Perfume Collection 2017

Perfume Collection

It’s been a long while since I did a perfume collection, 2015 in fact was the last time I did one (and it was so big it had to be split into part 1 and part 2!). My collection has changed a lot since then, I’ve made a real effort since then to constantly have one on the go as my daily one to use up, and compact my collection to around 4-5 that I love. And it’s working, my collection was at 17 perfumes – and I’m now at 10 – some of those are new additions in that time as well.

Dior Fahrenheit Summer
Probably the one which I’ve made least progress on and is next on my list to become the one I have to try and use up. This I’ve had for longer than I should admit (don’t worry it still smells fine). It’s a very strong, woody and heady fragrance that borders on being quite unisex. My sister did this when she did work experience in a local department store, and literally bought bags and bags of makeup and fragrances back as they were allowed to empty the sample cupboards as thank you.

Matthew Williamson
Another one which I’ve had for a long time, I remember buying this at university after finding it in a shop called TJ Hughes after being on the hunt for it for ages after hearing it spoke about by someone in Youtube. And I’ve always hated the smell of it. It smells weird, it always has smelt weird and is up for being thrown away rather than being finished, as I’m about halfway through a 100ml bottle and the thought of using another 50ml of this sounds tortureous. I will give it one last go before deciding whether to get rid, they don’t make this any more and I can’t seem to find what the notes are officially, but I’d describe it as floral, spice and a heavy dose of cleaning products.

Tom Ford Black Orchid
Let’s move from those two negative ones to something more positive. This is by far my favourite fragrance! Ben bought me this for Christmas a few years ago and I’m so sparing when I use this. It lasts really well and is so strong it needs so few sprays. I think this would probably be described as my signature scent, it’s a very warm fragrance and I wear it most in winter and try to keep it to weekends and special occasions only as it’s so pricey! It’s something I think I will always have in my collection now, and I expect by the end of this coming summer I’ll be needing to reinvest in it. I’ve been looking at Tom Ford Fragrances to try and find a summer staple from them – but I don’t like any, at least in their less pricey range!

The Scent Li Jo
I’m so sad about this. I remember smelling it in Italy last year in the airport on the way back, and I loved it enough to actually research getting this at home. It ended up on my Three Products I’m Loving, and Three I’m Not Post earlier in the year, as whilst it smells so pretty, it just doesn’t last. The Bottle is also incredibly pretty, with a little dangling crystal.

Paco Rabanne Olympea
I struggle to not use this daily, especially in summer – I only bought this bottle (which is my second) after Christmas and it’s nearly all gone! This was a perfume I wore on my wedding day (layered with another one), and it’s one I took away on our honeymoon to, so it’s even more of a personal fragrance for me. It’s the perfect mix of being sweet, but not too sweet, with floral, salt, vanilla and fruity notes. Seriously give this a whiff if you’ve never smelt it.

Calvin Klein Eternity Moment
This is the second perfume I wore for my wedding. This is super nostalgic for me, it’s one I wore a lot as a teenager. My mum always told me it smelt like Grandma’s, and I still plan on wearing this as a Grandma! It’s a very light floral scent – predominately smelling of rose. I like this perfume by itself, but it’s also so light that it works beautifully layered with other fragrances. This is a budget friendly perfume too, I always spot it on sale in Boots, so if you’re low on funds or don’t like spending a lot on fragrances. This is a good one to check out.

Missed photographing this somehow!

The Body Shop White Musk Libertine
One that recently featured in my Summer Product’s I’m Trying to Use Up, I have two other unopened bottles I picked up of this in my local outlet, so I’m well stocked on this! This seems to be a product which comes in and out of production at The Body Shop, but it seems like it may have permanently gone as it’s not been back for a while. This is like a lightly musky version of Eternity Moment, again it’s quite floral, but with warm almond and honey notes beneath it.

So…? Kiss Me
I was given this at an event last year, and I still haven’t even spritzed this. So… Fragrances were a smell of my young teenage years, I remember having a bottle of this as a teenager, but the bottles were square and shorter. From what I remember it’s got quite a heavy vanilla base. I’ll get round to trying this soon!

Victoria’s Secret Victoria
I  bought this in New York, and I wish I didn’t. I was using up the last of my dollars at the airport and went against my gut and let Ben pick. This is a very light floral and doesn’t pack any kind of punch at all, it’s so sheer and it just does nothing for me. I couldn’t even pawn this off on my sister who loves anything with a bow on it. If you like really light fragrances I wouldn’t even recommend it for that, it doesn’t really have any lasting power.

Michael Kors Very Hollywood
Yep another one I have multiple bottles of you’ll notice one of the caps of these has seen the wrath of Dexter. At one point I thought this perfume was being discontinued, so I bought the 30ml and 100ml bottles to add to my collection – I did at one point (see last perfume collection) also have the 50ml bottle! This hasn’t been discontinued, but it is increasingly difficult to find – Boots and Superdrug don’t sell this line from Michael Kors and I’ve only seen it more recently in places like Debenhams. The top notes of this are citrus & raspberry, with floral mid notes and warm amber base notes. It’s a very well rounded fragrance, whilst initially it’s quite fruity – that soon dies down. I love this, and it deserves to be sold in more places and have more hype. If you can find it, smell it!

Deluxe Samples
I thought I’d include these three as I’ve been using them frequently, but these mini bottles are actually quite difficult to get used up. I’ve got Burberry Body, Versace Bright Crystal and a Roger and Gallait perfume. These are good for overnight stays, or handbag top ups through the day. I don’t hate any of them, but the only one I would think about buying is the Versace one.


There’s one perfume I feel like I’m missing from my collection which I’ve used up since my last collection, and that’s Vivienne Westwood Naughty Alice. I haven’t repurchased this in ages, it use to be available in Boots and I’d restock it with my Boots Points, but it’s no longer sol in Boots and no where near me has it. I think I need to get myself a bottle of this, it’s unlike any other fragrance I’ve smelt and I really miss it.

What are your favourite fragrances and how big is your perfume collection?

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Helpless Whilst Drying

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25 Comments

  1. July 25, 2017 / 9:48 am

    I’m pretty sure I said this last time but I LOVED naughty Alice when I had it! I really just go and give it another sniff! Come to Nottingham as you can get it in the shop here!! If you want it before then I can pick it up and meet you halfway 🙂 xxx

    • July 25, 2017 / 10:25 am

      Haha thank you! Once I’ve cleared up a few of these I’ll be treating myself to it (post no buy though!). Trying to finish up the mini very Hollywood

  2. typicalteenager76
    July 25, 2017 / 11:20 am

    I haven’t used perfume in so long! I use one most which is the VS pure seduction one and I want to get into using more! Amazing post, it’d mean a lot if you checked my blog out too x

  3. July 25, 2017 / 3:02 pm

    Mine is Daisy but I can’t smell it on myself now, maybe time for a change! Great post.

  4. July 25, 2017 / 4:39 pm

    Thank you for the info, I am also a perfume lover same as yours. I am used to have Roses De Chloe Perfume and my current favourite is Bleu Moon from Ticino Paris. I am still exploring more 🙂

  5. July 25, 2017 / 5:33 pm

    I absolutely love Olympea, I recently finished my bottle which I also went through really quickly because I wanted to wear it daily! x

  6. July 26, 2017 / 1:27 am

    See, you must wear your perfumes more strongly than I do because of this sentence regarding the TF Black Orchid:
    It lasts really well and is so strong it needs so few sprays
    A FEW sprays? For a strong perfume, I’d try to do half a spray if I can, and only mist the air and walk into the mist. I rarely, if ever, spray more than twice for any perfume. And this is why I never finish a perfume! I can’t believe how much you’ve gone through the Paco Rabanne Olympea. I remember when you first bought it.
    I was at the Diptyque counter today and really liked a scent (called Duelle) but it only comes in 50ml or 100ml – it would take me ages to use!

    • July 26, 2017 / 9:10 am

      There’s no way you could control the lid enough on the Black Orchid to give you half a spray, it doesn’t disperse anything til it’s fully down! I’d say two maybe three sprays on Black orchid, and anywhere between three and ten for anything else! It also depends how long I’m gonna be out the house/what I’m wearing etc as to how much I put on!
      We have no Diptyque near us, I think I’d like their fig based one as I love fig candles!

  7. July 28, 2017 / 10:25 pm

    I keep reading that by the time you are 30 you need to have an adult fragrance and not wander around leaving wafts of sweet pea behind like a damn teenager, so I’m really committed to “smelling my age” although I’m not going to use that sentence ever again, because it doesn’t sound very appealing, does it?

    https://damngirlgetyourshittogether.com/

  8. August 1, 2017 / 4:34 pm

    Fab collection! I love Black Orchid and Olympéa most out of these! As much as I do with beauty products, I could never even attempt to try and use up a fragrance I don’t like, it’d literally make me feel sick everyday haha!

    • August 1, 2017 / 4:41 pm

      Thank you, it’s definitely becoming more of a curated collection – I’d like to get it under to 10 I love, rather than 20 where 10 of them are so-so. I’ve got rid of most of my hates now and the only one I’m really left with is the Matthew Williamson one, I’ll give it one last go before it’s time for the bin! I feel like I can whizz through a 30ml quite quickly if I don’t love it, but looking at 100ml bottles of things I don’t like makes me so unmotivated to pick it up and use it!

  9. The girl in green scarf
    September 3, 2017 / 10:43 am

    Nice collection!! Some perfumes are really very hard to wear :p. I’m also thinking to do a perfume collection blog.
    Would you like to look at my blog?

  10. September 5, 2017 / 3:03 am

    Isn’t it awesome how scents can bring back such strong memories? I’m about to try Black Orchid in December (I participate in a monthly subscription program), I’m sooo excited!

  11. bonnyssoulfood
    April 12, 2018 / 11:52 pm

    Oh, my! 😮 You are so lucky to have this collection. ♡ I use Rare Pearls for Avon at the moment. I also love Guess perfumes, Beyonce and Christina Aguilera.

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