All The Nostalgic Feels With Ghost The Fragrance | AD-Gifted

Ghost was one of the very first fragrances I ever loved, after receiving it in a miniature set for Christmas aged 15, and it soon became my everyday perfume for school, until I finished up my mini bottle. For some reason, I never thought to buy myself a full bottle, until I caught myself thinking about it again recently.

The self-titled Ghost fragrance was launched back in 2000 in an era where fruity florals were aplenty. Despite being named so, Ghost actually only contains a single fruity note, among a cloud of soft florals and base notes, to create an ethereal timeless floral scent. Composed by Michael Almairac, Ghost contains top notes of rose and jasmine, both notes which would usually feature in the heart of a fragrance. Similarly, the heart is fruity, which would typically be in the top notes. This interesting structure challenges the typical fruity/citrus top notes, and floral heart, and I think gives Ghost more of a airy, ethereal quality, with each note merging with the next to create an aura of fragrance.

Ghost opens with rose, which is the dominant note of the fragrance. Despite omitting citrus notes, Ghost still manages to portray a clean feeling, and isn't any way base-heavy. It certainly has a sweetness to it, and does have a Turkish delight element, but unlike many fragrances of recent years, it isn't overly sickly or sugary.  The vanilla gives a gorgeous cuddly soft feel to the floral fragrance, and combined with a soft fuzzy peach, warm amber, sandalwood and musk, it has almost a marshmallow cloud effect. It is soft, delicate, romantic and feminine, qualities which are mirrored by the hourglass shape of the bottle. The scent is distinctive and unique in comparison to rose soliflores, and it offers something a little different if you are looking for a rose-based fragrance.

Overall, Ghost is a pretty everyday fragrance that would be suitable for all ages, from teens wanting their first Fragrance to those who want a lighter alternative to the classic floral scents. It would make for the perfect office scent as it is inoffensive  and not overpowering. That being said, when I wore it recently, I could smell it on my skin for most of the day, like I had a delicious rose-vanilla cloud around me. It's so gorgeous that you don't even need to be a huge floral lover (I'm not at all!) to enjoy this. Ghost fragrances in general are also extremely well priced, and you can almost always find them on offer, so they are well worth picking up!

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Cotswold Candle Co. Lemon Leaf & Rose | AD-Gifted

Plus a fresh new look for the brand!

One of my favourite candle discoveries of recent years is the Cotswold Candle Co. White Mulberry (review), which has become my go-to spring scent. After two years shaking up the independent candle market, Cotswold Candle Co. have undergone a rebrand and are back with a sleek and minimal new look. It brings a fresh new logo that really sets them apart and makes the brand feel iconic. Gone are the glass jars, and they are replaced by a sleek white ceramic offering. I feel like this would work so well amongst a multitude of interiors, and it suits my bedroom colour scheme of white and pink down to a tee.

L>R: Old packaging, new packaging

Costwold Candle Co. is the brainchild of Polly Oswald, and came about after she moved to a farmhouse in The Cotswolds. She saw a gap in the market for affordable home fragrance products that smell beautiful without a compromise on quality, unlike many mass market brands. Inspired by an article on candle making, she spent over a year testing out waxes, wicks and fragrances, and came up with a wardrobe of timeless scents, evocative of the English countryside. To this day, Polly still hand pours every candle from the workshop at the end of her garden, and sources every component from the UK.

With an aim to provide a slice of everyday luxury, Cotswold Candle Co. use wooden wicks (a rarity in such an affordable brand) to give a softly crackling sound. The larger wick also means the candles pool in a quicker time, giving a cleaner burn. After trial and error, Polly selected a blend of soy and mineral waxes, which gives the best scent throw whilst keeping carbon emissions to a minimum. These candles certainly don't mess around with their throw, both of the ones that I have tried have been wonderfully strong.

Lemon Leaf & Rose

"An exhilarating, fresh fragrance sure to be everyone's favourite, combining zingy lemon Leaf with sensual soft rose and hints of musk. A scintillating scent that we can't get enough of".

Rose is often a bit of a funny one for me as I love the fresher Centifolia/May rose notes, but struggle with deep and powdery Damask rose scents. Lemon Leaf & Rose* (£20 for 35 hours burn time) however is lovely, getting that balance perfectly right, managing to be both fresh and light, but also rich and comforting at the same time with its nostalgic quintessentially English rose scent. Lemon Leaf & Rose is the perfect blend, balancing a sensual musky rose with uplifting citrus notes of lemon leaf and bergamot, which give the fragrance a wonderful freshness. I find it is an extremely versatile scent, as it would suit a relaxing bedroom atmosphere, but would be an equally great addition to my desk too. The candle has a brilliant scent throw, easily fragrancing the whole of my upstairs.

I'm so excited about this new chapter for Cotswold Candle Co. as the updated look really makes them memorable. The combination of the beautiful fragrances, incredible scent throws, and the branding really fulfills Polly's aim of affordable everyday luxury. If you're a lover of floral scents, these certainly are the candles for you as they do them better than any other brand I've tried. They have all your Spring candle needs covered, and are definitely one to keep in mind for Mother's Day gifting later on this year too!

What is your favourite candle scent?

- Post contains PR samples (*) - 

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Sweet Beginnings | Hello 2018 & Blog Goals! | AD

Hello 2018!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. It's always nice to reflect and set goals at the start of the year, and kick things off with a positive start. I was inspired to write this post by the name of the Sweet Beginnings candle* from M&J London, which I will talk more about in the second half of this post. The brand have also really kindly given one of my readers the chance to win their own Sweet Beginnings candle, so they can start 2018 in the most fragrant way possible. Make sure you keep reading to the end of the post to find out how to win!

Blog Goals

Being consistent | That goes for blog posts, YouTube videos, and Instagram mainly, and I think that's going to help more in the stats department than setting potentially unachievable numerical goals.

Engage more with other bloggers | I've felt a little out of touch with the blogging community as of late, and I've found it harder and harder to get involved with conversations etc on Twitter, so I'd really like to get that back. I also would like to try and go to more events this year to connect with more local bloggers too.

Support other bloggers | I'm putting this in this category rather than engage, because I'd really like to comment more on other bloggers content to support them rather than to drive engagement back to my own content. I mean, that would be nice, but it shouldn't be the main motivator in leaving comments, which I feel has become the norm, especially due to things like the instagram algorithm and comment pods. I also want to share my favourite blogs more often.

Refine my content | I feel like I've made big steps in refining my niche over 2017. As well as being fragrance focused, I realised minimalism was a big part of my content, and it especially became a bit part in my YouTube channel. It really shaped my attitude towards my beauty content, having an emphasis on not wasting your money on products that aren't worth the hype. In 2018, I plan to balance my content, particularly on my blog, more equally between beauty, fragrance and lifestyle. Despite having a year of much preferring YouTube, I'm feeling really positive and excited for blog content.

Be more organised | I'm getting off to a good start as I've already planned a chunk of my content for 2018, and I have created a spreadsheet to help me keep track of PR Samples, blog posts and videos. I really hope this method will help in the long run to keep me that bit more organised throughout the year, and act as a to-do list to keep me motivated!

Maintain brand relationships | I really want improve my relationships with relevant brands and PRs this year, and really stay on top of emails. My main aim with brands in 2018 is to work with those which are more relevant to my blog and my personal values, and I would like to get better at declining collaborations which don't align with this. I would love to continue to work with beauty and skincare brands, as well as more perfume brands, and potentially tea and gin brands too!

Continuing my minimalist journey | Of course I am making progress in this area through decluttering and minimising my purchases in various areas, but PR samples play a bit part in this as I only want to dedicate space to items I really love. I really want to put an emphasis on "would I buy from this brand with my own money?", as I don't want to accept products that I know aren't my cup of tea. Part of this ties in with my previous point about rejecting collaborations, and something I find particularly tricky is saying no to brands.

Maintaining my integrity | This is something that I felt like I did really well in 2017. I have been extremely honest in my reviews, whether its in an empties video saying I regret buying a product, or pointing out negative points in a full review. There have been times when every other blogger has given fully positive reviews of a product, but I'm glad I've been able to voice my opinions in a fair and balanced way. I really try not to give in to fear of offending a brand (particularly if it is a new or small brand!) or worse, being struck off a PR list. Be honest is so much more important. I'd much rather read a balanced review than one only pointing out the positives, as long as it is written in a professional and respectful manner.

Stand my ground with brands | Whether it is saying no to a collaboration that doesn't quite fit, or suggesting a fee, something I really want to do better is being more assertive. I don't want to be taken advantage of when it comes to fees, or follow links and I would like to be more upfront. Although it would help if brands that want do-follow links for $20, or dodgy "guest posters" didn't contact me in the first place, y'know? I recently revamped my media kit and I need to put it to good use this year!

Improve my fragrance knowledge | This year I really want to become more involved in the fragrance community and really improve my knowledge. I will be writing more frequent perfume reviews, as well as reviewing some fragrance books, and I would like to be able to speak more eloquently about fragrance (although it would help if I could actually string a sentence together in the first place), as well as improving my descriptions.

Sweet Beginnings

Browsing through M&J London's extensive catalogue of fragrances, it is evident that most are inspired by different countries around the world, and the scents you encounter whilst visiting them. However, Sweet Beginnings is a little different. It is all about "the thrill of embarking on a new chapter in life", which is particularly fitting for the new year, in which we typically see as a clean slate, and the phrase "new year, new you" is thrown around like there's no tomorrow. Vom. Many of M&J London's candles are distinctive in scent, enveloping you in the fragrance of a far off land, but Sweet Beginnings is all about gentle comfort. Although it is one of the more subtle candles it still has a lovely scent throw, giving off the relaxing fragrance of lavender, manuka honey and cocoa. It is like a snuggly blanket, easing you gently into the unknown (in this case, the new year), as if it is telling you "you can do it!". 

I find Sweet Beginnings extremely calming, and makes for the perfect soft bedroom scent, particularly good also for sending you into a slumber because of the lavender note. Lavender scents on their own can often be a bit sharp and herbal, but this is perfect as the honey and cocoa cocoon around the lavender to create a perfectly balanced smooth, creamy scent. If you want something relaxing, but don't enjoy the typical aromatherapy type scents, this could also be a great option for you. I like to switch up my candles throughout the year, and M&J London have me covered for most seasons (I particularly love English Summer (review)and Bavarian Winter for their respective seasons), but Sweet Beginnings certainly is appropriate for all year round. It also really evokes feelings of spring and Easter, which is probably the cocoa talking!

As always, M&J London candles are available in two sizes, with the smaller (£23) giving up to 30 hours of scent and the larger (£35) up to 60. Every step of the brand is driven by their ethical conscience, and they wanted to ensure that as well as delivering a luxurious product, it is produced in the UK in the most sustainable and ethical way possible. From the packaging certified by World Land Trust, and the recycled glass jars (which you too can re-purpose as drinking glasses), as well as the soy wax used, environmental impact is minimised. That in no way compromises the quality, as soya wax gives a superior burn, and the lead-free wick reduces sootiness. M&J London also give a small percentage of the cost of each candle to UK based charity nia, which provides support to women and children who have been victims of domestic abuse.

The Giveaway!

As I mentioned before, the lovely people at M&J London have given me the chance to share the beautiful scent of Sweet Beginnings with one reader, who will hopefully love it just as much as I do! The winner will receive one large Sweet Beginnings candle, which has a retail value of £35. There are a variety of entry methods, some mandatory and some extra, as outlined in the Rafflecopter widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway will be UK only, and it will remain open from 1st January 2018 for three weeks until 22nd January 2018 23.59 GMT. The winner will be drawn at random using the Rafflecopter widget providing the entries have been completed correctly, and notified via email on the 23rd January. The winner will be given 28 days to respond, to keep it fair and in line with current guidelines. In the event that the winner does not respond within this timeframe, a new winner will be chosen. I will pass on the winner's details to my contact at M&J London, who will be responsible for sending out the prize. As always, I never discriminate against compers and you are more than welcome to enter any giveaway on this blog.

Good luck!

- This post contains PR samples (*) -

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Christmas Presents for the Perfumista | Gifted

The ultimate guide, from stocking fillers to scented sets, bath treats and home fragrance...

Scent-sational Stocking Fillers

Whilst personally I've not been overly in love with their newer fragrances this year, there's no denying that Zoella Beauty has some great Christmas sets, particularly if you are a newcomer to the brand. My pick for festive cheer always has to be the delicious Bake My Day, which has an incredibly sweet and true to life gingerbread fragrance. Unfortunately they didn't bring the range back in its entirety, but the Bake My Day body mist is available in the All Four You gift set, (£15) accompanied by the original Blissful Mistful, and this year's new scents Snow'ella and Gelat'eau.

Another brilliant affordable option is So...? Fragrances, who launched their ever expanding body mist line last year. At £3.99 (and currently half price too!), the body mists are a great stocking filler on their own, but they also have some fab sets too, including the So...? Delights set which includes 3 body mists for £8, as well as the So...? Indulgence Musk set, with a body mist, shower gel and body lotion. I've also been really impressed with their more premium eau de parfums, which I reviewed here. Dark Romance* is still a firm favourite with its delicious scent of vanilla and praline, reminiscent of dark chocolate and cherry. The perfect gift for lovers of sweet perfumes, it is available in a set along with a handy body spray here.

The Perfume Society Discovery Boxes are the perfect stocking fillers for fragrance lovers. They contain a selection of perfume samples usually with at least one deluxe sample (around 10ml) as well as a couple of body/skincare bits too. The latest Discovery Box is The Velvet Collection (£15 subscribers, £19 subscribers), which is an edit of fragrances specially selected for the winter months, including Ruth Mastenbroek Firedance and Vince Camuto Amore. This box is great for discovering some of the more niche brands.

You might remember me unboxing the Superdrug Bloom 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar in this video. It introduced the Superdrug Bloom range, and they are also selling some of the scents separately in full size, purse sprays and candles. Being Superdrug, the whole range is really affordable, and it includes some amazing Jo Malone dupes. There's Mandarin & Lime Basil, Bergamot & Cucumber, Berry Cassis & Fig and Citrus Blossom, which dupe (respectively) Lime, Basil & Mandarin, Earl Grey & Cucumber, Wild Fig & Cassis and French Lime Blossom. Although not particularly long-lasting, the Superdrug Bloom perfumes are light and fresh and make the perfect scents for everyday.

Magnificent Minis

Leighton Denny has always been known for their amazing quality nail polishes, but the brand has been one of my best perfume discoveries. I previously tried their Light & Dark Original fragrance (review here) and as lovely as it is, I did find it slightly too strong for everyday wear (but if that's your jam, then you will love it!). Leighton Denny have recently released a solid version, the Light & Dark Touch Up Solid EDP* (£14.50). I've never really been into solid perfume, but this one has a twist-up mechanism so it is really easy to apply and doesn't get all over your fingers. The fragrance is glamorous in a very Chanel-esque way, and the solid version is awesome to pop into your bag to touch up throughout the day. As well as Original, Leighton Denny have three other fragrances (one of which I will talk more about later on), and you can also buy a Discovery Set (£28.50) featuring purse sprays of all 4.

Talking of purse sprays, this Twist & Spritz* fragrance atomiser (£10) is perfect for carrying around your favourite perfume. Unlike other atomisers, it is really easy to fill, simply take out the inner part, pop off the spritzer of your fragrance and pump the perfume into the atomiser. I love the purple shade of this one, but it also comes it tons of other colours, including rose gold, marble and glitter effects. The Twist & Spritz holds 8ml of fragrance, which gives around 100 sprays, and is the perfect gift if you are struggling to pick a specific perfume.

Another amazing gift option in this department is a brand new service from The Fragrance Shop, replacing their Discovery Club (review here). Scentaddict let's you 'Date' fragrances before 'marrying' them, and is a very similar premise to Scentbird in the US. For £12 each month, you will receive an 8ml fragrance refill which slots into an atomiser very much like the Twist & Spritz above. There are over 250 designer fragrances (including Chanel, Guerlain and Tom Ford) which you can add to your subscription and then you will receive one at random each month. You will also receive that £12 off the full size fragrance too! 

And then lastly there's the mini fragrance sets. I remember getting an awesome one from Boots for Christmas years ago, featuring Ghost, Givenchy and more! Designer fragrance lovers are in for a treat this year as there are a lot of options. DKNY is the cheapest with their Be Delicious Deluxe Mini Trio Gift Set (£22), with 3 x 7ml minis of the iconic Be Delicious fragrance, as well as the red Be Desired and pink Be Tempted Eau So Blush. Versace have a gift set (£27.50), with Crystal Noir and Bright Crystal and Eros pour Femme EDP and EDT. Then there is a Giorgio Armani Minis for Her set (£30), with Si EDP and EDT, Aqua Di Gioia and Armani Code. Estée Lauder's Fragrance Treasures Gift Set includes Modern Muse and Modern Muse Le Rouge, as well as Beautiful and Pleasures, priced at £37. Lastly, the most luxe option comes from Hermes at £48, with their Miniature Gift Set containing Jour d'Herme­s, Eau des Marveilles, Un Jardin Sur Le Nil, and the most recent Twilly d'Herm­es.

Scented Sets

Fragrance gift sets are big business at Christmas time, and there also typically a pretty expensive gift. However I've been pleasantly surprised by those from Ghost this year. Ghost The Fragrance was one of the first perfumes I ever fell in love with, with its gorgeous sweet rose scent. It is feminine, inoffensive and versatile, and would suit all ages. Something that never overly excites a gift sets are those that come with body lotions and shower gels, so I love that the Ghost 30ml Gift Set* (£22.99) also comes with a Distant Dreams Bath Oil. I feel like this would be a real treat and the perfect indulgent upgrade to your usual pamper routine, and would be something I would actually use and enjoy. Ghost have a wide range of fragrances to choose from, including the newer launches of Dream and Whitelight.

For something different, this Aqua Manda Gift Set* (£39.99) brings back that classic Aqua Manda scent which was created in 1947 but became a defining scent of the late 60s and early 70s when it was a bestseller. It is based around a mandarin orange note, with spicy notes of ginger, cinnamon, juniper, tarragon, and eucalyptus, as well as lavender and earthy patchouli to create a warm aromatic scent very typical of the 60s. The gift set comes with a 20ml fragrance, soap and talcum powder, and it is the perfect nostalgic gift for mums, aunties and anyone else who may remember the original Aqua Manda first time around. Also available, revived by popular demand, are Goya Black Rose from the 1950s, Aqua Citra, the follow-up to Aqua Manda which launched in the 1970s, Babe from the late 70s and 80s and finally Tribe from the 90s. Fun fact - Tribe sponsored Take That's first tour in 1992!

Fabulous Fragrances

Other than gift sets, individual fragrances also make for fab presents, and at the more affordable end of the scale there are some great options from Next. I've been so impressed with their perfumes, particularly Summer Sun, which is an exact dupe of Estée Lauder's Bronze Goddess! Monsoon Rose Gold* sits somewhere in the middle of drugstore and designer fragrances, being £24 for 30ml, but I've managed to find it for just £10 here, which is an incredible buy! It is a rose-based fragrance, with a deliciously sweet rose and lemon opening, but it moves into a deeper base, being warm and sophisticated. It reminds me a lot of Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely, with a rosy twist, so it would be the perfect gift for lovers of that fragrance!

I mentioned Leighton Denny fragrances previously, and my firm favourite from the range just has to be Light & Dark Delightful*. I reviewed it in full here, but it is an incredibly juicy, fruity scent. Its notes include red apple, watermelon and mango, as well as soft florals and a base of coconut sorbet, musk and vanilla. It is the ultimate fruity scent for me, being light, fun and fresh without any harsh base notes. Fans of Marc Jacobs Oh, Lola! will love this, and it is cheaper than designer options at £43.50 for 70ml. 

Moving onto slightly higher end options, I think Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb (from £52 for 30ml) is one of those crowd-pleaser scents that everyone seems to love. It is sweet and sexy, with a slight spiciness that keeps it from being too young, and it lasts on the skin incredibly well. Flowerbomb is an oriental fragrance, and has notes of citrus, tea, rose, white florals and patchouli. The bottle is beautiful, and their gift sets (from £83) are absolutely stunningly packaged this year! For fans of slightly lighter perfumes, there's also Flowerbomb Bloom which is fresher and more fruity. It's gorgeous! 

Another fragrance that I think would make a wonderful gift is Chloé Love Story* (from £47 for 30ml), especially for floral lovers. The signature Chloé Eau de Parfum is so iconic and recognisable, and as gorgeous as it is, you smell it everywhere. Love Story is a little bit of an undiscovered gem and it's something a little different, while retaining that gorgeous Chloe DNA. Love Story is based around an orange blossom note, combining it with a woody base to create a sophisticated and pretty sweet floral fragrance that lasts really well on the skin without being overpowering. The bottle is inspired by the love locks that were on the Pont Des Arts in Paris, and it is one of my favourite designs, featuring a gold padlock style which looks so luxurious!

Bath & Body

One of the most indulgent gifts to receive is a gorgeously luxurious bath or body product, even better if its something you wouldn't usually treat yourself to. For younger girls, you really can't beat Mad Beauty's range of licenced Disney bath treats.  This Alice in Wonderland Toiletry Gift Set* (£11.99) houses a body wash, hand cream and body lotion in a delicate pear and ginger scent, as well as a gorgeous wash bag and pink puff. The fragrance isn't too strong so it is great for even the sensitive noses, as there's the added bonus of the bag being incredibly useful for trips away or to house the beginnings of a makeup collection. Bath Bombs always make a fun gift, and Bomb Cosmetics have a great range of sets, including this Chocolate Gift Set* (£9.99) which includes 6 bath melts with various delicious fragrances, including chocolate buttercup, mocha, chocolate orange and vanilla. Laden with cocoa and shea butters, these bath melts leave the water feeling silky soft and keep the skin feeling nourished too. 

For bath treats, Sanctuary Spa is always a great bet with their affordable luxury, particularly their Must Have Body Treats Set (£20). This year, they launched their little sister brand, Being and it has a ton of fun scents and products. My personal fave is the Water Lotus & Pomelo Shower Burst* (£7) as it's a super fun foam body wash and the scent is the perfect morning pick-me-up. This Mermaid Showers set (£10) would be awesome as a gift as it contains 4 of their body washes in Hibiscus & Coconut Water, Salted Caramel & Macademia, Cloudberry & Lychee Blossom and Chilli Mango & Tonka Bean, so would be a lovely introduction to the brand. You also can't go wrong with Soap & Glory, and their Spa of Wonder is still the Star Gift until 18th December. It offers £78 worth of product for just £30, and including a range of beauty, bath and skincare products!

For more luxurious options, L'Occitane is always a fabulous choice, and I'm gifting some of their sets this year. Some great options are this Shea Butter Body Bauble (£12), which includes a soap, body lotion and their iconic Shea Butter hand cream, and their Beauty Icons set (£20) which would be great for newcomers to the brand. Nuxe is also one of my favourite body care brands, and their My Dream Gift Set (£20) includes a hand cream and two of my holy grail products, the Reve de Miel Lip Balm and the Huile Prodidieuse Multi-Use Dry Oil. Aromatherapy Associates makes the perfect gifts for those who deserve to relax and treat themselves. The Perfect Partners set (£20) includes two oils, but the Ultimate Wellbeing Time Gift Set (£60) is exactly as it sounds, the ultimate pamper treat, featuring ten 9ml bath oils.

And what do you buy that person who has everything? One easy answer: these Floating Rose Bath Lights* (similar here for £6.99)! Something that I never thought I needed in my life, these colour changing LED roses activate once placed in water. They give such a gorgeous glow to the water, and add a lovely ambience that really makes your pamper session feel so much more luxurious. I'm sure I will be gifting many of these to various family and friends over the next couple of years, they're such a game changer!

Home Fragrances

Lastly I come on to home fragrances, possibly the easiest category of fragrance to gift, and it's something that people might not think to treat themselves to. Both brands I'm mentioning here really have that luxurious feeling, and would be perfect for gifting. Of course I have to mention M&J London, a brand that I have spoken about many a time on this blog. Their Bavarian Winter candle* (from £23) is just the ultimate winter scent, with notes of blackcurrant, cinnamon, clove and vanilla, and is inspired by the scent of traditional Christmas Markets. A fragrance that can be burned all year round is Tbilisi*, inspired by the capital of Georgia. It has notes of pomegranate, tarragon and walnut and is a very unique blend that really comes to life when burned, as the warmth of the walnut really shines through. As soon as I smelt Tbilisi, I immediately thought of it as a great kitchen scent, and it is known as M&J London's entertaining candle. What better gift to bring along if you are going to a dinner party! All of M&J London's candles are soy wax and have ethical luxury in mind, from their packaging to the wicks. They even give a percentage of their profits to UK women's charity nia, so it is the perfect way to give back this season. 

The second home fragrance brand that I wanted to talk about is Noble Isle. Wonderfully luxurious, Noble Isle is a quintessentially British brand, favouring quality ingredients and the finest fragrances to create a range inspired by the natural riches of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales - the Noble Isles. The Shrouds of Splendid Rhubarb Set* (£60) is one of the most indulgent home fragrance sets I've seen, feeling extremely good quality and in beautiful packaging. Of course, even before you unwrap the gift set, you can smell the wonderful aroma of the Rhubarb Rhubarb scent, which has notes of bittersweet rhubarb, juniper and muddled rosemary. It is gorgeously aromatic and fresh, and is very reminiscent of a rhubarb gin and tonic, garnished with rosemary. Definitely one for gin lovers! The set contains a candle and snuffer, as well as a reed diffuser, and it is the perfect fresh scent to burn once the Christmas festivities die down. As well as home fragrance Noble Isle also have a range of unisex bath and body products too, and Fireside is the perfect cosy winter scent, inspired by a country inn. Available in a candle, Bath & Shower Gel and Body Lotion, it has notes of cinnamon, cypress, vanilla and beet extract sourced from Mynwy Valley.

Have you got all your Christmas shopping covered?

- Post contains PR Samples (*) and affiliate links - 

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M&J London Autumn in New England Candle Review | AD-Gifted

Is this the perfect autumnal candle?

- Disclaimer: The following post contains PR samples (*) -

Who doesn't love a good autumnal candle? It's the time of year when the nights draw in early, daylight becomes non-existent (bad luck for blog photos!) and the whole world becomes obsessed with pumpkin spice everything (who can blame them!). Finding the perfect autumnal candle is tricky, balancing the right amount of sweet, spicy and woody. Sometimes, I want my house to smell like Pumpkin Spice waffles, but other times that kind of scent becomes a bit too overpowering and I'd rather have something more akin to a walk on a crisp autumn day.

When my fave candle brand, M&J London announced that they were bringing out a brand new scent for the autumn, I knew it wouldn't disappoint. When I found out that the scent description of Autumn in New England* was cranberry, pumpkin and maple syrup, I was even more excited! What makes this scent unique is that it takes these very essences of autumn and blends them together to create the perfect balance between sweet, fresh and woody. If you think you don't like pumpkin scents, give this a try as it is worlds away from the sickly sweet syrups that douse our drinks this time of year (not that there's anything wrong with that, I've just bought a huge bottle of pumpkin spice syrup to make DIY PSLs, yum!).

I was kindly sent their smaller jar candle, which is my preference out of the two as it is the perfect size to burn on my desk as I'm working or during my nightly Netflix binge, and it doesn't take as long for the wax to pool and avoid tunnelling. The small size costs £23, and burns for approximately 30 hours, a happy medium between cheaper high street candles and the more luxury (read: insanely overpriced) brand ones. Alternatively there's the large size at £35 for around 60 hours burn time, which is better value but requires a longer burn time for the wax to pool.





All of M&J London's candles are inspired by founder Jennifer McNabb's travels around the world, and their latest release is no exception as her partner has origins in New England. It carries the description: "We know it's that time of year on the first morning we step outside into the chill and can see our breath puff in little clouds. That's the signal to unearth wooly sweaters from the back of the closet, and don jackets and scarves as we set out for the day. This is the time we head for the hills - our annual pilgrimage north to the Green Mountains, to lose ourselves driving along winding country roads under and through a blazing canopy of leaves in bright blasts of yellow, flaming oranges, and the maple trees in fire-engine red."

"A white wooden steeple against the crisp blue sky is our beacon, guiding us into the village. At the farmers market on the green, bright orange pumpkins are piled high by the stacks of hay where we sit (carefully) and sip earthy apple cider (he drinks his cold but I know it's best warmed and with cinnamon). In the chill of the evening after dinner, we share our cranberry tart while sitting around a bonfire snuggled under the weight of an ancient handmade quilt - scraps of dresses and skirts stitched together by some thrifty new Englander a generation or two ago. And as the leaves fall and drift to the ground, we inhale deeply and take it all in - giving thanks for finding ourselves here again, with another year to mark the changing of the seasons."  Can you get more autumnal than that?

M&J London remains one of my favourite candle brands for so many reasons. They have the tagline "Ethical Luxury", which perfectly describes them down to the quality of the fragrances and the heavyweight feel of the 100% recycled glass jars (which you can further upcycle into drinking glasses, makeup brush holders etc.). The wax used is 100% rainforest soya, which is a renewable green resource and is also cleaner to burn and kinder to our bodies and the environment, in conjuction with a lead-free cotton and linen blend wick. Lastly, they donate a % of their profits (50p small candle/£1 large candle) to local charity nia, which works to end violence towards women, as well as offer support to those who are victims of domestic abuse. Find out more about M&J's ethical conscience here. I'm in love with Autumn in New England, and much like the other seasonal M&J London scents, it perfectly embodies the season, which makes them gorgeous to come back to year after year. So now I have Fall covered, as well as having Bavarian Winter (review) and English Summer (review) which are gorgeous for their respective seasons , now all that's left to do is find that perfect Spring candle... 

What scent reminds you most of autumn?

- PR samples (*) are kindly sent for consideration, which in no way alters my opinion 

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