I know we’re pretty much nearing the end of the height of summer now, so perhaps the title of this post isn’t completely accurate – but I really wanted the opportunity to talk about a couple of fragrances I’ve been loving recently – and thought this would be the best way to tie it in. In actuality, these perfumes are suitable for all year round wear – I just wish I’d discovered them sooner!
First off is The Library Of Fragrance, which I’m sure I’d heard of before but just never fully understood the concept. Rather than just an assortment of fragrance mixes that you probably can’t buy online because you’d need them to pass the sniff test first, this clever brand have created a library of all of your favourite familiar smells – that you can wear in fragrance form. My three favourite smells happen to be Gingerbread (which reminds me of Christmas – so I can’t wait to wear this during the festive season), Vanilla Ice Cream (or anything vanilla for that matter, I just love it) and Baby Powder (a weird one I know, but it’s so fresh and comforting). And I was in luck, for The Library Of Fragrance offered all three in cologne form!
When they arrived, I was even more excited to try them out – packaged simply but beautifully in clear and silver bottles. It must be ridiculously difficult to try and hone in on one particular, singular scent and bottle it, however somehow – all three were absolutely spot on. The Gingerbread is my current favourite, it honestly smells as though you’re baking ginger biscuits or looking round a Christmas market – delicious!
I think the brand offers a really unique and amazing concept, making for the perfect presents for friends and family (or a treat to yourself). I find birthday’s really difficult – even if it’s a close friend – as I think it’s a cop out to get something ‘general’ or samey, especially if you know them well. I’m always on the hunt for something thoughtful and different, that I know they’ll love but have never thought of themselves. If your best friend or mum has a favourite scent, you can scroll through the list on their website and see if it’s listed. They’re also stocked in Boots and each gorgeous bottle is very reasonably priced at just £15. I know we’re not yet thinking about Christmas (although it is just 20 Friday’s away – just saying) but they’d make for fabulous stocking fillers too!
You probably won’t believe me but one of their most unusual fragrances (although equally, one of their best sellers) is the ‘Pizza’ fragrance – which smells of rich tomato sauce and freshly baked dough. I warn anyone spritzing that on an empty stomach!
Some of the others that I’m intrigued by include Marshmallow, Fresh Coconut, Gin & Tonic, Fireplace, Freshly Mown Grass, New Paperback Book, Chocolate Chip Cookie, Salt Air and Snow?! If anyone happens to try these, please let me know what you thought. I’m actually becoming a bit addicted to their selection, I spent an hour browsing through last week – someone help me please!
For a cologne, they were longer wearing than I initially thought – as I could still smell remnants of Gingerbread well into the evening, despite having sprayed it only a few times that morning. You can mix and match a few to create a scent unique to you or just wear different singular ones each day depending on how you feel, which I love – I think I’m going to have to get a few more of these.
And, accompanying these singular fragrances is an eau de toilette by Desigual, a fun and flirty kind of scent which embodies summer! The bottle is absolutely adorable, with a rainbow style funky design and a quirky cotton and bronze top. The initial notes are very young and floral, followed by a musky vanilla undertone. It smells very much like my favourite perfume as a teenager (one of the Gwen Stefani ones) and so wearing it takes me back to summery nights out in the park with friends. I imagine this would be a great fragrance to wear to a festival, as it’s very light and subtle – but perfect for making you feel a bit fresher and more awake!
The Desigual perfumes are available on The Fragrance Shop online – and are a very reasonably priced £12 at the moment, so if you fancy trying something new – these are definitely worth looking into!
Do you have any favourite summer scents? Have you tried any of the singular scents from The Library of Fragrance? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
