ZARA Black Amber Eau De Toilette review

Zara Black Amber is a spicy addition to the brand's affordable scents. This perfume ups the game as it smells like high end for the price. Also being my first post from the Arabian desert, this oud-like scent is apt to review.

Quantity - 50 ml
Price - INR 790

On first spray it is citrus and strong, but in seconds it turns sweet and woody. I feel its a versatile perfume with rich notes of amber without the heaviness. Black Amber seems a mix of spices, dark wood and aromatic oils wrapped in sheets of velvet. Still the fragrance is smooth and your nose would not get a spank out of it. What hurts me is although being a woody scent, it wears off quickly (2-3 hours) even after spraying heavily.

The box is black with gold lining which seems classic and Chanel-esque. The uniquely carved glass bottle with gold cap is a gradient black and looks very beautiful. Packaging is well thought upon and complements the scent housed inside. Looking at the price, packaging and scent, I feel Black Amber is a gem of Zara products.

Recommendation - Black Amber is well suited for night and feels quite original if one is not a perfume expert.

Ralph Lauren Big Pony 2 for Women Eau De Toilette review

Got this tiny mini perfume as gift from my best friend when it was launched in 2011. Some people swear by Ralph Lauren perfumes and they do spell quality. Big Pony 2 is very sweet, fruity fragrance and apt for young people. Among the hordes of fruity fragrances, this is flirty and makes people wonder. It smells so sweet that I think its edible. Big Pony 2 oozes of cranberry scent and housed in a pink bottle it looks like juiced cranberry.

The one I have is 15 ml bottle without a spray, but the cap works fine and there is no spillage. Not a very original or signature fragrance but makes a good gift for the holidays and upcoming summers. The fragrance is not heady but yummy and juicy, stays for 5-6 hours. I almost feel like surrounded by berries.

Recommendation - Buy it as your first perfume or a gift for someone. Holidays are here.

Zara White Eau De Toilette review

Clean, white winter days call for clean, fresh fragrance. Zara has been retailing a good range of fragrances in Bangalore recently at steal prices. White is such fresh, no-fuss perfume that one almost feels like spritzing on all washed clothes.

Quantity - 30 ml

Price - INR 590

I find the fragrance completely citrus, no flower notes and very feminine. The very first spritz brings out the images of sweet orange and grapefruit. Its an everyday perfume, nothing high end about it, but its price and quality is special. Zara White is clearly a day fragrance as it is fresh and fruity. You wear it more on daily jobs, going to markets or just some errands. It stays for 3-4 hours maximum being a light, breezy fragrance.

The white outer packaging is paper box and it opens up like a cigarette pack. The bottom half of box has engraving of rose flowers which confuses me, as I cannot smell any rose in the perfume. The bottle is glass and the cap is heavy plastic which is bit loose. This being a 30 ml perfume, I obviously wish to carry it around but the glass bottle is fragile and a loose cap calls for spillage. I have to handle it carefully even at home. Overall, its a great buy compared to designer perfumes and the small quantity gives me an option to try new ones.

Recommendation - Totally buy this reasonable perfume and wear it all the time.

HIP List: Winter Wishes

"Under the holly,
stands Little Polly,
wishing for her X'mas gifts.
Braving cold and snowy nights,
Dear Santa does night shifts."

Some lines I cooked up thinking about Christmas, New Year and all the things I wish for this winter.

1. Burgundy Jeans: I am gonna hunt for a fitted burgundy jeans or jeggings. Such a beautiful warm color in fitted form, transform myself into It-girl.

2. Luxurious felt hat: Don't know whether I can carry it off or not, but in love with felt hats.

3. Thick, lush brows: I adore Deepika Padukone's thick eyebrows framing her face and she totally rocks it. All you need is less plucking / threading and taming the wild hair. I regularly apply Vaseline on brows twice a day. And the truth is, Vaseline is a wonder brow gel.

In Love edition: Fall-Holiday shades

It took me an hour to pen down the words "In Love edition" for a new blog series. I was looking for words to represent my object desire, wish list, things I am loving now. Searched for french, spanish, italian words to churn out something special and different but at last something simple and english.

1. Chanel Rouge Coco lipcolor Rivoli - I have been longing for this one the moment I saw it on Anne Hathaway. She sported it in Oscars, yeah she was the spunky host that year with 8 dress changes. Rivoli is a deep red almost maroon shade and I am falling for dark colors now. Its Chanel, a celebrity pick and Parisian name *Rue De Rivoli*, so desirable.

2. Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Intense lipcolor Palpitante - Beautiful fuchsia color, bright pink but not leaning neon. I can pull it off easily any occasion and time. Also it would look more beautiful in cold months when our skin tone is bit pale.

3. Burberry Lip Mist Blueberry - OK so this is a biased one. A lipstick of my blog's name *Blueberry* I MUST have it. Blueberry is sheer oxblood color in lip balm finish. This lipstick might look brown on me and will be glamorous with Burberry trench. Now now, me swaying with emotion.

4. Nars Pure Matte Lipstick Volga - Matte and dark, NARS Volga has to be in list. Saw it in Harper's Bazaar photo below and luckily on Indian complexion. Described by the brand as deep aubergine, it looks inky, dark and bit purple. I don't have single matte, Volga could be great start.

5. Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Intense lipcolor Incandescente - I desire a bright Chanel red lipstick and Incandescente is perfect. Many have reviewed it as warm, flaming red. Incandescente looks like great holiday red, plus the new rouge allure formulas pack more shine. Shiny red, happy holidays.

6. Essie Berry Hard nail polish - Dark berry color, looks elegant and will complement all above lipsticks. Saw it on Lisa Eldridge in her video .