Perfume Collection // 2013

Over the last few months my perfume collection has seen many new additions as well as many goodbyes. Thanks to continuous sales and dare I say good luck!? I've managed to pick up all the perfumes I'd been lusting for, though now that means I can start a fresh list? Perfume is usually an item I wouldn't purchase myself unless I'm making use of duty free. Let's get going, grab a cup of tea, I'm sure it's going to be a long one.

The Vera's |

A year or so before I started blogging began my Vera Wang perfume craze, it was impossible to pass any perfume counter without lusting over the heart bottle, pink liquid and sparkling crown. It wasn't until I flew out on holiday that summer that I purchased my first bottle much cheaper than back at home...though if only I'd waited till I visited the cheaper resort over...it was cheaper yet again in the same chain!? Princess is your very girly, princessy scent, it's in the name. With a vanilla base, chocolatey middle and fresh crisp apple and citrus top notes - good enough to eat right? For quite some time I've neglected wearing Princess despite it always being my signature scent. I associate it with a not so happy time in my life but I crack it out every so often mainly in spring/summer.

Lovestruck however is a completely different story, I grabbed a set in Boots when they used to have 50% off, oh how I wish they'd carried that on these past sales. Lovestruck is another hyped of product that in the mist of sale shopping I didn't even bother to preview. It's just a weaker form of Princess packaged in an extremely tacky plastic topped bottle. I'll use it up eventually but I'll never repurchase....to think there's now another Lovestruck just released too.

The Britney's |

Britney fragrances have been in my collection from the age of 11, I'm sure everyone has owned at least one bottle of the original Fantasy or Curious? Fantasy was always far too sweet for me even in my early teen years. However Midnight Fantasy will always be that perfume I'll own for as long as they make it. While flying home from holiday I noticed First Choice had an exclusive of the perfume, I purchased and fell in love. This perfume has cemented it's very own place in my top 5 for sentimental value and the pure amount of compliments I get every single day I wear it. The only negative I have is how increasingly popular this scent has become in the last 2-3 years. 

Another Britney I picked up on holiday is In Control Curious, I'd spotted this online but sold out before I flew. I've never been a fan of Curious, it's far too musky. In Control Curious was worth the hassle of the pesky shop folk the fruity top notes really make all the difference between the two.

The Triplets | 

My last Britney fragrance was another sale bargain on Boxing Day, Boots had only reduced sets by a third while selected =fragrances were 50% off. Both me and my Mum grabbed a bottle, with my Mum buying the original Radiance and me buying Cosmic Radiance. There's a slight difference between the two but not much. If you're familiar with Viva La Juicy you can save yourself some pennies because this is stronger and an exact dupe.

Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture of course was another sale bargain the Christmas before this past one. It was a 50ml bottle in the gift set compared to this past Christmases 30ml - nothing gets past me. As I've mentioned Britney's Radiance fragrances are the perfect dupe for Viva La Juicy - with citrus top notes, a vanilla base and floral middle it definitely is a gorgeous scent it's just missing the lasting power.

If twin perfumes weren't enough I've also found a triplet, Taylor Swift whether you love her or hate her has launched some great scents. Her first Wonderstruck fragrance was £13 in the sale, with me picking up a second for £10 in later reductions. I really want the larger bottles in the future purely for the cute charm detailing the 30ml bottles don't have.

Siblings | Lush Vs Benefit |

I'll admit I haven't always been a big fan of Benefit however it was their Perfumes that blew me away. Packaging is definitely something they pay attention to detail with, each perfume comes inside it's own little house and busy print on the bottle cover. Something About Sofia was gifted to me a long time before I started blogging, for such a small bottle it's lasted well, okay it's not a scent I use every day - once every so often but when I do the scent is just as strong at the at the end of the day. Sofia makes a very good A/W scent due to the heavy but fizzy floral scent - sophisticated which is probably why I neglected it for so many years. 

Until I started hunting out my Perfume collection I was yet to realise how very similar Something About Sofia and Lush 25:43 are. Mark created this for his Son's wedding - further detail can be found in my review. 25:43* has a little more zing to it, but other than that they're the same - though Lush lack exciting packaging as always.

FB Beauty | 'Celebrity' Fragrances |

Cher Lloyd also launched her own fragrance last year with FB Beauty, the company behind many new celeb releases and well loved MUA < though MUA have been shooting themselves in the foot yet again, oh MUA. I've been pleasantly surprised with Cher's fragrance, the bottle won't be to everyones cup of tea, I mean a bright pink diamond isn't exactly handbag friendly or decor freindly. It's very similar to Britney's Fantasy without being as sickly due to more fruity top notes. Pink Diamond* gets my approval - though the lid needs some TLC, mine leaks.

Following yet more 'celebrity' perfumes comes TOWIE's latest number, Love Addict*. Again like Cher's this is another from FB Beauty. I'm a big TOWIE fan but I didn't have high hopes for this fragrance. It won't be to everyones nose? But it's a great evening fragrance with lasting power. Love Addict is a heavily woody yet chocolate fragrance.

The Affordable | Sweet |

Accessorize Enchanted* launched last year, yet again this scent is the same as Cher Lloyd's Pink Diamond - why? It's from FB Beauty. Fruity notes such as raspberry, while the candy like scent hovers around all day. Great for summer and excellent value for money.

I'm sure most girls in the UK also owned many So..? body sprays and accompanying perfumes. I know I did, I'd always end up with the old square perfumes every birthday. It wasn't until I started blogging that So..? came back into my collection. After recieving a sample of this perfume to review I was hooked again to my old favourite Etnernal. This particular scent is very citrussy and incredibly cheap. Always a great product to keep in your bag, no need to fret if it smashes.

The 'Sexy' Fragrances | Higher End |

I've left the best fragrances till last, recently I was lucky enough to win a bottle of Jimmy Choo's latest fragrance. I'd lusted over the original for so long, but Flash has defientely won me over. Flash is a woody yet fruity fragrance with floral notes to add sophistication. It's a scent I'll always repurchase this is only the 40ml bottle when Debenhams have their next sale I'll be ordering myself the 100ml, everyone asks what I'm wearing!

Womanity is another 'old' favourite of mine, I picked this bottle up just before I started my blog. Thierry Mugler perfumes are incredibly popular in the blogging world with Alien usually being the most known while Womanity sits quietly at the back. Why? It's an incredibly sexy fragrance for when you want that extra kick of confidence. Another fruity number with a woody twist. I'm so glad I grabbed this on my last holiday.

Despite claiming to want to smell like Jimmy Choo flash for the rest of my life I'm now stuck in a bitter battle between Flash and Narcisco Rodredgrez's For Her. I was Mother's Day shopping and some how the Boots store I was in just happened to have probably the only set left in any Boots store in the UK!? This baby sold out on Christmas Eve online and isn't stocked in my local. How could I leave behind a perfume I've wanted for so long. This is one extremely sexy scent that I've worn every day since with notes of musk, citrus, floral and amber. The perfect scent for me?

Are you a perfume hoarder like me? Or do you stick to just one signature scent? Lucy x
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.