JOOP; WOW! - FRAGRANCE LAUNCH

An e-vite from COTY came through to my inbox, and all that was stated was a date, time and that a fragrance launch would be taking place at a secret location, hidden away in London somewhere. Now, immediately I was intrigued, and having gone to a fragrance launch organised by COTY before for the Davidoff; Horizon fragrance, I knew I was going to be in for a good time!

I was chauffeur driven in a Mercedes to the location, and as I got into the car, I was greeted by a large box, an envelope, a miniature bottle of Moet (that didn't last long..), and an iPad playing the promotional movie of the fragrance! 'Welcome to the JOOP; WOW! Experience!' I was amazed at the presentation of the box, as when I opened it, inside was the bottle of the fragrance placed within a Jaguars head, and to top it off, the box lit up! As the journey came to an end, I arrived at the secret location which was in fact the 'Six Storeys' in Soho, before being taken up each floor, group by group, to go through the JOOP WOW! Experience in full.

There were 4 floors in total, each of which gave an insight and more depth to the fragrance, and the story behind it.

FIRST FLOOR: 'Behind The Fragrance'

We were met by a fragrance expert; Will Andrews, and he took us through each of the different notes within the fragrance.

  • Top Notes: Violet Leaf, Bergamot, Cardamom
  • Middle Notes: Fir Balsam, Geranium, Vetiver
  • Heart Notes: Cashmeran, Vanilla, Tonka Bean

I found with WOW! that it is very distinctive, and has a loud projection. The initial spray is rather sweet with the citrus notes coming through, yet takes a more muskier, creamy direction with the earthy tones and the rich, strong notes at the heart of the fragrance. Perfect for this time of year! I am a big fan of strong fragrances, so this is definitely a new contender for me. I particularly like the simplicity of the bottle's design, and one that I found was a rather different direction for the brand! 

We were then asked to pick out some of our favourite notes within the scent, as if we were to create our own fragrance. I chose the Bergamot as my Top Note, Tonka Bean as my Middle Note, and the Vanilla as my Heart Note. Shortly afterwards, we made our way upstairs to the next floor for a lesson in 'Gin-Making'!

SECOND FLOOR: 'Gin Making based on WOW!'

Gin Mixologist; Patrick Hobbs gave us a lesson in creating our own Gin based around the fragrance using different layers within the drink. To start, I added a base to the drink, 50ml of Spice (I later regretted it.), 25ml of Citrus, 25ml of Floral Herb and two/three drops of Sweet & Floral. It's safe to say that I won't be taking up bar work or cocktail making anytime soon as my drink certainly packed a punch...

THIRD FLOOR: 'A lesson in Tailoring with Edward Sexton'

Dominic Sebag-Montefiore, a tailor from Edward Sexton gave us a lesson on the history of the clothes and how the suits and tailoring have changed throughout the years. My personal favourite, was the jacket with the red tie as I felt that the tie looked really bold and strong against the crisp, white shirt.

FOURTH FLOOR: 'Personalisation of the fragrance and food'

By the time we got to the fourth floor, I must admit that the gin that I had made, was starting to kick in.. Oops! We all got given the opportunity to personalise our fragrance bottle, so I chose to have 'MR.LC' engraved on mine, and I felt that it added a really personal touch, and it was a lovely way to finish the afternoon off! The whole event from start to finish was incredible! From the mysterious email, to the car journey, to the secret location, to the different activities on each floor, and to meeting new and familiar bloggers who I had only spoken to via social media! 

I just want to thank COTY for the invite, it was an amazing event and I had a great time! Joop WOW! launches on Wednesday 1st February and is available to purchase here.

Will you be trying out WOW! by Joop? Have you tried any of the Joop fragrances before? If so, which is your favourite? Do let me know your comments down below, and don't forget to click that 'like' button!

ROBERTO CAVALLI; UOMO

Whenever I wear this fragrance, I feel as though I'm wearing something incredibly expensive! The epitome of sophistication, and one that exudes glamour.

  • Top Notes: Black Violet, Saffron
  • Middle Notes: Honey, Lavender
  • Base Notes: Cedar

The first initial spray is powerful, with the Black Violet taking its prominent place, blending beautifully with the Saffron Note. I have found the sillage to be extremely heavy, and have found myself to be the receiver of many compliments from having worn this! The longevity of Roberto Cavalli; Uomo is impressive. From spraying this in the morning, it can still be smelt on my skin later that evening. The honey note gives the fragrance a creamy feel to it, and the overall scent is effortlessly stylish. For some reason, I can imagine wearing this fragrance on a rooftop bar, wearing all black with a dark rum and coke in one hand... Mysterious, yet making a point.

The only suggestion I would have with wearing this fragrance, is that I feel it may be better suited for the colder seasons. Sometimes, I have found the fragrance to be slightly overbearing in the warm heat! Nevertheless, with Autumn coming up next month, could there be a better excuse to try this out? 

Without a doubt, one of my favourite fragrances that I have had the absolute pleasure of trying out, and with the arrival of Peter Dundas being the new Creative Director of Roberto Cavalli, I await more impeccable fragrances. You can purchase Roberto Cavalli; Uomo here!

Have you smelt Roberto Cavalli; Uomo before? What are your thoughts? Do let me know your feedback, as I would love to hear from you down below!

CK ONE; SUMMER

'There are no rules in the jungle.'

I had received the latest addition to the Calvin Klein fragrance line; Summer. It is nothing short of fresh, vibrant and fruity!

  • Top Notes: Green Apple, Lime Mojito, Green Ginger
  • Middle Notes: Guava, Tiare Tahiti, Juniper
  • Base Notes: Coconut Milk, Cedarwood, Tree Moss

CK One; Summer is a unisex fragrance and was launched in March 2016, in time for the upcoming Spring/Summer seasons! This fragrance is an Eau De Toilette.

Upon its initial spray, it smelt very light and airy, immediately living up to it's name! The Lime Mojito note was very prominent, and during the dry down process, my favourite note - Cedarwood could be picked out also.

However, I found the projection and the sillage of this fragrance slightly disappointing. CK One; Summer lasted for up to two hours upon my skin, before it began to fade away. 

Perhaps I'm biased, as I tend to be drawn to stronger, heavier fragrances, so I found this fragrance to be the complete opposite!

I find the packaging of the bottle divine, and the palm tree which has been engraved into the back of the bottle, gives it that unique edge, whilst the CK One logo is instantly eye-catching. If you're looking for a fragrance that is refreshing and fruity, then this is the fragrance for you! You can buy CK One; Summer here, available in 100ml.

Have you smelt CK One; Summer before? What are your thoughts to this fragrance? Leave me some feedback, down below in the comments box!

MARC JACOBS; RAIN

Whilst England may not have the best weather throughout the Spring/Summer seasons, who cares?! With Marc Jacobs latest offering to his extensive Fragrance Collection: Rain, you won't need to go on holiday!

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Marc Jacobs; Rain, is simply stunning. Fresh, pure and captivating, this fragrance is the epitome of the Spring/Summer seasons! Whenever I smell this fragrance, I feel as though I should have a glass of cool Mojito in my hand! 

As part of the SPLASH! series which features Rain - Cucumber - Cotton - Pear, Rain is back by popular demand, and I am thrilled it is. 

Top Notes: Wet Cut Grass, Sparkling Wild Strawberry, Clementine Zest, Dewy Cypress.

Middle Notes: Tropical Rain Accord, Passion Flower, Sunshine Flower, White Orchid.

Base Notes: Beech Amber, Tree Moss, Musk, Teakwood.

I find this fragrance so light, it's almost aquatic. The initial spray bursts onto my skin, and with it being such a light fragrance, surprisingly, the sillage is powerful! I've often walked away from an area, to come back to find the fragrance still lingering in the air. The longevity of Rain lasts for up to 6-7 hours on my skin I found, which is impressive considering how fresh the scent is. The design of the bottle comes in glass, in the form of a cube, enabling you to see the cool, blue liquid inside of it. Ultra slick and stylish, sticking to the effortless charm of the Marc Jacobs brand.

Marc Jacobs Rain comes in 100ml which is available to buy here! I hope to try out the other three fragrances; Cucumber, Cotton and Pear so check back later for the reviews on those too!

Have you smelt Marc Jacobs Rain before? Are you glad it has been re-released? I'd love to hear your thoughts, so leave me a comment down below!

DAVIDOFF; HORIZON EVENT

'Feeling free, you can achieve almost anything.'

I'd been invited by COTY to attend their fragrance launch for Davidoff- Horizon! Of course I was naturally ecstatic to have been asked, this was my first event in London, and my first fragrance launch!

The morning of the event had arrived, and immediately I felt excited, albeit slightly nervous! I'd been out the night before for a 'few drinks' in Soho, and if you follow me on Snapchat, I'm sure you'll have seen exactly what I got up to... No further comment. Anyway! 

I was unsure as to what to wear as I didn't really know what to expect. So, I decided to play it safe and I wore a black turtle neck t shirt from ASOS, (I actually wore this t shirt in my latest Street Style shoot!) Some black skinny jeans and a white/cream blazer, both from Topman. I also wore my favourite pair of Jeffery West suede boots! I will be doing a new Street Style shoot featuring this outfit, so be sure to check back for that!

I'd stayed with my friend in Hampstead Heath and I needed to get over to Waterloo. I got on the tube, only to discover I was going the wrong way. You can imagine, sheer panic took over my senses as I kept checking the time and I was frantically rushing around trying to work out what line to get, Northbound or Southbound? How long will it take? What colour does that line mean? AGH! I eventually arrived (early, might I add.. Lord knows how I managed to do that!) at the National Theatre where the event took place, and I was greeted by two lovely ladies. 

As we walked up to 'The Deck', I was in absolute awe of the view! 'The Deck' is at the very top of The National Theatre, and overlooks the whole of Southbank and The River Thames. The sun was shining, everybody was immaculately dressed, and the location was stunning. The first thing I saw, was the Davidoff- Horizon fragrance, so I went over to smell it and fell in love with the masculinity of the scent! 

Davidoff - Horizon

  • Top Notes: Grapefruit, Rosemary, Ginger.
  • Middle Notes: Patchouli, Nutmeg, Cedar Wood.
  • Base Notes: Cocoa Absolut, Leather Accord, Vetiver. 

I'd sprayed this on my skin around 9.45am and it was still just as strong when I smelt it at 5.45pm. The longevity of this is amazing. The first initial spray is light, and refreshing. Perfect for this time of year! The dry-down started to kick in, and that's when I felt the fragrance came to life. The scent became heavier, muskier and more intriguing. Whilst the sillage of this isn't too overpowering, it can still be smelt lingering in the air, even after you've walked away. 

Levison Wood gave us a talk on his experiences and who better to en-capture the spirit of this fragrance, than Levison? Everybody was transfixed on Levison as he gave his talk, and one quote he said which seemed to resonate with me was; "Sometimes in life, you don't have to have a reason for doing things. Sometimes things just happen, and things just are." At the end of the speech, I was lucky enough to have been able to have got a photograph with him! We also had all received a goody bag, inside this bag was a bottle of 125ml Davidoff - Horizon and a copy of Levison Wood- 'Walking The Himalayas.' 

Overall, it was a perfect morning and one I will always remember as my first event in London! (Hopefully, not my last!) Davidoff - Horizon is available to purchase from any store and comes in 40ml (£34), 75ml (£45) and 125ml (£59). You can purchase this fragrance here.

Have you smelt Davidoff - Horizon yet? What do you think to it? I'd love to hear your thoughts! Oh, also! You can follow me and my travels on Snapchat now, it's: mrlukechristian