Day 2773 - How to wear perfume if you are sensitive to smells

Day 2773 - How to wear perfume if you are sensitive to smells

Aging Positively Beauty tips and tricks

Do you wear perfume?

As a migraine sufferer I can be sensitive to smells.  Cigarette smoke, for example, can cause me an instant headache that leads to vomiting fairly quickly.  Walking through the original casinos in Fremont Street, Vegas (which don't have the good air control) had me racing to the nearest toilet with "head in the hands" pain and vomiting.

Being in a room full of dressed up ladies wearing their favourite scents can also cause me some significant nasal irritation.  Especially if those scents have been over sprayed.

Because of these sensitivities I don't wear much perfume.  I love the idea of perfume, but in practice it just doesn't bode well for me.



Having said that I have had my favourites over the years.

I was a big fan of Georgio Beverly Hills and Elizabeth Arden's 5th Avenue.  I also quite liked Calvin Klein's Eternity and Versace's Red Jeans Woman.  Yes, I'm showing my age.

Recently as the Hubster travelled home from New Zealand he asked what perfume I might like from Duty Free.  I umm'ed and aah'ed and then decided to go for something I've never had before.  Strangely enough I chose my new perfume based on the name.  Which is how I ended up with Clinique's "Happy".

So how does someone who is sensitive to smells wear perfume?

Tip:

Wear your perfume on your back!

I spray mine on the back of my head/hair and on the back of my shirt. This means it's not going up my nose all day but I still smell nice to other people. 

According to some perfume specialists, "spraying on hair and fabric is a better plan in any case as the oils sink into the structure of the fibres and take longer to evaporate" (Greatist, December 2015). Perhaps best not to spray on silk and other delicate fabrics though.

Tip:

Choose a light fragrance.

People with fragrance "allergies" can smell things at lower levels than others, so finding nice light perfumes is the key for someone who gets headaches from smells.

Tip:

Perhaps go with the "Eau de cologne".

According to Total Beauty, "Eau de cologne" is the least potent version of perfume which works better for those who are sensitive to smells.

Do you wear perfume?

What's your favourite?

Anyone else get headaches from smells? 

What are you perfume tips? 

Day 2764 - Wellness Wednesday - Get dressed to be fabulous

Day 2764 - Wellness Wednesday - Get dressed to be fabulous

Beauty fitness health wellness Wednesday

Are you feeling fit and fabulous today?

I've noticed lately that I haven't been taking a lot of care about my appearance.

The fact that I've been extremely busy, overwhelmed, unwell and a little bit blue  has all added to a "care factor zero" kind of mentality.

Which doesn't bode well for someone striving to get back to her Fit and Fabulous tagline, does it?



I hadn't had a nail appointment in five weeks which meant my nails were all chipped and broken looking very much like I'd been in some sort of scrag fight.

The grey hairs glaring from my part line looked like I was wearing a skunk for a hat.

The chin hairs were so long and lush that I could have raised quite a bit of money for Movember.

And we won't even talk about the welcome mats under my arms nor the mohair pantyhose I've been wearing.

Embracing what nature gave us is OK for some, but going au naturale hasn't exactly helped me feel fabulous.   So on this Wellness Wednesday I want to chat about "keeping up appearances".

To really feel fit and fabulous it's important to look after ourselves.  To take care of our exercise, to ensure we eat healthily, to work on our mindset and to make an effort with our appearance.

I'm not saying we need to go out and buy a new wardrobe, nor turn to botox or plastic surgery, but some general upkeep can go a long way to helping us to feel as though we're being the best that we can be.

So this week I have gone back to basics and tried to tidy up the exterior just a tad to ensure my interior is getting a good chance at feeling like home again.  It's hard to keep a good house when the yard is overrun with weeds and the paint is peeling.  So I went and had my nails done, threw some polish on my toes, died my roots, had a bit of a shave and even got the Nair onto my lions mane.

Wellness isn't just about addressing what's going on within.  Sometimes we've got to give the outside a bit of energy as well.

How has your week been?

Have you been looking after yourself?

What do you do to keep yourself looking and feeling fabulous? 

Beauty Review: 3 Eyelash Favourites from Kiss

Beauty Review: 3 Eyelash Favourites from Kiss

Beauty Beauty Bloggers cruelty free cruelty free beauty cruelty free eyelashes cruelty free fake nails fake nails KISS lashes KISS nails mink eyelashes

Quite a few months ago, I attended a Kiss event to celebrate the brand's new brand ambassador, -TOWIE's Jess Wright. Having spent the evening trying out some of their new nails and eyelash styles, I thought I'd share my honest review and some favourite eyelashes from their collections.

As one of the world's largest manufacturers of false nails and lashes, Kiss have managed to create cruelty-free, salon finished products available to the mass market. As someone who religiously wears lashes everyday, I like to think I've become a bit of a pro when it comes to spotting flaws in false lashes but, hand on heart, I think Kiss tick quite a few of my boxes when it comes to desirable qualities. I can honestly say I've bought myself many-a-pair in the past and have been really pleased with them. Their lashes are super lightweight, easy to apply and feather-like in consistency. So that said, here are my three most recommended pairs...

'Looks So Natural' Lash by Kiss, Flirty - If, like me, you like full volume to your lash then Flirty is most likely the one for you. One of my favourite features of this particular set is the tapered ends which gives it that natural looking feather-like finish. Many synthetic lashes will actually have square tips and, although very subtle, this is often what makes them appear very harsh and fake-looking when you apply mascara over the top of them. The tapered edge means that these tips are actually pointed to make them blend in more naturally with your own lashes and appear more like extensions than actual false strips. I think this feature is what first attracted me to the brand and I immediately noticed the difference.

The only con I can think of with this particular set is that I had to use an Eylure glue instead due to the consistency and stickiness of the Kiss glue. The ends of the strips did come away gradually from my inner lid a little on the first wear but were fine once they'd adjusted to the shape of my eye. They do take a bit of patience on first application and I'd recommend using tweezers to hold the strip down at the corners for a few extra seconds. These are actually my everyday types as I love mine to look as thick and full as possible although they may be more intended for going-out for some of you.

'Blooming Lash' by Kiss, Peony - If you're looking for length and depth, I think Peony may be your best bet from the Kiss collection. I think these ones are particular good as day to evening lashes and have Multi-Angle technology to make them appear more natural - more like individual extensions and less like a strip. Personally, I'm not a fan of 'cat eye' lashes and much prefer the shape of these. They also have a multi-layer of lashes which makes them appear thicker whilst still being light-weight and feathery. 

Again, it took a little bit of patience and adjusting to get the ends to stick down on the first wear but once you've broken them in, you can wear these up to 10 times. I'd recommend using Eylure or another brand of glue although the lash itself is really good quality. I personally really like that they don't look obviously synthetic and whenever I wear these I often get asked if they're extensions or mink lashes. CF side note: please do NOT use mink lashes - there is no such thing as cruelty free when it's made from the hair of a wild animal. Think of the conditions the animals are kept in for the sake of a pair of eyelashes. 

'Blooming Lash' by Kiss, Daisy - Similar to Peony, Daisy are part of the Blooming Lash Collection - designed to create the look of natural eyelashes with depth and volume. Each hair is a different length to fan out the eye and give a more striking look. If you tend to go for a more subtle lash then I think Daisy may be the option for you as it is the more feathery and light of the three. These lashes consist of one layer making them more natural looking whilst also giving your natural eyelashes a boost.

I actually found these ones a lot easier to apply correctly first time and they didn't seem to peel up so much at the corners. Not sure if I just got lucky but they seemed to go with the curve of my eyelid a lot better. I've actually worn this particular set to a job interview as they're surprisingly subtle but you can build on them using mascara and varied eye shadow looks.

____

So that's it for my Top 3 Fake Eyelashes from Kiss, have you tried their eyelashes or nail products before? Which eyelash brands do you swear by? As always, I love reading your comments so please do leave me lots of lovely ones down below.

Until next time,

*Disclaimer: These products were gifted to me by the brand although I was never asked to do a review or blog post. As usual, all opinions are my own and do not reflect those of Kiss.