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Who doesn’t love a great adventure; whether it’s a much-needed holiday, dinner out with the girls, or a trek into the nearby woods with your beau and the kids. Let us take you on a new kind of adventure, a scent of adventure.

There is always a reason to invest in a new fragrance for you or someone else. And, in these times of uncertainty, there’s a feeling of happiness and tranquillity when you spritz a new scent. Plus, with Valentine’s Day only a stone’s-throw away, and Mother’s Day on the horizon why not go on a scent of adventure today?

Thoughts of Spring and Summer

Miller Harris, Secret Gardenia, £115 (100ml), Miller Harris

Revealing the hidden lustre of gardenia, this scent is florally perfect. This fragrance is clear, bright and sensual due to the freshness of yuzu, jasmine, ylang ylang, and cool nashi pear. Notes of delicate musks, sandalwood, and gardenia petals.

27 87 Hamaca, £145 (87ml), 27 87 Perfumes

Salty marine notes are fused with Venezuelan Tonka bean, coconut, Madagascan vanilla and sandalwood. This fragrance is calming and creates a pure unadulterated presence.

Jusbox Night Flow, £160 (78ml), Selfridges

Inspired by the night, where the universe reveals itself in all its secret nuances, the Night Flow eau de parfum from Jusbox is thought up by Julien Rasquinet. Opening with explosive and spicy accords (think pink pepper and saffron), the scent is built with a warm soul of davana essential oil and jasmine sambac. Crafted with a base of ambergris, patchouli and leather.

An Adventure in to the Forest

Maison Sybarite, Opulent Wood, £160 (75ml), Maison Sybarite

This delightful water-based Eau de Parfum has been ethically made by the French independent Master Perfumer Antoine Lie. Packed with adventurous notes of nutmeg, black pepper, saffron, orange blossom, ylang ylang, and prune. It is a warm, spicy, exotic and bewitching scent with opulent notes of cedarwood, sandalwood, and leather.

IKON – 709, £60 (100ml), The Fragrance Shop

Developed with a premium, sustainable, natural mindset, IKON conceives fragrances as a holistic experience. Vegan, cruelty-free, and responsible formulas and packaging. Notes include; neroli, exotic rose, jasmine, pink pepper, saffron, cardamom, oud, sandalwood, vetiver, amber and Tonka bean. Therefore, this divine fragrance is a rousing, exotic and sensual scent.

Bespoke Woman, Salted Caramel and Water Lilies, £9.99 (100ml), Superdrug

This scent adventure starts with sweet notes of tasty apricot and rich plum, which then wrap you up in a layer of creamy vanilla, musk and coconut fronds. Moreover, the Bespoke fragrance is perfect for a cool winter’s night.

Subscription Scents

Yú Parfums, £40 (3 x 10ml), Yu Perfumes

Firstly, these scents are narrated by the best noses. Secondly, the global team of Perfumers source internationally grown ingredients and create olfactory experiences that are vegan and cruelty-free. Thirdly, these exclusive curated scents are delivered in a recyclable box. Each edition contains 3x10ml gender-neutral perfume chapters, one refillable atomiser and nine scent sticks. Yú Parfums is a membership service with bi- monthly, 6 and 12-month options available.

For more beauty from House of Coco

As the month of changing our habits of eating meat, and not drinking alcohol comes to a close, we are embracing these changes with a myriad of vegan beauty products.

Let us showcase some of the skincare, body care, haircare, fragrance and faux tanning products that are fully vegan, and aren’t just for veganuary. They are a winter wonderland of beauty products!

Skincare

Green People, Nordic Roots Hyaluronic Booster Serum, £27 (28ml), Green People

This serum blends organic plant extracts to deeply hydrate, plump and renew the skin. It works in perfect harmony with the skin’s natural pH balance, leaving it deeply nourished, calm and smooth.

FAACE, Tired Faace Mask, £22.50 (100ml), FAACE

For a mask to perk up your skin and smooth inflammation, this is the one for you. It helps speed up skin healing, locks in moisture, gives a glow back, gently exfoliates, keeps the skin strong, and boosts collagen.

Alteya Organic, Bio Damascena Rose Otto Day Moisturiser, £16.95, LoveLula

A certified organic day cream that softens, smoothes and conditions the skin. Helps restructure skin’s texture, improving overall health and glow. It also helps nourish the skin during the day.

Body Care

Green People, Quinoa & Calendula Shower Gel, £15.50 (200ml), Green People

Larch Tree, rich in polysaccharides, protects the skin keeping it moisturised long after showering. Skin-kind Calendula is ideal for sensitive skin and is rich in plant actives which act on the metabolism of collagen fibres. Mood lifting Sweet Orange and energising Lemongrass create an exotic aroma whilst boosting circulation and soothing dry skin.

Solidu, Soap Bar, £7.95, Beyond Living

With rich mango and shea butters and conditioning sunflower oil, this soap is soft and creamy. Exactly what you need for daily hand washing, and it works perfectly as a body wash, too. With its silky lather, this soap is as gentle as can be, and yet still retains all the disinfecting properties that are so important right now.

Peacci, Peach Mani-Pedi Scrub, £9 (60g), Peacci

Avocado oil (containing 7 vitamins) supplements the lipid layer of the skin and soothes. Enriched with peach kernel oil, which softens and protects whilst castor oil stimulates the regeneration process in the skin. The additional ground coconut shell and sugar provide an all-natural exfoliation.

Haircare

Natur Vital Bio, Detox Shampoo, £8.95, Natur Vital

This shampoo with plant-based active ingredients of certified organic marigold and marshmallow extracts gently cleanses, respects the scalp, and helps to untangle the hair.

Fragrance

Miller Harris, Scherzo Eau de Parfum. £150 (100ml), Miller Harris

Scherzo opens up with hues of blood orange tangerine, bright purple davanna and golden olibanum resin. It then reveals bright yellow and white hues of narcissus flower and pittosporum. Deep dark red roses mingle with rich patchouli, vanilla and Oudh wood, sprinkled with sweet maltol to reflect an intoxicating rush for the senses.

Tanning

Skinny Tan, Strawberries & Cream Whipped Gradual Tanner, £22.99 (150ml), Skinny Tan

This tanner melts smoothly into the skin and adapts to your skin tone to create a flattering and flawless natural tan over 6-8 hours. The first-ever pink mousse from Skinny Tan is formulated with Vitamin E (known for its moisturising, nourishing and anti-ageing effects) and also contains a blended combination of real strawberry extract and guarana.

Did you enjoy our winter wonderland of vegan beauty products? For more Beauty from House of Coco click on the link.

We may be stuck in lockdown right now but there are plenty of options to look your best for the year ahead. According to new research*, the nation is planning to spend a whopping £31 billion in 2021 on beauty tweakments and going under the knife, with 1 in 5 (21%) hoping it will help to improve their appearance for screen time with more of us working from home.

Whether you’re concerned about a less than perfect smile, a muffin-top or wrinkles, Jennie Noctor from Maxie Beauty, has suggestions on some of the leading non-invasive treatments.

Many of these mini-treatments can be done from home, which is a good job with potentially weeks of lockdown ahead! Get ready for the summer and be your best in 2021.

Create a Hollywood smile

If you’re looking for a straighter smile, then teeth alignment therapy could be the answer. SmileDirectClub aligners can safely straighten teeth in just 4 to 6 months and you have two options to begin your journey: book a free appointment at one of their UK SmileShops to have a 3D image taken of your teeth or by ordering a dentist-prescribed, easy-to use, at-home impression kit delivered to your home. A UK registered dentist or orthodontist will determine eligibility for SmileDirectClub aligners – and then you get to approve your smile plan.

Subtle Not ‘Done’ Pout

Move over the trout pout, the trend for 2021 is to look healthy and revitalised, not ‘done’. Using micro-injectibles, which are tiny doses of carefully placed botox and fillers, it is possible to subtly lift and tighten the skin, replacing volume where it’s been lost, and lifting the muscles that pull the face down as part of the ageing process. It’s not about creating strange shapes or odd facial structures, it’s all about looking like a rejuvenated version of you.

Fresh New Skin

Get the lit-from-within look without leaving home with a DIY chemical peel. Whether you’re worried about acne, sun damage, fine lines, pigmentation or uneven skin tone then an at-home chemical peel could be just what you need. DIY versions are much gentler than those done in salons, but still produce great results at a fraction of the cost. For a good all-rounder try The Ordinary’s AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution, which is available online for as little as £4.

Face-Tech

Breathe new life into your skin with ZIIP. Favoured by celebrities across the word, ZIIP uses nanocurrents and microcurrents to lift, plump and sculpt your skin. Whether you’re looking to brighten or tighten your complexion, this clever hand-held device, adapts to your skin and leaves it looking healthy, glowing and lifted in just minutes. The next best thing to a salon facial, the device connects through an app and offers a wide range of personalised skincare treatments.

Contouring imperfections

If you’re looking for a natural enhancement and want to steer clear of Botox and fillers, then try a laser treatment. Lasers help to keep the skin in lovely condition, refine pores, boost brightness and collagen and work wonders on noticeable imperfections such as red veins, pigmentation rosacea and irritated skin. For advice from leading laser facialist, Debbie Thomas, visit dthomas.com.

Detox with a Massage

You don’t have to go under the knife to change the way you look and feel. Beat the bloat, flush out your toxins, boost your immunity and improve your health in one easy step with a lymphatic drainage massage when restrictions lift. A gentle treatment, which uses specific techniques to move fluid around the body, a good lymphatic drainage massage can significantly reduce water retention and certainly make you look slimmer. Try it at home or head to a salon and if you’re strapped for cash then try dry body brushing.

Reshape your Shape

If you’ve got more than one problem area and you’re looking for a device that can do it all, then enter RESHAPE, the latest combination technology from Pureskin. RESHAPE uses LED, soft laser, vacuum and radiofrequency, all of which are administered via a single applicator. The range also includes EpiLase, for hair removal, Vegas QS, a powerful Q-switched laser device and Quantum, which has seven different LED modes for face and body treatments.

Zoom Ready?

If video calls are bringing your skin imperfections into sharp focus then try these simple hacks. If you’re making a call during the day, then always face a window. If it’s dark, position a lamp above your camera so that it’s pointing directly into your face (making sure it’s not burning your face). Or take lighting to the next level with a continuous ring light.

Raise your computer with a laptop stand or a stack of books so that the camera isn’t pointing up and making your chin and nose seem larger.

*Research was run externally by 4Media in October 2020, with 2,000 respondents over the age of 18 across the UK.

We usually spend a lot of time and money on our hair color, and the last thing we want is to see it wash away down the drain. Whether you’re a brunette, a blond, a red-haired vixen, or beyond, using a specialized color-safe shampoo is essential for keeping your color vibrant and fresh.

In their essence, shampoos clean oil and dirt from your hair and scalp. Color-preserving formulas work on the same principle, but they also minimize the amount of color you wash away every time you use them. They have a significantly lower concentration of cleansing surfactants compared to regular products. Color-protecting shampoos also use conditioning agents that create a coat over the surface of your hair to lock in the color molecules and stop them from escaping. Not only do they help you keep your color vibrant for a long time, but they also nourish your hair and help mask any damage that may have appeared. Your strands will be softer and smoother, and you will feel the difference between using a specialized and regular product.

The frequency of washing your colored hair also plays a vital role in preserving the shade. Each hair type requires specific products as well as particular product application. For example, if you wonder how often should you wash oily hair, you should only look for advice and products for oily hair types. The same goes for colored hair – if you want the best results, use products created for preserving color.

Let’s go through the most effective shampoos for colored hair!

Keratin Smooth Color by Tresemmé

Tresemmé developed a shampoo and conditioner combination that quickly became a consumer tester favorite. It also quickly gained popularity among users for its quick and apparent results. The formulas are rich and creamy, just like those in premium salon-quality products even though they are quite affordable. At a bargain price, you’ll protect your shade and get salon-like effects with silky, shiny hair and vibrant, rich color.

Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance

Color processing damages your hair’s bonds. Olaplex No.4 is a sulfate-free shampoo that rebuilds the bonds and gradually transforms brittle hair into a healthy state. Many salon owners swear by it and call it a game-changer because it gives incredible results and eliminates frizz. The product will hydrate, repair, restore, and add a healthy shine to your hair. Although initially aimed at bleached hair, specialists agree that Olaplex No.4 benefits all hair types. It’s incredibly nourishing for hair damaged by chemical processes, coloring included. Those who love fresh, vivid colors such as purple, pink, or turquoise also love this product because it helps protect their hue and nourishes their strands.

Rahua Color Full

If you’re a blond, you know all about the hair’s tendency to turn yellow or even orange in between color treatments. To prevent brassiness, Thompson’s Rahua Color Full shampoo deposits rich violet color into blond hair cuticles. You’ve probably heard of purple shampoos before, but this product is next level. It has a plant-based, chemical-free formula enriched with coconut oil that gives your hair a healthy, shiny coat that protects the hair and your pretty blonde shade. It’s incredibly gentle for the hair and a No.1 choice for many blondes.

Nexxus Color Assure Shampoo and Conditioner

Can you imagine washing your hair 40 times and still seeing the same vibrant, rich color you had when you started? It may seem like a long stretch, but that is what the combination of Nexxus Color Assure Shampoo and Conditioner promises. The formulas focus on quinoa and elastin protein, a combination known to help the hue and vividness of your color last longer.

Dead Sea Minerals + Vitamin B5

The hydrating formula of Ayam’s Dead Sea Minerals + Vitamin B5 shampoo profoundly cleanses the cuticles and helps preserve your color by revitalizing the follicles. It restores moisture to dried, colored hair and adds a healthy shine that will make your color pop. It cleans, nourishes, and restores your hair, making it perfect for colored, damaged, or thinning hair. If you pair it with the conditioner from the same line, you’ll get excellent results.

Shu Uemura Color Lustre Brilliant Glaze

Your color can’t look good unless your hair is shiny. The shinier the hair, the better any hue will look. Shu Uemura Color Lustre Brilliant Glaze contains precious goji berry extract, a powerful antioxidant that helps protect your hair against fading. It adds an extravagant vibrancy to your strands and a healthy, mirror-like shine to your entire hair. The shampoo will also keep your cuticles hydrated thanks to musk rose oil, another nourishing ingredient your hair is going to love.

To keep your color vibrant, you must take good care of your hair. Only healthy hair can be beautiful, regardless of color. Colored hair requires specialized products, so make sure you always use what you need. Your hair will be grateful.

Hair transplantation is a medical procedure that involves removing hair follicles from one region of the body; the donor site, and transferring them to a bald or currently balding part of the body; the recipient site. Male pattern baldness is the most common condition treated with this method. Grafts contain hair follicles that are genetically resistant to balding, for example, the back of the head. These are then transferred to the bald scalp in this minimally invasive process. Hair transplantation in Scalp Evolution is not limited to the hairs on the head but can also be used to repair eyelashes, pubic hair, beard hair, eyebrows, chest hair, and scars from accidents or previous hair transplants. The difference between hair transplantation and skin grafting is that the grafts encompass nearly the entire epidermis and dermis around the hair follicle in hair transplant. Many tiny grafts are transplanted rather than a single strip of skin.

Scalp Evolution: Types of Hair Replacement Surgery

Hair transplantation

In this process, the surgeon takes small pieces of hair-bearing scalp grafts, usually along the back or sides of the head. After that, the grafts are moved to a bald or thinning area.

Tissue Expansion

In this process in Scalp Evolution, a tissue expander is put beneath a hair-bearing area located close to a bald area. After a few weeks, the tissue expander causes the skin to develop new skin cells. The newly expanded skin must then be placed over the next bald region in a second surgery.

Flap surgery

Perhaps a patient has several balding spots that they want to address. Flap surgery is an effective way to conceal significant balding spots. In this process, a piece of the bald area is excised, and a flap of hair-bearing skin is put on top of the bald area while still connected to its original blood supply on one end.

Scalp reduction

Scalp reduction is effectively used to conceal bald spots on both the top and the back of the head. This method involves removing the bare scalp and pulling parts of the hair-bearing scalp together to fill up the bald spot.

Scalp Evolution: FUE

Each follicular unit is taken from the scalp during FUE hair transplantation in Scalp Evolution. Hair follicles are destroyed randomly, allowing your doctor to collect hair from the donor area with less visible thinning. Small circular incisions collect hair on the scalp with Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE).

Manual FUE

In manual FUE, specialists use a punch loaded into a handle and spun or oscillated. This is done back and forth between the thumb and forefinger while pressed into the scalp. This is the essential requirement for manual FUE. The punch can now cut around a follicular unit. Because there was no equipment built for such duties when FUE was initially launched, this is the original type of FUE.

In actuality, the punches utilized were modified biopsy punches that were huge compared to today’s punches. Manual FUE was the only type of FUE for some years. Early adopters were responsible for pushing the improvements that eventually led to the usage of smaller punches like those used today. FUE is done by hand. Many clinics are still performing manual FUE, but it is not as commonly seen overall compared to other forms of FUE.

Robotic FUE

A robotic hair transplant equipment is used in a Robotic FUE treatment, which the physician supervises. The doctor determines the amount of hair harvested and draws a map of the chosen donor location. The ARTAS robot does the actual harvesting of the donor grafts, not the clinician. This technological marvel in medicine provides unrivaled precision and accuracy.

Robotic FUE is a recent development that automates follicular extraction and implantation.

The benefit of robotic devices is reported to extract follicles at a much faster rate than manual extraction and implantation. However, despite these speedy perks, patients often lose out on quality and precision, which is vital when wanting an excellent result. Robotic FUE devices have been linked to high transection rates (accidental damage to the follicle) than the more traditional techniques. Many surgeons are giving up on robotic devices until improvements are made. Generally speaking, robotic FUE is more expensive than other varieties of FUE as it is less common and often accompanied by manufacturer royalties.

Scalp Evolution: Benefits of Robotic FUE Hair Treatments

High Graft Quality

The automated FUE technique enables real-time 3D analysis and calculation of each hair follicle’s properties. This enables the robot to identify the healthiest and most potent follicles for harvesting and transplantation.

No pain during treatment

The FUE technique uses a local anesthetic to ensure little discomfort during the process. Many patients report minimal pain during or after their FUE transplant because it is a minimally invasive technique.

Natural-looking results

In this procedure, hairs are harvested and transplanted in their natural groupings. This allows no linear sc, which leaves no linear scar. This gives your hair a more natural appearance and lets you wear it as short as you like without fear of a noticeable scar.

Recovery time

Because no scalpel or stitches are required during the procedure, the healing time after an FUE transplant is short, with many people returning to their normal activities within a few days. The treatment itself is only 8 hours long.

Minimal scarring

Because the follicles are extracted randomly, the donor area’s appearance and density are minimally altered. Because the donor area seems undamaged and unmodified, FUE is the procedure of choice for persons who like to wear their hair relatively short in the back.

Typically, FUE transplants cost an average of $9,000. The total cost of an FUE hair transplant depends on the range of grafts extracted band size of the individual case. With graft survival rates of 90%, FUE transplants can be just as successful as the more traditional FUT procedure. The procedure’s success rate with Robotic FUE technology can be as high as 100%. Usually, the success of the procedure is determined by the doctor’s competence, expertise, and experience. Thus, it’s paramount to choose someone competent and trusted.

Air conditioning is an essential part of any home. During the summer, it has the crucial job of maintaining the temperature throughout the house and keeps you comfortable through a cooling agent that removes heat. But can constant air conditioning indoors affect your skin? And if so, how? Here, you’ll learn all about the effects of air conditioning on your skin. Thankfully, you can still have a perfect complexion even when you run your AC throughout the day, but a poorly maintained air conditioner causes a variety of issues. Find out how poor-quality air conditioning can affect your skin.

Routine maintenance for your AC prevents dry skin.

A few times a year, it’s important to contact the best AC repair Melbourne, FL, offers within the area. That way, you can get routine maintenance for your air conditioner. Without regular upkeep, you’ll have poor indoor air quality. When you turn on your AC, it removes humidity from the room. The lack of humidity can dry out your skin and make it feel tight or cause fine lines and redness. Scheduling an AC service in the springtime and in the fall is a great way to ensure that your air conditioner doesn’t cause any skin issues. This ensures that your air conditioning doesn’t pull too much humidity from the air. You can even have your AC repair technician install a thermostat that monitors humidity indoors.

Poor indoor air quality can cause premature aging.

There are several causes that contribute to premature aging, but one of them is dry skin due to poor indoor air quality. It’s important to find San Antonio dermatologists who can help you restore moisture and hydration for beautiful skin. With the help of the latest technology, a dermatologist can come up with a treatment plan to prevent premature aging. Together, you can target fine lines and wrinkles. They’ll also recommend the best skincare practices. Make sure that you schedule routine maintenance for your air conditioner to ensure that it doesn’t result in bad air quality, which can easily affect the texture and elasticity of your skin.

Dirty filters aggravate and worsen skin conditions.

When was the last time you changed your air filters? If they’re not changed frequently, the dirt, pollen, and dust trapped in the filters can easily worsen any existing skin problems. If you struggle with eczema, rosacea, psoriasis, or other skin issues, it’s best to switch them out every four to six weeks. Replacing them or cleaning them regularly ensures that you aren’t coming into contact with any allergens indoors. It’s also great for your utility bills! Keep in mind that filters tend to get clogged with fabric fibers, pet dander, mold, dust, and other pollutants, all of which can be harmful to your skin, especially when you already have an existing condition. So, don’t skip on this step. If you find that you’re already following your skincare routine to a T but still having skin problems, it may be time to switch out your filters and have your HVAC system checked by expert technicians.

Your AC system provides you with relief and comfort throughout the year. But if it isn’t properly maintained, it can cause several issues with your skin. This can result in premature aging and dry skin, or it can exacerbate the symptoms of other skin conditions. That’s why it’s important to schedule maintenance several times a year to make sure everything is running efficiently. Air conditioning technicians can ensure the safety of your heating and cooling system through a proper maintenance plan. That way, you can feel right at home knowing your air quality is at its best and won’t affect your skin.

Shine bright this winter with nourishing and hydrating makeup essentials by cosmetics brand Studio10 Beauty. Made specifically for mature skin.

When we reach a certain age, usually mid to late 30s and into early 40s we can start to feel unattractive, under-valued or even invisible. This is because we start to see small changes in our skin pigmentation.

There may be a few wrinkles starting to appear, dark circles may become more visible, dry skin around the forehead or cheeks, or perhaps a little sag around the eyelids.

Aside from adapting our skincare routine to meet our skin’s ever-changing needs we should also look at changing our makeup. What worked at age 18 make-up wise really won’t be working very well at 35 or 40.

Studio10 Beauty produces cosmetics that work with ageing and mature skin, from foundations and concealers, eyeshadows and mascaras, to blush and gloss.

Make-Up

6-in-1 Perfect Lash Mascara, £24

Lip Perfecting Plumping Gloss, £20

Liquid Foil I-Radiance, £22

Age Reverse Perfecting Lipliner, £22

Brow Lift Perfecting Brow Pencil, £22

Hydra-Lift I-Corrector, £24

Grace Fodor is the woman behind Studio10, and she offers all kinds of advice on the magazine page of her website. She can answer most questions about #agelessbeauty and the correct skincare and makeup to use post menopause and beyond. She gives a real sense of who she is, what her skin regimen is, and the products she uses from the Studio10 Beauty collections in Grace’s Musings on her website. So if you are looking for a real insight into anything mature skin related Grace is the ‘go to’ expert.

To find out more about mature skin, how to make the right changes for you, and to look into new makeup that is pro-age, visit Studio10 Beauty. Shine Bright with Studio10 Beauty.

Want to know about vegan beauty with House of Coco Magazine?

It has been said that you’re never fully dressed without perfume. But choosing the final touch to your outfit is a difficult task.

There are so many fragrances on the market today from big-name brands like Dior and Chanel to unique niche fragrances such as Penhaligon’s and Marc Jacobs perfume. Narrowing down your options can seem like a completely overwhelming task.

Luckily for you, we’re here to help! We have some tips and tricks that can help you find your perfect perfume.

  1. Understand the Terms

The fragrance world is full of words and phrases that can seem confusing and intimidating at first glance. However, being able to understand the fragrant language will allow you to understand the perfume itself.

The first thing you’ll need to get to grips with is the notes. In perfumery, notes refer to the different levels of scent that you smell. In a way, they are comparable with music notes. Individually they’re nice enough but when put together they create a symphony.

There are three different notes to a perfume.

The top note is also sometimes called the head note. This will be the strongest scent immediately after you spray. The top notes don’t last very long. They linger for about 15 minutes to an hour before giving out to the mid notes.

Top notes are the salespeople of the perfume. They are the first impression we get of a scent and are usually quite fresh or sharp. They need to be attention-grabbing and pleasant.

Mid notes are also sometimes called heart notes. These notes make up the main body of the scent. Often these smells are more mellow and rounded. They provide a bit more substance to the fragrance.

Mid notes last for an hour or two depending on the strength of the fragrance. They overlap slightly with the base notes. This helps to mask the base notes initially.

Base notes are the longest lasting of all the notes. They are heavier, richer smells that linger for hours after application.

Base notes can, initially, be quite off-putting which is why the mid notes tend to bleed into the base notes until they mellow.

Typical base notes include musk and woody smells.

The other terminology you’ll come across is contained in the fragrance wheel. The fragrance wheel was developed to help stores and perfumers describe the scent to us laymen.

Although the wheel has had a few iterations, it currently has 4 quarters that are further divided into more specific scents.

The quarters and their subsections are:

  • Floral
    • Floral
    • Soft Floral
    • Oriental Floral
  • Oriental
    • Soft Oriental
    • Oriental
    • Woody Oriental
  • Woody
    • Woods
    • Mossy Woods
    • Dry Woods
    • Aromatics
  • Fresh
    • Citrus
    • Fruity
    • Green
    • Water

In general, fresh scents tend to be used for top notes, of you want further understanding about these scents, check out Blu Atlas Atlantis.

  1. Think About Your Personality

There are lots of different quizzes and tests out there that claim to be able to match a perfume to your personality.

The science is scant at best but there is a lot of psychological reasoning behind perfume and personality. It’s not a mystical connection. Instead, it’s to do with the association we have with particular smells.

Florals have long been seen as a feminine smell and woody smells as masculine. Musks tend to be associated with driven, powerful people.

Those associations are not set in stone. The rise of unisex fragrances shows us that as society changes its perceptions and priorities, so too do our fragrance associations.

More important than matching a scent to some mystical personality type is matching your perfume to your ideals.

Many brands are diversifying into ethical and responsible fragrances. These tend to use responsibly sourced ingredients, ethical farming or growing techniques, and non-animal testers.

Vegan fragrances are also becoming increasingly common. These will be cruelty-free and void of any animal-based ingredients including beeswax and honey.

When choosing a perfumes based on your personal ideals, you might want to consider brands that make donations or contributions to charities when you purchase. You might as well do some good while you smell good!

  1. Choose the Right Strength

Not all perfumes are created equal. In fact, not all perfumes are even, strictly speaking, perfumes.

You’ve probably come across terms like Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum, but do you really understand the difference?

Ultimately, the difference is in the concentration of the perfume oil. This determines how long-lasting the fragrance is.

There are 5 different strengths.

  • Eau Fraiche – Has an oil content of about 1-3% and lasts about an hour.
  • Eau de Cologne – Has an oil content of about 2-5% and lasts about 2 hours.
  • Eau de Toilette – Has an oil content of 4-15% and lasts between 3-4 hours.
  • Eau de Parfum – Has an oil content of 15-20% and lasts between 4-5 hours.
  • Perfume – Has an oil content of 20-40% and can last up to 24 hours.

When you’re choosing a perfume you’ll want to think about how long you need it to last. You’ll also need to balance that with the cost. The stronger the fragrance the more expensive it is.

Every day fragrances that you wear to work should probably be Eau de Toilette. They last fairly long but they won’t tank your bank account.

  1. Leave the Store

Perfume stores are an assault on the senses. All those bright lights, beautiful models, and the heady mix of smells can really get to you.

More importantly, they can cloud your olfactory receptors. How on earth are you supposed to decide which perfume you like when dozens of different smells are clogging the air?

Don’t be tempted or pressurized to buy a perfume just because you’ve gone into the store or because you’ve spritzed it on yourself.

The best way to choose your perfume is to spray a couple of samples onto those little smelling sticks and take them outside.

Out in the fresh air, your nose can reset and get a better sense of the fragrance. This also lets you experience the fragrance in real life.

Fragrances interact differently with different environments. You might think a scent is super overpowering in the store but outside you might realize that it’s a lot more chill.

If you have the time, try to live with the scent for a while. Take those sticks with you as you go about your business. Smell them throughout the day to get a sense of the mid and base notes.

  1. Price

Perfumes can get expensive. There are no two ways about it. You can mitigate the cost by making some smart choices.

Firstly, if you like a designer fragrance, check whether they have it in an Eau Fraîche or Eau de Cologne. These are cheaper than Eau de Parfums and won’t last as long but they smell the same.

Secondly, if you wear perfume every day to work or wherever, don’t drop hundreds of dollars on it. Unless you have lots of disposable income, you’ll never be able to keep paying for it every month.

Everyday perfume can be a bit cheaper because you’re not necessarily trying to stand out. Most of the time we become a bit nose blind to the perfume we wear every day so what’s the point of spending hundreds on it?

Another way to lower the price of your perfume is to buy the accompanying body lotions or washes. I know it seems counter-intuitive, but these sets tend to be cheaper than the perfume itself but have the same or similar fragrance.

If you wash with the scented body wash and apply the lotion later, you won’t need as much perfume to give yourself that scent. It’s already on your body.

Final Thoughts

Perfume is an intensely personal choice. It comes down to the smells we like, the image we are trying to portray and the ideals we want to uphold.

Perfume is a memory maker and a memory trigger. It can bring to mind all the wonderful things that make us happy, comfortable, and powerful. We all deserve that.

Are you trying to conquer Veganuary this year or just fancy a more sustainable start to 2021? All tried and tested, here are our favourite vegan beauty buys for the new year. Not only is every product 100% vegan but each will help your skin and nails recover from the harsh winter air too.

Saint Iris Adriatica Serenity Salve

Nourishing and totally vegan, this salve will soothe and hydrate winter skin. Pea peptide will give you a glow, seaweed adds suppleness and ten essential wildplant oils provide much-needed vitamins and fatty acids.

As well as being vegan, all ingredients are from responsible suppliers and upcycled from the food, juicing and confectionery industries. It smells good enough to eat too. Siadriatica.com.

Cienna Rose The Shield nail treatment

Did you know that a lot of nail products are not vegan? But Cienna Rose The Shield will nourish and strengthen nails without harming any animals in the process. Full of vitamins B5 and vitamin E as well as fresh lemongrass oil, this one is perfect to help nails recover from the winter cold.

Cienna Rose offers a full set of vegan nail varnishes and treatments. All are non-toxic and come in gorgeous colours: our favourites for winter are Merlot, Under the Stars and Rainbow Snow. Ciennarose.com.

Q&A Super Food Facial Oil

I have been using Q&A Super Food Facial Oil every night for a month now and I can see the results. Filled with jojoba seeds, prickly pear and over 12 nourishing fruit oils, the oil calms redness and improves skin buoyancy too. The feeling of smoothing the oil over your face before sinking into a deep sleep is divine too.

Q&A’s mission is to demystify skincare and everything is 100% vegan. Our other favourite Q&A vegan beauty buys are the activated charcoal face mask and the collagen face cream. qandaskin.com.

Brought to you from the laboratories of Aromatherapy Associates are Aroma Active Laboratories enticing new launches.

Brand new mind, body and skincare brand, Aroma Active Laboratories has been created to resilience-proof your day. Products unite the powerful and therapeutic benefits of aromatherapy with natural active ingredients to enhance physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

Are you feeling unwell, unable to sleep, have a headache, an achy body, sensitive skin, sore over washed hands, or chapped lips? Aroma Active Laboratories has a product designed to meet your daily needs fast, effectively and naturally.

THE NOURISHING SOOTHE COLLECTION

PERFECT FOR WHEN YOUR SKIN IS FREAKING OUT AND FLARING UP. ITS SORE, PAINFUL, INFLAMMED, RED AND NEEDS SOME TLC.

PURPOSE: Five nourishing and hydrating skincare saviours created for irritated or sensitised skin. Each product works to repair the natural barrier function of the skin whilst soothing sore, uncomfortable, inflamed skin, bringing it back into balance.

THE AROMATHERAPY OILS: A soothing and calming blend of blue tansy, immortelle, known for its antiseptic properties, adaptogenic lavender and patchouli. Combined for their moisturising & cooling effects and to relax both mind and body.

THE NATURAL ACTIVES: A soothing complex of Lactococcus ferment probiotic that promotes skin renewal, and oat kernel oil, containing natural ceramides. Plus, glycolipids for low foam cleansing, and anti-inflammatory Bisabolol. Most importantly, this combination helps build the skin barrier, restore its microbiome and promote calm, smooth and healthy skin.

INCLUDES: Body & Face Cleanser, Universal Repair Cream – Light, Universal Repair Cream – Rich, Solid Lip Oil, and Overnight Face Balm.

THE STIMULATING MUSCLE HELPERS

Aroma Active Laboratories

FOR EVERYDAY ACHES, PAINS, TWINGES AND STRAINS. AS WELL AS FOR WHEN YOU’VE OVERDONE IT WITH THE HOME WORKOUT!

PURPOSE: three performance-led products expertly blended to relax, restore and revive a tired, achy body and to aid its safe and comfortable recovery. Mind and body are re-energised and back in the game!

THE AROMATHERAPY OILS: A cooling & easing blend of anti-inflammatory turmeric, rosemary known for its soothing & easing effects, with apoptogenic lavender and marjoram combined for their cooling & calming effects. Plus cinnamon & ginger known to ease discomfort and tension.

THE NATURAL ACTIVES: A relieving complex of arnica known for its healing properties, instantly cooling menthol, antioxidant rosemary to invigorate body & mind. Patchouli leaf extract which contains natural Phyto cannabinoids that calm and relax, having a similar effect on the skin as CBD.

INCLUDES: Recovery Soak, Cooling Gel, and Recovery Balm.

THE IMPRESSIVE SOS RANGE

NATURE’S PHARMACY. FOR TIMES WHEN YOU’RE RUNDOWN AND NEED A FAST PROBLEM SOLVER AND EFFECTIVE PICK-ME-UP.

PURPOSE: Three natural and effective remedies that help alleviate everyday ailments such as tension headaches, cold symptoms and feeling sluggish. Consequently, providing comfort and relief in times of need.

THE AROMATHERAPY OILS: Including a restorative blend of clearing eucalyptus, anti-inflammatory palmarosa, and cooling peppermint to aid digestive wellbeing. With lemon to energise and uplift to promote overall emotional wellbeing.

THE NATURAL ACTIVES: A supportive complex of instantly cooling menthol, centella asiatica (CICA) an adaptogen historically used for its healing and soothing benefits and camomile to soothe and calm.

INCLUDES: Stomach Massage Oil, Forehead Balm, and Chest Rub.

THE ENCHANTING SLEEP COLLECTION

FOR WHEN YOUR BRAIN WON’T STOP WHIRRING AT NIGHT OR WHEN STRESS WAKES YOU UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. SO, YOU WAKE RESTED AND READY FOR YOUR DAY.

PURPOSE: Four sleep fixers that exist to calm the mind, tune out the stresses of the day and prepare your body for a restful and uninterrupted night’s sleep.

THE AROMATHERAPY OILS: A relaxing blend of lavandin, valerian, known for its calming effect on the mind & body, ylang ylang & balancing buddhawood. Above all, they are combined for their calming, centring & relaxing effects.

THE NATURAL ACTIVES: A calming complex of Hops and Valerian which are traditionally used to improve sleep as both have a natural sedative effect. In addition, the potent scent of hops also helps to lengthen sleep time. Subsequently, Plankton (in the face oil) regulates the skin’s circadian rhythm and protects it from damaged caused by insufficient sleep.

INCLUDES: Salt Soak, Mist, Overnight Recovery Facial Oil, and Pulsepoint Rollerball.

In conclusion, all the Aroma Active Laboratories enticing new launches are available in 47 Boots stores across the UK, also available on Boots.com. Individual items priced between £6 – £15 each.

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