Michael Buble By Invitation Rose Gold

By Invitation Rose Gold is the new fragrance release from cult crooner, Mr Michael Buble!

Speaking of Michael Buble, did I ever tell you about the time when working at FHM Magazine that I left for the day and bumped into a handsome young man who held the doors to reception open for me?

I smiled, thanked him without paying much attention then walked out. 

I’d only taken a few steps when I suddenly realised that I recognised him, so I turned back around to catch another glimpse of him, to help clarify in my mind how I knew him.

It was at that exact moment that I saw him turn around to look back at me too. 

We locked eyes. I smiled, he smiled, I turned back and silently blushed.

I was mortified that he had seen me looking at him and knew that he probably thought I was checking him out, but hey, he’d clearly been checking me out too so fair enough!

As I turned the corner onto a busy Oxford Street and made my way to the tube it suddenly clicked.

That handsome young man was not someone I knew. That handsome young man was only bloody Michael Buble who as it turns out, was visiting Magic FM’s offices for an interview! (Magic! Was in the same building as FHM, ZOO, Kerrang and KISS radio)

So yeah. I inadvertently checked out and got checkout out by Michael Buble. 

Funny old world hey! And now here I am 8 years later reviewing his second fragrance!

By Invitation Rose Gold is a sensual and heady Floral Oriental Gourmand scent, packed full of a host of elegant floral notes delicately off-set by soft, sweet tones.

Housed in the same shaped bottle as the original, this scent is as you would expect, enrobed in the most gorgeous Rose Gold tones.

Simple yet stunning the rose gold of the bottle touches on the playful pink notes of the fragrances.

Designed to resemble an elegant piece of jewellery, the bottle is surrounded by what can only be described as rose gold bracelet, reflecting the precious and beautiful nectar within.

By Invitation Rose Gold is a more complex and heady scent that its predecessor and opens with top radiant notes of magnolia, red fruits and Granit pear.

Heart notes of tender rose and peony blend into perfection with a hint of black plum while base notes of warm cinnamon, creamy vanilla and sweet praline provide a decadent and rich, gourmand experience.

Complex, deep and delicious it is a fabulous addition to Buble’s fragrance collection and in my opinion would be an excellent night-time companion to the original scent.

Michael Buble By Invitation Rose Gold is available now from The Perfume Shop and costs £55 for 100ml.

YSL Top Secrets Instant Moisture Glow

Top Secrets is a luxury skincare collection from the much loved, cult brand Yves Saint Laurent.

This gorgeous collection of innovative, multitasking products has been created for make-up lovers and is designed to help you achieve a beautiful, flawless complexion.

I LOVE YSL cosmetics so was very excited to start testing out the Top Secrets range of products.

The first item I’ve road tested is their Instant Moisture Glow (£36).

 This best-selling blur perfecting moisturiser/primer is designed to keep your skin feeling nourished and hydrated to help keep you looking beautifully fresh for up to 72 hours.

Super lightweight in texture this gel-like fluid carries the blurring technology of an invisible foundation, helping to even out and perfect your complexion, creating a flawless base for your cosmetics.

Designed for the woman on the go, the woman who wants it all and has no time to wait the product can be used both as a daily moisturiser and as primer; and you all know how much I love a multi-purpose product!

So, first things first. How beautiful is the packaging. So simple and chic with the iconic black and gold packaging which is unmistakably YSL. 

Housed within a sleek black tube with gold detailing and gold lid, the product is dispensed through a delicate nozzle at the end.

A little goes a long way, both in terms of texture and its hydrating properties so don’t go overboard with application!

The product itself possesses a soft, peachy-nude hue with an almost iridescent sheen.

Smelling WONDERFUL (think luxurious freshness) the gel is feather light and almost watery in texture. It is absorbed almost instantly into your skin and you can immediately feel a difference to the texture of your skin.

YSL Beaute’s Creative Director describes your skin ‘adopting the feel of softness of satin’ upon application and I think that’s a pretty fair description of how your skin is left feeling.

Hydrated and deeply nourished skin is left looking soft and looking beautifully even and ready for your foundation.

While I must admit that I didn’t notice any real ‘blurring’ to my flaws I can certainly say that my skin felt wonderfully soft and moisturised without feeling heavy or clogged and my complexion did indeed appear far more ‘glowy’ than it did prior to application.

My skin looked more awake, more healthy and in turn, I looked happier and there is no face more beautiful than a happy one!

It worked well as a base for my foundation too- it didn’t mix with my foundation or cause any issues when applying it but it did do a great job of evening out my skin tone and ‘fixing’ any dry patches which would have otherwise looked pretty naff when I put my foundation on.

All in all I’m impressed with moisturiser. I would say that if you suffer with dry skin you may find the need to apply it throughout the day to maintain your moisture levels (providing you’ve not got a face full of make up on, obvs) as it is very light in texture, but for me and my oily skin it worked a treat.

YSL Top Secrets Instant Moisture Boost is available now and costs £36.

Carolina Herrera Good Girl

Good Girl is the sensual and evocative new scent from Carolina Herrera.

This innovative fragrance is as powerful as it is sensual and features an audacious blend of dark and light elements in celebration of the woman who loves her good side and celebrates her bad.

Now, before I can begin to describe the intoxicating and beautiful scent itself, we HAVE to address the bottle.

“Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world” was very much the inspiration for Good Girl.

The result is the eye catching, unique and undeniably stunning bottle which you see before you.

A fragrance, captured within the most gorgeous stiletto!

The inspired combination of both beauty and couture has resulted in the most exquisite and original looking perfume vessel that I think I’ve ever seen.

Its chic, black form is contrasted by a gold, ridged stiletto heel, with the Carolina Herrera logo printed on the front of the shoe in gold too. 

It really is the most beautiful bottle to gaze at and to hold and is surprisingly heavy to hold. 

The scent is released by pressing the back of the heel and if by that point you had already fallen in love with Good Girl, prepare to fall harder still when you’ve experienced it in all its glory!

Good Girl is a fragrance that represents beautiful contradictions and the duality of modern women and has characterised its notes into good and bad ones!

Floral waves of white Sambac Jasmine and tuberose are considered ‘Good’ where as deeper, more mysterious notes of roasted tonka and cacao are considered ‘ Bad’ notes.

The scent opens with top notes of sweet and soft almond before heart notes of warm sandalwood, tuberose and alluring jasmine and iris offer a rich, provocative and feminine experience.

Base notes of fragrant cacao, intoxicating tonka bean, creamy sweet vanilla and rich, deep coffee both manage to contradict and compliment the lighter elements to leave a sumptuous and sensual fragrance that is designed to enchant.

I adore this fragrance. I LOVE the way in which it manages to somehow feel both light and feminine as well as deep and seductive. 

The rich, warm, sweet and gourmand elements cling to my skin and hours later I can still enjoy their delicious notes while the immediate experience leaves me feeling empowered and beautiful.

 If you enjoy rich, warm and powerful fragrances then you are going to adore Good Girl. 

For someone like me who loves feeling wrapped in a metaphorical blanket of musky warm sensuality it is simple perfect.

If you tend to favour lighter scents then Good Girl would make a great night-time fragrance and may even help to inspire your evening’s choice of footwear thanks to its elegant and striking bottle!

Carolina Herrera’s Good Girl is available now from The Perfume Shop and costs £72.50 for 50ml.