Sugar and Spice II

I went to Jo Malone again. I always visit their counter every time I go to the Holt Renfrew at Bloor or Yorkdale. I don't go to the one at Sherway Gardens as the JM counter is too small. 

I know I've talked about how the Lemon Tart Cologne and Redcurrant and Cream Cologne from Jo Malone not being something I love at first scent. I didn't expect to get them at all and it's be on the market for over a month they are normally long gone by now so I was rather surprised to find them in store when I went to pick up the English Pear and Freesia room spray.

English Pear and Freesia is my favourite Jo Malone scent. it's refreshing and not overly sweet. It's my go-to scent on a regular basis. I never get tired of this scent. It's light so it's work friendly. I love it so much I plan on picking up their diffuser once my red rose diffuser runs out. I use the room spray as a linen spray as well. Basically I spray it everywhere in my room! 

The BA was also very generous. He gave me 12 samples to try out different combinations.

These two colognes work fairly well with a lot of my other Jo Malone colognes and since it's limited edition so I finally decided to bring them home. These two work fairly well by blending both of them together. But I prefer blending them with grapefruit. I find that grapefruit being quite versatile it mixes well with most Jo Malone colognes. I do not think I'll be wearing them on their own. But they do smell great when you mix them with other colognes.

What's your favourite perfume? What's your latest perfume purchase?

Jo Malone Sugar and Spice collection

These were picked up by me last Friday on their launch day. I normally go to the Bloor Store since Mark is very generous when it comes to giving out samples but going downtown on a weeknight is just impossible for me. So I went to Yorkdale to pick up this limited edition cologne set. As I expected I didn't come home with all 5 cologne. 

 

This is one of the not so great shopping experiences at Jo Malone. I only picked up three cologne and the BA fitted all three in a small Jo Malone box. I would prefer her to put them in one of the medium sized boxes instead of stuffing everything in a small box. She didn't offer me any samples. I had to ask for them. She didn't even give me the samples I specifically asked for. The ribbon isn't normally tied like that. 

This set also came with a not attractive gift with purchase which is in the envelope. I'm normally excited about the Jo Malone gift with purchase events as they consists of miniature 9ml cologne samples, body cream, hand treatment and other random samples. But this time all we got was a recipe set. I found out about the recipe a few days before the launch but I still feel a little disappointed. 

  A set of 5 dessert recipes that follow the theme of this collection.

As mentioned earlier I didn't buy all 5 cologne in the set. I just couldn't bring myself into buying all 5. I only picked 3 this time and I have to say I'm impressed with the Bitter Orange and Chocolate cologne. It makes me smell like chocolate. I find this the best cologne in the collection. Even my boyfriend that doesn't seem interested in my perfume collection likes it. He even offered to buy me an extra one so I will have a back up at home! 

The second one I got is the Ginger biscuit. I always wanted to buy a cologne that is on the spicier side but I find the nutmeg and ginger cologne a little too spicy for me. This one is spicy but lighter so I would be using it for mixing. 

The last one I picked up was the Elderflower and Gooseberry cologne. This is a lighter floral cologne that I find quite refreshing for me. 

The two I didn't pick up were the redcurrant and cream and the lemon tart. First for the lemon tart, as I expected, it smelled quite similar to the sweet lemon I have at home. I like the sweet lemon cologne a lot better than the lemon tart so I didn't get it. For the redcurrant and cream, when I first read about it I thought I would love it but once I tried it, I found it not sweet enough for my taste and it didn't seem like a cologne I would use on its own. I don't even know will I like mixing it with other cologne. 

Do you use Jo Malone cologne? Have you checked out the limited collection cologne?

Perfume Rotation: March

I have too many bottles of perfume at home and I'm always only using the same bottle of perfume on a regular basis. Most of my perfume don't get enough usage from me. I keep on buying new ones but I don't finish up the old ones so my collection is always growing. To be fair, I need to start a rotation system. Jo Malone perfume won't be in the rotation system. They will still be in my regular go to perfume box but I will only use them during the weekend.

I need to clear out some perfume samples to make room for my new perfumes. I have my eye on the entire set of Jo Malone Sugar and Spice perfume that I will bring home later this month. I haven't called them to reserve my bottles but I expect to bring home at least 3 of them. I might not get the Lemon Tart if it's similar to the Sweet Lemon cologne I own. I'm not sure will I like the Bitter Orange & Chocolate so this one I actually have to try it out before deciding.

The cologne in the collection are

Redcurrant & Cream - A summer pudding. Sharp-scarlet juices of red currants, lush strawberries and rasberries rippling through creamy musk. Vivacious and enticing.
It already sounds so sweet and yummy

Lemon Tart- The mouth-watering tang of lemon tart. sparkling with citrus fruits and verbena, contrasted with swirls of meringue and lemon thyme. Refreshing.
This sounds like the sweet lemon cologne I have, so I might not get it.

Elderflower & Gooseberry- A voluptuous gooseberry fool. Crushed, summer-green gooseberry, juicy with lychee, enfolded into the soft delicacy of elderflower. Tender and feminine.
I love everything with lychee added.

Ginger biscuit- Just-baked biscut. Spiced with ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon, melting into caramel. Butter-crumbly with roasted hazelnuts. Warmed by tonka bean and vanilla. Irresistible.
This sounds amazing for layering.

Bitter Orange & Chocolate- The bite of bitter orange, layered with dark chocolate. Orange peel counterpoised with warm, powdery cocoa, milky coconut and coumarin. Sumptuous and addictive.
This sounds better as food than a perfume.  But I do like the orange coloured perfume and it does look different than the regular bottles.

There is no way I can finish a bottle of full size perfume in a month. Most of my perfume are at least 2/3 full. So I think if I can finish 2 samples vials it would make me feel less guilty for buying new perfume.

The perfume chosen for the month are Burberry Brit, Marc Jacobs Daisy and Issey Miyake L'eau d'Issey Florale.

Burberry Brit
I probably bought this 3+ years ago and I don't normally reach out for. It's one of the sweeter perfumes I own. I will try to get a good use of it in March.

Marc Jacobs Daisy
I have a full size bottle of Daisy that I haven't used yet. I probably liked it a lot when I got it as I only get full size perfumes for scents I love. It's a floral perfume that would be perfect for everyday use. I hope to finish this sample in March. I think I can finish it in two weeks!

Issey Miyake L'eau D'Issey Florale
I love perfume from Issey Miyake but I never bought a full size bottle. I don't remember where I got this sample but I actually like the scent and I even used it today. This is a light floral perfume that is good for day use. I would find it a little too light for a night out. As you can see this sample isn't full so I can probably finish this in a week.

Do you own any of these perfume? Which perfume are you using now?

Jo Malone Collection

I love Jo Malone Cologne. Ever since I got my first bottle I got addicted. It's a very bad addiction. There were times I bought a few bottles a month. I'm slowly trying to buy less as this is such an expensive addiction. I'm not only buying perfume. I also use their diffuser, body scrub and face cream. Their body products are too expensive otherwise I would have switched to all their products completely. The only Jo Malone product that I don't think I'll be ever getting are their candles. I don't really notice their scents when I burn their candles. For my candles, I prefer Voluspa over Jo Malone.

I love their skincare range. They made one of the best face cream in the market. At least it worked very well on my skin. I love their Ginseng Day Moisturizing cream. I use it as my night cream and it kept my skin moisturized during the winter. But it got discontinued. I still have one jar at home. I cleared out all the remaining stock they had when they discontinued the product. Right now they only have the Vitamin E skincare range. I have yet to try that line but I don't think I will like it as much.

The first time I've heard of Jo Malone was back in 2006 when I visited London for the first time. It was too expensive for me at that time so I never thought of getting their perfume. My friends from Hong Kong recommended Jo Malone to me telling me how great they smell. So in 2011 I went to the Jo Malone counter at Holt Renfrew at their Bloor Street location and picked up my first bottle of Jo Malone. Ever since that visit, I couldn't go back. My first bottle is English Pear and Freesia and this is still my favourite from Jo Malone.

Left to Right: English Pear and Freesia, Plum Blossom, Nectarine Blossom and Honey Cologne, Wild Bluebell

English Pear and Freesia is my all time favourite. This is a fruity cologne but not too sweet. I find it just right for me. I use this on a regular basis, either layering with other cologne or use it alone. 

Plum Blossom, this was a limited edition cologne that came out in 2012. There is a pinkish ribbon that came with the bottle but I couldn't find it. It's a light woody, musky and floral cologne. I haven't really played around trying to layer it with other perfume. I normally use this alone. 

Nectarine Blossom and Honey Cologne. This is a fruity cologne and I used to love it. This was the second Jo Malone Cologne a got. I got it in its full size because I loved the scent a lot. But now I find it too sweet for my taste and I'm trying very hard to finish it up. I used to be able to use it alone, but now I have to layer it with other Jo Malone cologne so that it won't be overly sweet for me. 

Wild Bluebell is a floral cologne and I use it for layering with other cologne. I normally use this with English Pear and Freesia. 

London Blooms line that was inspired by the British garden. They were limited edition cologne from 2012. I never expected to pick up all three bottles. I made two separate trips to complete this collection. The first time I went I only picked up white lilac & Rhubarb and Peony & Moss. I never expected to get Iris & Lady Moore. But my boyfriend said since they all belong to the same set and they were limited so I went back to pick up the last bottle. 

They smell very different with white lilac & rhubarb being my favourite because I love floral perfume. Peony & Moss is more on the green side. Iris & Lady Moore is more woody but it's growing on me. 

Jo Malone tea collection. These were supposed to be limited edition from 2011 but I bought them in 2012 and Earl grey and cucumber then became part of their regular series in 2012. 

Assam & Grapefruit: I bought this because of the deal the BA gave me. I haven't used this at all and got it only because it was limited.

Sweet Lemon: Every time I smell this it reminds me of lemon tea. I love the citrus scent from this cologne. It's good for layering.

Earl Grey and Cucumber: I love this one. You can't really use it on its own but it's great for layering with other perfume. I will get a full size bottle once I finish this one. 

Left to right: Blackberry and Bay, Vanilla and Anise, White Jasmine and mint, French Lime Blossom

Blackberry & Bay: The newest in the Jo Malone family, one of the fruity cologne. Its on the lighter side that won't be overwhelmingly sweet. It's full of grapefruit and blackberry scent. Again I use it alone or layering.

Vanilla and Anise: One of the spicier cologne in my JM collection. It's not a very sweet vanilla cologne and its good for layering with my collection.

White Jasmine and mint: This is on the greener and floral side because of the mint. I don't normally use this alone. I love pairing it with Orange Blossom. 

French Lime Blossom: I love floral cologne. This is one of my favourite floral cologne. I love using this one alone.    

left to right: Grapefruit, Red Rose, Lime Basil & Mandarin, Patchouli, Freesia and King William Pear. 

The first three are all deluxe samples I received from JM. The last three came with my English Pear and Freesia Chronicle set.

Grapefruit: very citrus cologne that I only use for layering. I haven't opened the sample yet as I'm still trying to use up the sample vials I received from JM.

Red Rose: This is the best red rose perfume I've tried on the market. It smells divine. I love it enough to get the home diffuser for my room! If they ever come out with the Red Rose Chronicle set, I will get it right away. 

Lime Basil & mandarin: This is one of their signature scents but I don't like it. It smells too unisex for me. Not something I will use on its own. I haven't really played around with this scent.

Patchouli, Freesia and King William Pear: They all came with my English Pear and Freesia set that are for pairing with English Pear and Freesia. They are miniatures of the main notes in the English Pear and Freesia cologne. Since this is limited so I'm really hesitant in using them. I like all three of them so I do wish they come in bigger bottles. 

JM Vials that are not in my purses or make up bags. They are mainly the same scent. Among the vials here, I think there are only 6 different scents. 

If I don't specifically tell them what I want to try, I always end up with the same samples which are Orange Blossom and Pomegranate Noir.

  

Orange Blossom: I have enough of the sample vials I don't need to buy the actual cologne! This has a citrus scent and I love to use this for layering with other JM cologne.

Pomegranate Noir: This is a very sweet fruity cologne. I didn't like it at first but this is growing on me. Once I finish up my samples I might get it. 

Blue Agava and Cocao: sweet and spicy cologne. I love it and it's on my wish list for a while. I can never get a sample of this as they never have it in store.  

Note: full size and deluxe sample size doubles are not featured in the pictures. 

Perfume collection

I would say my perfume collection has grown significantly throughout the years, as I got older, scents I like changed quite a bit. There are perfumes I used to love that I don't love anymore. Those all turn into room sprays or soon to be room sprays. I can stand the smell in my room but not on me!

I used to buy a lot of perfume. I buy them whenever I see them go on sale. Even thought I don't love the scent that much I get them  because they were on sale. I don't want to miss out on any deals. I also get them because of their packaging. I'm a sucker when it comes to packaging. There were times I even kept the empty perfume bottles because of their packaging. Those days have long passed. I stopped collecting bottles and I try my best to buy perfume I truly love. No more impulse purchase on perfume. So this year I only bought one bottle. There are several bottles on my wishlist but they can wait as long as they are not limited edition  perfume.

First comes my Anna Sui Collection. I love Anna Sui perfume. I bought every single one of her perfumes until rock me where I had to stop buying as my collection was growing too big. Anna Sui original perfume and Sui Love aren't featured in the pictures as I don't have them anymore. Anna Sui original is the first ever full size perfume I finished using.

Left to right: Sui Dreams, Night of Fancy, Flight of Fancy, Rock Me, Love your Dream.
Apart from Sui Dreams, they are all brand new or I've only used them once or twice.

Anna Sui dolly girl collection. Apart from the pink dolly girl, they were all yearly limited editions. 

Left to right: Sui Dreams minature, secret wish and magic romance. 

Sui Dreams is just for collection purpose as I hated the scent. I'm still missing the Secret Wish Fairy Dance in the secret wish perfume collection. Secret Wish has always been one of my favourite perfume and I still keep it in the daily usage box. 

Marc Jacobs collection. 

Marc Jacobs rain, a very refreshing light scent that now I use as a roomspray. I might try to use it for layering with my other perfume.

Daisy: um. brand new just opened the box not too long ago.

Marc Jacobs: Impulse purchase, got it cuz it was 50% off.

Dot: I don't like the smell. It just smelled a little too sweet for my taste. Got it from my Topbox subscription. 

Lola: Impulse purchase. It's my first solid perfume. made an awesome accessory piece on my bag.

:Left to Right: Still, Coolwater, Tom kitten cologne, Tommy girl, Gucci Envy & Envy me.

Still and Coolwater are both brand new. I got both when they were on sale. I used to love coolwater but after I got it, I just didn't feel like using it. Tom Kitten and Tommy Girl, I used to love both of them but now I just don't like them anymore. 

Gucci Envy and Envy me. I still like both of them just that I don't have time to use them. 

Left to right: Burberry Brit, Burberry Touch, Jill Stuart, Miss Dior Cherie, J'adore 

These five are one of my go to daily perfume. With Miss Dior Cherie being the favourite in this set. 

Samples and random purchases. I don't really know how these got into my collection. Haven't really tried out any of them. They just sit there! 

These are either random samples or samples that I have full size for. If I remember correctly as I only tested them once, most of them in this picture are perfume that I don't really like. 

And now comes my latest obsession. Jo Malone Cologne! I love Jo Malone so much it deserves it's own post. This is an ever growing collection that grows when I new scent comes out or when there are limited editions.

Are there perfume on my wishlist? 

Definitely! I want to try Annick Goutal Petite Cherie, my friends told me this is the best pear fragrance on the market. 

I also want Jo Malone Blue Agava and Cacao which will be great for pairing with my existing JM collection. 

The last one on my list is Ferragamo Signoria. Ever since I saw the bottle I know I want to bring it home. With the little bow on the bottle and it's pink!

Do you own any of these perfumes? What is on your current wish list?   

Birthday Haul

It's always nice to treat yourself to a shopping spree. When I go shopping with my friends I always get home empty-handed, so I prefer shopping on my own. That's when I can actually buy things I love. I've always been in love with Jo Malone products, nothing is better than buying something you love on your birthday.

I originally planned on going to Holts to pick up Vintage Gardenia and Blackberry and Bay. I didn't realize they discontinued Vintage Gardenia until today. So I picked up the red rose diffuser instead. 

$85 for a diffuser is very expensive. But my last one lasted over half a year so I guess I can justify my purchase. It is an artificial fragrance, not like Neom Organics where they are essential oil. I find that Jo Malone makes the best rose fragrance in the market, it smells divine. It doesn't have the overwhelmingly fake rose smell like other brands. This one smells much more natural. I don't have the retail sizes of this perfume but I do have two 9ml bottles of the red rose cologne. 

Blackberry and Bay cologne is the newest cologne from Jo Malone. This is one of their fruity colognes. You can smell the blackberry and grapefruit. I like it but I don't like it enough to get the full size. I doubt that I can finish the full size. I find it being one of the less fruity colognes available. It's not overly sweet like Nectarine Blossom and Honey Cologne and Pomegranate Noir cologne. I normally use it alone or pair it with English Pear and Freesia. 

I also got myself a set of new interchangeable needles. This is my 6th set of interchangeable needles. Second set of Addi. You can never have too many knitting needles. Extra needles are always useful. You never know when you need to start a new project! It's the same old boring needle case. This time in brown not black. But it's still a boring color. Why can't they make the case in different colors?

This is the set with the shorter needle tips. They are 3" long compared to the 5" long regular tips. 

A trip to the yarn store is not complete without buying new yarn. Yarn is always the hardest thing to resist so I try my best not to step foot into any yarn store. Michaels doesn't count, they don't have yarn I like. I only go to Michaels for notions and tools. If I go to Michaels for yarn, it's probably for projects for people I don't love that much. 

So this time I came home with three kinds of yarn. 5 skeins of the diamond brand luxury collection Baby Alpaca sport. Don't let the "sport" fool you thinking it's a sport weight yarn, it's actually a bulky yarn between worsted weight and bulky. For a bulky yarn they shouldn't put sport on it. It's very misleading if you didn't look at the yarn before buying.  They retail at $14.99 per skein not cheap but it felt so soft. Just couldn't put it down. I'll be using it for a scarf for my boyfriend. I didn't expect my boyfriend to ask for a new scarf!!! 

Next are the two skeins of ruffle yarns from Rowan from the kidsilk creation line. I actually have a few balls of ruffle yarn I need to use up. I bought them before the ruffle scarves became so popular. They've been in my stash for three years now. But all the ones I have at home are made of nylon, not something I prefer. I know Rowan came out with this yarn sometime last year, Kidsilk Creation consists of 70% mohair and 30% silk, that's the best you can get for ruffle yarn. It feels soft and luxurious but at $25 a skein it's not something I'll get. As I already made something similar just with a different brand of yarn. But with the Kidsilk  Creation being 50% off, I got two skeins. One will be for knitting, the other will be used for crocheting.