Cardigan: Dangerfield
Blouse: Michelle Tan
Skirt: DIY
Belt: Torrid
Shoes: Leghorn Rouge
Gosh, I’m getting a lot of wear out of this DIY skirt! I’m so pleased, because I usually don’t re-wear my home-made items as often as I probably should. It’s such a comfortable and neutral template to play contrasting colours and prints against. Like this floral blouse and the red love-heart cardigan. With a patterned skirt it risks becoming A Bit Too Much, but I think it works with the soft grey drapes.
I don’t think I’ve mentioned that I finally found a new fragrance – even without the help of my perfume guru Haz-Mo’s Ma who hit the nail on the head with Lancome’s Poeme, my previous “signature” fragrance.
I like the idea of a waft of scent that is so familiar that it encapsulates the memory of an individual.
My Mum used to wear Guy Laroche “Fidji”, and the year that I spent in London as a 19 year old I found that the best cure for homesickness was to walk down to the local chemist and take a quick whiff. Eau Du Mum.
As I’ve grown older my body chemistry has changed, and Poeme – though still lovely – doesn’t seem to *pop* on my skin the way it used to. As you know, I decided to take up the hunt for a new signature fragrance and got my heart set on a big boofy rose scent.
Thankyou to everyone who offered me their suggestions – over the last few months I’ve tried them all… and then some! And I’ve finally come to the sad conclusion that some kind of chemical reaction occurs when I wear rose that makes it turn sour. Not a single fragrance managed to escape my bad rose ju-ju. One fragrance that went particularly pungent was Jo Malone’s Red Roses. In the bottle it was exactly what I wanted; an unadulterated rose, fresh out of the garden. On my skin it turned, and became a really potent funk. And boy o boy did it STICK! I could still catch unpleasant whiffs eight hours after testing the fragrance.
Eventually it was that longevity that led me back to Jo Malone. I’d decided I needed to expand my criteria outside the realm of roses, and where better to start than with a product that didn’t even seem to be able to be washed away?
I systematically tested each bottle over the course of a few weeks – deliberately not looking at names, so as not to be influenced by my preconceived ideas – and ended up unexpectedly falling in love with the Iris and White Musk. I never would have touched a musk beforehand, but it just…. worked.
Since I started wearing it four strangers have commented on how nice I smelled (and The Sophisticate likes it, too) so I’m considering it a winner.
Back to fashion though:
I am still loving my red-bow belt.
I spent the whole day in heels (Maz you would be proud). Wedges. I can actually walk in them.
I’m rediscovering my old jewelery, including these cute leaf earrings that my brother gave to me.
Congrats on finding a new fragrance that you love, I was recently on the same mission & ended up with two totally different scents that I absolutely adore; Bvlgari Black & 7:15am in Bali by Kenzo; they’re both gorgeous but evoke totally different things & I find I am actually matching them to my outfits.
The Kenzo is for light dresses & warm days, the Black is for… well, black hehe, but also anything a bit more severe or sophisticated. I guess I need to look for a “jeans & tshirt” scent now too…?
Love your post! xxx
You’re not the only one that turns rose scents bad – I tried a few rose oils from BPAL and they ended up smelling like dead wet foliage on me. I found that white flowers, like jasmine, magnolia, and gardenia work best on my skin. Never tried musk though!
oh I loooooove those shoes.. want want want.. *grabby hands*
I’m glad you’ve found your scent. I tend to stick to Nina Ricci. LOVE the outfit! Everything goes really well together.
I love this outfit! The cardigan is gorgeous, I love the colour and the hearts, and the flower blouse is beautiful.
It’s strange how ones sense of smell and the way ones body takes in fragrances change over time isn’t it? I used to love musky smells and now I like sweeter smells – Anna Sui is a fave of mine
Aside from perfumes, those shoes and that sweater are so cute! the prints all work very well together. I’ve been meaning to get me a heart cardigan
PQP
I do love those shoes on you
So glad you found a Jo Malone fragrance that you loved, Lilli
I have the same one and it mixes really well with her orange blossom scent (you can spray two or more of her fragrances together to create you own fragrance & it really does work).
I love, love, love that cardigan. As always, you look absolutely lovely!
I can’t seem to find any cute print/patterned cardigans here in the US — not even online! Everything is either leopard print, or a solid color. I may just end up appliqueing and embellishing some cardigans myself.
charmingpumpkin.blogspot.com
Yay, so pleased you have found your scent. So important as a girlie! xxx
I’m a Jo Malone girl myself, too. I haunt David Jones and hang around the counter, probably alarming the attendants! But I do buy their perfumes a lot. I have three. Currently I wear the ‘Pomegranate Noir’. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. Unfortunately so do my colleagues. Two peeps have since bought it after asking me what it was! I am no longer unique! Lols. I too tried the ‘Red Roses’ and hated it. To me it smelled like Turkish Delight – which I HATE!!!
Love Jo Malone too! I usually break out in rashes when I wear perfume but I’ve been wearing Jo Malone for a few years now: current fave is Pomegranate Noir then Blue Cacao…. Enjoy the fragrance! And please keep posting more outfit photos.
I’ve always loved the idea of a signature scent as well. For years I wore Michael by Michael Kors, which smelled deliciously of jasmine. The past few years I’ve been wearing Burberry London, and I love when people tell me they caught a whiff of it somewhere and thought of me! I get that all the time!
hehe… thumbs up on the wedges…. I love wedges, and find them to be a comfortable, yet flattering heel.