Finding My New Summer Fragrance...

At the end of winter 2015, I decided it was time to put down my strong perfumes and look for something a little fresher and sweeter for the sunnier months...

 I knew I wanted something that was an 'eau de parfum' - I always think they are better value for money. That is probably totally illogical, but I do feel like I have to apply it less if it is more concentrated. (does that even make sense?) I really don't know a great deal about perfumes at all, I just know I want a scent that lasts.

I am always really thorough when I get a new perfume. I rarely chop and change - I stick to my staple fragrances quite religiously, so it is hard for me to invest in a new scent if I'm not 100% sure. One thing I alwaaaaays do when looking for a new perfume is buy loads and loads of samples. I go on to the Boots fragrance finder (which is shit) but it gives me some ideas of fragrances I may like. I then do a bit of research, find similar scents to ones I normally like - then order a load of samples from Ebay. (Really not spontaneous!)

Not only does it give me loads of little travel sizes to take in my handbag or on a night out, but it also means I can actually try a loads of perfumes. I find it so much better than sniffing a thousand paper sticks in the Boots fragrance section, which just gives me a headache and puts me under pressure!

So I did all of that, tried a billion perfumes, and this one stood out to me above them all...

GIVENCHY ANGE OU DEMON LE SECRET

Its sweet, citrusy, feminine, sexy. It's just everything I could ever want in a perfume. Normally I don't even pay attention to/care about the 'notes' in perfumes because I don't really understand it, and I can never even smell all this amazing stuff that's meant to be in the perfume.

But when I read the notes in this perfume you can actually smell it all in there:

Cranberry, Italian Winter Lemon, Green Tea, White Peony, Sambac Jasmine, Blond Woods, White Musks, Patchouli

When you first spritz it is really delicious and fresh, and it stays lush and summery throughout the day. But by the end of the day you're left with a really musky, deep scent - I love it!

What's your fave summer scent? Do you switch up your perfumes with the seasons?

Summer Neon Orange Lip (MAC Morange & What A Blast! Dupe)

Above are pictures of Morange & What A Blast! from Temptalia.com, taken by the queen that is Christine Mielke. 

So for years I have been obessed with Mac Morange, I love how bright it is – it is such a bad-ass statement lip. Lately I had been pairing it with the What A Blast! Pro Longwear Lip Pencil and literally wearing it every day. But on one traumatic night out, I lost my them both!!!

I didn't want to just buy my self the same one again, so I decided to branch out! Now that I am living as a poor minging student I decided I wanted to find a cheaper version of my favourite duo. And obviously one that I could take out with me and not worry about losing! 

And I think I may have found the perfect drugstore version! The two products I use are GOSH Velvet Touch Lip Liner in Flirty Orange,  and Rimmel Apocolips Matte in Orange Ology. 

I know this lipstick is matte, and Morange is Amplified Creme finish, but I actually prefer bold lips to be matte. I just think it is so much more stand-out and loud! The colour is not completely identical, it is a bit more red than the MAC version, which is super super neon, but I quite like it!

The Rimmel Apocolips is quite drying, so you need to apply lots of lip balm before you put in on. If you have dry lips of any kind I would always steer clear of matte products but especially this one. Also, I don't really like the doefoot applicator (shown below), I don't know why.. I just think it's quite hard to use and so much product comes out. BUT it is so so so bright and exactly what I was looking for. You only need one coat to get a loud orange!

On the other hand the GOSH lip pencil is really creamy and velvety soft. It creates a kind of barrier between the matte lipstick and your lips. It pairs beautifully, as it so smooth it really counteracts the drying (and sometimes flakiness) of the Rimmel Apocolips. Also as the Apocolips is quite fiddly to apply, I find it so much easier once I have applied a sharp line with a lip pencil, then all I have to do is fill in! 

I really love theses as a pair, what do you guys think? Have you found any good dupes I need to try?