top celebrity perfumes- a guest post

Choosing celebrity perfumes can feel like stepping into a minefield. There are lots of products out there, but not all of them are worthy of a prized spot on your dressing table. If you’re on the lookout for a new fragrance but don’t want to waste your cash, keep reading. Here are some of the hottest celeb perfumes available right now. They won’t all be to your tastes, but you’re bound to find at least one you like the sound of.
all images from www.directcosmetics.com
Beyoncé – Midnight Heat
It may have been launched in 2012, but Beyoncé’s Midnight Heat is still proving a hit among discerning consumers. Described as an oriental and floral fragrance, this perfume can be worn at any time of the day or night, but it’s especially suited to evenings. Its spicy, warm scent has a real allure.

The perfume has top notes of plum, dragon fruit and star fruit and base notes of amber, sandalwood and patchouli, which is a herb from the mint family.

This is the sort of fragrance that you want to reach for when you’ve got glammed up for a date, night out with friends or party. It’s certainly makes a statement and it’s a real confidence booster.

Madonna – Truth or Dare
Another spiced perfume, but this time a little less heady, is Madonna’s Truth or Dare. Designed to represent the opposing forces of darkness and light (we’d expect nothing less dramatic from the Queen of Pop), the fragrance has top notes of gardenia, tuberose and neroli and soothing base notes of vanilla, caramelised amber and musk aura.

Over all, the scent is a little spicy and it finishes with warm musk. This sophisticated product can be worn casually, but it’s best saved for special occasions.

Rihanna – Nude
Rihanna’s no stranger to getting her clothes off, so it’s apt that she’s released a perfume named Nude. The fragrance is supposed to evoke feelings of intimacy, bare skin and nakedness and it has top notes of guava, mandarin and pear, with bottom notes of vanilla, musk and sandalwood. Its heart notes include jasmine and orange blossom.

This could be your ideal fragrance if you’re after something sweet and fun. It has a floral, sugary aroma and is especially well suited to a younger audience.

Mariah Carey – Luscious Pink
Another sweet perfume, and this time one that’s a real winner for summer, is Mariah Carey’s Luscious Pink. With top notes of Sicilian bergamot and an Italian sparkling Bellini cocktail, and base notes of white musk, blond wood and sandalwood, it has an overall aroma of citrus, making it perfect for sunny days.

Watch out though, this probably isn’t a scent to wear into business meetings, especially with its alcoholic hint of Bellini.

Lady Gaga – Fame
If you’re after a super-fresh fragrance, Lady Gaga’s Fame could be ideal. A great all-rounder, this perfume is described as oriental and floral and it features top notes of belladonna and incense, as well as base notes of jasmine and tiger orchid. These are complemented by heart notes of honey, saffron and apricot.

On first spray, the fragrance has a clean, citrus smell and this gradually opens out to a richer, sweeter aroma. The perfume can be great during the day and in the evening.

The simple way to shop
If these five celebrity perfumes have inspired you to go on a fragrance shopping spree, you can head online to website such as Direct Cosmetics. The best thing is, by bagging up bargains over the internet like this, you can ensure your budget stretches that bit further, meaning you can stock up on even more perfumes and cosmetics.

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Wedding Wearing

I posted about my friend Hazel’s wedding to James last week and now I’m sharing with you what I wore. I bought the dress a good couple of months before the day as the second I saw it I knew it was what I wanted for the occasion and thankfully nothing else I saw made me regret buying it- I’ve done that before in the past, and of course by the time I realised it was too late to return anything!
My dress was from Foxbride and was quite an extravagant purchase for me! It was worth every penny though as it is excellent quality and the shape and length is really flattering. It’s the kind of dress that can be worn over and over with different accessories so I’ll make sure I get my money’s worth, there was just something about it that screamed “wedding” and it kept me cool in the super hot sun too.
Shoe wise I went for my gold sparkly Georgia Rose sandals from Sarenza. It’s a long time since I spent a day in heels so I wanted something that would be comfortable, which instantly ruled stilettos out. I had some flats stashed in the boot of my friend’s car but I didn’t need them as apart from being removed for a quick barn dance these stayed on all day without making me want to cry!
I’m not very good with accessories but knew I wanted pink and gold to go with the dress and shoes. I kept costs low here by picking up a gold daisy hairband in Primark as well as some pale pink and gold tassel earrings- I think they were £5 in total. I also found a ring in my jewellery box that matched the earrings perfectly and my clutch bag was from New Look and had already been used for the hen night.
I got a lot of compliments on this dress and I felt really good in it, which is a must for me if I’m in a social situation as I suffer from anxiety and not being comfortable in what I am wearing/what I look like makes it much worse. I kept hair and makeup simple as it was so hot and I didn’t want to spend all day fussing. Instead I spent most of the day after the ceremony tipsy, which Ben hadn’t witnessed before…poor Ben, our first wedding together and I get drunk and annoy the heck out of him!
What have you been wearing to weddings this summer? Do you have any stand by pieces?

Instalife

It’s that time again! Here’s the latest round up from my Instagram, you can always follow me if you want to see more!
Got a question or want to link to your latest instagram post? That’s what the comments below are for! You can hover over any of my photos to see the caption.

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the heeled gladiator

It’d be a tough job, but if somebody asked me to narrow down my favourite kind of summer sandal I think my answer would be the gladiator. It’s a style I usually associate with laid back flats but I’ve recently seen heeled styles everywhere and needless to say they had made their way up to the top of my shoe wish list. When House of Fraser got in touch inviting me to pick a pair of shoes I knew instantly what I’d be searching for.

Dress: Peacocks | Shoes c/o House of Fraser | Earrings c/o Joy

These shoes by Head Over Heels (from Dune) tick all the right boxes- the perfect chunky heel, comfortable and stylish. I can wear these all day at work without feeling like someone is torturing my feet and they go with so many things! I hadn’t heard of the brand before, but with a huge array of amazing styles and fabulously affordable prices I’ll be looking there again.

House of Fraser is full of little surprises like that, brands I can’t find anywhere else, their own Therapy range of clothes and accessories as well as gorgeous home ware (among many other things). I used to skip over browsing in there as I had wrongly assumed it was out of my budget, but actually although there are some designer and high end goods available there is also a huge array of affordable bits and bobs.

For this outfit I pulled on one of my favourite summer dresses from Peacocks last year and accessorised with these fabulous Pineapple Earrings from Joy which just make me so happy. I’ve enjoyed every second of this summer so far, the gorgeous weather giving everyone a much needed boost…I’ll be sporting these in to the Autumn to cheer up the duller days.
When did you last venture in to House of Fraser? You probably really should!

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Summer reading: “it” by Alexa Chung

Summer is the perfect time to sit down outside with a book and lose yourself in another world. I don’t get an awful lot of time to indulge in this, which saddens me because it’s one of my favourite past times and on holidays I get through almost a book a day! I did manage to get a few hours last week to sit down with a nice little read, “it” by Alexa Chung comes out in paperback in just a few days time (August 8th) and to celebrate I was sent a copy to have a browse through.
I resisted the hype around this book when it first came out. I’m not really one to follow celebrities, or have famous style icons- but if I did have to choose one it would of course be Alexa Chung. I knew several of my favourite bloggers had really enjoyed this book but I still managed to hold off…clearly book fate has intervened as I now own a copy, and as much as part of me didn’t want to be lured in or love it I couldn’t help but devour it whole, hooked.
Taking you through all aspects of Alexa’s world, from her style icons to her beauty regime this book was written in a chatty, friendly manner. I confess I do not know much about Alexa, other than that she dresses very well and is exceptionally pretty but at times I found myself thinking “I could have written that” or nodding in agreement.
Despite my reservations I seriously enjoyed this book and I’m pleased a copy came my way else I would have missed out on something that has actually inspired me, the usually un-inspirable. If you don’t already own the hard back version you can pre-order the paper back for £6.99 from Amazon, I strongly suggest you do as this makes for the perfect hand luggage holiday read- or for having by your side in the back garden.
Have you read “it” yet? What other books have you enjoyed lately?

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