What I Wore, Ate And Did In York (And Why I've Been Absent)

Well hello there! It's been a while, and things are looking a little bit different around here! As you'll probably know if you follow me on Instagram, I've had a couple of breaks away recently. One was to sunny Cyprus, the other to beautiful York. I vlogged the York trip, and shared it on my YouTube channel a couple of days ago. I've delayed posting it here until now, as I've been busy giving my blog a new look and template. I'm not quite finished playing around with it yet, but I'm loving the change so far, so I hope you like it too.

So what is this new look all about, I hear you ask. (Or maybe not, but I'm going to tell you anyway!)  Well, my trips away provided the perfect opportunity to sit back, reflect and take stock of the past year. As a result, I've found my mind jumping ahead to new year goals a little earlier than it usually would. When it comes to my blog and online presence, I've made some achievements I'm proud of in the last twelve months, but I really want to up my game in 2019. I won't go into too much detail now, partly because I haven't got it all figured out yet, and partly because I might do a proper blog post on it closer to the end of the year. But essentially, this explains both the new template and my absence for the past few weeks.

I'm still hoping to get some lovely new content up for you in December, but please do bear with me if consistency is sketchy for a little while longer. It has never been my strong point, so I hope it won't make too much difference if I take a little more time now to work on my goals, rather than jumping straight back in to the same old habits. After all, if I'm going to hit the ground running in 2019, then I'm going to need a solid plan, right?!

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy visiting York with me! Click here if you prefer to watch the vlog on YouTube, otherwise, here it is!

Until next time!

Kate x

By Invitation Peony Noir - The Latest Fragrance From Michael Buble

Having already fallen in love with By Invitation, Michael Buble's debut fragrance for women, as well as the more recent Rose Gold version, it's safe to say I was pretty excited at the prospect of a third release from the perfume brand. As soon as I sniffed Peony Noir*, I knew I was going to love it as much as the others. In fact. I'm pretty sure it's going to become my go-to scent for evenings out throughout the winter.

 

Like the two previous fragrances, Peony Noir is packaged in an attractive round bottle with a metallic lid, although the design has been simplified slightly and I have to say, I'm a big fan of the updated version! The smoky ombre glass and touches of pink are gorgeous, and it's definitely a nice piece of eye candy to display on your dressing table.

As for the fragrance, it follows the same trend as the packaging - there is something of the original scent about it, but it's more of a departure from that than the Rose Gold version was. It opens with top notes of black coffee and bergamot, instantly creating a sexy and sultry vibe, before giving way to a fragrant heart of rose, iris and orange blossom. The warm base notes are where you start to recognise the signature Michael Buble scent, as the vanilla, cedarwood and patchouli combination remain from the original fragrance, this time complimented by luxuriant sandalwood.

There is something about this that reminds me of YSL Black Opium, a fragrance which also contains notes of black coffee and orange blossom. However, Peony Noir is quite a bit lighter and has a little more sweetness to it. All of the Michael Buble fragrances are feminine and this one is definitely no exception. If you're after a perfume for evening that has that smoky sexiness to it but isn't too overpowering, this is the one for you.

Peony Noir EDP retails for £42 for £100 ml and you can pick one up here if you fancy it.

Have you tried any of the Michael Buble fragrances? What perfumes have you been enjoying recently?

Kate x

*Gifted item. All opinions, as always, are my own.