Beauty. Fashion. Lifestyle.
Posts tagged Fragrance Direct
Fragrance Direct Valentine’s Look: English Rose
8
7 years
The lovely folks at Fragrance Direct recently set me a fun challenge – to create a look for Valentine’s Day using make up from their site. I was given a budget of £20.00, and could choose five items in total. I initially planned to go for smokey eyes and vampy red lips, but as that’s quite a clichéd Valentine’s look, I went for something a bit different in the end. I wanted to keep it simple, so I settled for a fresh-faced ‘English Rose’ look that makes the most of my pale skin, with pretty pink cheeks, lips and nails. After all, roses are what Valentine’s is all about, right? These are the five items that I chose…
Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation in ‘Light Porcelain’ £5.50 / Rimmel ScandalEyes Thick Eyeliner in ‘Black’ £5.00 / Bourjois 10 Day Anti Choc No Chips Nail Polish in ‘Shade 26′ £1.99 / Maybelline Clear Smooth Blush in ‘Fresh Rose’ £2.50 / Calvin Klein Delicious Luxury Creme Lipstick in ‘Mesmerize’ £1.99
Total: £16.98
On the high street, these products would have cost over £35.00 in total, so to get everything for under £20.00 is a massive bargain!
As was allowed, I used a few bits and pieces from my make up bag to complete the look (namely concealer, face powder, a bit of kohl eyeliner and mascara), and here is my finished look…
I must say, I am really impressed with the staying power of all of these products. The lipstick stayed put through a meal and several drinks, the eyeliner didn’t budge at all until I removed it, the foundation gives amazing coverage which lasts all day, as does the blusher, and the nail polish is supposed to stay chip-free for 10 days!
I’m happy with my Fragrance Direct Valentine’s Look – it’s subtle, but still pretty, and I think it’d be perfect for a relaxed Valentine’s Day lunch. You can check out Fragrance Direct’s full range of cosmetics here.
Naomi x
*These make up items were sent to me by Fragrance Direct. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Orly Nail Lacquer – Swatches and Review
8
7 years
by Naomi in Nails
One of the first places I look when searching for a beauty bargain is Fragrance Direct, especially when it comes to nail varnish. In the past I have purchased Essie products from them for £1.99, and even OPI for £3.99, and last month they added another well-known brand to their site – Orly. Orly nail varnishes usually retail for £10.95 each, but Fragrance Direct are selling full-size bottles for just £3.99.
Fragrance Direct very kindly sent me four Orly shades to review, and after trying all of them out I can now share my thoughts, so here they are…
Velvet Rope / Moonlit Madness / Charged Up / Liquid Vinyl
Despite their different finishes, all four varnishes have a very similar formula. The consistency is smooth and, even though the brush is narrow, it applies easily, but the first coat always comes out slightly streaky. No matter how careful I was when swatching these, I couldn’t get the first coat to look right, and it was nowhere near opaque. Luckily, a slightly thicker second coat solved that issue, and the overall look was good. They also dry fairly quickly which is always a positive. They’re not quite 60 second varnishes, but they’re not far off.
When choosing the shades I wanted I struggled slightly as there are so many gorgeous colours in the range, but I’m really happy with the ones I settled for, and here they are…
Velvet Rope
As it’s my favourite colour, my nail varnish collection is overflowing with purples, but Velvet Rope is unlike any other I own. It’s a lovely violet purple with a shimmer finish, which is studded with particles of silver micro glitter. The overall effect isn’t quite ‘velvet’, but it’s really pretty, and despite the glitter is still easy to remove.
Moonlit Madness
I’m not always keen on red varnishes as a lot of them have an orange undertone which I really don’t like, but I love Moonlit Madness as it’s a bright cherry red, which I wore a lot over Christmas. It also gives the classic red nail a bit of a twist with a subtle shimmer finish.
Charged Up
Charged Up is my favourite of all four shades as it’s so beautifully vibrant and eye-catching, and in the right light hints of both pink and blue come through, as seen above. It also has a lovely creme finish. This is a great shade for Spring and I know I’ll be getting a lot of wear out of this one in the coming months.
Liquid Vinyl
I currently have three black nail varnishes – one from Primark, one by Barry M and this one, and this is by far the best. As the name suggests, Orly’s black is gorgeously fluid and looks stunning on. It has an incredible shine to it as well, and its high quality is just so obvious.
If you want to grab yourself some bargain Orly shades, just visit Fragrance Direct. Their standard delivery is only £1.99 too!
Naomi x
*These Orly Nail Lacquers were sent to me by Fragrance Direct for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
5 Ways to Save on Fashion Online
2
7 years
Let’s face it, we all like to look good, and new clothes, shoes and accessories really help with this, but when you shell out a lot of money for the pleasure the mood can be soured somewhat. So, what if I told you I’d found five websites that will not only help you look fantastic, but will save you money in the process, making you feel good too? Read on to find out how to get fashion with big discounts, for £5, or even for FREE…
1. Everything 5 Pounds
For unique fashion at a low price, Everything5Pounds.com is the place to be. As it says in the name, absolutely EVERYTHING they sell costs just £5 each, meaning you can get yourself a full outfit for around £20. I’ll admit not everything on the site is the most stylish, but if you spend a little while browsing there are some real gems to be found. Everything 5 Pounds’ bags and shoes really stand out for me, but in my experience you have to get in there quickly as they’re so popular they can sell out in minutes (it pays to join their mailing list/follow them on Facebook, believe me). Check out this bag I ordered from them a few months ago – the quality is amazing and people are always asking me where I got it!
2. Fashion Vouchers
My go-to website for all the latest sale news and voucher codes in the world of fashion is FashionVouchers.com. With categories including womenswear, footwear, accessories and beauty covering the most extensive list of fashion stores I’ve seen on any voucher website, Fashion Vouchers has a bargain for everyone – you just have to hunt it out! It really is an internet treasure trove of discount gold, and you can be savings savvy at just the click of a mouse. Any time I want to order something online from one of the popular fashion sites, I always check Fashion Vouchers first and more often than not I’ll find a code for money off or free delivery. Current offers include up to 50% off at Clarks, £20 off when you spend £100 at Lipsy and 10% off at Missguided.
3. Big Wardrobe
A few years ago I came across a website called Big Wardrobe, ‘The Worldwide Fashion Exchange’, and it has become a firm favourite of mine. Big Wardrobe is a cross between eBay and Facebook, in that you make yourself a profile, list the fashion items that you want to get rid of, and communicate with other users to negotiate swaps and sales on your things. The whole concept is a brilliant way to get new clothes for practically nothing, and you can even make yourself a bit of money too. After losing weight, I swapped items that were too big for me for some beautiful new clothes that fit perfectly. The swapping process is just so much fun and I highly recommend you try it!
4. eBay
The old classic for saving on fashion is eBay. When I was teenager I probably saved hundreds of pounds on clothes and accessories by buying from eBay, and I’m still fond of spending evenings scrolling through pages of dresses and shoes to see if I can bag myself a bargain. eBay is great for picking up unique pieces that can’t be found in stores, or even for finding highly sought after items that have sold out everywhere else. They often run special offers too, such as the current Summer Holiday Shop where you can get up to 50% off women’s fashion. I’m currently lusting after this Animal Swimsuit, down from £35.00 to just £13.00!
5. Fragrance Direct
No outfit is completely without make up, nails and perfume to match, and Fragrance Direct has it all. The website boasts hundreds of top brands at just a fraction of the RRP, and the icing on the cake is postage is cheap too! As a nail varnish fanatic, Fragrance Direct helps me feed my obsession whilst saving me some hard-earned pennies, as you can get brands such as Essie for just £1.99, and even OPI for £3.99, which is almost £10.00 off. Of course, they sell loads of designer fragrances too, with everything a lot cheaper than you’d find it on the high street. For instance, you can currently get the Vera Wang Princess Gift Set for £24.90, instead £45.00. Impressive, right? Here’s one of my recent Fragrance Direct hauls…
Which websites do you use to save money on fashion?
Naomi x
Paco Rabanne Lady Million Eau de Parfum
3
7 years
by Naomi in Fragrance
I’m a sucker for fragrances, especially those with pretty bottles, and I take a great deal of pleasure in trying to work out the different notes and layers of scents in my rather large collection of perfumes. So, when I was given the opportunity to review Paco Rabanne’s Lady Million EDP for Fragrance Direct, I happily took up the offer as I’d been wanting to try it for a while.
The perfume comes packaged in an unusual bottle which stands out from the crowd amongst all my other perfume bottles. It’s shaped like a diamond, with a glass, classic cut bottom and eye-catching gold lid, etched with the Lady Million logo. The bottle is designed to ‘make any woman feel a million dollars’, and it definitely has the look of being expensive, but without the price tag. My only issue with the bottle is that its squat shape makes it slightly difficult to handle, but it’s worth it for such pretty packaging.
Lady Million has a very complex combination of notes that combine to create a beautifully rich, yet feminine and sweet scent, which has real power and wow-factor. According to the Fragrance Direct website, the notes are as follows…
Top notes – Raspberry, Amalfi Lemon and Neroli.
Heart notes – Gardenia, African Orange Flower and Jasmine.
Base notes – White Honey, Patchouli and Amber.
Patchouli is one of my favourite scents as it smells heady, sensual and expensive, which really sums up the diamond-inspired story of this perfume.
The real test of a good perfume is how long it lasts, and Lady Million goes all day, revealing each set of notes over the hours for effortless, long-lasting gorgeous scent. As such, it can carry you through from your working day to an evening out, making it a very versatile perfume indeed.
Overall, Lady Million’s lovely appearance and even lovelier scent makes it a wonderful addition to any scented wardrobe. If you’d like to try it for yourself, it is available online from Fragrance Direct, and costs just £28.99 for a 30ml bottle, which is a saving of more than £7.50 – bargain! Or, if you prefer a bigger size, it is available in 50ml for £39.99, which is an even bigger saving of almost £10!
Do you like the sound of Paco Rabanne’s Lady Million?
Naomi x
*This Paco Rabanne Lady Million Eau de Parfum was sent to me on behalf of Fragrance Direct for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Fragrance Direct Collective Haul
20
8 years
by Naomi in Hauls
There has been a big buzz on Twitter lately about Fragrance Direct, mainly because they have been selling a wide range of Dainty Doll make up for just a couple of pounds each. Dainty Doll is a brand that I’ve been wanting to try for a while as it is formulated for people like myself who have fair complexions, so when I heard the bargainous news I went straight to the website to place an order. I soon discovered that Fragrance Direct stock a LOT of other brands at incredibly discounted prices, and I ended up ordering a couple of other things too.
I plan on reviewing everything I purchased from Fragrance Direct in the coming weeks, but for now I thought I would show you my collective haul. The website is restocked almost every day, and also runs out of products just as quickly, so I ended up placing three separate orders in order to get hold of everything I wanted. It did mean I had to pay three lots of postage, but postage is only £1.99 and I split it with my mum and sister as they ordered a few things too, so everything still works out dirt cheap.
Here is what I received in my first two orders… (The third hasn’t arrived yet, but it only consists of two Essie nail varnishes so I’ll add them at a later date).
Dainty Doll Powder Blusher in ‘My Girl’ – £1.99 (RRP £13.50) and Dainty Doll Cream Blusher in ‘Paper Roses’ – £1.99 (RRP £13.50)
Dainty Doll Concealer in ‘002 Abracadabra’ – £1.99 (RRP £14.50)
Dainty Doll Lipstick in ‘Couture’ – £1.99 (RRP £12.50)
Essie Nail Polish in ‘Orange It’s Obvious’ – £1.99 (RRP £7.99)
(‘Bikini So Teeny’ and ‘Cascade Cool’ are currently in the post.)
Manhattan Rock Topia Nail Polish in ‘5’ and ‘6’ – £0.49 each (RRP £2.99 each)
(My mum ordered shades 2, 3 and 4 and they are all absolutely gorgeous.)
Dr Ciate Prescriptive Nail Care File for Brittle Nails – £0.99 (RRP £3.99)
Excluding postage, this little lot cost me just shy of £12.00, but is worth a whopping £72.00 in total! I’m really happy with all of my items and I can’t wait to receive my next order and place even more in the future. Keep an eye out for swatches and reviews of everything coming soon.
Have you ever ordered from Fragrance Direct? What did you buy?
Naomi x
