Etat Libre D'Orange : Putain des Palaces

"Sheer sensuous fantasy. The powdered top note evokes a woman who dresses for seduction - a soft trail of lipstick, the rustling of lace. The intimate ritual of a femme fatale who sees right through the fragile armour of men. Her sophistication is intriguing, as is the commerce she makes of her body. Under the bitter-sweet touch of almond, like a secret that unfolds, comes a hint of supple leather, fluid and flexible, that introduces what is to come: a boudoir, fingers that tighten on a leatherette sofa and the palpable presence of raw desire. Doesn't every woman have the fantasy of being a temptress in a hotel bar, of yielding to desire in the intimacy of a lift or of giving way to sensuality in silk sheet luxury?"

The above paragraph provoked much hilarity amongst my friends when I showed it to them after they had declared that this fragrance was "very you" when I asked them their opinion on it. Whilst I'm not about to reveal some Belle de Jour moments from my past, this scent is the type that I usually go for in the night, a heavier scent than the day, to provide a contrast.

I bought this fragrance a few months ago, but haven't got around to blogging about it. I'm not sure why, since I really like it. For years I tended to use the same fragrances, but when I saw this on Escentual I was intrigued, as I hadn't come across the brand before.

The brand was launched in 2006 by Etienne de Swardt. The brand drafted its own 'Declaration of Independence', which includes the following statements:

"Perfume is dead, long live perfume! We emotionally declare the birth of a newly liberated territory: the Free State of Orange. A land of olfactory liberality, free from every taboo, where insubordination and olfactory eroticism reign supreme!" So, from the outset the company has made it its business to be different from the rest of the brands on the perfume block.

Initially I wasn't quite sure which scent to go for, so I opted for the fantastic Etat Libre D'Orange Sample set from Escentual. For £24.95 you can purchase a Discovery set, which has 21 different samples from the range. You also get a voucher code for £24.95 which can be redeemed against the cost of a full size bottle of perfume. So essentialy, if you purchase the full size scent you get the sample set for free. I love this idea, which Escentual have extended to cover a range of other brands, including Cartier and Made in Italy.

After much deliberation I opted for this scent with its notes of rose absolute; violet; leather; lily of the valley; tangerine; ginger; rice powder; amber, and 'animal notes'.

If you are interested in trying this brand, you can get the Discovery Set from Escentual.

John Lewis Fashion Pavilion : Clements Ribeiro

On Friday morning I went to the launch of the John Lewis Fashion Pavilion in the Cardiff store. The installation, which has been designed by Grimshaw (the architects behind the Eden Project), had just come from the company's Oxford Street store, and will be touring some of its flagship stores over the coming months. The installation is designed to showcase the company's latest designer collaborations. It was a striking piece which made a real statement on the shop floor, and I found that my eye kept being drawn to different pieces every time I looked through.

First up is Clements Ribeiro, who have designed a collection of knitwear and coats. The range includes chunky hats and scarves; sweater dresses and cardigans in a palette of mink, charcoal, cobalt, black, magenta, stone and absinthe. My particular favourite was the angora/cashmere mix Chanel-style cardigan with 'trompe d'oeil' detailing, which comes in a stone/black colour way and a cobalt/black colourway. I also really like the sweater dress which comes in mink and charcoal, with button and grosgrain trim detail on the shoulders.

I think that the gloves; hats and scarves will make great gifts for Christmas and I'm sure that they will be flying off the shelves, with prices starting at £22.

I love a good high-street/designer collaboration, as it's a great way for people to buy a label that ordinarily might be out of their price range. This collection is a great way to get your hands on a piece of Clements Ribeiro's quirky knitwear, at a fraction of the price of their mainline collection.

The next designer who will be featured will be Tracey Boyd, and I'll post some photographs as soon as that is instore.

I'm dreaming of a John Lewis Christmas

A whole Winter wonderland wardrobe; tables festooned with Christmas decorations; apple crumble cocktails served in vintage-look jam jars, and lots of gorgeous beauty exclusives from Nars and Origins. What a lovely way to spend a Wednesday night.

On Wednesday I was invited to the John Lewis Cardiff Press Event which was held in 'Peppermint', just down the road from the store. The team from John Lewis had transformed the upstairs of the venue into my idea of a perfect Christmas: lots of stylish party looks; fabulous accessories; quirky Christmas decorations, and oodles of beauty loveliness. Oh, and not to mention the 'Pick and Mix your own Christmas' stand, where we were invited to choose whatever we wanted: a selection of Christmas decorations; chocolates; candy canes, and candles, to name just a few of the items.

The womenswear team had chosen a great selection of pieces from a range of the brands stocked instore, including Kurt Geiger; Warehouse; Bertie and REISS. I was particularly drawn to this gorgeous pair of shoes from Kurt Geiger, and these jumpers from Warehouse, which are perhaps a more stylish alternative to the usual 'Christmas Jumper' concept.

When it comes to Christmas decorations, John Lewis are offering three looks: 'Jazz' ("vibrant brights and lights"); 'Pearl White' ("winter white with sparkling frost"), and 'Established' ("a traditional Christmas"). My favourite was the 'Jazz' collection, which was really colourful and had a retro feel to it. Anyone for a cocktail?

On the beauty front, Jodie from Origins and Guy from Nars were there to show what their brands are offering this season. My particular favourites were the limited edition 'Famous Favourites' set from Origins; the Nars 'Arabian Nights' trio eye-shadow, and the Nars Votive Set.

My eye was also caught by a giant bottle of Guerlain's new release, Shalimar Parfum Initial. I have been wanting to try this ever since I watched BBC4's 'Perfume' documentary. Apparently I'm not the only person who is enthusiastic about this new release, as at the moment it's the store's sixth biggest selling fragrance. I'll write another post about it to let you know more of my thoughts about the fragrance.

I really enjoyed the event, and it has firmly put me in the Christmas (and wishlist-compiling!) frame of mind:

• Origins 'Famous Favourites' Limited Edition set
• Nars 'Arabian Nights' Limited Edition Trio Eyeshadow
• Nars Votive Set
• Warehouse 'Christmas Jumper'
• Origins 'Incredible Spreadable' Ginger Body Smoother

......... and that's just for starters!

REISS A/W 11 - More Bianca Jagger than Kate Middleton

Ever since Kate Middleton wore a REISS dress in her engagement photographs (taken by Mario Testino, as you do!), the brand has been pushed to the forefront of the British retail scene. However, what a lot of people might not realise is that REISS has actually been around for 40 years. At the recent South Wales Blogger Meetup, John from the Cardiff REISS store in St David's Cardiff gave us an overview of what the brand is about, and a flavour of the influences on this season's collection. This season REISS channeled a 1970s luxe Gucci and Halston vibe, with more than a hint of Bianca Jagger and Annie Hall. There was a rich palette consisting of strong jewel colours. 

I loved all of the pieces at the preview, but some of the standout pieces for me were the 59th Street mini bag and the Iva kingfisher relaxed pocket blazer. The bag showed definite Gucci influences with the metal detailing on the bag. The tassels also reminded me of the Loewe Flamenco bag. I want these pieces in my closet now! If this collection sounds like your kind of thing then check out the REISS sale, with up to 40% off items.

59th Street Mini Bag

Iva Relaxed Pocket Blazer