My Fragrance Affair

It's no secret I have a fragrance obsession, at this point I guess it's almost on the verge of a hoarding problem so I figured I would show you guys what I've stocked up on, and talk a little bit about the science of perfume (yeah, I'm a nerd, get over it!)

I first got into perfume at a really young age because my older sister was always wearing Calvin Klein's Obsession and being the little sister I wanted to be just like her, so I pestered my mum for years to let me wear perfume (sneaking into my sisters room to use hers as well, shh....) and finally for Christmas one year, I was about 13 I think, I opened my very own bottle of Obsession and it's all been down hill from there...

The Layers of a Fragrance

Let's talk a little bit about the science of perfume so my fragrancy jargon isn't lost on you; a perfume is fundamentally made up of three layers:

Top Notes: These are usually what you smell first and make up the majority of the scent, they're usually quite strong but tend to recede after about 10-15 minutes.

Middle Notes: After the top notes have gracefully bowed out this is when you'll really begin to smell the middle notes (or heart notes as I've heard them called and we all know I love every thing heart related!) These acts like a transition from the top notes to the base notes, not quite as strong as a top note but instead of fading away all together they tend to melt into the base notes.

Base Notes: This is the foundation of your fragrance, long after the others have faded away the loyal base note still lingers on.

The Body Sprays

Body sprays are a nice addition to your fragrance collection because they allow you to layer your fragrances without adding so much perfume that you get a headache. They're also a great way to freshen up your scent on the go and usually a much more budget friendly option.

• VS Vanilla Lace - Top notes of Vanilla & a base of Musk
• VS Love Spell - Top notes of Cherry Blossom & a base of Peach
• VS Amber Romance - Top notes of Amber & a base note of crème anglaise
• B&BW Snow Kissed Berry - Top notes of Juniper and Cranberry & base notes of Amber  and White Musk
• VS Passionate Kisses - Top notes of Cherry & a base of Vanilla, Amber and Musk
• B&BW Dark Kiss - Top notes: Bergamot, Incense, Mirabelle Plum, Black Raspberry, mid notes: Amber, Burgundy Rose, Geranium, Peony, base notes: Dark Vanilla Bean, Labdanum, Vetiver, Balsam and Musk
• VS Ravishing Love - Top notes of Blackberry, a heart of lilac and base notes of aloe and chamomile 

I tend to stock up on my body sprays whenever Victoria's Secret or Bath & Body Works has a sale one...

The Little Guys

These wee perfumes I picked up from Victoria's Secret ages ago and they're perfect to keep in your purse or for traveling, they provide more of a scent pay off than a body spray but still not quite as much as some of the more high end perfumes and are still very budget friendly.

• Love Spell - Top notes of Cherry Blossom & a base note Peach
• Secret Craving - Top notes of Black currant & a base note of Vanilla
• Coconut Passion - Top notes of Coconut, mid notes of Lily of the Valley and base notes of Vanilla
• Amber Romance - Top notes of Amber & a base note of crème anglaise

The Fresh Scents

• Vera Wang's Princess - Top notes of Water Lily, Apple, Mandarin and Apricot, heart notes of Guava, Tuberose and Cacao with a base of Vanilla, Amber and Wood. (This particular treasure made my March Favourite's List)
• Katy Perry's Meow - Top notes of tangerine, pear, jasmine and gardenia, heart of honeysuckle, lily of the valley and orange blossom with a rich base of amber, vanilla, sandalwood and musk.
• B&BW Midnight Pomegranate - Top notes of Pomegranate, Citrus, Dewberry, Anise, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, heart of  Blackberry, Jasmine, Raspberry, paired with a Base of Musk, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Tobacco and Patchouli.
• Betsey Johnson by Betsey Johnson - Opening with Top notes of grapefruit, pear, black currant and tangerine, a heart of freesia, lily of the valley and red apple, while the base finishes with cedarwood, sandalwood, praline, amber and musks.

The Warm Scents

• Fragonard's Fleur de Vanille - Opens with fresh vanilla flower, melts into a heart of vanilla, ylang-ylang, heliotrope and rose and finishes with a cozy base of chocolate, cacao and musk. (I've also been using and abusing this fragrance so much lately it landed a spot along side Princess last month)
• Calvin Klein's Obsession - Top notes are composed of mandarin orange, vanilla, peach, basil, bergamot and lemon; the heart is rich with coriander, sandalwood, orange blossom, jasmine, oakmoss, cedar and rose; and the base notes are amber, musk, civet, vanilla, vetiver and incense.
• Katy Perry's Purr - top notes of peach, apple, gardenia and bamboo with the heart of jasmine, freesia and Bulgarian rose and the base of vanilla orchid, sandalwood, white amber, coconut and musk.
• Tokyo Milk Dark's Bittersweet - A very prominent top note of cacao, a creamy heart of cake flour and osmanthus, finishing with a base of musk.
• B&BW Dark Kiss - Top notes: Bergamot, Incense, Mirabelle Plum, Black Raspberry, mid notes: Amber, Burgundy Rose, Geranium, Peony, base notes: Dark Vanilla Bean, Labdanum, Vetiver, Sensual Balsam, Musks
• Nuxe's Prodigieux Le Parfum - Top notes are orange blossom, bergamot, mandarin orange and orange; middle notes are rose, magnolia and gardenia; base notes are vanilla, coconut milk and pebbles.
• Tokyo Milk Dark's Tainted Love - Top notes of orchid and tea with a base of sandalwood and vanilla.

One of my favourite fragrance websites is Fragrantica; it lists the notes, reviews, where you can purchase it and recommends other fragrances you may like based on a particular perfume.

What are some of your guys' favourite fragrances you think I should check out?

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