Confession time.

In the last few weeks of writing my dissertation, I may have, ahem… *whispers* ‘let myself go’.

Just a little.

OK. Maybe quite a lot.

My uniform consisted of pyjamas and my hair was generally unwashed {ick}. I went days without makeup and all my lotions and potions lay untouched on my bathroom shelves. There were no leisurely soaks in the tub, I scrimped on the body scrub and skipped my usual body lotion altogether. There just wasn’t time and, to be honest, chained to my desk with no cause to set foot outside my own home for days, there simply wasn’t the inclination either.

In light of my generally horrific appearance during this dark period of academic torture, it’s not hard to appreciate why perfume became something of a lifeline for me. A quick spritz was enough to convince me I hadn’t let things slip completely, instantly transforming my mood and lifting my spirits.

One scent in particular really stood out for me this summer. Frangipani by niche London perfumery Ormonde Jayne called to me from the moment I opened the discovery set I ordered way back in July, when I first began compiling The Scent Series.

The name instantly conjured up images of Mr. LA proposing in Bali last year. The grounds of our hotel were bursting with Frangipani trees, and the white blooms decorated the table during the romantic open-air evening meal which saw my then boyfriend proposing on bended knee. I even slipped one behind my ear for the rest of the evening.

I hoped this perfume would transport me straight back to that candle-lit spot under the stars.

But it didn’t.

So, initially, I dismissed it, and set about amusing myself with all the other wonderful perfumes in the set. I found my way back to it in the end though, and eventually came to love it as I do now.

Frangipani is fresh and uplifting when I first apply it. I get a burst of lime on my skin, which I love. This soon subsides though, revealing a delicious creamy floral that’s fun, rather than old fashioned. Then, as it develops further, it is sweet, but never cloying, and I find the vanilla and musk that lingers hours later immensely comforting. There’s something incredibly soft and billowy about the fragrance, a quality you probably wouldn’t expect from its zingy opener. Tania Sanchez describes it perfectly in Perfumes: The A-Z Guide when she says it maintains ‘a seamless impression of just-picked dewy freshness and intensity for hours, from the burst of its lemony start, through its long, cool, cedary dry down’.

I like Frangipani for day, but would be equally happy to reapply for evening, especially a warm evening spent outdoors {preferably sipping mojitos and watching the sunset}. Although, I suppose now that September is upon us there won’t be too many of those *sigh*. As my perfume tastes change dramatically in the winter, I can’t see myself reaching for this much during the cooler months, but I am determined to invest in a full size bottle by the time next summer rolls around. In the meantime, I’m rapidly falling in love with Tolu. But that’s another story for another day…

Have you sampled any of the Ormonde Jayne range? Do you have any favourites, or are you tempted by Frangipani?

Loveaudrey xXx