The Beginner’s Guide to Women’s Fragrances

This post may contain affiliate links, they help me to keep the blog afloat and cost nothing to you.

I’ll start by saying, I am not a fragrance guru and only became seriously interested in them within the last year or but I’ve fallen in love after learning what I like and understanding what it means to go on a fragrance journey. I remember turning 25 a few years back and thinking it’s time for my ‘grown woman’ fragrance and without a clue, I bought Gucci Flora because one of my favorite Youtubers/Influencers loved it. It’s literally been sitting on my dresser collecting dust. I’ve sprayed it twice a year since, if that. Long story short, your nose is yours! It’s important to learn what you enjoy and what works well with your body chemistry along with the best season to wear it.

Types of Fragrances

You will typically find the fragrances will fall into one of the four categories while sometimes overlapping; fresh, floral, warm, and or woody.

Fresh

When you think about fresh fragrances, think light/clean, water, and citrus scents. This means they will usually be lighter in scent without a heavy and overpowering feel to them. You can also find skin scents in the category as well, especially when you’re looking for something soft. Below are a few of my favorites:

1. Replica - Bubble Bath

2. Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Forever

3. Acqua di Gioia by Armani 

Floral 

The name says it all! If you love the smell of flowers, then you’ll want to check out this category, search for notes of roses, jasmine and lilies! I recommend the following:

1. Idôle Now Eau De Parfum (try the regular version for a softer smell)

2. Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia 

3. La Vie Est Belle

Warm & Spicy 

Black Opium, YSL Libre Intense, Kayali Vanilla 28

The warm and spicy section is my favorite! It reminds me of warmth, sensual vibes, and a good time. Date night fragrances will be found in this category! 

1. Carolina Herrera Good Girl

2. Alien Goddess

3. Jimmy Choo - I Want Choo

Sweet & Fruity 

The super sweet fragrances usually cater to a younger crowd but every now and then you’ll find one that is worth having in your collection! Here are some of my favorites:

1. Sweet Like Candy

2. Burberry Her

3. Mugler Angel Nova 

4. Victor&Rolf BonBon

As a reminder, fragrances are subjective, what one person likes another may hate. Your body chemistry plays a huge part in how a fragrance projects. I can’t wait to explore fragrances with you all and find more to share! The next time you’re out, stop by your local fragrance counter and smell! 

How To Make an Impact With Your Appearance

We all want to have the right impact and present ourselves to the outside world in the most positive ways possible, but doing that is often easier said than done. We’re going to take a look today at some of  the things you can do differently if you want to have more of an impact with your appearance. So if you’re looking to take things in a new direction, read on and find out more.

Find the Hairstyle That Makes You Feel Powerful

First of all, you need to find the hairstyle that makes you feel good about yourself and that makes you feel powerful. Your hair can have such a huge impact on how confident you feel and how you present yourself to the world, even more so than the other aspects of your style or approaches to fashion. So find a stylist you trust and discover the hairstyle that’s best for you.

Focus on Your General Health

You’ll look better and feel better when you put more time and energy into focusing on your general health. We all have different priorities in life, but one thing we should all focus on is eating healthily, getting plenty of exercise and getting enough sleep at night. Those are the most important cornerstones of a healthy lifestyle, so be sure not to overlook any of them.

Fix Any Lingering Dental Issues

It’s a good idea to fix any lingering issues that you might have with your teeth if you feel as if they might be holding you back. Lots of people get insecure because of discolored teeth and other problems such as those. That’s why it might be a good idea to look into teeth whitening options if you haven’t done so already.

Carry Yourself with Confidence

The way in which you walk and carry yourself will have a big impact on how confident people see you as being. Everything is impacted by how you carry yourself. Your clothes will look better on you and people will even show you more respect when you’re able to carry yourself correctly and display confidence from day to day. So that’s something you should work on.

Don’t be Afraid to be Bold

There’s nothing wrong with being a little more bold and putting yourself out there with your clothing choices. A bold and clear approach to fashion can make all the difference. So if you want to make sure that you make an impact, stay true to what you love and the style that you think works best for you, even if that means being bold and defying the expectations of others.

If you want to have more of an impact with your appearance and you want to make sure that you always present the best possible version of yourself to the world, be sure to make the most of the tips and ideas that we’ve shared above. Each of  them will serve you well in one way or another.

Items to Purchase Now For Your Winter Wardrobe

Winter is already here, so you must be thinking, “Isn’t it too late to add to my wardrobe?” The answer to that is “no.” As winter carries on, the weather is variable, and in some areas, the cold is just starting to set in. Also, a lot of stores and brands are making way for their spring collections, so a lot of winter fashion is being discounted to unreasonably low prices. 

Now is the perfect time to start thinking about sprucing up your winter wardrobe. Here are some items you should add to your winter clothing for sustainability and durability. 

Sweaters

Everyone needs sweaters in the winter. When these items hit the shelves in the late summer and early fall they cost a fortune. In the middle of winter, they are about 50% off. With the pandemic keeping a lot of things locked down or keeping a lot of people indoors, a lot of brick and mortar stores did not see a lot of foot traffic, which means that the shelves are full. A full shelf means that a lot of stuff has to go to make way for the spring and summer. 

That also means that stores will do anything possible to get the shelves cleared so sweaters are being marked down by a lot. Go visit your favorite local clothing store and load up on sweaters. You will have them for this year, and if you don’t wear them all, you have them for next year too. 

Gloves

Gloves are needed all winter long. They are like umbrellas, people only seem to sell them when it’s raining or the weather calls for them to be needed right away. If you get yourself durable gloves that won’t wear away after one season, then you won’t have to worry about gloves every year.

Durable gloves like hard knuckle tactical gloves will last you a lifetime. The hard knuckles prevent the glove from tearing or splitting at the knuckle area exposing your skin. The gloves also are thick so that cold air can’t permeate the material. You can also get them with a half finger so that you can use your phone while you are wearing them, or with a full finger so that you are entirely protected. 

Scarves

You can never have enough scarves, but you should have a variety of scarves. This is another item that will be discounted to make way for the spring. It is important to have a few different kinds to choose from.

• There is the short scarf so that you can wrap it around your neck or tuck it into your shirt or jacket to keep your neck completely covered from the cold. 

• There is the long scarf that you can wear around your neck but on the outside of your jacket to add an accent to your overall outfit and to give yourself a winter look. 

• There is also the large square scarf that is reminiscent of a Middle Eastern or Mediterranean head wrap that you can wrap around your neck and tie in a scoop neck so that you are completely covered, yet fashionable.

• Finally, you can always get a full wrap like a pashmina that you can use to cover your neck and also your shoulders if you wrap it correctly. 

The possibilities with scarves are endless, so get one of each of these scarves, and your outfit will always be accented by a great piece of clothing. 

Boots

Boots are so expensive. They can cost up to $400 or more for a good pair of boots. Unless you are buying them in the middle of winter. A lot of people purchased their boots in the fall in preparation for the cold weather. Because of that, most boots are now on sale for 30-40% off in order for stores and brands to make room for their spring and summer shoes and sandals. 

Now is the time to get fashionable boots for the remainder of winter. Depending on your style there is the knee-high boot, the calf boot, or a traditional ankle boot. Always go above the ankle to prevent cold wind or snow from getting directly to your foot. 

We all know that as soon as your feet get cold, your entire body is going to get cold. Keep your feet protected and warm. 

Ski Socks

Ski socks are the ultimate sock in the world. They never slide down and they are made of material that keeps your feet super warm. Obviously, the socks are made for when you are skiing. The best part of buying ski apparel is that once the ski season starts, the prices plummet. 

Ski apparel is also something that only gets ordered once, so as soon as items are purchased they are never replaced, so to get rid of them, stores discount everything after the start of ski season. Before they run out, get ski socks at a cheap price, and your feet are guaranteed to never be cold. 

A Top Quality Coat

It’s never too late to get a coat that is going to keep you warm against the elements. Most people will tell you that they don’t mind the winter as long as they feel warm. Most people enjoy the snow, enjoy the clean, crisp air, and enjoy the change of season. It’s when they are outside and freezing that they wish they were on a beach. 

Side with comfort this year and get a coat that will keep you warm and enjoying the low temperatures. A lot of coats are discounted right now, so if the weather is starting to change already, get it anyway and be prepared for next winter. 

Conclusion

It’s never too late to prepare for the winter; even if it’s winter already. It’s more economical to add items now so that they are still in good condition next year. It will be great for your wallet and it will be great for comfort. Stay warm and fashionable out there. 

Luvme Hair Wet and Wavy Headband Wig

This post is sponsored by Luvme Hair. All opinions are my own.

It’s been a long time since I’ve done a relaxed hair journey update but here we go! Y'all I still don’t know what I am doing with my hair. While I love my hair, I’ve gone without a relaxer for a few months - yikes! So, I’m at a breaking point - do I relax again or attempt to go natural for the 100th time? Either way, I’m learning to create a protective style routine that I can stick to. 

Headband wigs took the world by storm in 2020 and I missed it! I was not hip to trend but better late than never right? Headband wigs are easy to use and beginner friendly, they also have a very natural look to them - especially if you’re not into trying out lace front wigs.

Luveme Hair sent over this 20” Wet & Wavy Headband wig for me to check out and I’m quite impressed. I love a good wet and wavy style, especially during the summer time! The wig comes with 5 headbands of different colors chosen at random and a protective bag and box for storage. You can rock it straight out of the pack or wet it and add a curling cream for an extra pop! 

Check out the results of adding products over on my Instagram! 

How to Wear

If you’ve never tried a wig before this is the perfect start for you to achieve the most natural looking style. Comb and brush your natural hair back into a bun or low ponytail. As an optional step you can slick your edges down. Next apply a wig cap while leaving the perimeter of your hair exposed. Using the attached combs, place them into your hair. Pull the hair up into a ponytail and attach the back clip. 

The wig has 3 combs in the front and one in the back to easily attach it to your hair. I like to use the one in the back only so it doesn’t pull at the front of my hair. My hairline is quite thin - so I prefer to reduce tension as much as possible. Attaching the Velcro strap alone will still securely hold the wig in place. I haven’t experienced any movement with it and I’m pretty active. 

Protective Styling 

Protective styling is key when trying to grow and retain the length of your hair. Luvme Hair created the headband wig collection with this goal in mind. You can have your hair braided underneath your wig and still wear it. Braiding the hair flat or putting it in a low bun helps to create a flawless finished look.

Ready to check out the headband wig trend? Be sure to check out Luvme Hair for high quality, affordable human hair headband wigs!

I already have a few other styles on my wish list!