Scents of summer #2…re-living summer nights in September sun

Well, guys and dolls, more summer reminiscing...

We've had a think as to which fragrances make us remember burning sand on our toes and sun on our shoulders, but which fragrances will keep alive the memories of balmy evenings where you didn't need a jacket, skipped home along the beach - tracing the tideline and watching the moon...

For 2014, for me they'll be:

Liz Earle Botanical Essence No 15

This is actually quite a masculine scent - I've discovered by accident in work that it's very similar to Victor & Rolf's Spicebomb.

This one is going to be divisive, but I love it. Despite not liking clove and cinnamon in real life, they mix beautifully with the other extracts here to create a warm, organic scent which lasts all evening.

Opening with fresh, spice notes of pink pepper, cinnamon and bergamot this dries down to a heart of rose, while sandalwood and vanilla bean come out in the base notes.

Getting started series #6 Mascara

Good morrow, Beauty Addicts and Explorers

Today is a day I've kind of been dreading. I think that mascara seems to be one of those things which just ends up so differently from person to person. For me, I've got almost poker straight eyelashes, but there's quite a few of them and they're long - so I'm always questing after volume and curl. I know for others it's going to be length which they're after most of all, so apologies if I'm not as complete as I should be, but please leave your HG / recommendations in the comments below and let's start the debate!!!

My favourites are:

- L'Oreal Volume Collagene (left)

- YSL Effet Faux Cils (courtes of a very generous Santa Friend last year!)

- Mally volumising mascara (from www.qvcuk.com)

- Diorshow

- 2000 Calories from MaxFactor

Note: I have a personal dislike for silicone type wands, preferring huge bristled wands instead. L'Oreal do have certain versions of Volume Collagen with silicone wands - which are also oversized as with the rest of the range's applicators. I'm sorry for the incompleteness of this posting for those amongst you who are silicone wand fans, but I've never gotten along with one of them and I didn't want to include them in the fails purely on that basis.

I have tried and did not get on with:

No7 Lash Impact (red sparkly tube - right) - amazing write-ups, bought on the strength of reviews only to be underwhelmed by a wet product that didn't really seem volume focused. 

Jemma Kidd mascara - again, too wet which didn't lend itself to volume boosting in the way I'm accustomed to!

L'Oreal telescopic - I think you'll pick up a theme to those I don't enjoy using!

Maybelline Collosal - Too. Wet!

For me, the L'Oreal Volume Collagen only marginally pips the YSL to the post because it's so much cheaper and doesn't tend to dry out so quickly - however it is harder to remove than the YSL (as in, total pain in the touckas even after Bioderma applied with a cotton bud). 

If you can afford it, mascara is one of those things which I think really does perform better when you spend a little more on it but I think the list above really shows that there are some great options available on the High Street. Do bear in mind (before falling in love with a  super expensive version) that mascara should be replaced ideally every 3 months or so - but on the other hand £20 for 90 days of luscious lashes may not seem too high a price to pay ;)

Much love and lash boosting fun 'til next time kitty cats,

xx Josephine xx

Come join me on social media:

Twitter: @JojoSparklesNI

Instagram: @josephinesparkles_ni