrances (not that there's anything wrong with them! I think they smell lovely) and it will definitely seem like you put a lot of thought and effort into the gift (which of course you did, didn't you!) .
3. As a cheaper gift for your girls, why not treat them to some all-time great Rom-Coms! I chose The Notebook which is on Amazon for £3.69, but I'm sure you can find it elsewhere for cheaper! I picked this one because I've never seen it, but I'm sure other films such as PS, I Love You, or Dear John would go down a treat too. Everyone loves a Rom-Com, whether they admit to it or not and I really think this would be such a cute present. You can even sit and watch it together with some chocolates and a nice mug of hot choc!

4. Finally, I'm a big lover of small trinkets and I think this Bistro Bleu Heart Chalkboard for £8.00 is super sweet. You could even open it and leave a sweet message, especially if you're giving this as a gift to a girlfriend!



So like I said, there's one for the guys coming soon! I'm struggling finding any, boyfriends and dads are so difficult, aren't they?! So, if you have any ideas, leave me a comment and let me know! Help out all the other bloggers you lovely people.