Summer Scents

Summer Scents

It's about now that I start to think about changing my fragrance selection for something a bit lighter and fresher, ready for when the weather catches up with me and starts to be a bit sunnier. The shelves of our chemists and department stores are now beginning to be flooded with Summer scents and I've got four launches from perfume mega-house Coty to share with you.

I'm a big fan of Kate Moss' previous fragrances, having finally bought into the celebrity endorsements with her Velvet Hour (and later Vintage) launch which I adore. Her latest offering is Love Blossoms, a sweet, simple fragrance in an equally sweet, simple bottle. "Love Blossoms is a beautifully uplifting fresh fragrance that exudes hope and happiness. This sparkling juicy scent opens with a spicy dash of pink pepper mingled with soft peach nectar and lily of the valley. The romantic floral heart blooms with a delicate trio of frangipani, Egyptian jasmine and peony before giving way to a warm and sensual signature of patchouli, white musk and vanilla sorbet." This is a much younger fragrance than her previous offerings, being quite sweet and floral, but I do still quite like it. It's easy to wear and it doesn't offend my nostrils at all, which seeing as I normally don't like sweet scents is an achievement in itself. The bottle is basic and the design simple, but for £15 you can't argue - you're getting a simple, fresh fragrance for a snippet.

When Beyonce launched her first fragrance the World seemed to go a little bit mental for it, but personally I didn't like the scent itself. It was too heavy and just didn't hit the right notes, but her newest addition 'Heat Rush' is much more up my street and updated for the change in season."Beyoncé Heat Rush instantly captures attention with sparkling top notes of passion fruit, blood orange and Brazilian cherry. The heart of the fragrance is a delicate floral bouquet of yellow tiger orchid, mango blossom and orange hibiscus. The base engages with hints ofteak wood, honey amber and a musk accord. “I created Heat Rush to bring the feeling of warmth and sensuality to every woman who wears it. It’s feminine and sexy, fresh and beautiful,” describes Beyoncé." This would explain why I like it - some of my favourite scents are passion fruit, mango, cherry and honey. This is a more mature Summer fragrance that is one of the nicest I've smelt for 2011 - deep, layered and fruity without being sweet, this has that 'je n'est c'est quoi' that makes everyone I've asked love it.

Another great scent for the new season is Guess 'Wild Summer', which is quite similar to Beyonce's 'Heat Rush' but with more of a woody base. "The top notes are a flirty wink and coquettish giggle as the day dawns: fruity Lychee and crispy Pear sprinkled with vibrant Red Berries. As a relationship blossoms in the steamy dusk, the heart of the fragrance unveils: a floral bouquet of iconic Rose and tender Orange Flower draped in ethereal Jasmine vapor. Finally, night blooms: an intense dry down of sensual Vanilla, deep Cashmere Wood and intoxicating Musks." I've worn this quite a few times over the last week and I think it's a really great day-to-night fragrance that makes me feel pretty on-trend. I've never worn a Guess fragrance before but this dabble has made me intrigued to find out what other treasures have gone before me unnoticed.

The final fragrance is by pop princess Kylie. She seems to have launched enough fragrances to fill a perfume shop, but 'Pop Sparkle' is something different from the rest... "Modern and edgy yet still undeniably glamorous, POP Pink Sparkle opens with a spicy dash of dazzling pink pepper, blended with fresh, sweet notes of crisp apple and white peach. The floral heart is built around the light and fluffy tones of Bulgarian rose with delicate hints of tiara flower and marigold, giving the fragrance its beautiful vibrancy. Finally, it settles on a warm and sensual woody base of musk, sandalwood and ambrose." I have to admit that I don't really like this. It's a bit too sweet for me and doesn't settle into something particularly enjoyable. It reminds me of those fragrances you get in Next or La Senza when they've clearly tried to create something good but it just smells like room spray. The bottle is a letdown too as I expected a bit more glamour and quality from such a stylish lady. Better luck next time Kylie.

All four of these fragrances are really complementary and embody the Summer season, providing a perfect excuse to update your fragrance wardrobe. Do you change your scents to match your footwear? Wild Summer would go perfectly with a pair of gold gladiator sandals!

Melvita: Life is Rosy

Melvita: Life is Rosy

The easiest part of your cleansing routine to forget is often the very end part. You've removed your makeup, you've cleansed and buffed the skin and then you go to tone... Is it worth it? What does it actually do? Can I face to use yet another product? This is actually a really important part of the routine as not only does it help to remove the last traces of impurities and product, but it helps to re-balance the skin and ensure it's able to absorb moisture effectively. Toner is a really loosely used term, but we all generally get what it means and understand it's part of the essential daily maintenance of skin. These two products from Melvita do that and more, providing a light final touch to skin while giving you a sneaky sniff of turkish delight.

Melvita is an organic brand, so there's no harmful chemicals or alcohol which can work against skin or strip it of essential oils. The products both contain wild rose petal extract, which not only gives it an amazing scent, but also helps to rejuvinate and moisturise skin. The 'fresh micellar water' removes makeup, cleanses and tones all in one while targeting areas of the skin to provide the perfect amount of hydration where needed; you can use this on its own or after washing the face for an extra clean feeling. It doesn't leave skin feeling tight or in need of extra moisturiser, but refreshed and healthy. If you're a 'no fuss' kind of gal then this is perfect for you, making skincare very simple yet effective; you just need one swipe of this on cotton wool and you're done.

The 'rose extraordinary water' has become something of a cult product with those in the know. Its unique gel texture melts onto the skin to remove impurities, whilst firming and helping to contour the face. You can use this either before or after makeup - it's somewhat a flexible product that just really helps to keep skin looking and feeling healthy. I've been using this before bedtime moisturiser, as well as after the shower to leave my skin feeling comfortable and ready for makeup. It's a universal 'must have' that is almost as multi-tasking as vaseline... You'll be discovering new uses for this and wondering how you ever lived without it. At £14.00 and £14.50 these are both reasonably priced, considering the purity of the ingredients and the size of the bottle. The brand is definitely on the rise in the UK, so grab a small part of France and get tres chic before anyone else.

Find out more about the rose range on their website.