The Scent Diaries #1 | Perfumes & Candles I've Been Loving Lately

The Scent Diaries is a series I've been thinking about bringing to the blog, a regular update of all the scents that I've been using and loving from the last couple of weeks. Not everything gets a full scale review, and products end up forgotten by the time Monthly Favourites rolls around. The first edition contains both candles and perfumes, scents I'm trialing and even those I'm lusting after!

Village Candle Warm Apple Pie

Autumn is well underway now, and I've been really enjoying burning those warm, cosy scented candles. I did a bit of a haul of votives from Village Candle, and one of those scents I picked up was Warm Apple Pie. I love both the scent and the taste of apple pie, and this was a a lovely light spicy scent to transition into autumn. It's not quite so intensely cinnamony as scents like Yankee Candle's Cinnamon Stick, so works perfectly this side of Halloween. The candle does lack depth, but that may be because it is a votive, and it is still an enjoyable burn.

Viktor & Rolf BonBon Couture

I indulged in some much needed fragrance browsing whilst in York, and after not having much luck with the Tom Ford Orchid Soleil that I liberally spritzed (and then had to deal with for the journey home), I was pleasantly surprised by the new Viktor & Rolf BonBon Couture I spritzed on the opposite wrist. I'm not usually the biggest gourmand lover, I haven't found one I've loved in a long time, but I found this one really addictive and sweet without being too obnoxious. I've sampled this a couple of times in store and I think it could be lovely and warming in the cooler weather. A purchase is definitely on the cards!

Penhaligon's Iris Prima 

Iris Prima is a scent I previously misunderstood. Having received it in a Birchbox over a year ago, I dismissed it as being a little too... old. I always like to hang on to my fragrance samples, even those I dislike in case I want to go back to them at a later date, when my taste changes and my nose (hopefully) becomes more sophisticated, or even just for comparison purposes. After being highly impressed by Penhaligon's Luna (review), and hearing a lot of praise for Iris Prima, I decided to fish out my sample and give it another go.

I took this when I went away for the weekend to Ox Pasture Hall (read the review) and the it really reflected the homely luxuriousness of the hotel. The only this I disliked was the top notes, the bitterness of the bergamot and pink pepper however these settled down quickly as the heart of iris and sandalwood emerges and combines with the complex woody base of leather, sandalwood, vetiver, amber, vanilla and benzoin.

Inspired by a night at the ballet (something a little too pretentious for my liking), this woody floral fragrance runs heavy on the leather and vetiver, two notes that I've really come to appreciate with their soft suede accords. Leather and suede notes suit themselves very well to winter wear, especially when combined with bold contrasting notes they really hold their own. Iris Prima is a more feminine, gentle reinterpretation (albeit a unisex scent) that is memorable enough to be a signature. This time around, smelling Iris Prima, there's no argument that I like it, love it even. I do find fragrances with suede accords to have the tendency to run a little unimaginative/samey (the drydown reminds me a lot of the Alaia fragrance) although it is beautiful.

Zoella Beauty Bake My Day

When I first bought the Zoella Beauty Christmas range (watch the first impressions video), we were very much still enjoying an Indian Summer. I immediately fell in love with the gingerbread fragrance, with notes of ginger, vanilla and cocoa and was spraying it like there was no tomorrow. Apologies to those who sat next to me on the train and wondered who smelled like a gingerbread house in 25 degree heat... There's just something about that scent that always has me going in for more. It's delightfully foodie, so if you like your gourmands true-to-life and uninterrupted by notes like musk, you'll love this. Well worth a sniff, even if you think you don't fit into Zoella's teenage demographic.

Escentric Molecules Molecule 01

Now that the weather is getting a little cooler, I've been choosing scents that are less fresh and fruity and more with that musky, woody base. One of my favourites for this is Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 (which I reviewed in full here). Technically it's a dilution of the molecule Iso E Super, and it's just made for fragrance layering. I love it both on it's own for it's sensual, woody skinscent, or layered with others to amplify the base notes.

Which scents have you been loving lately?