ByKathryn Padstow Rocks Perfume

RRP: £35 for 15ml

--What does the promo say?--
"PADSTOW ROCKS is our Get Out Of Town perfume: Fresh and fragrant, inspired by coastal walks, feel the stress simply melt away. And breathe! BYKATHRYN has partnered with Surfing England and some of Team England’s top female athletes as they set their sights on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics . The partnership is underlined by the fresh ocean vibes of PADSTOW ROCKS perfume. A perfect fit for the surfer girls and for the effortlessly cool, laid back woman who takes each day in her stride & goes with the flow. Designed to be carried with you PADSTOW ROCKS comes in a hand luggage sized 15ml perfume spray bottle in colourful eye catching packaging so your perfume stays fresh and uplifting."

--Packaging--
The orange box in which the perfume comes is vibrant and modern, emblazoned with the name of the perfume in bold white lettering. A beach scene is watermarked in the background, giving every impression of the sand being soaked in this scent at sunset. This colour scheme is reversed on the bottle itself, with orange lettering taking pride of place on a transparent glass spray bottle, enhanced by a gold-effect cap.

--Application--
Spray onto pulse points behind the ears, on the wrists, and at the neck. 

--Appearance--
The transparent liquid leaves no visible residue on the skin.

--Scent--
The promotional materials promise "ocean vibes" and there's a definite saltiness at the heart of this perfume that makes it truly unique. While in some ways, as with the brand's other perfume (Petrolhead), it's still more masculine than I would like (thanks to the cedarwood base), this would be my preferred choice from the brand. As someone who enjoys light, sparkly fragrances ordinarily, this fragrance is definitely lifted by the citrus head notes. Over the day it develops into a subtle yet sharp finish.

--Longevity--
A powerful perfume that lasts all day.

--Value for money--
It's actually quite unusual to find a perfume in this 15ml travel format - so to compare prices I had to look for perfumes retailing at around £70 for the more standard 30ml. This leads us to brands such as Michael Kors, Giorgio Armani, Clinique, and one of my all-time favourites: M Micallef. All of which are far more widely known than ByKathryn. But that's inevitable for a new brand and with luck will change over time. Quality-wise, what the brand offers is undisputed, and as such worth the money. What I'm mainly hoping for is that their next scent will be more in my usual territory: something light, floral, sparkly and sweet. Third time lucky?

Petrolhead by ByKathryn

RRP: £35 for 15ml

--What does the promo say?--
"Our PETROLHEAD perfume packs a punch and empowers you to Write Your Own Rules: Fearless and modern, vivaciously bold. Live life on your terms!

Jo Polley, racing driver, is our PETROLHEAD perfume Ambassador. We are so excited to be headline sponsor for her Mini 7 S Class for the 2019 racing season. Jo simply embodies our PETROLHEAD vibe.

Designed to be taken with you PETROLHEAD comes in a hand luggage sized 15ml perfume spray bottle in colourful eye catching packaging to keep your perfume at peak performance."

--Packaging--

I received a 2ml sample/travel size from ByKathryn's PR - thanks for your generosity! So mine took the form of a glass tube around the size of my pinky, with a spray top, and encased in a paper sleeve decorated with an iridescent oil design. Very attractive by all accounts that gives a good impression of the brand's packaging overall.

--Application--

Spritz onto pulse points such as behind the ears, onto the wrists and - one random one I heard lately - behind your knees. You can also spray the air and then step into the fragrance so that it spreads more evenly over your hair and clothes for an overall effect.

--Appearance--

The liquid appears mildly yellow in the bottle, but leaves no visible residue on skin or clothes.

--Scent--

The notes on ByKathryn's website describe this fragrance as having citrus in the top notes, jasmine and woody scents at its heart, and a spicy, almost oriental base. 

I love jasmine (it appears in some of my favourite perfumes) but I felt it to be overridden by the woody notes (the website says conifer), making this fragrance a little too masculine for my taste.

I would describe this perfume as leathery and smoky - definitely great for making a unique first impression and without doubt living up to the product description: fearless, bold, vivacious and modern.

--Longevity--

Despite the fragrance not being truly what I would normally go for (preferring fresher, sparklier scents), I was genuinely impressed by the staying power of this one, compared to many other lesser-quality perfumes whose scents fade away much more quickly over the course of the day. I could still smell this on myself by the end of the morning and I am told it was still detectable by the time I went to bed at night as well - so I would say it lasts at least 12 hours.

--Value for money--

This was a little tricky to compare as 15ml isn't actually a usual perfume bottle size; most are available in 30ml, 50ml, and 100ml bottles. So comparing to bottles that are around £70 for 30ml, or £110 for 50ml (as opposed to ByKathryn's £35 for 15ml), this is priced equally to high-end brands such as Tom Ford, Dolce & Gabbana, and Ralph Lauren. I would argue that this is worth it for the quality of fragrance provided, even if I myself would not choose the Petrolhead variant. I would certainly be interested in testing ByKathryn's other fragrance in future, named Padstow Rocks, which promises a more floral scent (accented by citrus notes), and which I think I would prefer. In short, ByKathryn is definitely a brand worthy of your time and money - especially as there are options available for every budget (see below).

perfect partners

Travel Lite Minis, £5

Petrolhead Perfume Sachet, £6.50

Mini Perfume Gift Set, £7

Luxury Perfume Gift Set, £65

Write Your Own Rules accessories pouch, £16.50