NICKI MINAJ ONIKA PERFUME

After Christmas, when hitting the sales I spotted the Nicki Minaj Onika EDP Gift Set, for a mere £12.50, and couldn't resist it, despite not ever having this perfume on my wishlist before. It was a new release in September this year, and to be honest, the 5ml rollerball was what made me decide to buy this, due to them being so uncommon in the UK.

The packaging (although not to everyone's taste) is something I really love about this fragrance - a simple black and gold bust and head of Nicki herself (or Onika) and this has a proud spot on my wall shelf simply because I love looking at it.

I think this might win the spot of one of my favourite scents now, and I've been reaching for it nearly every day. It's quite sweet, fruity and floral, but the sheer musky notes tie it all together. Nicki herself actually said this scent was designed to promote confidence, due to her sharing her birth name in the title. I've had so many compliments wearing this perfume, and the scent stays around for at least 6 hours on me, which is amazing for such an affordable scent.

 I think when this runs out I might be tempted to repurchase as I love it so much - you will probably catch my sniffing my wrists at any given time in the day...

WHAT TO BUY FOR A TEENAGE GIRL

* PR Sample

I'm not one for writing gift guide posts, generally as it depends on the situation, the person, and the budget. But this year, as I am a teenage girl myself literally hitting 16 years a couple of days ago, I thought I could perhaps a few of you out that are struggling for a friend or relative.

I think for most of us, when you struggle on what to buy, or need a little filler present, we all opt for the body spray. I don't know why, but I know it's always my backup option. I got sent this set of So...?! Body Spray Set* and if you needed you could split the range, or even just do it as the set.

Sticking with fragrance, I also received the Britney Spears Fantasy EDP 30ml* which is the perfect scent for someone my age. It's rather sweet, but also is balanced out by a slight musk and really is just a youthful scent that I'm sure so many girls would love. For body, most people I know adore Soap & Glory, and so buying a Righteous Butter would be a nice gift perhaps alongside some other minis, as a sweet pampering gift.

For those that are wanting something a little more high end, I 100% recommend an Urban Decay Naked Palette. I have Naked 2, but any would be perfect. I personally would opt for 1 or 2 as they are more neutral rather than the pink tones in 3, as it is a little safer and those two suit most eye colours. Another makeup item is the Maybelline Baby Lips. I don't use these too often, but the amount of people I see at school using these is unreal, so if they happen not to own them already, you have a perfect stocking filler.

For the girl that doesn't particularly like makeup nor beauty, I would suggest buying The Wet Brush*. Mine is in a cute mustache print, and I've had this for such a long time and use it daily. It honestly is the best brush I've ever used and even the girls furthest from beauty lovers would appreciate it.

These House of Holland Polka Dot Nails would also appeal to a nail fanatic. If you don't want the glue aspect, pick up some Elegant Touch Adhesive Tabs, as they just make the process as little less damaging and longer lasting if I say so myself. These are 3D, monochrome and stiletto shaped; I would be pretty bloody pleased to receive these myself.

Finally, this Trim Brow and Lash Set*. If your mates are eyebrow obsessed like mine are, this would be a great present. You get a mirror, a spoolie, some scissors and tweezers in a travel pouch - and only costs you about a fiver. I know a lot of girls that would appreciate this present a LOT.

Hopefully I gave some ideas, and if you have any more please do leave them in the comments!

HOLIDAY BEAUTY HAULING

First thing first (I'm the realest - I joke), you may be wondering why I haven't posted for almost a week, well, I was in Madrid soaking up the sun and hitting up the sights (as well as the shops), and now I am reporting back with a haul whilst trying to inspect whether I tanned or not.

Megan and I were on the hunt for a Sephora from day one and although I didn't get too much it was nice to experience a Sephora for the first time and pick a few bits. The first was the Sephora Honey Fiber Mask which I used the day I got it, and really want to try more sheet masks now. I also picked out a Soothing Facial Mist for the face as it was very hot which kind of made me buy it immediately, as well as buying the Waterproof Eye Maker Remover as the one I took with me on the trip was frankly awful. Last but not at all least from Sephora was Nails Inc Porchester Square, the cult classic, or 'hero shade' which cost me a tiny 6 euros - it would be stupid to leave it.

In Zara I got the Woman Cherry Perfume which smells so good, and for a 50ml bottle it only cost me 4.95 euro, and yet again it was a bargainous find. In a shop called Tiger which I think is in the UK too, I got some eyelash curlers and a spoolie for a euro a piece so I look forward to giving them a go. The rings aren't beauty but I got them from Bershka (as well as some other clothing... fashion haul?)

Finally, I spent the some left over money from the In Flight magazine, and chose the Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain/Just Bitten Kissable trio, containing Honey, Sweetheart and Rendezvous. I already had Honey but it was looking a little worse for wear and in need of a replacement, and I previously had my eye on one called Lovesick but Sweetheart is fairly similar and Rendezvous is just a nice summer addition to the lip collection and I don't really own many orange lip colours.

So, perhaps I need to refrain from spending for a while, as I do need to save for a trip to America later this year (hitting up the makeup shops once again), so perhaps a full spending ban is on the cards...

THE FRAGRANCE SHOP DISCOVERY CLUB 6TH EDITION BOX

 THE FRAGRANCE SHOP DISCOVERY CLUB 6TH EDITION BOX £5

You may remember a while ago I did a post on a previous version of this box, and we are going for round two today with the 6th Edition*. Think glossy box, but for £5 per quarter that normally contain 5 fragrances (although this edition has 7 as 2 men's fragrances are included). You also get an array of vouchers for money off if you really fall in love with the perfumes. So, below is the perfume names, descriptions and the verdict.

Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Couture EDP: 'A new long dress sewn with fresh floral notes and top-stitched with glamorous woody notes'. I really like this one actually, its floral but not overpowering, most likely due to that slight muskiness. 30ml - £43.50

Givenchy Very Irresistible L'eau en Rose EDT: 'Floral Musk. Vivacious and soft like a frosted rose' This is more fruity than floral in my opinion, and smells like something I have tried before but I can't put my finger on it. 50ml - £51.99

Eau de Lacoste Sensualle EDP: 'The spirit of Lacoste in a sensual fragrance that captures the natural intensity of soft floral notes'. They seem to be going along with the floral theme here, and this definitely is the most floral smelling of the bunch (excuse the pun). 30ml - £32.50

Thierry Mugler Alien Eau Extraordinaire EDT: 'Enhance your sensuality with the luminous freshness of Alien Eau Extraordinaire.' I really like this one, and it's perhaps my favourite of the bunch. This smells like something from lush with something else mixed in (great descriptions going down here). 60ml Refillable - £49.50

Elie Saab Le Parfum L'Eau Couture EDP: 'A fresh new scent that radiates the very best of couture'. This one really is fresh, and reminds me of a Juicy Couture fragrance my mum has hidden away somewhere.

I am no good at describing scents for women, so I am in no way going to attempt describing the men's scents. But, they are Solo Loewe Sport - 75ml £59.99 and Valentino Uomo - 50ml £44.99.

So now, I have a lovely array of handbag (or even school shirt pocket) friendly perfumes and another handy box for storage...

SCENTS FOR SPRING

I'm not really a perfume girl, and I tend to get a perfume and stick to it until it's gone, which is why the perfumes I have been rocking for Spring will most likely also be the perfumes I will be sporting for Summer. So, if you have any scents that aren't too expensive, let me know in the comments to help me grow a love for perfumes.

My favourite perfume at the moment has to be Victoria's Secret Sheer Love, which Megan gifted me after a spree in the duty free when she went on holiday back in October, and I am savouring every spritz of this. Picture the perfect balance of a sweet, fruity and slightly floral scent and you have this. I knew a perfume description post was going to be a bad idea...

Then I have three from the Ted Baker Woman collection, which I got in a set at Christmas time from relatives, and I really like them. First point, they smell great, second, they have rose gold caps. What more could you want?
The first of the trio I have been loving is Pink. Okay, imagine the typical Soap & Glory scent, intensified, made into a liquid and put into a bottle - that is the only way to describe this one, and I freaking love it.
Nude is more of a musky floral which I have been putting on my wrists pretty regularly recently, and it may be taking over my love for Pink, but we'll see how it goes. It might sound weird, but somehow I think the name of this one reflects how it smells...
Orange is the least used out of the bunch, but I still really like the scent of it. It's a stronger one out of the bunch, and seems to be pretty similar to the old Next Just Pink fragrance, just toned down and less headache-inducing.

After visiting Megan's house (and sniffing her wrists every day at school), I have a few more added to my list, and I might actually buy myself a perfume, which is something very unusual for me...

VICTORIA'S SECRET SHEER LOVE FRAGRANCE

Victoria's Secret isn't all that accessible here in the UK, with a few stores scattered around the country, and if you are miles away from one like me, airports are your best bet. Seeing as I am not going to the airport until a years time, I didn't buy this myself, my lovely friend Megan got me the Sheer Love Eau De Toilette when she went on holiday.

Starting packaging, I may have fell in love when I saw this. In a simplistic, cylindrical bottle, with a gold lid, and the name and brand added in gold, alongside a cute bow, and the slight tint of pink in the liquid as well, Victoria's Secret may have ticked all the boxes for me. 

We all know I suck at describing scents, but I'll give it a whirl. Akin to the packaging, it is quite a girly scent. It is floral, fresh, and slightly fruity, with a little musk to even it out, and I would be perfectly happy wearing this all year round - it is quite a versatile scent I think. Great description from Lauren. It is pretty long lasting too, a good few hours before the scent either drifts away or I get used to it. 

I am suddenly into frangrance, and clothes, and I haven't been going over the top with makeup at the moment, but it'll probably be a phase, so enjoy it while it lasts...

 

The Fragrance Shop Discovery Club Perfume Box

Hi guys!

I am a sucker for good scents, so getting sent this perfume box to try out was very exciting for me. I received it a few weeks ago but I wanted to try out all the perfumes properly so I know about them. 

So, I will just start now, so that this post doesn't go on for reams and reams. 

Here are all the perfume samples that are included in this box. There is a great selection!

The first perfume is Vera Wang Lovestruck (floral rush). It is described as 'a rich floral bouquet that blooms with instant attraction'. It definitely is just that. It is floral, but not too overpowering, as there is a subtle under-scent of something sweet which balances it out. It really is nice. This perfume costs £34.50 for 30ml. It has a lasting time for 3-4 hours, which is better than some perfumes. 

The second perfume is Nina Ricci's Nina L'Eau. This is by far one of my favourite perfumes in the box, and if I was one to splurge on perfumes, this would be one of them, but it isn't even too pricey. This is a mix between floral, fruity and 'powdery' warmth of musk there too. This retails for £24.99 for a 30ml which isn't too bad. The lasting time for this one is about 4+ hours, depending on how much you put on, which is average for a higher end perfume. 

I will admit that I was most excited to try out this one, as Juicy Couture perfumes are well raved about on the internet. I wasn't wowed by the scent that all the hype built it up to be, but it definitely is something I would spritz onto myself if I had a bottle of it myself. This perfume screams out femininity, slightly fruity yet floral, much reminding me of the DKNY Be Delicious perfume my mum always wore when she had a bottle. It is nice. 

This one also excited me a bit. The only thing I don't like is that the mini sample bottle doesn't have a spray thing on it, and I am really scared to open in because I know I will get perfume everywhere. But I opened it and BOY it smelt good! It is everything you want in a floral perfume. The bouquets are there, but then there is that powdery scent underneath which makes it much more subtle and no headaches will be happening whilst wearing it. No-one likes that feeling. This is £32.50 for 30ml. This lasts for about 4-5 hours so pretty good. 

The final perfume in this box is Just Cavalli by Roberto Cavalli. It is descried as 'a creamy floral' and I don't think it could be described by me or my nose in any other way. It's not creamy in a desert way or anything, but just in a way that makes the floralness less harsh. Making words up there, well done me. But this is a really lovely perfume, which I would recommend to everyone. This is £29.50 for 30ml. And it also lasts for about 4 hours, which isn't too bad.

Thanks for reading guys, what is your favourite perfume? Let me know in the comments!

Bye! Lauren x