{FRAGRANCE REVIEW} | Candy Florale by Prada

Prada Candy is one of my favourite scents from one of my favourite fashion houses. With a heavy caramel presence, it is sweet and sensual all at once. With Candy Florale, Prada tones down the sweetness of Candy with beautiful floral notes. It is a more flirtatious, whimsical scent. The idea is to create the imaginary “candy flower”, a light but sweet flower reminiscent of a blooming bouquet on the counter at an Italian ice cream shop. Sounds charmingly delectable if you ask me!

The bottle is the same shape as the iconic Candy. It’s a very retro shape that works so perfectly for the brand. This time the bottle is a softer gold than the original and is adorned with a pastel pink band. The liquid is also a pretty light pink and the box is adorned with cute little flowers.

The scent itself is lovely. For someone who doesn’t really like floral scents I found this one quite pleasant. The top note is fresh and sweet Sicilian Limoncello sorbet while the middle is full of floral peony (Blair Waldorf’s favourite flower!). The base is somewhat true to the original with notes of caramel, musk and a whisper of warm honey. 

The overall effect is simple and sweet. The scent is fairly long lasting and begins to fade after about 8 hours of spraying.

As I’ve mentioned above I’m not really too keen on floral scents. This one however, I love. I think it’s because of the inherent sweetness of the fragrance that keeps it from smelling to flowery. I will say though that it’s more of a Spring/Summer scent. I’m going to pack it away and break it out when the warmer months come.

You can find Candy Florale by Prada in 30mL, 50mL or 80mL at leading fragrance retailers online and in store.

Until next time

Love and sparkles

Zaakira xox

{OOTD} | Chasing Pink

Dress – Topshop | Leggings – Woolworths | Boots – ZARA | Frames – Prada

Today I am (finally) sharing the photos I shot with Zeenat from Pursuing Pictorialism when I was in Cape Town. I had literally just gotten off the plane (a 7am flight!) and I was feeling like the walking dead.  Zeenat, however, was so good and patient with me and managed to make me look so calm and refreshed!

I felt that since I was going for a MAC event I had to go with a black outfit.  It was one of the last warm days and I got to wear this lovely jewelled collar dress from Topshop. I love wearing my dresses with leggings and if you get it right with colours and textures you can end up with a really chic look. Also your legs are warm and cosy! I’m wearing my favourite Zara boots again. As I’ve mentioned before, they are so versatile and can be worn in many different ways!

I really wanted the pink lipstick to pop because it was the only colour in my outfit. I wore a mixture of Candy Yum Yum and Viva Glam Miley (obvs) and Zeenat really managed to capture the vibrant pink. You can still get your hands on Miley’s hot pink Viva Glam lipstick (ZAR210) and lipglass (ZAR200) at your nearest MAC counter. Remember that 100% of the selling price goes to the MAC AIDS Fund to help adults and children living with HIV and AIDS.

I really loved working with Zeenat on these photos and I hope to work with her again in the future. She even managed to get my thick glasses (#BadEyesightProblems) in with no glare! You can find her on Instagram @PursuingPictorialism. If you’d like her contact details for a booking please pop me an email or tweet and I will forward them to you.

Until next time

“Pink isn't just a color, it's an attitude!” – Miley Cyrus

Love and sparkles

Zaakira xox

{Fashion News} | James McAvoy for Prada

XMen star James McAvoy is the face of Italian fashion house Prada’s Fall/Winter 14 men’s campaign. The campaign is shot by genius photographer Annie Lebovitz in England and includes unassuming, moody shots. According to Women’s Wear Daily, the fall collection is made up from rich fabrics like gabardine, silk twill, a mohair-silk blend and crepe de chine.

You probably know the Scottish actor as a young Professor X from XMen: First Class and XMen Days of the Future Past or from movies like Atonement and The Last King of Scotland. He was also the voice of Gnomeo in the animated movie Gnomeo and Juliet which I absolutely loved!

The truth is that I have always had a crush on James. Girls around me swooned over Michael Fassbender as Magneto and Nicholas Hoult as Beast in the XMen franchise and I always gravitated towards Professor X with his intelligence and his blue eyes.

Feelings aside though, I personally think that he is a perfect fit for the campaign. Despite his unconventional good looks and moody aura, the clothes really look like they were made for him. And with the success of XMen Days of the Future Past he is just so now!

What do you think of James McAvoy in Prada’s Fall/Winter 2014 campaign?

(Campaign photo from Women’s Wear daily courtesy of Prada)

Until next time

Love and sparkles

Zaakira xox