Product Review Tom Ford Black Orchid

As you all know I really love perfume! I like to think that I have tried almost everything on the market at this stage so as you can imagine it takes something special to impress me! Tom Ford Black Orchid is my go to fragrance for Autumn Winter 2014. 

I can't believe it actually took me so long to try this one! I had heard so much about it and decided is take a spray by chance one day in Brown Thomas. It was love at first whiff! It was so sensual and spicy and hours later I could still smell it beautifully on my skin. I vowed that I would have to invest in a bottle! At €94 for a 50ml this is not cheap and is only available in select retailers in Ireland. I actually purchased mine in Malaga airport duty free for a steal at €78! I'll be picking up some more in London in a few weeks! 

It's been a couple weeks since I began using mine and I've literally used it every day even though I should probably save it for special occasions! However, using it this much has meant I've been able to come up with a really informative review for our readers!

Black Orchid was created in 2006 and listed as an oriental chypre. In my opinion it is way up there with anything created by the great perfume houses. The longevity on the skin and sillage (when other people can smell you and tell you that you smell yummy!) is perhaps one of the best of any fragrance I've tried, and I've tried a lot! Top notes including jasmine and ylang-ylang add a sensuality typical with oriental scents while black currant and citrus ensure a sharpness. Orchid is at the very heart of this fragrance and combined with the base notes of vanilla, dark chocolate, and amber to name a few make for a gorgeous, luxurious and lingering scent.

I can appreciate that although it is beautiful Black Orchid will not be to everyone's taste. 

I would recommend this to someone who is used to wearing a strong scent that stands out. Any woman from their mid twenties upwards could wear this scent as it is so timeless. I think winter wear rather than summer wear is essential for this scent as the strength of it may leave you a bit nauseous in the heat! Also, I would recommend this for evening wear rather than spraying for work! If you like your scents strong and sweet then try this scent, one distinct comparison I could make is between this fragrance and Thierry Mugler's Angel. 

Holiday Journal Puerto Banus

Those of you who check out our blog often may have noticed that we have not posted as much as we ought to be recently. Within good reason! Beau Heaux Blog made a trip to the playground of the rich and famous that is Puerto Banus earlier this month. Our adventure was so amazing of course we had to share it with all of you!

Puerto Banus, Marbella

Earlier in the year I visited Puerto Banus and Marbella on a day trip with my boyfriend while I was holidaying in the Costa Del Sol. I was so blown away by the glamour, wealth and luxury on display I vowed that I would return sooner rather than later. It didn't take much persuasion to convince my bestie to make the return trip with me and after a few weeks of booking flights, organising tranfers and spending way too much on swimwear we checked our luggage in and headed for the departures lounge bar at Shannon airport!

Drinks in Shannon!

We flew with Ryanair on the day and the flight took just about 2 and a half hours. It was around 10pm by the time our driver picked us up from Malaga airport and brought us to our destination which was a surprisingly speedy car journey. We turned off the motorway and could see the bright lights and white washed buildings of Puerto Banus as we approached our hotel. 

Room with a view!

We stayed at The PYR Hotel Marbella, which was surprisingly nice for a 3 star. Our studio apartment was very spacious and the air conditioning stayed on all day which was brilliant considering it was 30+ degrees for the duration of our stay. After freshening up we were ready to hit the cobbled streets of the port. Even on a Sunday evening at the beginning of September the port area was bustling and it wasn't long before we were greeted by promo staff trying to get us into their bars. One guy recommended an Italian restaurant for us to dine in but we didn't quite make it! We ended up eating in a little creparie on the street behind the main port, it was delicious none the less! We decided to call it a night early enough as we had big plans for the following morning!

Besties!

We spent our first full day in Banus at La Sala By The Sea. An exclusive beach club popular with celebrities and footballers and frequently featured on The Only Way Is Essex. 

We had booked our bed prior to our arrival so all that we had to do on the day was show up in our best beachwear. We arrived at the club around midday, I chose to wear my custom swimsuit by Jackson's Fashion  which I styled with Office wedges, a Zara bag and an asos kimono. 

OOTD

I tried to wear a little makeup early in the day but it literally melted right off my face as the temperature soared! I was so glad I had my lashes and brows done before my holiday! La Sala was definitely a highlight of the trip for both of us. Beautiful people, good music and champagne flowing! The drinks menu was very extensive and there was budget friendly options aswel as really expensive champagne. 

We were provided with towels, fruit and water on our arrival and the staff were very attentive throughout the day. We also enjoyed a beautiful lunch here. La Sala is one of the many beach clubs in the resort with Ocean Club, Nikki Beach and Plaza Beach among some of the choices. A trip to Puerto Banus really wouldn't be complete without visiting one!

The choice of eateries is excellent and I found them surprisingly affordable, even the venues around the port. We ate at the Port every evening except the last when we chose to go to the Hardrock Cafe Marbella which was the worst meal I ate over there! There was also lots of bars to choose from and a big supermarket in the Corte Ingles which sold cava for very cheap! Shopping in Puerto Banus is just wow but you have to be prepared to spend! The streets are lined with every designer under the sun from Dior to Bvlgari to Versace, you name it it's there! There is also a couple of decent shopping centres around with more affordable shopping on offer from reliables such as H&M and Zara. The Corte Ingles is fantastic for beauty junkies and has an extensive range of brands, my favourite being a little Sephora concession. There is also an outlet from Milanese beauty brand Kiko right at the port which sells fabulous, budget friendly products. Aside from shopping and dining there is plenty to do in the resort and even more further afield in the Costa. There are various companies offering boat rental and luxury car rental for cheaper than you would imagine. 

Can dress her up but you can't take her out!

Another highlight for us was getting the VIP experience in top club Tibu. We waited at our table on the VIP terrace for our Moet which our host brought us, sparklers and all! 

Champagne and sparkles!

We later headed into the main club area where they were playing Hiphop and rnb that night. It was absolutely packed for a Tuesday and we had an amazing night not getting home til 7am!

It really was a trip of a lifetime but I do plan on reliving it again and am already anxious to book flights for next Summer!