January favorites

First bunch of favorites for 2014 and even though I'm slowly shedding my winter clothes and makeup for lighter and more colorful Spring looks I still feel a strong need to nourish and comfort my skin and body, to keep the cold and darkness away. It's been a bit of a wet and miserable start to the year so I've craved warm, soft perfumes to heat me up from the inside and luckily I've had two amazing scents to help me with that. To start off I've literally bathed in the lovely Bath & Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist ($14) in Warm Vanilla Sugar. If you like foodie, cookie type scents you'd probably love this. It's a very harmonious and well balanced mix of light and sparkling vanilla sugar, subtle coconut and tonka bean - gorgeous! A lot of body mists don't last very long after you've sprayed it, but the warmth of this makes it last surprisingly long and when you've sprayed it, the whole house smells as if you'd been making vanilla cookies, oh yummie! It's also worked really well in combination with the Jo Malone Rose Water & Vanilla Cologne (£100) from the sophisticated Cologne Intense range. This is another warm and vibrant scent that makes me think of expensive truffles or Turkish delight - the rose water adds delicacy and freshness while the vanilla makes the cologne creamy, refined and luxurious. I love this extravagant and lush scent that lingers on your clothes and hair long after you've sprayed it, and it seems I'm not the only one since I've received so many compliments for it.

My skin has behaved quite well this season, for which I'm very grateful but instead I have struggled a little bit with finding the right lip balm and some of the products that I've used previously, all of a sudden aren't doing it for me anymore so the past months I've to turned to my trusted Gatineau Defi Lift 3D Revolumising Lip Care (£28). This product is so much more than a lip balm - it does contain lovely smoothing and moisturising ingredients like shea butter and jojoba oil like many other balms, but it also has a collagen stimulant to create a subtle plumping effect and which helps to redefine the natural lip contours so you'll find that in addition to a moisture boost your lips have a little bit more volume for a few hrs. It's an amazing silky and light product that you can use as a primer or a lip gloss on top of lipsticks, and I also use it as a mask on the lip contours, letting it sink in for about 15 mins or so. Since it's quite an expensive lip care product I usually use this in the morning as a lip primer to plump my lips and as an overnight treatment, however since I've really needed something deeply hydrating lately I've also used this generously throughout the day and I love its plumping effects.

Next product may not be very exciting but for me it's an absolutely essential part of my nail care routine - Sally Hansen's Miracle Nail Growth Treatment (£9.99) which is applied every other day to bare nails to help them grow longer and stronger in no time (apparently you should see a 30% increase in nail growth in 5 days). A lot of products promise the moon and more, and I'm always very skeptical towards marketing fads, but I have used this strengthener a couple of times every week for well over a year and it actually does work - and if you use it as a base coat you'll treat your nails with minimal effort every day under whatever lovely shade you're wearing.

 Violet Freeze

Passionate Pink

If you read my recent post on some of my latest purchases from Avon, you might be surprised to find that one of my favorites this month is the Avon Color Trend Color Me Pretty Wet-Look Shine Nail Enamel (£3) in Violet Freeze. You may remember that we got off to a very rocky start because of some very misleading color swatches, however I won't hold that against this innocent little polish and after we passed that initial hurdle I actually really LOVE this shade. It's a wonderful shimmery light lavender blue and for me it's got just the right depth of color that at the same time gently nods to the pastel trend that I'm completely embracing this Spring. This shade turned out to be an unexpected little ablessing in disguise!

The last product this month is a wonderful creamy lipstick that has really cheered me up these rainy days and it's the The Body Shop Colour Crush Lipstick  (£10). This range has an impressive 26 different shades to choose from, and Passionate Pink is a gorgeous shimmery juicy and highly pigmented rose color with a slight blue undertone that packs enough of a punch to brighten a look, but is still versatile and soft enough that you can easily wear it during the day. The lipstick is very moisturising and gives a velvet long lasting smooth satin finish and I'm looking forward to pick up another shade from this great range this Spring.

That's the end of the favorites for this month. When I first started doing these posts last year, I fully expected them to be quite repetitive and that I would stick with the same old products month after month, but every time I think back at what I've actually really used the most - I surprise myself by how much the favorites change from month to month and I'm already curious about what goodies I'll be drawn to in February.  

Cosy up with Warm Vanilla Sugar

Here in the UK we've had an utterly miserable start to the year with storms followed by rain, storms, rain and more rain, there just seems to be no end to it. On top of that I am also struggling with the lack of sun light - it's dark when you get up and go to work, and it's dark when you finish work and come home. In short, I want to hybernate and not come back out again until April, just in time for Easter so I can enjoy some chocolate eggs. Since that's not really a realistic option, I've turned to things that give me comfort and heat me up from the inside like a cosy evening in. As we all know, these type of evenings have to start with a lovely warming bath and for me the perfect bath products to lift my spirits are from Bath & Body Works (B&BW) Warm Vanilla Sugar range - a sensual but uplifting and deliciously yummy scent that reminds me of home baked cookies.

I really like a B&BW Shower Gel. They have a nice thick and silky consistency that makes you think that it's actually a high end product you're using. You can tell that they contain all sorts of moisturising products like aloe vera, vitamin e and shea butter since the skin feels soft and smooth after the gentle cleanse, and not irritated or stripped back in any way. The scent is surprisingly fresh and sparkling - in addition to warm and sugary vanilla notes, there's also a hint of coconut left on the skin and it prevents the fragrance from getting sickly sweet or heavy. When it comes to body moisturisers I usually prefer butters and creams over lotions, but the B&BW Body Lotion is so rich in shea butter and jojoba oil that it almost has the consistency and feel of a body cream. It feels luxuriously luscious and velvety on the skin, and although the lotion contains oil it absorbs quickly and easily into the skin without leaving any greasiness or shine which is great for when you're in a rush in the mornings. What I like the most is that unlike a lot of body lotions that only skim the surface and then disappears, this really sinks deep into the skin and keeps it feeling soft and hydrated for hrs and hrs afterwards, which is also great for locking in the delicious sugar vanilla cookie scent - making it last even longer.

The Fine Fragrance Mist is perfect as a final layer of scent after the bath, and although these B&BW sprays are usually very light and evaporate quickly, the combination of these particular scent notes linger much longer than usual. When you've first sprayed the mist, it's a very fresh, light and sparkling sugar vanilla scent, but it deepens almost straight away and brings out the notes from the soft, milky coconut and tonka bean together with a slightly dry sandalwood that keeps it from overpowering. It's a beautiful restoring and harmonious scent, perfect for this time of year - the only thing about it is that it makes me crave cookies, but I think I know how to fix that...

I keep hoping that B&BW will open store in the UK, but until then you can find a limited selection of products on The Bath and Body Shop website, or everyone's favorite marketplace - eBay. Now that I'm all wrapped up in a warming, comforting scent after a lovely bath I think I'm all ready to cosy up in front of the TV. So let's see - have I got everything? Snuggly faux fur throw - check, Him Indoors - check, vanilla latte - check, cat - check... yep I'm ready and I'm not going outdoors again until April! 

November favourites

It's the end of the month and I'm already soooo excited about December being here, and all the boxes with Christmas stuff are lined up and I'm ready to start decorating this weekend but before we get completely immersed in Christmas, it's time to have a look at what I've used all the time and LOVED in November.

Let's start with the BaByliss Pro Perfect Curl (£149.99) which I reviewed in a previous article. It's a completely new approach to hair curling. Instead of the hair around a wand or barrel, you clamp  the curler around a section of your hair and voilà, it's automatically sucked up into a ceramic curl chamber, and when you release it a couple of seconds later, you have a gorgeous and perfect curl. It's so easy to get the hang of, it's gentle on the hair and leaves less frizz than when I use a curling wand. It takes me about 25 mins to do all of my hair, using quite thin sections and the curls last for abut 4 days - obviously depending on how much you brush the curls out and if you secure them with some hair spray. I've used it every week since I got it - it's amazing and I have a feeling it'll be on many ladies' Christmas wishlist this year.

To secure the curls I've been using quite a lot of the Fudge Urban Iced Raspberry & Vanilla Hair Spray (£4.99). It's a spray that will hold the curls up to 24 hrs and despite being strong hold it doesn't make your hair crispy and hard. A couple of short bursts of spray will keep your curls in place and it adds a nice shine. The best bit though is definitely the scent, it's so fresh and crisp and fruity that I almost tend to add a little bit more than necessary just to get my locks to smell lovely.

I don't know about you, but it's so cold in the mornings and evenings now that I've got my mittens out to keep my paws nice and warm, and to protect them from getting dry. I also take out the loveliest richest hand creams I've got and this month I've been using Caudalie Hand & Nail Cream in Feuille de Cassis (£6) religiously. It's rich with softening and nourishing products like avocado and shea butter and the hands feel luxuriously soft. The cream also works great to soften up the cuticles and to give them a nice little treat and you could even apply quite a thick layer of the cream, put your hands in plastic bags, wrap them in warm towels and leave them for 10 mins - the cream will just soak into the skin and cuticles. This is very subtly scented with black currant which gives a feeling of great warmth and earthiness - perfect for winter.

Every morning I use a lip scrub to prep my lips for the day ahead and I can't be without the lip scrubs from Lush to help keeping my lips conditioned and smooth. Unfortunately my absolute favourite - Bubblegum, broke on the bathroom floor so I had to start using the Christmas special - Santa's Lip Scrub (£5.50) a little earlier than I had planned. It has a lovely Christmasy red color that doesn't stain your lips and it smells gorgeous with a strong scent of ginger and spice that smells exactly like Coca Cola - yep.... Coca Cola! I follow that with my Gatineau Defi Lift 3D Perfect Design Revolumising Lip Care (£29.52 for 2) to hydrate the lips and also to plump them a bit before applying the lip product of the day. The lip balm has a silky glossy non sticky consistency that you can use both as a primer, a lip gloss or a lip contour mask because of its firming effects. The plumping effect is immediate and noticeable and will last for a few hrs before you need to re-apply it - pure luxury for the lips.

The past month I've completely embraced just using two very seasonal perfumes, which is highly unusual for me. As a lighter scent and body spray I've been wearing the Bath & Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist in Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin that I've mentioned earlier. It's a stunning light, spicy and fresh scent of apple, ginger, cinnamon, pumpkin, vanilla and rum - very comforting and warm. If you like foodie scents you'll definitely love this and I have already decided that I'm going to repurchase it next year - talk about planning ahead... I've worn Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin either on its own or layered it with the DKNY Energizing Fall EdT (£32.95). This is another warm and interesting mix of scents that create a warm, spicy and fruity scent by mixing citrus fruits like mandarin and lemon, delicate white flowers like jasmine and magnolia, musk, vetiver and cardamom. It's fresh, but not forgettable, warm but not over powering and fruity with lots of substance and I've loved wearing it this month.

My skin has been a bit temperamental the last month and I've had a few blemishes, both hormonal and as a result of trying new products. As annoying as it is, at least you can get rid of them and minimise them quickly if you use the Origins Super Spot Remover (£14). It's a clear gel that calms down any redness, heals and eliminates excess oil and you dab it on the spot a few times a day. It works ultra fast and already the day after, you won't notice the spot as much. The gel comes in a tiny little bottle, but since you only need very little, it will last a good few months before you need to buy another one. It's my go to product to get rid of pesky little blemishes, but if you use it a lot you might notice that it dries out the skin where the gel has been applied, so you'll need to follow up with a good moisturiser.

That's that for this month's favourites - which products have you loved this month?

November empties

If I may say so myself I have been SOOO good this month, finishing up quite a lot of products. It's not that I don't like the stuff that I already have and want to get rid of it, it's just that I like to try new things more and I can't try those things until I've finished others.... oh dear - it's tough being a beauty junkie.

The first items I've been good to finish are a Shower gel, Body Lotion and a Body Mist from Bath & Body Works' Secret Wonderland range. I've mentioned before that I really like the shower gels and body lotions because they feel so luxurious and gentle on your skin, and since they contain vitamin E and shea butter they also make the skin very smooth and moisturised. Secret Wonderland is a juicy sweet and fruity scent of different sun kissed berries - strawberries, raspberries and goji berries rounded with subtle gardenia, jasmine, creamy vanilla and lovely warm musk. It's a very whimsical and romantic fragrance that makes you think of late summer. I've really enjoyed wearing it and I will definitely get it again when I get the chance.

I love to use serums as part of my skin care routine and this month I finished up Estée Lauder's Perfectionist serum. It's a silky and intense anti-wrinkle repair serum with a slightly lilac tint, that you can use both during the day or evening. Because of it's firming qualities and since it firms up the skin almost immediately I've mainly used a tiny bit under my moisturiser during the day. It's made my skin look really relaxed and plump, and since I'm all about plumping and nourishing when it comes to skin care this has been wonderful to use, and I would highly recommend it to anyone with tendencies towards dehydrated skin for an extra boost in the morning or in the evening before going out.

I also finished up another product to nourish and restore the skin after the time I spent in the sun this summer - Origins Starting Over. This moisturiser is packed with mimosa which is great at stimulating the creation of collagen and protein in the skin cells to keep the skin toned and protected. It has a lovely light consistency, that makes the skin feel supple nourished and refreshed, and the amazing scent of fresh and zesty citrus fruits makes this cream a pleasure to use. Even though Starting Over builds up the skin, for me personally it doesn't give the amount of hydration my skin craves during the autumn and winter, so despite being so lovely I won't be repurchasing this until next Spring.

A few months ago I bought the Revlon Lash Potion Mascara after having read some good reviews of it and to start with I was quite happy with it. The formula was dry already from the start, but I thought that the large brush with triple-grooves gave a good coverage, the lashes looked noticeably thicker, longer and separated. I also found that the mascara lasted well and didn't cause any smudging, so all my first impressions weren't bad. However even though the brush gave good coverage I found that it was a little stiff to work with, and as time went on and the consistency got really gloopy and clumpy it got very difficult to get an even coverage. I know that the consistency of mascaras change throughout their lifetime, but this changed too much for me. What started as a promising mascara, unfortunately ended as a bit of a disappointment and I wont be getting this particular one again.

As the days are getting darker and I'm getting more and more into cozy evenings in front of the TV-with hot chocolate mood I have really sped up my "consumption" of candles. I go through them at lightening speed, which is why I have three empty ones this month. I'll start with some from my favourite candle makers Lily-Flame. By now I must have bought and used about 15 different candles from Lily-Flame and they've never disappointed me. They have a super range of scents with everything from floral to citrus, from fresh clean and natural to foodie inspired and they burn really well. I've mentioned before that this year I'm doing something I've never done before - I'm changing the scents that I wear and  surround me with, to fit the season. With Halloween coming up I can't think of anything more appropriate than a candle called Spook which has adorable little bats on the tin. It's a mix of fudge and toffee apples, which sounds really yummy but unfortunately this candle didn't work for me at all. The scent of the fudge and the toffee was far too buttery, and it completely overtook any crisp freshness from the apples which would have balanced it out - ultimately, for me the scent is almost sickly sweet. But to end on a positive note, the second candle from Lily-Flame amongst the empties is the wonderful Mellow Figs & Garden Mint. It's a mix of mellow earthy fig and crisp cool mint that creates a very welcoming piquant and fresh scent - gorgeous, and I look forward to getting it again! 

The last product in this months empties is a Yankee Candle in Black Cherry. It's a great mix of the sweet and sour from cherries that makes a lovely rich and delicious scent - it smells exactly like real cherries taste. When I got this candle it smelt so strongly before it had even been lit, that you could get months and months scent out of it even without burning it. If like me you like cherries, this is a must have candle and you won't find anything else like it.

Well, that's that for this month, and by the end of this week I'll have the first two empties for December's batch - I really AM doing well and my reward is that I can finally start using some of the products that I have been saving for months!

The Bath & Body Works Pumpkin Patch

There are not many things that invoke images and thoughts of autumn as much as pumpkins, and this year I've definitely indulged in all things pumpkin. I've had more spicy pumpkin lattes than I can count, I've baked some yummy spicy pumpkin cookies with cinnamon icing, carved a few scary pumpkin faces and made a delicious pumpkin & sunflower seed soup. You could say that I've been bathing in pumpkins, and actually I have - literally - using Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin products from Bath & Body Works (B&BW)! For me this is the most seasonal and delicious scent that B&BW offer from their gourmand family of good enough to eat scents.

The scent is a warm, sparkling and spicy but fresh mix of ingredients. First you'll notice fruity and juicy apples followed by zesty ginger and fragrant cinnamon. To add some depth to the fruit and spiciness you'll also find sweet vanilla, earthy sandalwood, a hint of rum and there's something else as well... ah yes, PUMPKIN.

As you may know I prefer to use a shower gel and body cream in the same fragrance because I find that the scent lasts longer when you layer them since products will enhance each other The Shower Gel feels surprisingly expensive to use because of it's silky texture and also since it contains several moisturising ingredients for a gentle clean. To me the shower gel is more fruity and sweet rather than spicy, since you can clearly pick up the note of the apples and the rum - it's a bit like showering in a delicious cocktail.

Using the Triple Moisture Body Cream after a shower really intensifies the lovely warm autumnal scent, and emphasizes the spicy pumpkin and cinnamon. The body cream is luxuriously rich, creamy and packed with moisture that makes your skin feel deeply hydrated, pampered and smooth. If I just use the shower gel and the body cream in the morning, there's still a hint of warm spice and apple that lingers later in the day, so I'm positively surprised at the longevity of this scent, and it's better than many of the B&BW products. Luckily I don't have to rely on just these two lovely body care products, since I also have the Fine Fragrance Mist as a finishing touch to this pumpkin extravaganza. Wearing all three products strengthens the different notes, and you end up with an inviting, piquant, fresh and lavish fragrance that captures the essence of autumn perfectly.

If you've read my blog previously you'll know that I have a thing for B&BW products and just can't get enough of them - which is really unfortunate considering there are no B&BW shops here in the UK. Not only do we not have any stores in the UK, but as luck would have it - they don't ship to the UK either. However the situation isn't completely hopeless because you can find a selection of B&BW products on The Bath and Body Shop website, and there is of course also good old eBay.  

Escape to a Secret Wonderland with Bath & Body Works

I have to say that we have a pretty great selection of beauty stores in the UK, and the bigger Boots and Superdrugs have a fab range of products. But there are still a few US stores that I really wish were available in the UK - Sephora is one of them and while I've been visiting my family the past few days I've had the chance to spend some quality time in Sephora - oooooh bliss! The other store that I would love, love, LOVE to see opening here is Bath & Body Works (B&BW). They have the most amazing fresh, lovely smelling body care products and candles, and it would be so great to have the products available right here.

Another thing that I really like about B&BW is that similarly to Lush they really follow the seasons and holidays and always have lots of wonderful new collections for different times of the year. There are actually quite a few of the B&BW products that are staple items for me e.g. the anti-bacterial pocket gels, hand washes and body mists to layer with other fragrances and today I'll look at one of the latest collections that I've tried - the Secret Wonderland products.

Secret Wonderland is a happy and curious mix of berries and florals and when you first spray it on you'll notice lots of lovely ripe berries like ripe succulent strawberries, sweet raspberries and piquant slightly sour goji berries. The initial smoothie like juicy sweetness then gives way to airy light florals like gardenia and jasmine but the notes that seem to stay with you the longest is a creamy, whipped vanilla combined with simple amber and a tiny bit of soft feminine musk. It's a very fanciful, fairy tale fragrance that I think works really well at this time of year since the warm and slightly spicy amber and vanilla really stand out in the cooler weather, without the scent being being too sickly sweet or too fruity.

I really like to layer a scent, using bodycare products in the same scent and I also find that it's the best way to make a fragrance last throughout the day. The Secret Wonderland Shower gel has a lovely formula that is gentle on the skin and adds lots of moisture since it contains shea butter, aloe and vitamin E as well and while the scent isn't strong it does leave a subtle air of it on your skin, that is further enhanced by using the Body Lotion. Just like the shower gel the body lotion is also packed with moisture and nourishing ingredients like shea butter, jojoba oil and vitamin E. Unlike many purse friendly body lotions, the consistency is quite creamy and it absorbs well into the skin, leaving it feeling quite moisturized and I really enjoy how the most prominent scent for me at this stage is the soft musk, taking away any edge from the berries. Last but not least I'll spray generously with the Secret Wonderland Body Mist. This is only a refreshing body mist, so it's not surprising that it won't last you all day, however out of the B&BW scents I've tried this actually lingers a lot longer up til a few hrs, when you layer it with the other products - probably because of the vanilla and amber. I usually use Secret Wonderland when I'm combining with Paco Pabanne's Lady Million which works really well since it picks up on the raspberry notes in the EdT.

Since we don't have a B&BW store in the UK and it's not even possible to order online, those of us who are fans will have to try and source these wonderful products in other places like eBay, Amazon or Bath and Body Shop that has a small selection of B&BW products. 

Bath & Body Works PLEASE open a store in the UK!

Cherry pickings

July and August is cherry picking season and there's nothing like eating sun kissed cherries directly from the tree. Cherries are warm and earthy but sweet, juicy and a bit tangy at the same time - you can probably tell that I love cherries and every time I find a beauty product that is cherry scented I just have to try it.

That's exactly what happened when Batiste launched their Dry Shampoo in Cherry - I saw the cute vintage inspired bottle, read about the cherry scent and that was it for me. Dry shampoo is just one of the best inventions ever. It helps to refresh your hair and adds volume. I have long hair and using a little dry shampoo is brilliant for when I wear my hair up since it adds texture and makes it grip a little better. I always have a few dry shampoos on the go and the rich, sweet cherry scent is lovely for days when I go for a more floral or retro look. While I do like the scent, I've got to be honest and say that I still think that the best Batiste fragrances are Tropical and Blush, since they are much fresher, lighter and easier to wear together with other scented products. 

Rituals is a fabulous brand founded in 2000 that you don't see mentioned that often. I love their concept of spa inspired beauty and home product ranges. They even sell casual, comfortable clothes - perfect for a spa evening at home! The product ranges take inspiration from Eastern rituals, e.g. Ayurveda, Hammam and Tao and they all smell amazing. They come in sleek and contemporary, stylish packaging at very reasonable prices if you compare with other similar brands.

My favourite ritual is without a doubt Sakura which uses cherry blossom. There is a very rich symbolism surrounding cherry blossoms and some aspects of it are love and happiness, but it's also a reminder of mortality and re-awakening. I've always wanted to go to Japan to see the beautiful palaces and temples, Mount Fuji and for hanami - picknicking under the blossoming cherry trees. How beautiful!

I have a travel size set of cherry blossom body products that I absolutely adore and use sparingly. I'll start with the Zensation Cherry Blossom and Rice Milk Shower Foam which is a gorgeous silky gel that turns into a rich foam under the shower. The foam gently cleanses the body at the same time as it nourishes the skin through the rice milk and of course you'll get that wonderful, soft, musky and sweet cherry smell. The perfect match with Zensation is the Magic Touch Cherry Blossom and Rice Milk Body Cream. It contains vitamin E, rice milk and centella that are all ingredients that perform miracles on dry or dehydrated skin. I absolutely love the formula of this body cream - it's simply lovely, thick and creamy and it just melts into the skin with very little massaging needed, leaving it silky and moisturised for several hrs afterwards. The cherry scent from the shower foam is quite subtle but when you layer that with the body cream, you get a really nice and noticeable fresh, sugary and creamy cherry scent that lingers.

I was on the hunt for a cherry scent that I thought would finish off the ritual nicely and I was choosing between the Cherry Blossom Water, or Escada's Cherry In the Air. But since I enjoy Rituals cherry body care products so much, I actually blind bought the body mist online. It's marketed as a relaxing body mist and it is similar to the creamy, sugary scent of the shower foam and body cream, however it has much heavier, deeper and sweeter notes than the other products.

I always give balanced and honest feedback on products, and unfortunately Blossom Water didn't meet my expectations. I did buy it blind (only got myself to blame), but here are some words from the description - relaxing and refreshing. Both of them make me think: Light, crisp and possibly a tiny bit aromatic or herbal. Instead Cherry Blossom is warm, powdery, with just a hint of vanilla and spice - it reminds me SOOO much of Cacharel's Lou Lou, which is a lovely statement perfume (far too heavy for me though) but I don't think anyone could possibly describe it as relaxing and refreshing. All in all, the Cherry Blossom Water is a nice, warm, rich and extravagant cherry fragrance, but you might want to be careful with it in a warmer climate, and although I personally don't usually categorize scents into day or evening wear - this one would be perfect as a sumptuous addition to a gorgeous evening outfit for some oriental mystique.

One of the best cherry fragrances I've ever come across is actually in a candle - Yankee Candle in Black Cherry. It's such a delicious, genuine cherry smell that captures both the sweetness of ripe cherries but also the tartness, making this a fresh, light and piquant scent. It is yummy enough to eat, and I can't stop sniffing the candle, even if it's not actually lit. I've got the tumbler candle with the brushed metal lid, which should give about 35 - 45 hrs of fragrance, but if like me you adore this - you can also find Black Cherry as a large jar candle which should give you up to 150 hrs of pure cherry bliss!

Until I'm fortunate enough to visit Japan, I'll just have to surround myself with the gorgeous smell of cherries, and keep on dreaming of cherry blossom season. Sayonara!

Carried Away by Bath & Body Works

Carried Away - oh how easy it is for me to get carried away by Bath & Body Works (B&BW) products. In the UK we don't have this temple of all nice smelling things and cute packagings, which is unfortunate for me but my bank balance probably appreciates the breather...

Throughout the years I've still managed to get my paws on some B&BW products via eBay. I think I have an anti-bacterial pocketbac in most handbags, and the Sweet Pea Eau de Toilette is simply lovely. But I wanted to try another scent from their huge range of fragrances and I got Carried Away - literally! And I'm glad I did since it's a fresh, fruity and slightly "creamy" fragrance that make me think of sun warmed strawberries (you can see the full description of notes in the link to the B&BW web site).

Now, I do like both the body mist and the body lotion that I got, but the scent isn't very long lasting. So if you're planning on getting a body mist - be prepared to have to top it up throughout the day. 

B&BW doesn't ship internationally and there's no shop anywhere near me (closest one I believe is in Warsaw), but there are some items available on Amazon and on a website called the Bath and Body Shop.

I haven't given up hope yet that B&BW one day will decide to shop internationally or even better - open a few shops here!