Ciara Sims

I think autumn is my favourite season. I love that it gets darker earlier and colder so you can start to bring out the scarfs and big coats and I think everything just looks so pretty in the autumn. I like to mirror this change in season not only with my makeup, but with the scents that I surround myself with. I like to switch up my perfume to something deeper and heavier and crack out the more festive smelling candles. Here are just three of my favourites:

I have been given bottles of *The Body Shop White Musk (£17) as a birthday and Christmas present so many times and I have to be honest with you, that when I first received one, I really wasn't keen. It was a bottle of body mist that came in a set with a scented body shimmer, shower gel and a pair of those exfoliating gloves. I just remember it smelling so strong and really overpowering and I hated it (I actually still have that body shimmer and I got his present at least 6 years ago...). Since then I received a bottle from my friend Kemi for my birthday and I can't get enough of it. I think it's probably one of those scents that grow on you as you get older. It's definitely not a fragrance that I would wear all year round but I think it's just perfect for the colder, darker months.

*The Body Shop White Musk is a gorgeous sensual fragrance containing notes of lily, iris, rose, vanilla and musk. It's deep and strong without being too heavy and overpowering and it lasts all day on the skin without smelling stale (if you know, then you know). I have an *Eau De Toilette (pictured), which I prefer to wear in the evenings, and a *Fragrance Mist which I think it more suited to day time. It's not as strong, but still as beautiful. White Musk is an iconic Body Shop scent that you need to be familiar with.

For my birthday this year, my brother bought me this absolutely deliciously scented Grimhilde Poison Apple Candle. This is the nicest thing I think I have ever smelt and I could just sit there smelling it for hours. It's the most gorgeous spiced apple scent that just gets you in the mood for the festive season and will make you want to go out and buy a Christmas tree and sit by the fire in an awful woolly jumper. I haven't actually lit it yet because it's just too good to burn and I don't want it to ever run out but it's so strongly scented that just having it out of the box fills the whole room. Also, amazing fragrance aside, how cute is the packaging?? The actual candle comes in a heavy red glass jar, that I am so going to use after burning this thing, and then the whole thing comes packaged inside this beautiful black box decorated with gold and a big red apple. And if you still haven't got the Snow White reference then on the inside of the lid is this beautiful little quote:

Unfortunately, I cannot find this candle on the internet anywhere, although my brother has informed me that he picked it up in TK Maxx so keep your eyes peeled there in case it pops up again.

I'd had my heart set on *Tommy Hilfiger Tommy Girl Eau De Toilette (£16.99) for ages, so you can imagine how happy I was to be given a bottle by my mum for my birthday. *Tommy Girl is such a gorgeous scent and one that I wouldn't normally be drawn to because it's jam packed with flowers, containing camellia flower, apple blossom, honeysuckle, butterfly violet, Cherokee rose, wild heather, mandarin, and tangerine. I usually prefer more citrusy scents and I think the tangerine and mandarin is what saves this perfume for me. They give it this fresh fruity burst in an otherwise deep, comforting floral fragrance. *Tommy Girl lasts on the skin for hours and is the perfect perfume to take you from day to night. I'm actually so shocked at how low the price tag is on this product, you can read my full review here.

What are your favourite autumnal scents?

Ciara x

Twitter ¦ Instagram ¦ Bloglovin' ¦ Tumblr ¦ Pinterest

*This post contains items which were gifted to me (I very rarely buy my own perfume). Full disclaimer.

This year is absolutely flying by. It seems like yesterday that I was having my 16th birthday party and now I'm 17, learning to drive and have a job. A lot can change in a year, and usually I hate change and try to avoid it wherever I can, but I think the changes this year have done me good and I might even be starting to like it! Anyway, lets get on to talking about what I've been loving this month.


This month I've been trying to use as many products in my makeup collection as possible. So, I've been regularly switching up what eye shadow palette I'm using. The palette that has stood out to me the most this month and the one that I've been gravitating towards is the Maybelline The Nudes Eye Shadow Palette (£9.99) because it is just so simple to use. I very rarely leave my comfort zone when it comes to eye makeup and tend to stick with golds and bronzes so, this palette contains such a wide range of colours for me to be able to create what ever look I'm in the mood for. My go to look for during the day, has been putting the middle colour on the top row all over my eye area and then packing the first colour on the bottom row all over my lid and softly blending it out. I love that nude colour because it's just the perfect base for any look. It has a colour correcting effect and makes any shadow you put on top pop. The quality of these shadows is brilliant, they don't crease or fade throughout the day and they blend out easily. I'm really glad I picked this palette up and it is great for travel.

The weather this month has actually been really nice so I haven't wanted to hunt out my more autumnal shades yet. Instead I've been sticking with fresh summery colours like the Topshop Cream Blush in Head Over Heels (£7). This is such a pretty coral blush and I know I keep mentioning it, but it's just gorgeous. The cream to powder formula means you get that fresh and youthful glow without it being sticky and heavy on your skin. Head Over Heels blends really easily which is fantastic as I've always steered clear of cream blushers because they scare me and the wear time is good. Also how cute is that packaging!


Right to Left - Topshop Cream Blush in Head Over Heels, Seventeen Mirror Shine Lipstick in Beehive

Another product that I keep raving about is the Seventeen Mirror Shine Lipstick in Beehive (£4.79). This has definitely been my most worn lipstick this month and I've carried it about with me everywhere (which is why it now looks so disgusting and mashed up). Beehive is a really pretty peachy pink that is perfect for the transition between summer and autumn. It's a Mirror Shine lipstick so it's quite moisturising and almost glossy which I like during the day, because it doesn't feel heavy and you don't have to worry about it misbehaving, it just wears off naturally. My only criticism is that the packaging feels cheap and my lipstick did break quite easily because of how soft it is but I don't really mind too much because it doesn't cost the earth at all.

Me and white musk have always had a bit of a love-hate relationship. I do think it is one of those scents that you either adore or can't stand but, for me, at the minute I think it is beautiful. I've been wearing *The Body Shop White Musk Fragrance Mist (£7.50) all throughout September because I just think it is perfect for the slightly colder weather that we've been having. It's such a velvety and comforting scent that really makes you feel like you're being wrapped up in a blanket. The *Fragrance Mist is perfect for the day time because it isn't as strong and overpowering as the *eau de toilette but it's still got that deep mix of rose, jasmine, amber and wood. Beautiful.

Last but not least, no outfit has been complete this month without my Asos Rose Gold Tiny Triangle Earrings (£4). I don't usually wear earrings that much because I feel like it makes me stand out (weird I know) but these earrings are small enough that they add a bit of colour and something special without screaming out to people. I think they are so pretty and I love them.

So that's what I've been loving this September. What have you been loving this month?

Ciara x

Twitter ¦ Tumblr ¦ Instagram ¦ Bloglovin' ¦ Pinterest

*This post contains items which were gifted to me. Full Disclaimer.

You know how it is. You have mountains of products and you wonder how you will ever get through all of them and then suddenly they all seem to run out at the same time. Well that's what's been happening to me this summer with my perfume. Next on my perfume wish list was, what I think is the most perfect summer fragrance ever - *Ghost Eclpise (£34). But lucky for me, my cousin is a journalist and managed to get his hands on a bottle to send to me. This was the best surprise when it dropped through the post because I had no idea he was sending me it. Finally I've got my hands on a full size bottle and I don't have to use my little sample so sparingly anymore!

First off let's talk about that bottle because it is seriously Instagram worthy. I love the design, it's unlike any other bottle of perfume I've ever had, the colours are beautiful and remind me of a sunset. Call me shallow, but I always think a perfume smells so much nicer when it's in a beautiful bottle (can't be just me?). This bottle will perk up anybody's dressing table and it reminds me of summer which is a bonus.

I'm rubbish at describing smells but I'll give it a go. *Ghost Eclipse is a fruity but floral fragrance and contains bergamot, lemon, mandarin, apple, peach, rose, lotus flower, freesia, amber and musk. The citrus notes come across quite strongly but there is definitely something deeper there which must be the musk and rose. I usually don't like rose scented things, but the balance of this is lovely. Of course perfume smells differently on everybody, but on me this smells really fruity with hints of floral. The floral scents definitely last on your skin a lot longer than the citrus notes so if you prefer floral scents don't worry. I hope that's given you a bit of an idea. I suggest checking it out for yourself when you get a chance!

I love wearing this perfume. It makes me feel so good and summery and almost radiant! I have a feeling this will become a signature scent of mine! The perfume also came with a scented body shimmer which is gorgeous! It doesn't smell as strong as the perfume, but it will make the scent linger on your skin and the subtle gorgeous shimmer is great for a night out! I can't wait to wear this out!

What's your signature scent?

Ciara x

Instagram ¦ Bloglovin' ¦ Twitter ¦ Tumblr ¦ Pinterest

* This post contains items which were gifted to me. Full disclaimer.

I got *Katy Perry Purr (£38.50) for Christmas one year and I have to admit that when I opened the bottle I was a little bit taken a back. It was too girly, too flashy and I'm not the worlds biggest lover of cats. Also I tend to find celebrity perfumes a bit cheap if I'm honest.

However, I hate to judge a book by its cover and the first spritz of this stuff showed me exactly why. This perfume smells amazing, way more expensive than it is. *Purr combines top notes of peach, forbidden apple, gardenia and green bamboo with notes of jasmine, pink freesia, Bulgarian rose and base notes of vanilla orchid, creamy sandalwood, white amber, coconut and musk. It is light, fruity and floral.

I think this scent is really lovely, it is perfect for day and night and every occasion in between. Personally I prefer wearing this at night as I think it is quite interesting and a little bit heavier than my usual daytime perfume. It lasts quite well on the skin and I always get complimented when I'm wearing it. I went to a party just last weekend and everybody kept saying how nice I smelt!

What is your favourite evening perfume?

Ciara x

*This post contains items which were gifted to me. Full disclaimer.

I've been after a new perfume for ages. One that I can wear day and night and that could hopefully become my signature scent. I had had my eye on *Tommy Hilfiger Tommy Girl Eau De Toilette (£16.99) for a while and finally got my hands on it when I received it as a birthday present. Since the first spritz this has been my go to perfume. It smells absolutely gorgeous and I always receive loads of compliments when I am wearing it.

*Tommy Girl is a refreshing, bright, floral fragrance that has apparently been inspired by wildflowers "gathered from the American landscape" (yeah, whatever..!) All I know is that I'm not usually a fan of floral scents but this one is so unbelievably gorgeous, I just can't get enough of it. *Tommy Girl contains notes of camellia flower, apple blossom, mandarin, tangerine, honeysuckle, butterfly violet, Cherokee rose and wild heather. I think the mix of floral and citrus scents are perfect together.

The scent lasts on the skin for ages and doesn't seem to change as the day goes on. It's fresh enough to be worn during the day but interesting enough to be worn at night. You also get a decent amount (100ml) in the bottle and it isn't expensive either. I may have to go down and stock up just in case Boots decide to raise the price!

I think the bottle is also really pretty. It is simple yet elegant and looks really nice on my chest of drawers. If you have never smelt *Tommy Girl then I seriously suggest that you get yourself down to your nearest Boots and give it a sniff.

I think I may have just found my perfect perfume.

What is your signature scent?

Ciara x

*This post contains items which were gifted to me. Full disclaimer.

Let's start with the lighter of the two, the *fragrance mist. This comes in a really simple but elegant glass bottle that looks lovely on a dressing table. As the name suggests, this scent is very musky. However, the fact it is a fragrance mist means you still get the velvety seductive scent but it's not as harsh and so is perfect for the day time. The fragrance contains notes of musk with rose, jasmine, amber and wood. The wear time is quite good, you get a good few hours before it begins to fade. On the whole a great little body mist.

The *eau de toilette captures the ionic original fragrance of Body Shop White Musk and mixes it with notes of lily, iris, rose and vanilla. Heavenly huh? It's definitely stronger than the *fragrance mist and lasts a lot longer on the skin. I would say that this one is more suited to night time, whereas the *fragrance mist is perfect for day time. I think the bottle is gorgeous and that it looks so lovely on my dressing table. Although it is stronger than the mist, it isn't overpowering at all. It's really pleasant and manages to be fresh yet seductive at the same time. I thoroughly recommend that you go and give this beauty a sniff next time you happen to find your self near a Body Shop.

I think both these fragrances are more suited to the colder months as they are so deep and musky. However, if you did want to wear them in the warmer months, then I suggest going for the *fragrance mist as it isn't as harsh.

What do you think of white musk?

Ciara x

*This post contains items which were gifted to me. Full disclaimer.

*Neon Purple:

*Neon Blue: