[Review] Fragrance- Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gioia eau fraiche

Another perfume sample I found, this time in Vanity Trove (read here to know more about Vanity Trove), is an EDT Acqua di Gioia by Giorgio Armani.

Image Source: www.vanitytrove.com

Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gioia eau fraiche was launched in early 2013 and is said to be a lighter and fresher version of Acqua di Gioia perfume from 2010. The fragrance is inspired by nature- gentle breeze, delicate water and soft green leaves. The fragrance has dominant aquatic notes and subtle floral ones. The bottle design is unique, sophisticated yet feminine.

My Take on Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gioia
The fragrance is different from the usual floral soapy scents. As you spray the fragrance opens with citrus notes specially lemon and orange and going on to mild floral notes dominated by Jasmine. Since the floral scents are not very strong and are also neutralised by tea and ylang-ylang, I am loving the fragrance in its middle notes as well. The base notes start with an immensely sweet smell ending in musky notes. The only part I dislike is the sweet smell, which lingers on for a while but thankfully not so long. Being an EDT, it did not last really long but for around 4-5 hours, which I'll consider to be average. So, this is a fragrance that is Citrusy, not too floral, sweet and musky. I would have loved to buy it if it was a bit more long lasting, may be I should try out the EDP version and see if I like the fragrance.

Retail Price- 50ml for S$83.50 and 100ml for 109.50.
Available at  http://sg.strawberrynet.com 

Have you tried Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gioia eau fraiche?  How do you like it? Or if you have not tried it yet, would you like to try? What makes you want to try it? Do leave a comment and share your views and experience with us.

Till then keep reading 

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If you would like to receive your Personalised Vanity Trove, go for a Vanity Trove subscription at Vanity Trove for just S$25 a month. You may also like register with Vanity Trove, fill your beauty profile, and interact with others and see what they love and are using. The platform is like a facebook for beauty. You may also like to follow me Neha Suradkar on Vanity Trove to know my beauty likes and dislikes and more product reviews.

[Review] Fragrance- Miss Dior Cherie EDP

Hi Lovelies,
Here I come with another perfume review... actually while clearing my dresser, I caught hold of a lot of perfume sample and old perfume bottles with some content still left in them... so here I go on a Fragrance Review frenzy.

So, here I go with my latest find (out of my Treasure Box)- Miss Dior Cherie EDP by Dior

The New version of Miss Dior Cherie was launched in 2011 and I can't seem to remember how I got hold of this sample vial but I do remember how excited I was to find it in my stash. The bottle design is elegant and feminine. The new version is being created by Francois Demachy who combines essences to contribute to more sophisticated presentation of Dior's Cherie. The fragrance is defined as Fruity Floral Elegance.

My Take on Miss Dior Cherie
Somehow all my favorite fragrances for past years are dominated with floral or fruity notes and ending with musky and woody notes and this was no exception. The fragrance opens up with heavy notes of mandarin orange, soon giving way to floral Jasmine notes, which is too sweet and lingers on for a while longer than I would usually like but as it give way to the base notes- I could smell patchouli with a hint of sandalwood, which seems to last forever. Really enjoy this transition every time, I wear this fragrance. It is not very long lasting considering it is an EDP, around 5-6 hours. I would say it is fruity and floral yet not overpowering. It is truly an elegant, feminine and sophisticated fragrance.

Retail Price- S$140 for 30ml, S$150 for 50ml and S$210 for 100ml.
Available online at http://www.perfumestore.sg.

Have you tried Miss Dior Cherie EDP? How do you like it? Or if you have not tried it yet, would you like to try? What makes you want to try it? Do leave a comment and share your views and experience with us.

Till then keep reading and discovering

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[Review] Fragrance- Gucci Gucci Guilty Intense EDP

Let me tell you all about another one of my favorite perfume, which I bought in April 2012 and have been using since then. This one is my favorite for occasions like lunch or coffee with friends, playdates etc. This is the Intense Version of Gucci Guilty. 

This comes in a metallic gold bottle with Gucci Logo. An interesting bottle design, I must say!

This intoxicating floral oriental fragrance contains "excessive" dose of pink pepper and lilac. It opens with notes of mandarin and pink pepper. Flowers of lilac, violet and heliotrope form the core of the compositions, laid at the base of patchouli and amber.

My Take on Gucci Guilty Intense
The fragrance, as you spray is Spicy and is dominated by Pepper. That is a good change from most of the fragrances that I have, which have floral top notes. Slowly, it gives way to light floral middle notes, which is again something not so common among the fragrances I use. The fragrance slowly goes into the woody and musky scents of Patchouli, which is my favorite part. I like this fragrance as it begins in a different way than all my other fragrances, while ending in woody and musky the way I like it. The fragrance is strong but not overpowering, best for the time when I want to be something different! To talk about the long lasting nature of this fragrance, it easily lasts for atleast 8-10 hours, sometimes more.

Retail Price- S$87.00 for 30ml, S$115.50 for 50ml and S$145.50 for 75ml.

Have you tried Gucci Guilty Intense? How do you like it? Or do you feel like trying it? Do leave a comment and let us know...

Till then keep reading and discovering

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[Style Diva] Monogrammed/ Signature Bags- Haute or Not

I was reading an article in style: (A MediaCorp Publication) Issue of October 2013, a couple of days ago, which was about our obsession with designer bags. Somebody has been mentioned who needed a functional handbag that can keep whatever she throws in, is professional and she should be able to pass in a Client meeting as well as Social evening with same confidence. She was happy to find a Proenza Schouler PS1 but was not sure if she should spend a fortune on a 'Simple' bag, which was able to fulfil her requirements but was not so identifiable. 
How many of us are guilty of doing that. That does make sense to some extent that if you spend Thousands of dollars on a bag, it should be identifiable to get its worth. After moving to Singapore, the number of Monogrammed or Signature Bags that I see around has increased many folds. Every other lady has a Louis Vuitton Tote with monogrammed canvas or Coach signature bag, which to me seem to be a bit on the face. I would rather prefer an LV in Damier Canvas, which still tell others that you are carrying an LV but is subtle. Similarly I love Chanel 2.55 as it is identifiable as a Chanel and is subtle at the same time. 

Subtle yet Effective!

But my only concern would be to dress up as well to make the bag fit your outfit. I don't remember how many times, I have seen women carrying a great bag teamed up with an outfit which shows how less she cares about herself, with a feel that the presence of bag will amp her up in any situation.
Another point that comes to my mind is what is the significance value of a bag that a fairly decent number of people are carrying irrespective of what they are wearing, what kind of houses they live in, what is the kind of lifestyle they have? How authentic does the bag come across as, knowing well the fact that there are lot of fakes going around in the market worth only a couple of hundred dollars. 
How authentic a bag would seem when it is carried by a woman wearing shabby, neglected and worn-out clothes vis a vis when carried by somebody in a chic dress. People view somebody as a complete package and just carrying an expensive bag with taking no care of your outfit and grooming will not present you as a fashionista. So, I always suggest if you are trying to carry an expensive bag or shoes, make sure your dress goes with it and you don't come across as an ugly duckling wearing a diamond necklace pretending to be a swan.

What are your views on monogrammed or signature bags? What is the best way to carry them off? Do you have a favorite Signature bag or you dream of buying one? Do leave a comment and share...

Till then keep reading... 
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[Review] Fragrance- Marc Jacobs Daisy

Hey Everyone,
Hope you all had a great weekend! Today's post is about a perfume sample that I received in Vanity Trove (To know more about how Vanity Trove works, read the post here). So, fragrance is Marc Jacobs Daisy, launched in 2007.

Image Source: http://www.theperfumeshop.com

Though I just recieved a sample but when I looked for the bottle, I found the bottle design quite interesting. Rarely you find a decorative design for perfume bottles. The bottle is definitely worth keeping on the dresser. The lid has daisies in white and gold on it.
Talking about the fragrance, it opens with strawberry and grapefruit notes and is immensely fruity, which is definitely something I don't like. The middle notes give way to floral notes dominated by Jasmine and after a real long time, you get to smell a light woody fragrance with musk and vanilla. The fragrance is really fresh and a little soapy as well. Somehow, for me it seemed to be dominated by fruity and floral notes and which I am not really fond of. But someone who loves it would really love the fragrance as well. It has quite fresh and clean scent.

Available as EDT 50ml at S$94.00, 100ml at S$124.00 and EDP 50ml at S$129.00 at http://sg.strawberrynet.com 

If you would like to receive your Personalised Vanity Trove, go for a Vanity Trove subscription at Vanity Trove for just S$25 a month. You may also like register with Vanity Trove, fill your beauty profile, and interact with others and see what they love and are using. The platform is like a facebook for beauty. You may also like to follow me here to know about my favorite products, my wishlist and also product reviews... See you there!

Have you tried Marc Jacobs Daisy? How do you like it? Or if you have not tried it yet, would you like to try? What makes you want to try it? Do leave a comment and share your views and experience with us.

Till then keep reading 

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[Review] Fragrance- Dolce & Gabbana The One

It has been a while that I have been thinking about reviewing this lovely and loyal number, but something or the other comes up and this one takes a back seat. Finally, the day has come to talk about D&G The One.
I have been using this one since 2008, when Mr. Scientist brought it for me from his visit to Beijing from DFS on the Beijing Airport and I have fallen in love with this from that time. Now, I am using my second pack. 

[Review] Fragrance- Blumarine Bellissima Acqua di Primavera

Hi Dearies,
How do you like your perfume? Do you like something strong? or mild? fruity? or musky? Well each of us have a particular preference for fragrance. So let me talk about an interesting  EDT by Blumarine- Bellissima Acqua di Primavera, which literally translates to green or spring. I received this 30ml bottle of perfume with my Vanity Trove (you may like to see the other products here)

High 5- The Style Must-Haves NOW!!

The classics that always are in vogue but are like the Fashion Must Haves at this moment-

1. Lace
To bring out your feminine side or just to add a bit of sexiness and mystery to your personality, go for lacy dresses in pastel or vibrant colours and see how this seemingly boring and traditional or ultra feminine fabric can work wonders for you!

Image Source- http://www.haute-cocktail.com

Image Source- http://www.fashion-era.com

2. Graphic Prints
Go as far as you want with the extreme and crazy Graphical prints but remember to team them up with accessories in solid colours.

3. Sleeveless
Go sleeveless to show off your well toned arms or if you are not very comfortable showing your arms (like me), add on a lacy cardigan or a bolero; to be able to wear sleeveless yet need not expose your flabby arms. To know what kind of sleeveless top looks good on you, register for Online Shape & Style Analysis with me at an Introductory price from S$25 (Usual Price- S$45). Send a mail at nsur20@gmail.com to know more.

4. Delicate Necklace
Delicate chain necklaces look great on their own or if you are someone who doesn't feel comfortable with so less of necklace, you may like to mix and match two or more chains in different lengths or add more than one pendant in a single chain (taking care not to make it extremely heavy)!

Image Source- www.shopwasteland.com

Image Source- www.miniinthebox.com

Image Source- www.aliexpress.com

5. Pink (Clothes and Accessories)
Whether you want to be sweet and innocent or flirty and sexy or you just want to add a spark to a seemingly boring outfit, pink is the new black... Go for pastel and powdery shades for added sweetness, or fuchsia and hot pink for a flirty touch to your personality or outfit. Everyone has a perfect shade of pink for them. To know your shade of pink or other colours as well, register for Online Colour Consultation with me at an Introductory price from S$20 (Usual Price- S$40). Send a mail at nsur20@gmail.com to know more.

So, grab these fashion essentials now and get a New Look! What are your style staples? Do leave a comment and let us know.

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[Review] Who's the best of them all??

Hey lovely ladies,

After receiving the first box from the three beauty subscription boxes- BellaBox (Read the review here), Vanity Trove (Read the review here) and Glamabox (Read the review here), I could not help but compare the products and value that you get out of them. Let me give a comparison for all three and will help you in a better selection if you wish to subscribe. Please take note that this post is not sponsored and the views are based on my opinion of one box from each service. Next time, it could get better or worse. So please use your discretion in making any decision.

Let's talk about the boxes now-

1. Subscription Cost and Reward Points

BellaBox- The subscription is priced at S$19.95/month with 19 reward points or at S$219.45 for 12 months, with 219 reward points and one month free. Reward points can be used to make purchase at bellabox shop and every 100 points is equivalent to S$10, which can be redeemed for shopping on their shop. Also you can earn points by writing product reviews, shopping on bellabox shop or by referring friends.

Vanity Trove- S$ 25/ month and no credits, S$75 for 3 months and 225 credits, S$150 for 6 months with 1050 credits and S$300 for a year with 4500 credits. Every 100 credits give you S$D1.00, which when accumulated to S$ 25.00, can be redeemed for a complimentary Trove.

Glamabox- S$18/ month with 10 Glama Points, S$108 for 6 months with 60 points and S$198 for a year and 110 points. Points can also be earned by referring friends and by shopping for full size products  and can be redeemed for shopping.

With this, I feel that Bellabox offers the best value for money in terms of the points.

2. Product Selection and Value of Samples-

Bellabox came with a good mix of products like makeup, skincare, fragrance etc. with some vouchers and the monetary value of products was around five times more that the subscription cost. Vanity Trove also came with a good selection of products covering even wider range with hair care, skincare, makeup and diet and the monetary value of products was around eight times the subscription cost.

Glamabox had all skin care products and a diet product and so I was not very happy with the variety and the monetary value of products was around six times the subscription cost. The problem here was some of the products were very close to their expiry date and by very close I mean expiring in July 2013.

3. Online Store to buy full size products

Bellabox has an online store to buy the products that you have already tried and you can redeem your reward points while shopping. 

Vanity Trove does not have an online store.

Glamabox also has an online store and some products are available there and here also you can redeem your Glama Points.

The Verdict

After all the experience and observation, I would say Vanity Trove and Bellabox have a close competition. I liked Vanity Trove the best although it is most expensive as far as the subscription and rewards go but the products are good and of high value. Bellabox came next with a decent price and good selection of products and also the presence of online store and high value reward points. Glamabox did not come upto my expectations in terms of product variety and the expiry date factor really pissed me. 

But you never know, I may be surprised next time.

Have you tried any of these boxes? How do you feel about them? Do leave a comment and share your experience.

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[Review] Vanity Trove- Delivering Beautiful Surprises

Hi Lovely People,
As promised in my post last week, bellabox- Beauty in a Box, here I come with another beauty sample box which is quite popular in Singapore- Vanity Trove. The concept is the same as that of other subscription beauty boxes. You subscribe for a monthly fee (SGD 25/ month and no credits, 75 for 3 months and 225 credits, 150 for 6 months with 1050 credits and 300 for a year with 4500 credits) and every month you get a box full of beautiful surprises delivered at your doorstep. Also every 100 credits give you SGD1.00, which when accumulated to SGD 25.00, can be redeemed for a complimentary Trove. It partners with some of the premium beauty brands to send the hand picked 'beautiful surprises' for you every month. Interesting!
So, those were the details!  I subscribed to Vanity Trove and received my first box on Thursday and since then I've been waiting to write about it.
Let me show you how it looks like

Vanity Trove June 2013

A peek into the contents of Vanity Trove June 2013

The theme was 'Summer Crush' and the box was packed with some interesting products. I will talk about the products in detail in my next post. In the meanwhile, I would like to share what was great and not so good about Vanity Trove...

What I loved about Vanity Trove

1. The packing of the Trove looks great and like all women, I love surprises more when they are presented well!
2. There is a Vanity book, which talks about the current theme, the products for the month and other beauty and fashion related stuff.
3. You get to try  new products before actually buying them and sitting at home.
4. You get vouchers for other services like spa, beauty treatments etc.
5. The excitement to open and see what surprises awaits you when you receive your box.

What is Not-so-Great about Vanity Trove
1. The Trove is priced at S$25.00 a month, which is actually the highest price I've come across for such kind of service.
2. The credit conversion rate is 100 credits is S$1.00, seems quite low!
3. There is no online connected beauty store from where you can buy the products you try.

But inspite of all that receiving beauty surprises every month is a wonderful thing that can happen to a woman. So if you would like to subscribe for your own Trove, You may do so at Vanity Trove
Look out for the next post on Contents of Vanity Trove June 2013


Till then keep reading 

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bellabox May 2013

Hi Everyone,
As promised in yesterday's post, bellabox- Beauty in a box, Let me tell you about the surprises that I received in my first bellabox of May 2013.

bellabox May 2013

May bellabox is celebrating #The Cannes Film Festival and the products will help us attain the glitz and glamour of Red Carpet. The bellabox was a bright pink cardboard box (I think that is their standard colour). The theme card was in the form of a ticket. The products were wrapped in a black tissue with a clapboard sticker. And one of the surprise was getting 7 products instead of 5. The May bellabox contents were

1. #Dr. Morita Hyaluronic Acid Essence Mask (Retail Price S$15.90) with moisturizing properties and extract of Cucumber, Ceramide, Marine Collagen, Licorice and Seaweed. The mask helps in keeping the skin hydrated and prevents ageing. This mask can be used daily. The value of sample in the box is around S$1.60.

2. #ModelCo Shine Ultra Lip Gloss (Retail Price S$23.00) is nude shimmer lip gloss with a sleek packaging and a built in mirror and the best part is that it's a full size product and not a sample. And the fruity smell makes you 

3. TALIKA Eye Therapy Patch (Retail Price S$120 for a pack of 6) claim to bring back the natural beauty of your eyes in 30 minutes. Each patch can be re-used upto three times. The value of sample in the box is S$40.

4. #ModelCo Eye Define Eye Pencil with an inbuilt sharpner (Retail Price S$23.00). The pencil is easy to glide on and has intense colour. It can be blended and after around 30 seconds, dries into a long lasting finish and again it's a full size product.

5. #Lanvin ME Eau de Parfum 2ml (Retail Price S$108 for 50 ml), a very feminine and sensual fragrance with notes of Liquorice Black Wood and Blueberry. The value of sample in the box is around S$4.32.

6. #Lash Card (Retail Price S$10.30 for a pair). This was something new. This helps to apply mascara without smudging or clumping. An amazing concept would love to give it a try soon. The box had a pair so sample value was S$10.30.

7. Borracha #Wine Wipes (Retail Price S$8.70 for a pack of 20 wipes). This helps to keep your mouth and teeth free of wine stains with ingredients like baking soda, calcium, salt and orange blossom promise to give you white teeth and pleasant breath and will still let you enjoy your wine. The sample value is around S$0.44.

So if you see, you get a mix of samples and then the value of products already exceeds the amount that you pay for the box. But this was not all, there was a voucher from THE SPA-LON for trial sessions for Rejuvenating Light Therapy and Signature Eye Ritual (both priced at S$239) at S$99. Also there was a voucher to get another vial of Lanvin ME fragrance by presenting it at any #Lanvin fragrance counter.

And last but not the least, as a welcome gift, I received an eye-shadow brush and a 15% discount coupon for shopping at bellabox shop.

To ask about my favorites from this box, they would be the #ModelCo Eye Pencil, just love the colour and smoothness; #ModelCo Shine Ultra Lip Gloss, perfect for nude glossy lips; Lash Card is screaming for trial but looks really promising!

WOW! That is something to look forward to every month. If you can't resist the temptation and would like to go for your own #bellabox every month, you may do so at bellabox.sg

Till then keep reading and discovering!

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bellabox- Beauty in a Box

Hey Mammas,
Hope you had a wonderful weekend!
Let me tell you what I found last week, although many of you in Singapore and Australia may be aware of it but  for me it was something new and exciting. It is concept of sampling beauty products by receiving them every month at your door step packed in cute little box with a different theme every month. There are a few of these boxes moving around in Singapore, but let me tell you about bellabox (will talk about others later)!
bellabox comes up with 5 luxury,cult and new products in make up, skin care and everything to do with looking and feeling beautiful. These products are handpicked for you only if you complete your beauty profile at the time of sign up. The subscription is fairly priced at S$19.95/month with 19 reward points or at S$219.45 for 12 months, with 219 reward points and one month free. Reward points can be used to make purchase at bellabox shop and every 100 points is equivalent to S$10. Sounds interesting isn't it??

I signed up for bellabox and received my first box (May 2013) this weekend and let me tell you it looks great and it surely did meet my expectations. See how it looks like.

The bellabox May 2013

A peek into the contents of bellabox May 2013

Let me tell you what I think about the whole concept and the box...

I feel the concept is most suitable for those who love to try out new products and like to pamper themselves.
Pros-
1. You get to try luxe and new products before actually buying them.
2. The box priced at S$19.95 a month gives you a good value for the money by sending out few sample sized products and a few full sized.
3. You get vouchers for other services like spa, beauty treatments etc.
4. If you fill up your beauty profile, the samples can be customized as per your needs and requirements.
5. The reward points can be used to buy full sized products) (that you have already tried and tested, from their online shop.
6. The excitement to open and see what surprises awaits you when you receive your box.
7. The convenience of sitting at home and getting to try new stuff...!

Cons-
1. You are not sure of  what exactly you are getting in the box.
2. Can't think of any other, will let you know if it comes to my mind!!

The theme for May 2013 box was Ready for Cannes. It There were a lot of interesting products and I got  more products  for eyes. Will talk about the May Box and the samples in next post... Till then keep reading and if you would like to try out the bellabox, you can do it at bellabox.sg

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