Weakness for perfume - Intro and D&G L'Imperatrice.

Okay, so I have two big weaknesses (aside from the obvious cake, chocolate, cheese, pizza ... food). The first is nail polishes. And the second is slightly more detrimental to my bank account: perfumes. In my teens I was a faithful Armani Code girl - still a firm favourite nowadays - but the real obsession started at duty free about 2 years ago, where I bought three. My collection now consists of 11, and I don't even want to think about how much it's worth. I feel as though I should insure it.

My high tech photography background (my furry blanket).

L-R (plus descriptions, because due to my ridiculous arranging I can't actually do it L-R): big rectangle bottle - Coco by Chanel; Small gold circular bottle - DKNY Golden Delicious; long gold bottle - J'adore by Dior; little navy bottle - Armani Code; little purple and gold bottle - Thierry Mugler Alien; circular clear bottle - Armani Acqua di Gioia; clear rectangle bottle - D&G L'Imperatrice; clear bottle with big-ass flowers on top - Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh; purple bottle with one big-ass flower on top - Marc Jacobs Lola; spotty ladybird-esque bottle - Marc Jacobs Dot; gradient bottle - Hugo Boss Orange Sunset.

I don't think I'm especially fussy when it comes to perfume, though at the same time I don't want anyone to buy it for me unless I've specified one. I'm not loyal to any particular style of perfume, but I know I don't like overly musky or floral scents. I think I have a few sexy, fruity (sexy fruit, that well known fragrance category) types but in general I like to wander around Boots and have a good sniff, covering my arm with different perfumes.

I'm going to write a quick review and description of each of my perfumes, starting with my current favourite. None of that 'this is a heady, floral oriental scent' - what does that even mean?! - but something which is hopefully a bit more accessible.

D&G - L'Imperatrice

This beauty is the newest addition to my collection. In my defence, it was only £31 (Duty free, what can I say? It is, however, only 35 quid at Debenhams at the minute. And you get double points) and I had wanted it for ages. AT LEAST a year.

Boots says:

'D&G 3 L'Impératrice opens with top notes of rhubarb, red currant and juicy kiwi accord. Fresh watermelon accord in the heart of the fragrance creates a mouth-watering concoction that is then offset by the drama of pink cyclamen for an exhilarating fragrance sensation. The musky notes, sandalwood and grapefruit wood in the base notes are boisterous, brilliant and incredibly addictive.'

And as far as pretentious descriptions go, that one's not too bad. It's a very fresh perfume - definitely fruity, and slightly sweet (but not in a sickly way, it's not Britney Spears). It's got depth to it though, and although it does adjust and develop into a more sultry scent as the day passes, you can always smell those initial fruity notes. I can smell it on myself for about 4 hours after I've applied it, which is really not bad at all for such a light perfume. Every so often I'll get a quick whiff of it and it still smells gorgeous, but it's by no means overwhelming or headache-inducing.

It's a bargain too - £35-ish for 100ml is probably the best value out of all the fragrances I own. The bottle is a bit simple and understated, but to be honest my perfume shelf needs a bit of subtlety, have you seen how fabulous the Marc Jacobs bottles are? It gets absolutely fab reviews on Makeupalley.com, and those ladies are extremely tough to please. It is a pretty popular one as far as I'm aware, so if you're looking for a unique, individual scent this one probably won't be it. And unfortunately it doesn't come in a smaller bottle but as far as perfumes go it's quite cheap anyway, so go and give it a sniff!