Review: Forever EDP by Mariah Carey

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The fragrance
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As I've mentioned in other reviews I'm not a fan of tuberose; I find it overpowering and I nearly always suffer from a headache when I wear it. So it's recently become a challenge to myself to find a wearable tuberose-based fragrance. FOREVER has a fruity opening, so I tried that first as I thought that the fruit notes would freshen and lighten up the florals.


I was right about that; the opening of fresh, life-like lotus and juicy, slightly sweet, yet tart apple notes is gorgeous. It's both energizing and fresh whilst being understated and feminine.

And when the tuberose note does develop, it still seems fresh and juicy. I can also detect the gardenia, but I'm sure there's another fruity note hidden there too; it's hinted at, but is too subtle for me to separate. Maybe they added more apple notes?

I was loving FOREVER until it burnt through to the flat base, I found it very disappointing. Whist the musk does continue the freshness to the fragrance going, it also overtakes the mix of woods. I get a slight note of sandalwood, but that's it. I thought it was a let-down.


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Scent notes
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Neroli, lotus, green apple, tuberose, gardenia, white musk and exotic wood.


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The bottle
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Described as art deco; I think the clear bottle meant to resemble an uncut diamond. It's unique and eye-catching. However I don't like the cap, which is taller than the bottle itself.

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Other buying considerations
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It's a light fragrance considering it's a white floral, so the lasting power reflects that. It burns down within four hours. Not great, but it seems average for modern fragrances.

Florals are generally wearable all year round, but the fruity start means I'd personally think of it as a spring/summer fragrance.

FOREVER is great for daytime, both casual [thanks to the fruit] and work [the florals are light, so colleges won't be adverse to it]. I find it too fresh for evening wear, but I suppose it all depends on what you like to do it your spare time. If you go to clubs this could work as you won't suffer any ill effects you get from combining heat and a stronger fragrance.


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Verdict
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I felt totally let down by this one. The sweet'sour fruits and the fresh florals are surprisingly complex yet subtle, at least they were until the musk came along and white washed over everything. If you happen to be a fan of musk I'd highly recommend this to you, but for myself this is a no-go.

If your planning to buy someone a fragrance for Christmas I think this a good bet. It's fresh but slightly sweet, isn't too strong and is quite inexpensive for a EDP.


Are you a fan or Michael Kors Very Hollywood EDP? Here's a more purse friendly version.


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RRP
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50ml £27

Spotlight: Project D EDP by Dannii and Tabitha

Project D EDP received an early launch and went on sale exclusively in Harvey Nichols yesterday.

EDP [50ml]
£34

This enchanting scent has been inspired by the marriage of two very distinct styles - glamour and rock 'n' roll. It is a timeless and stylish addition to the fashion line and each note of the fragrance has been carefully selected to ensure each woman feels utterly glamorous, wherever she may be. The natural top accord incorporates inspiration from neroli, bergamot and ylang ylang gliding through a sense of intrigue and mystery into the whirl wind heart accord of tuberose, Japanese osmanthus, mimosa and purple orchid; whilst the dry down of creamy sandalwood, saffron, skin musks and hot amber oils ignites the senses.



Purse sprays [set of three: 10ml each]
Can be worn individually or layered together.
£25

Dawn
Bergamot, geranium, neroli and ylang ylang.
Day
Tuberose, daisy, Japanese osmanthus and mimosa.
Dusk
Sandalwood, skin musks and hot amber oils.

The closest branch of Harvey Nichols to me is in Manchester and I don't plan on travelling into Manchester in the immediate future, so haven't had the change to test it yet.

I have been looking forward to it's release and the Harvey Nichols website stocks the EDP edition, so I am very tempted to buy it blind, so to speak because I'm very confident that I'll like it based on the listed scent notes. Then again, if I wait to visit the Manchester branch I'll hopefully be able to pick up the purse spray set too - layering them with the EDP to create my own unique signature fragrance is very appealing to me.

                                          [Dannii Minogue and Tabitha Somerset-Webb]

Review: Awakening by China Glaze [Halloween polish set]

All three colours in this set have a jelly base. This means that the formula is semi sheer and dries with a high shine finish.
　
As the base colours for these polishes are a jelly finish two coats aren’t totally solid, but I don’t mind the semi-sheer look. Three coats will give you a solid look. The polishes are smooth to apply despite all of them containing glitter, leaving no bubbles or streaks. I was impressed with the drying time; Five minutes after application it was touch dry and after ten minutes I was rummaging through drawers, there were no chips or smudges. I hadn’t applied a top coat at that point.
　
China Glaze has to be my favourite brand of polish; The different formulas [creme, jelly, metallic, glitter,crome and holographic] are all so smooth and evenly - even the ones that contain glitter. I own 20 + bottles of China Glaze now and have yet to experience any bubbling or streaking from any finish.
　
They use different polymers and resins in their formulas; These buzz words mean nothing to me but the great results speak for themselves. The colour is always bottle true and the dried polish wears well. My bare nails are also looking healthier then they have done for years to, so China Glaze has quickly become my go-to brand.
　
　
China Glaze do not test on animals.


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The brush
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China Glaze don't use a 'pro' width brush, so it'll take up to three strokes to coat the nail, but I don't see  that as a huge problem. As the brush is thinner less polish is loaded onto the brush, so the nail doesn't become glooped with product.


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Lasting power .
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Using my usual base and top coats [I've switched to China Glaze from Nails INC] these polishes will last me around 3 days with only minimal wear [and the glitter helps to disguise the war and tear]; but I'm tough on my nails (self powered wheelchair user), so it will probably last longer on other people, for instance my sister loves China Glaze too and can get a week's wear out of it.


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The colours
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ICK-A-BOD-Y
　
This is the ultimate Halloween shade; The polish is a dark green, but the formula is packed with orange glitter. The combination of green and orange just screams "pumpkins" or "jack-o-lanterns", depending on your location. I'm not usually a orange or glitter fan, but the dark green base to the polish prevents the orange glitter from being bright and stops my nails from resembling a disco ball. While I do love the shade and find it perfect for autumn, I don't think I'll wear it for the rest of the year, so it's the least versatile shade in the set.

　
　


MUMMY MAY I
　
I'm a purple polish junkie so most of my stash is purple, yet MUMMY MAY I is still unique. It's a dark, warm, pinky plum shade with flecks of pink micro-glitter that looks so pretty when they catch the light. One thing; I'm not sure how this is a Halloween shade (aside from the name), I'll be happily wearing this all year round.
　

　


ZOMBIE ZEST
　
I'm not a fan of green nail polish, so what first attracted me to ZOMBIE ZEST was the cutesy name and the fact that it's a limited edition - honestly throw those two words at me and I'll be lemming it like nobodies business. Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked. Long story short - this shade of green is something that I've seen in polishes before; It's yellow based and has gold coloured flecks of micro-glitter in. I <3 it, it is indeed very halloweeny AND I can also see myself wearing it in the summer as the yellow base will seem cheery in the bright sun.
　

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Bonus
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This set comes with a full size bottle of China Glaze' FAST FORWARD TOP COAT.
This dries a within one minute of application and helps sets your polish, prolonging the wear. Plus it gives any polish an extra [clear] coat of shine.
　
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RRP
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The sites that offer this set charge £20, but I got mine from Ebay for £14 plus free p+p.
Individual bottle's retail for around £8 each. Sounds pricey, but these are 14 ml bottles.

[photos used property of China Glaze]

Review: Rimmel 60 Second nail polish

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The claim
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Rimmel say that the new fast-drying formula and updated brush design takes just one stroke to apply, one minute to dry and only needs one coat.


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The formula
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As the polish is meant to need only one coat for a bottle true colour, the formula is thick and not very funny, so can take a little time getting used to. The formula still applies smoothly once you've become used to it and it has never bubbled on me though, which is good.
One of my shades [Twinkle] contains micro particles of glitter, yet still applies smoothly and without clumps.

The polish becomes does indeed become touch-dry within one minute - although I find that often need to apply a second coat as the first can dry unevenly and leave visible brush stoke impressions.
A second coat can take a little longer to dry; around three minutes, so I recommend waiting ten minutes after applying top coat before using your hands if you apply a second coat as the polish layers can remain a little soft.

Last week I was looking for one of these polishes at the bottom of my make-up bag and when I found the bottle in question I instantly saw that the polish had glopped up and now had the texture of treacle, whilst I have bottles of polish that are roughly five years old, but still look new.
The bottle was less then a year old [about nine months old] and was fastened tightly. You could use a thinner to get more use out of the polish in theory, but I just threw it out as it's under £4, so not worth spending more money on buying thinner over.


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The brush
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Rimmel changed the width of their nail polish brushes a year or so ago; It's now has nice and wide bristles so the nail is evenly coated within two strokes.
Rimmel claim that it only takes one stroke, but I find that I need two the majority of the time. It is still fast and smooth, so I don't mind.

None of my brushes have ever had any bristles fall out, which has been a problem when I've used other drugstore brands.


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Lasting power
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Using my usual base and top coats this polish will last me around two days before chipping. Not one of the longest lasting polishes, however, considering the low price I can't complain.


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Verdict
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Rimmel's 60 SECOND NAIL POLISH range of polishes come in a range of creme, metallic and shimmer finishes - not to mention a wide range of colours - so there really is something for everyone.

Most seasons some limited edition colours are also added for those dedicated to fashion, all for under £4. For that price I'll be trying more Rimmel polishes in the future; despite the results being varied and the product having a short shelf life.

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RRP
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£3.49 [8 ml]

Spotlight: NARS Vintage Nail nail polish collection...

• Mash – Army green with gold shimmer (my swatch here)
• King Kong – Copper brown with gold shimmer
• Midnight Express - Dark navy creme
• Zulu – Dark forest green jelly
• Full Metal Jacket – Gunmetal grey metallic

This collection is limited edition. Stores will sell it for 3 months and NARS will sell it on their website until they run out of stock.

[Source - Vamp Varnish]