Rise up; Kylash Volume mascara, by Kylie Cosmetics.

"get lifted, defined, and fuller lashes with my kylash volume mascara. featuring a clean and vegan formula that doesn’t compromise on performance, this mascara provides volume, length and holds curl" - Kylie jenner

 

Sephora recently arrived to the UK and one of the handful of stores is in reasonable distance to where I live, so I envisioned feasting on Tarte & Rare Beauty macaras, but nope - I'm on my second tube of Kylash and have just bought my third, to be ready for when my current one is finished/expired.

Allow  me to sum up why this has become my new favourite...

Speedy review: GHOST Orb of Night edp, by GHOST...

 Possess the magic of nature’s most transformative moments: sundown and sunrise. Orb of Night breathes life into the new day.... 

The moon. The sun. Opposites in perfect harmony, sharing the canopy. Embracing their time to illuminate. Silent moments unveil the light. Romance is revealed in soft focus as the Orb of Night descends and a passionate sun rises once more. A time to escape and connect. The sky mesmerises. The depths of night quietly greet the possibilities of morning. Calm energy wraps the air, pure and all-consuming. Feel deeply. Let the warmth charge your soul.

An alluring cherry-almond flirts with a beating heart of treasured ethereal florals. Caramel melts upon a base of warm sandalwood signalling nocturnal riches. Intriguing orange blossom gently layers delicate white musk.

The original GHOST perfume is hands down my longest-term favourite fragrance and I've also really enjoyed several of the brand's other fragrances too, so knowing that this contains cherry notes was like a siren's song to me...

Speedy review: Ghost edt, by GHOST........

Understated, yet gloriously feminine and a true modern classic. 

Ghost the Fragrance is a seamless blend of cool elegance and unexpected warmth, timeless and pure. Silky top notes of Casablanca lily, white rose and Indian ambrette seed are heightened with smoked incense, jasmine and sandalwood. The base notes of spiced amber, musk and vanilla orchid give a relaxed intimacy.

This is one of those "I was sure that I'd already reviewed this" posts...

I bought a bottle of Ghost when it launched in my teens [the name alone interested me] and I still wear it now I'm in my 40s, so it is something that I feel deserves a shout out. 

Hot Fuzz... [reviewing Perfect Nonsense Peppery Peaches edp, by Avon]

 A cheerful floral fruity burst for a fragrant adventure that’s as lively as you are...

Ready to embrace the unexpected? Meet Perfect Nonsense Peppery Peaches Eau de Parfum - a scent collision that defies all fragrance norms.

This floral fruity fusion’s got pink peppercorn coming in hot with a fiery kick that’ll have your spine buzzing, then BAM… peach enters the chat with its fresh and juicy vibe.

Don’t sleep on sensory plot twists like this one… it’s giving scents that makes no sense yet arouse every sense… and we’re here for it!

 I'm really excited to finally get to tuck in to Avon's new line 'Perfect Nonsense', which currently contains three fragrances. The fragrances are formed around clashing key scent notes; everything screams, energy,  uniqueness, and that a modern approach is being used.  

Peppery Peaches was the first fragrance in the line that I received [I ordered them all together from my Avon seller upon seeing that they were available in the UK, but the other two were already out of stock], so that will be my starting point for my reviews...

In The Nice Garden... [reviewing Kayali Fleur Majesty Rose Royale | 31 edp, by Kayali]

Feel like the diamond that you are with our warm floral masterpiece...

"My inspiration for KAYALI has always been to make people feel like royalty every time they wear our fragrances. With Fleur Majesty Rose Royale | 31, I wanted to create a warm floral scent that’s both strong and soft—a fragrance that makes you feel elegant, confident, and effortlessly unforgettable. To bring this scent story to life, I chose the rose as the hero note as it is often called the “Queen of Flowers” and presents such a romantic and timeless facet to the fragrance. We layered in the juicy green pear and sweet peach, along with delicate pink peony, violet wood, and purple musk, to create a sensual yet powerful scent that lingers beautifully everywhere you go!" - Mona Kattan

This enchanting gem is a harmonious fusion, blending juicy pear, sweet peach and sensual rose with pink peony, violet wood and purple musk. Warm, floral and endlessly romantic, it’s the perfect scent for every season.

Treat yourself today and add this crowning jewel to your Kayali collection.

I've fallen behind with the Kayali launches and when checking out the newer releases just before spring, this is the one that stood out to me the most - because of the listed key scent notes, as well as the pretty bottle shades. Some fragrance snobs dismiss the mass appealing fruity/floral family as being common and most often unoriginal, but I think that they are ultra wearable and very pleasant to other people - something you to consider if you spend alot of time in close contact with other people. 

My choice & purchase where made a few months ago, so now it's time to check in and see if I still stand by my unital pick, or if I've rushed into a purchase again...

In da haus; showcasing Triclone Skin Tech foundation & Triclone Skin Tech hydrating & de-puffing concealer, by Haus Labs...

I hadn't worn foundation for years because nothing looked good on my dry skin & large pores, all made worse due to ongoing health issues and my combination of medications. 

However three of the foundations  I tried in 2024 are fantastic and today I want to shout out the Korean-made Haus Labs one which has quickly become my top choice from my favourite three [Huda Beauty Easy Blur and Kylie Cosmetics Power Plush are my other two top picks].

Not only that, but you'll also be seeing the matching Triclone concealer in action on my 41 years old skin - my eye circles are very prominent on my fair skin, so you'll be getting an excellent look into what this concealer can do...

Re-do The Review; Far Away Shine edp, by Avon

  FREE YOUR EXTRAORDINARY

Light up the world with exotic Ispahan roses to make your inner sparkle your outer shine.

This oriental and gourmand scent is expertly crafted around Ispahan rose, an ancient and exotic Persian bloom used in beauty for over 2,000 years and celebrated by women as a symbol of inner illumination.

I hadn't known that a new Far Away flanker was coming until I saw it being advertised in a catalogue late last summer. The name and bright colour did strike me as odd for the time of the release. I ordered it anyway, as soon as I saw it being advertised in a Avon catalogue since there hadn't been a single Far Away flanker that I've outright disliked, however when I shared my thoughts on it I wasn't blown away by it. This was most likely because it is fragrance geared towards the spring/summer months, but it wasn't released until right before autumn. 

However now that brighter days are now finally here, I think that it's only fair that we revisit Far Away shine...

Klean girl? [reviewing XO Khloé edp, by Khloé Kardashian]

 XO KHLOÉ by KHLOÉ KARDASHIAN is an unforgettable fragrance crafted with love. 

XO Khloé is the first ever signature fragrance by Khloé Kardashian, and it perfectly captures the joyful essence of the reality and social media star and business mogul in all her glory. It Is designed to inspire positivity, confidence, and strength, encouraging a sense of warmth, peace, kindness and beauty.

I saw a post advertising this perfume last Christmas when it was exclusively launched in Harrods [17th December 2024] and the scent notes instantly interested me, but the cost put me off from blindly purchasing a bottle. In the end I decided that it would receive a wider release at some point in all likelihood, so I decided to show some patience by waiting for it to become available somewhere where I could have amble testing before deciding if I actually wanted to buy myself a bottle.

Well, that time is now; you can purchase XO Khloè from Boots, both in-store and online. Plus a 30ml bottle option is available...

Speedy Review: R.E.M. Cherry Eclipse edp, by Ariana Grande

 Irresistible. Addicting. Dreamy.  

R.E.M. Cherry Eclipse is a celebration of the rare and extraordinary, just like an eclipse. Redefine the every day and eclipse the ordinary with Ariana Grande's addicting new fragrance.

I was shocked by how poor the quality of Ariana Grande's last perfume was, so I wasn't interested in or paying attention to any news on whatever fragrance would be next - I just assumed it'd be something else from the Love Notes collection, or another Cloud flanker... 

Bam; one of my favourite perfume releases from her range has gotten a flanker. Boom; the flanker is focusing on one of my favourite fruit notes - cherry. So now I'm paying attention to the brand again. Well played Ariana, well played. 

Vanilla for grown-ups? [reviewing Burberry Goddess Eau de Parfum Intense, by Burberry]...

The power within... 

Burberry Goddess is a story of self-discovery found through confidence, strength and kindness. 

Inspired by the colours at sunset, Burberry Goddess Eau de Parfum Intense is housed in a square bottle filled with a light ambery fragrance. The signature trio of vanillas from Goddess Eau de Parfum is amplified with a fourth vanilla wood (vanilla SFE) that has a smoky character. When combined with luminous lavender essence, it intensifies the scent with a vibrant woody aroma.

As I've mentioned before, I love vanilla fragrances although it is a note that often doesn't work well with my body chemistry, so a richer, more adult darker vanilla is needed. I'd been testing Burberry Goddess on and off for a while and had been really enjoying it as it is rich enough to wear well on me. I'd made my choice - I was planning on buying a bottle once I'd finished off some of my older almost-empty perfumes...

I however became giddy when I suddenly switched and began testing Burberry Goddess Intense instead, because I found that it instantly brought Vanilla Royale to mind - Vanilla Royale is a limited edition fragrance that I adore, however as it is becoming less widely available for purchase now, finding a similar style of fragrance to enjoy is something that I've been searching for. Therefore [as I often do] I became giddy and skipped Burberry Goddess and went straight to buying Burberry Goddess Intense. Was that a mistake, or was my initial impressions on it being similar to Vanilla Royale correct?

Cosmic; round two... [reviewing Cosmic 2.0 edp, by Kylie Jenner]

 

The floral amber scent is officially described as being a “soft, clean” fragrance, that was inspired by the first light breaking through the horizon...

Similar to the original Cosmic, Cosmic 2.0 is housed in a sculptural bottle, designed to look like a piece of art from another world. However this flanker comes in a reflective, mirrored finish, developed to represent self-reflection and personal growth.

I don't follow Kylie Cosmetics or Kylie herself on any social media platforms, so this release [like the original] was a surprise for me that I only heard about the day before the launch. I do really enjoy the original Cosmic much more than I expected that I would [I actually do genuinely plan to buy a refill container for my almost empty bottle in the near-future], so obviously I was immediately interested by the new release and I was ready to pounce on it immediately from the Kylie Cosmetics site.

However my lingering issues from multiple Covid exposures include my sense of smell randomly coming & going, and the initial release of Cosmic 2.0 coincided with a 'off' period for me, so I've instead waited for Cosmic 2.0 to recieve a wider launch. I've been avoiding all reviews for Cosmic 2.0 in the meantime, whilst I was waiting for my nose to play ball, and I was excited to head to Boots as soon as my sense of smell returned. 

Can Cosmic 2.0 stand tall next to the original Cosmic? A bit of a tall order, considering how highly I hold Cosmic...

Getting Lippie; Coffee Shimmer Lasting Finish lipstick, by Rimmel

Coffee Shimmer Lasting Finish lipstick is the first makeup item I have clear memories of picking out & buying for myself, way back in the early 1990s, and I still continue to buy and wear it today.  

I'm honestly quite surprised that I've never shouted this lipstick out before, or have included this in one of my spotlighted looks in this blog, back when I focused more on makeup. 

Beyond time for me to fix that...

You're not like the others: Alien edp [reviewing Alien edp, by Mugler]

Alien spreads an aura, and it claims the right to do that by its very name...

Alien is a magic elixir captured in a bottle of deep and mysterious purple with the shape of a talisman, reminiscent of a philosopher's stone or some warlock object.

The creators of Alien based the composition on three main lines: warm, white amber in the base, woodsy notes in the heart, and sunny Indian jasmine in the top.

I bought Alien Goddess last year and really enjoy it, so I wanted to give the original Alien perfume more attention since I appreciate a jasmine-focused fragrance nowadays. Alien is a fragrance that I've tried many times since it's original release, but my opinion on it always changed - sometimes I'd love it, sometimes it was just okay, sometimes it was a nose-crinkler.

I'd avoided the majority of the post-Christmas sales everywhere, but when I popped into a Boots store in mid January there it was; a Alien perfume giftset, sat on the bottom shelf of the 98% empty perfume giftset display. I had a gift card to spend, the set had a third off, and I'd had the urge to really get reacquainted with Alien for a while, so here we are after wearing it almost daily since I bought it, to get a concrete feel for it...