Aura-Soma Pegasus Perfume 58 (Aquatic Flowers)

RRP: £79

--What does the promo say?-- 

"Light earthy floral with touch of water on top notes; light and transparent, often recommended for sensitive skin. A lovely balance between mind and matter, symbolised by earth and sky, or flowers and water. Delicate, sensitive and highly feminine. Pink flowers, rose, lotus flower and pink jasmine, are grounded with a touch of amber and musk and represent the earthy notes. Aquatic notes, such as Japanese seaweed, dewdrops and wild angelica represent the more herbaceous and watery elements on the top notes."

--Packaging--

My sample size from Aura-Soma arrived in a tiny vial in the style of what you can get for free from department stores, so instead of the beautiful pink and blue faded design that you can see above, I had a clear glass tube, through which the pale yellow liquid can be seen, adorned simply with a sticker reading '58'. I feel that the numbers and the names of the perfumes, as well as the name of the line (Pegasus) are a bit superfluous, and that Aura-Soma should just pick one and run with it.

--Application--
Just spritz wherever you want to smell good, and you're away! Aura-Soma's shower gels and body lotions make a good accompaniment.

--Appearance--

Pale yellow fluid in the bottle, as mentioned; invisible on the skin.

--Scent--

As the essential oils used in the collection are, as Aura-Soma's PR were so keen to tell me, sourced from the second largest biodynamic farm in the UK (FYI, it's Shire Farm, in Lincolnshire), I was perhaps expecting something more exceptional. It smelled no more 'natural' than commercial perfumes and smelt a bit 'old' for my age group, perhaps as a consequence of the rose and jasmine that's included. The more unusual ingredients, such as angelica and Japanese seaweed, were as good as undetectable. A great shame, as I was hoping for something truly spectacular and intense.

--Longevity--

Again, this fared no better than commercial perfumes, wearing off within a few hours.

--Value for money--

As perhaps already goes without saying, I wouldn't pay £79 for this, even if the bottle is enormous and even if the ingredients are organic. If I were going to pay £79 for a perfume, it is perhaps with a tinge of regret that I would end up going for a more reliable commercial alternative, such as Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb (100ml EDP). Aura-Soma do better with their body and skin care products, however, so there's no need to give up on them completely.

Only for sale in the UK; see the following stockists:

www.dolphins-angels.com

www.11essence.co.uk

Aloka, 14 East Street, Brighton

Lucia Angelis, 8 Turnpin Lane, London

Myleene Klass Nails for JML

--What does the promo say?--

"Get an instant nail makeover with Myleene Klass! Her fabulous new range of stick-on nail wraps will give you dazzling, gorgeous fingertips in just moments. There’s absolutely no drying time necessary, just peel, stick and go – you don’t even need to heat them up. There are so many styles to choose from – a pattern or shade for every outfit. Each design comes in 24 different shapes and sizes, so giving your tips and toes the perfect finish is easy. And best of all, unlike nail polish, there’s no chipping or peeling. They’re durable enough to last all week, but remove so easily you can change your look as quickly as you change your clothes. Whatever the occasion, Myleene Klass Nails will give any outfit a fabulous finishing touch."

--Packaging--

All very neatly done: the cardboard sleeve bigs up the association with Myleene by using a large picture of her, while the fact that it's a JML product is downplayed. The nail wraps are clearly visible through the little window on the sleeve, the sleeve is easy to open and close for convenience and portability, and also comes with a free Myleene branded nail file which seems durable enough.

--Application--

Perhaps inevitably, it's never as simple as the promo makes out. The wraps are certainly easy to apply and reposition - they are essentially just stickers, so if you go wrong you can just peel it off and try again until you're happy. There are also a number of sizes available in the 24-strong pack, so plenty of room for trial and error - although this means the process certainly isn't quick. When you take into account finding the right size, positioning the wraps, making sure all the creases are gone, and then filing the excess away, it's not much faster than applying regular nail polish. People with smaller hands than mine may also find it difficult to find a wrap to fit every finger: my sister and my sister-in-law are both sizes 6-8 and have quite small hands, and I think they wouldn't be able to manage a full set of hands from the sizes offered here.

--Appearance--

I was sent the Burgundy and the Posy sets by JML. When I wore the Burgundy set to work I was informed by a deeply on-trend colleague that the colour was very now (which makes me on trend for about the first time in my life), so for all you fashionistas - Myleene's nails could certainly fulfil your nail needs. However, I never could quite make the creases disappear. Even if they weren't visible from far away, I was certainly aware of them. It meant the nails never quite looked as authentic as genuine nail varnish, which is something that Sephora's nail wraps (for instance), even if they have other failings, do manage to achieve.

--How well do they stick?--

Sadly, not brilliantly (as perhaps already revealed by the telltale creases and the ease of repositioning). Most annoying is the edge at the top of the nail where you've filed away the excess sticker: even if you do this correctly, there is an edge that never quite sticks to the nail and always catches on stuff, ruining the overall smooth effect of the colour.

--How long do they last?--

They are *supposed* to last for days. However, I got sooooo frustrated with the above that I removed them after about a day (thankfully, unlike Sephora's, they are easy to remove).

--Value for money--

At £5.99 for 24, they are easily comparable to Sephora's offering, which is priced between €7,90 and €9,90 for 20 (and you don't get a nail file included with Sephora's). Both are quite expensive for just one or two wears, though, compared to a regular bottle of varnish, even if they do purportedly last a while. I would therefore definitely not purchase from the original or sparkle ranges. However, I would consider purchasing from the party collection: with stars and zebra stripes available, to name just a few patterns, these would be great as a one-off for a night out, as they cost a lot less than the same patterned effects in a salon.

perfect partner

JML Pampered Toes, £9.99 
JML Pedi Pro, £19.99

Bath and Body Works Paris Amour Shower Gel

RRP: £9.75/295ml

--What does the promo say?--

"Bath and Body Works Shower Gel Paris Amour Shower Gel. A luxurious shower gel with moisturizing Aloe Vera and nourishing Vitamin E that gently clean, soften and fragrance your skin with Paris Amour of French tulips, apple blossoms and sparkling pink champagne."

--Packaging--

The brand's characteristic ergonomically designed curved bottle is complemented this time around by a pink bow and pastel colour design, complete with an Eiffel Tower in the background. Definitely feminine! The push-down lid is practical and easy to use, and labelling is thankfully kept to a minimum - I can't stand it when products are labelled to within an inch of their lives, leaving you without any way of seeing how much of the product is left.

--Application--

Under the shower, lather over your body, keeping away from eyes, mouth, and all other obvious places. Rinse off at leisure.

--Appearance--

The gel is pale pink and lathers into a pale white foam; no visible residue is left on the body after use.

--Scent--

It never ceases to amaze me at how companies manage to achieve the effect they want without using the actual ingredients concerned. Even though this gel does not, of course, contain pink champagne, tulips, or apple, that is strangely exactly what is detected by our noses. (Although who knows whether that's because it's what we've been TOLD to expect?) The shower gel smells fruity and floral with a slight 'fizziness'. Bizarrely, the aloe vera is not at all detectable.

--Texture and consistency--

The gel itself is perhaps a little too viscous for my liking, but it lathers nicely into a foam that's satisfyingly thick (although not absurdly so).

--Longevity--

Sadly, the smell does not linger. While the gel makes body skin feel soft, I'd say the effect of this is no more and no less than any other gel, in spite of the presence of aloe vera and vitamin E.

--Value for money--

While Bath and Body Works products always make great gifts thanks to their tantalising and unusual scent combinations and concepts, and offer a practical purpose combined with a luxurious experience, I can see how some people may begin to find this a bit on the expensive side, especially considering that so few natural ingredients go towards making up the scent itself. Some may consider Ecosoapia's hand and body wash products to offer a more viable alternative - they're £5 for the same amount of product, and are organic, meaning that the origins of the scent are probably more easily traceable. However, Ecosoapia's offerings are fairly standard (peppermint, almond, rose geranium...), whereas Bath and Body Works inject truly new and different fragrances into today's market. What tradeoff/s are you willing to accept? Only you can decide.

perfect partners

Paris Amour Body Mist, £10.45

Paris Amour Body Lotion, £10.15

Paris Amour Body Cream, £10.50

Paris Amour Body Butter, £11.50