You Better Not Pout...

I've really enjoyed seeing everyone's gorgeous Christmas presents this year, and thought I'd share a couple of my beauty gifts with you, one of which is so special that I was actually shaking when I tore off the wrapping paper to reveal a very unexpected surprise!

Firstly, I am super excited that my parents got me the lovely Estee Lauder Double Wear eye set. The cute little pouch contains a concealer, dual ended liner (one end is black, the other brown) and a Double Wear mascara. I'm obsessed with Double Wear eyeliner, but have tried neither the concealer nor the mascara, so I'm really looking forward to giving these a try. Saying that, the mascara will be alternated with another mascara, for reasons listed here!

Secondly, and the one I'm so excited about is something I never thought I'd see again. A few months ago, I wrote about how I managed to recreate my favourite perfume, the sadly discontinued Marc Jacobs Blush, by combining a couple of Sanctuary moisturisers. As lovely as this combination is, it's nowhere near as intense as the real thing, so you can imagine how stunned I was to unwrap this on Christmas morning...

My Mum scoured the globe and eventually uncovered a gift set with a stockist who had one solitary box left. That box turned out to be one of the most wonderful, thoughtful and precious gifts I've ever received. Thank you, Mum. Christmas is such a special time of year, and although it's nice to be indulged and to get lots of lovely treats, I would be content with this one box. It's so wonderful to receive a gift like this: one that shows the person buying it knows you inside out, and would go to such trouble to find the one thing that you thought you'd lost.

So, these are my favourite gifts; what were yours?

Finally, some happy news, and a little glimpse into my silly world. My dear friend and former flatmate Patrick got engaged over Christmas and I couldn't be happier for him. When we lived together, he fell for my beloved childhood teddy, and did a fabulous job of creating a rather decadent, delinquent personality for him. Anyway, when I heard Patrick's news, I couldn't help but get Pooch in on the act, and below is the aftermath of his private celebration, complete with Breakfast at Tiffany's fantasy, the cork of his champagne bottle, saved for good luck, and the obligatory Holly Golighty glasses. Congratulations, Pats! x

An Accidental Perfumier

I can't think of anything in my beauty collection that is more important to me than my perfume. Fragrance comes to define us, with long-lost and much loved relatives materialising in an instant when we catch the passing scent of their favourite perfume. The scent of lavender and white flowers reminds me instantly of my grandmother, Rive Gauche of my glamorous Mum in the 80s, Boss of my Dad, Giorgio Armani of my boyfriend, Bulgari Black of my friend Becca and Jean Paul Gaultier for men on practically every man I've ever had a crush on! I come from a long line of signature scent-wearers, and there's definitely one that I consider mine. My collection consists of four fragrances, the most beloved of which is almost empty and can't be replaced. That perfume is Marc Jacobs Blush, and I was devastated to learn earlier this year that it had been discontinued.

I always got the impression that Blush wasn't especially popular, but for me, it was my perfect fragrance. Jasmine, bergamot, freesia, orange blossom, honeysuckle and sandalwood combined to produce a scent reminiscent of a balmy night in a beautiful white flower garden. My boyfriend calls it simply 'your smell' and my friend Nadia said the start of spring to her was marked when I switched from the heavy, sensual Chanel Allure back to Blush. Living on the rations of my final bottle really isn't fun, and I've spent a summer in Diptyque's Vetyverio, and as much as I love it, it doesn't feel quite 'me'.

But last night, I made a discovery that was as suprising as it was exciting. As I'm staying at my parents' house at the moment, I don't have all of my usual products with me, so when it came to adding a moisturiser on top of my Sanctuary body oil, I reached for an unopened jar of The Sanctuary Bidadari Shimmering Body Souffle. The cream itself is thick and golden, and imparts a subtle lustre to skin, and like all their creams, it's left my skin silky smooth. What I wasn't expecting was the fragrance that enveloped my body: it was Blush! The souffle contains jasmine and ylang ylang, while the oil contains bergamot, sandalwood, more jasmine and citrus oils. I spent 10 minutes sniffing my arm to make sure I hadn't imagined it and then went to see my Mum. "What can you smell?" I asked, offering my arm. "Blush", she replied. Granted it doesn't last as long as the perfume does, but for those of us with an empty space in our hearts for a fragrance long since departed, this will go some way to filling the gap.