JOOP; WOW! - FRAGRANCE LAUNCH

An e-vite from COTY came through to my inbox, and all that was stated was a date, time and that a fragrance launch would be taking place at a secret location, hidden away in London somewhere. Now, immediately I was intrigued, and having gone to a fragrance launch organised by COTY before for the Davidoff; Horizon fragrance, I knew I was going to be in for a good time!

I was chauffeur driven in a Mercedes to the location, and as I got into the car, I was greeted by a large box, an envelope, a miniature bottle of Moet (that didn't last long..), and an iPad playing the promotional movie of the fragrance! 'Welcome to the JOOP; WOW! Experience!' I was amazed at the presentation of the box, as when I opened it, inside was the bottle of the fragrance placed within a Jaguars head, and to top it off, the box lit up! As the journey came to an end, I arrived at the secret location which was in fact the 'Six Storeys' in Soho, before being taken up each floor, group by group, to go through the JOOP WOW! Experience in full.

There were 4 floors in total, each of which gave an insight and more depth to the fragrance, and the story behind it.

FIRST FLOOR: 'Behind The Fragrance'

We were met by a fragrance expert; Will Andrews, and he took us through each of the different notes within the fragrance.

  • Top Notes: Violet Leaf, Bergamot, Cardamom
  • Middle Notes: Fir Balsam, Geranium, Vetiver
  • Heart Notes: Cashmeran, Vanilla, Tonka Bean

I found with WOW! that it is very distinctive, and has a loud projection. The initial spray is rather sweet with the citrus notes coming through, yet takes a more muskier, creamy direction with the earthy tones and the rich, strong notes at the heart of the fragrance. Perfect for this time of year! I am a big fan of strong fragrances, so this is definitely a new contender for me. I particularly like the simplicity of the bottle's design, and one that I found was a rather different direction for the brand! 

We were then asked to pick out some of our favourite notes within the scent, as if we were to create our own fragrance. I chose the Bergamot as my Top Note, Tonka Bean as my Middle Note, and the Vanilla as my Heart Note. Shortly afterwards, we made our way upstairs to the next floor for a lesson in 'Gin-Making'!

SECOND FLOOR: 'Gin Making based on WOW!'

Gin Mixologist; Patrick Hobbs gave us a lesson in creating our own Gin based around the fragrance using different layers within the drink. To start, I added a base to the drink, 50ml of Spice (I later regretted it.), 25ml of Citrus, 25ml of Floral Herb and two/three drops of Sweet & Floral. It's safe to say that I won't be taking up bar work or cocktail making anytime soon as my drink certainly packed a punch...

THIRD FLOOR: 'A lesson in Tailoring with Edward Sexton'

Dominic Sebag-Montefiore, a tailor from Edward Sexton gave us a lesson on the history of the clothes and how the suits and tailoring have changed throughout the years. My personal favourite, was the jacket with the red tie as I felt that the tie looked really bold and strong against the crisp, white shirt.

FOURTH FLOOR: 'Personalisation of the fragrance and food'

By the time we got to the fourth floor, I must admit that the gin that I had made, was starting to kick in.. Oops! We all got given the opportunity to personalise our fragrance bottle, so I chose to have 'MR.LC' engraved on mine, and I felt that it added a really personal touch, and it was a lovely way to finish the afternoon off! The whole event from start to finish was incredible! From the mysterious email, to the car journey, to the secret location, to the different activities on each floor, and to meeting new and familiar bloggers who I had only spoken to via social media! 

I just want to thank COTY for the invite, it was an amazing event and I had a great time! Joop WOW! launches on Wednesday 1st February and is available to purchase here.

Will you be trying out WOW! by Joop? Have you tried any of the Joop fragrances before? If so, which is your favourite? Do let me know your comments down below, and don't forget to click that 'like' button!

KEEPING IN TIME WITH ROTARY WATCHES

Rotary Watches was established in 1895, and pride themselves upon creating effortlessly stylish timepieces, whilst remaining affordable. I had the pleasure of receiving a Rotary Watch, in particular their 'Ultra Slim with Brown Leather Strap.' I have had endless amounts of compliments from wearing this watch, and one of the reasons as to why it is one of my favourite accessories to wear, is because of the simplicity of the design, and how lightweight the watch feels on my wrist! 

My friend Daniel and I found a spot in Leeds to take a few images, and I am pleased with how they have turned out! I must admit, trying to get a decent photograph of a watch is actually harder than it looks... 

Have you purchased a watch from Rotary before? If so, which watch did you buy? Do you like the watch I wore? Did you like how the images turned out? Let me know your comments below, as I would love to hear from you, and don't forget to click that 'like' button!

© Photography: Daniel Scott

 

ROTARY WATCHES

Ultra Slim with Brown Leather Strap

Rotary Watches

Twitter / Instagram

WHAT I WORE:

ROTARY WATCHES | ULTRA SLIM WITH BROWN LEATHER STRAP

ZARA | WHITE COLLARLESS BIB SHIRT *similar*

TOPMAN | BLACK SKINNY JEANS

NEXT | WHITE LACE UP TRAINERS

ZARA HOME: THE PERFUME COLLECTION

About a month or so ago, I was invited to attend the ZARA HOME: THE PERFUME COLLECTION Fragrance Launch, however due to 'overhead difficulties' with my train (we've all been there right?) it meant that I was unable to attend! Luckily, I was still fortunate enough to have been sent the full collection to review, and I have to say.. I was definitely in for a treat! 

Launched in December 2016, The Perfume Collection is still relatively new, and features 6 fragrances within the collection! 

1. TONKA WOOD

  • Top Notes: Bergamot, Lemon, Blackcurrant
  • Heart Notes: Midnight Violet, Lily of the Valley
  • Base Notes: Vetiver, Tonka Bean, Praline Flower

Easily one of my favourites out of the collection! The opening of Tonka Wood is rather powerful, and the Bergamot and Blackcurrant notes can be identified easily. As the drydown starts, the fragrance takes a more muskier, sexier direction, and the longevity of the Tonka Wood fragrance lasted upon my skin for around 5-6 hours.

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2. FLORAL MYSTERY

  • Top Notes: Lemon, Blackcurrant, Lotus Flower
  • Heart Notes: Peony, Bamboo, Spring Magnolia
  • Base Notes: White Woods, Amber, Pink Peach

Despite it's name, I don't actually find this fragrance to be too 'floral'... More of a sweet, fruitier fragrance! The opening is especially fruity, and the note of Lemon seems to be the most prominent, whilst the note of Amber shortly kicks in during the drydown. The longevity of Floral Mystery lasted on my skin for up to 3-4 hours which I hate to admit, but I was slightly glad as this fragrance was my least favourite!

3. ABSOLUTELY SUBLIME

  • Top Notes: Bergamot, Mate
  • Heart Notes: Violet, Black Tea
  • Base Notes: Brown Sugar, Guaiacum Wood

I found that the Absolutely Sublime fragrance was the most interesting out of the 6, in the sense that the opening of the fragrance started off quite fresh and sweet, but then ended up being a predominantly woody fragrance! The longevity of Absolutely Sublime lasted for up to 4-5 hours on the skin, and was one I received a few compliments on!

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4. AQUA BERGAMOTA

  • Top Notes: Green Bergamot, Tangerine Aroma, Primofiore Lemon
  • Heart Notes: Neroli, Blackcurrant
  • Base Notes: Pamplewood

A crisp, fresh scent, absolutely ideal for the upcoming Spring/Summer seasons! The opening of Aqua Bergamota begins with a burst of the Lemon note and instantly feels light and airy on the skin. Having said that however, the longevity of Aqua Bergamota lasted for up to 6-7 hours! Rather impressive for such a light fragrance. 

5. CUIR VELVET

  • Top Notes: Lemon, Ginger, Cayenne Pepper
  • Heart Notes: Geranium, Provence Lavender, Elemi
  • Base Notes: Patchouli, Australian Sandalwood, Marine Accords

Cuir Velvet is my favourite fragrance out of the 6 within the collection! The Cayenne Pepper note creates a spicy feel, whilst the Lemon and Ginger give a fresh, citrus take on it. The longevity of Cuir Velvet was the longest on my skin, averaging around 7-8 hours!

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6. EVITORIAL TWIST

  • Top Notes: Sage, Lavender Flower
  • Heart Notes: Ginger, Cedar
  • Base Notes: Cardamom, Musk

Evitorial Twist was the fragrance that I received a full bottle of, and I must point out the design of the bottle as I find it so sleek and I love how the cap is magnetic! The fragrance is quite similar to the Cuir Velvet, as I have found them both to be rather spicy. I have found Evitorial Twist to be slightly too heavy for me, as the sillage is quite powerful. Having said that, the drydown of the fragrance was my favourite part, and the longevity lasted for up to 6-7 hours!

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Each of the fragrances are all Eau de Toilette's, and they are all available in the 100ml size bottle! They each retail at £29.99. Yes you read that, just £29.99 for 100ml... If that's not tempting you to try these out then I really don't know what will! You can view the full collection here.

*Please note: Each fragrance I received were in the sample sizes (except Evitorial Twist), so I sprayed these to their full use to get their full, and best effect for fair evaluation.*

Have you tried any of these fragrances before? Perhaps you've bought a different fragrance from Zara? If so, which one? I would love to hear from you guys, so don't forget to leave me a comment, and click the like button!

MAISON MARGIELA REPLICA; FILTERS

As a fan of the Maison Margiela fragrances; By The Fireplace and Jazz Club, I was rather intrigued to try out two new additions to the Replica collection; 'Filters'. I had been fortunate enough to have been sent the two 'Filters' which were, Glow and Blur!

Both of the Filters primarily add a new dimension to a fragrance. So perhaps you've worn a fragrance before and thought 'I really wish that smelt slightly more citrusy!' or 'I would have liked that fragrance to have been slightly more muskier.' That's where the Maison Margiela - Filters come in!

I have found that both of these filters, although are meant to enhance your fragrance, can be worn alone individually! That being said, they are much softer and don't command as much notice, nor do they have a strong sillage, but the longevity of these lasted for a very long time when sprayed upon my skin.

GLOW: 

  • Boosts radiance
  • Zesty and Solar notes

Out of the two, Glow features many citrusy notes and smells incredibly fresh and radiant! Perfect for the upcoming Spring/Summer seasons. I have found that Glow works best with By The Fireplace as the Glow filter adds a fresher take on what is otherwise classed as a muskier fragrance.

BLUR:

  • Boosts softness
  • Cotton and Musky notes

Between the two, the Blur filter is my favourite. Blur features the notes of Cotton, White Musk Accord and Grey Amber Accord. I have found this to be a softer scent, and although it features the Cotton note, it doesn't feel too powdery upon my skin. Blur works best with the Jazz Club fragrance, as it enhances the musky feel to it!

Both of the Maison Margiela Replica Filters are impressive, and I have found trialling these out and mixing them with other fragrances, a rather exciting process! You can purchase both Glow and Blur here. You can also read my fragrance review on the Maison Margiela 'By The Fireplace' here!

Have you tried the Maison Margiela Replica Filters before? Which was your favourite? Did you notice a difference? What fragrance did you layer them up with? Let me know your thoughts below, and don't forget to click that like button!

BELOW THE BELT GROOMING

A rather risqué blog post for you today, as I shall be talking about keeping your manhood smelling fresh and clean, without having to wash! You're intrigued now right? Thought so.

Now, I need to be clear. I do not advise going days without showering and not washing yourself, but there are those days when you just cannot be bothered right? You're not seeing anybody and you're not leaving the house that day, so what's the point? Until you get a message asking if you'd like to go for a drink or two and you're already getting ready, but there just isn't enough time to catch a shower...

This is where 'Below The Belt Grooming' comes in! I had been sent three of their products to try out; 

  1. Instant Clean Balls
  2. Fresh & Dry Balls
  3. Sport Lubricant (Groin Protection)

In this post I will be reviewing two of their products, as I am not a fellow sportsman, nor do I go to the gym regularly enough, so I haven't been able to try out their 'Sports Lubricant'. Having said that however, I will be making more of an effort to head to the gym soon, so perhaps there will be a new update on that!

INSTANT CLEAN BALLS

This has been an eye opener for me. I was slightly dubious about trying this out beforehand, as I was unsure as to what sort of benefits it would do, and to see if it would make any sort of difference! The product doesn't have any sort of scent to it, instead masking any odours! The spray was easy to use and apply, and it felt very light and fresh 'down below', and most importantly, there was no irritation! You can purchase the Instant Clean Balls Spray here.

FRESH & DRY BALLS

This gel is best applied after showering, as it helps to keep everything fresher, for longer. The gel was very lightweight, and similar to the Instant Clean Balls spray, it was also odourless. Fresh & Dry Balls absorbed itself well, and although at first there is a slight 'tingling' sensation, it soon fades and you start to forget that there has been anything applied! You can purchase the Fresh & Dry Balls Gel here.

I've definitely appreciated having these products around, especially for those early starts when I've accidentally slept in... You can check out their full range of products here!

Have you tried any of the Below The Belt Grooming products before? What do you think to the sound of these? Would you give these a try? Let me know your comments, and don't forget to click the like button!

JO MALONE; MYRRH & TONKA

Myrrh & Tonka is the latest addition to the 'Cologne Intense' range by Jo Malone, and it is a truly stunning fragrance.  

Myrrh & Tonka truly delivers when it comes to a well rounded fragrance, I have sprayed this countless of times, and I still cannot get enough. It is addictive to say the least!

  • Top Note: Lavender
  • Middle Note: Omumbiri Myrrh
  • Base Note: Tonka

The opening to Myrrh & Tonka is a rather creamy, sweet opening with the Lavender note coming into play. I must admit, that I have often found the note of Lavender a little overwhelming at times, yet with this fragrance, it blends just perfectly with the Omumbiri Myrrh and the Tonka notes. As the fragrance settles on my skin, the fragrance becomes incredibly rich and intense, creating a slightly Oriental feel to it with the floral notes.

My favourite part of wearing this fragrance has got to be the dry-down! The fragrance becomes more warm and captivating, and I have gained many compliments from wearing this. So much so, that a friend of mine is now purchasing this for her partner!

Longevity of Myrrh & Tonka lasted upon my skin for up to 5 hours, which was slightly shorter compared to other Jo Malone fragrances that I have tried out before, but I just view this as an excuse to top it up some more! 

I find that the fragrance is best worn at night-time, allowing the fragrance to stand out, and to garner the well deserved attention it needs. The sillage of Myrrh & Tonka is light to medium, and the fragrance is encased within the stunning 'Cologne Intense' black bottle. 

The nose behind Myrrh & Tonka is the Master Perfumer; Mathilde Bijaoui and is now available to purchase here, being available only in the 100ml bottle.

You can also read my other reviews on Jo Malone's products such as the Black Cedarwood & Juniper fragrance, the Jo Malone Geranium & Walnut Hand Cream, and most recently, my time spent at their fragrance release event; The Bloomsbury Set! (PS. A review on the upcoming 'Tobacco & Mandarin' fragrance will be coming very shortly, and let me tell you... It's a good 'un!)

Have you smelt Myrrh & Tonka before? What do you think? Which is your favourite Jo Malone product and why? Do let me know your thoughts below, and don't forget to click that 'like' button!