There’s an easy way to save money on romantic scents just in time for Valentine’s Day
Mirror Choice: Review of the new Charlotte Tilbury perfume range
I’ve spent years curating my perfume knowledge. I’ve learned about the craft in Florence, made my own scent in Grasse which is also known as the perfume capital of the world and amassed a personal collection of over 100 fragrances and counting.
It’s no surprise that those I know personally are often coming to me for advice on the best deals, times to buy and even scents that would suit them. I think one of the best ways to try out perfume is with a discovery set as each perfume changes slightly based on your personal skin chemistry so there’s always the chance you’ll hate it on someone else but love it on you.
Last year I was lucky enough to try Charlotte Tilbury’s Fragrance Collection of Emotions with the smaller bottles I try in the video costing £20 each. Now they’re up for grabs in gift sets which give even better prices.
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The popular brand has a gift set that’s perfect for this time of year for £48. Inside are three 10ml perfumes so you’re saving £12.
There’s the most romantic scent, Love Frequency, which has notes of pink pepper, saffron, rose, musk and amber woods. My initial reaction was: “This reminds me of candied rose petals. It is comforting and feels a little vintage, I was immediately reminded of watching women in my family do their makeup at a dressing table as a child. It definitely provoked a feeling of love but not a romantic one.”
It’s a very feminine scent that I think is great for the floral lovers – personally I stray more gourmand but one of my friends absolutely loves this perfume.
Keeping with the Valentine’s Day theme there’s also More Sex. Made up of black pepper, juniper, leather accord and musk this is definitely the most seductive from the range.
I said: “This one is the one that immediately strikes me as unisex. I found the leather came through the strongest for me and there’s definitely a sex appeal to it, I could see it being seductive although I personally find spicier scents a little sexier.”
My favourite of Charlotte’s perfume also makes an appearance: Joyphoria. With notes of coconut, neroli, tuberose, white jasmine, vanilla and musk it screams holiday scent to me and I actually wore it on a sunny Morocco girls trip last summer.
My first thoughts were: “This smells like being on the beach with your friends. With your toes dipping into the warm sand and you’re laughing with your best friends and having a great time. Like being on holiday and feeling so happy that it can’t help but bubble to the surface.”
There are plenty of perfume discovery sets on the market, I would always say it’s best to find one with around 10ml per bottle as you can get a really good read of how much you actually reach for the scent.
Kayali launched their Vacay in a Bottle range as an £88 giftset with four 10ml bottles in. I will say that Kayali’s mini bottles are some of the cutest I’ve seen on the market as they mimic the full-sized perfectly. I loved this gift set and it also surprised me a lot – I expected my favourite scent to be Capri in a Bottle but actually found it was Maldives in a Bottle with the banana blossom note that I wear the most.
If you prefer earthier scents then Maison Margiela’s Replica set aimed at the cooler months is a great option, inside is Jazz Club, Autumn Vibes and By The Fireplace for £63.
