Bringing the art of perfume-combining to the (affordable) high street is Superdrug’s gorgeous Bloom Collection set of six Eau de Toilettes ( £16, but currently selling for £8). At such an affordable price it gives more well-known brands a run for their money.
Raising the bar, when it comes to affordable perfumery, the collection of fragrances can be worn individually or layered to create your own personalised scent. Unlike many accessible mass-market perfume labels, however, the Bloom Collection’s classic combinations do not have synthetic notes, but instead feel light and natural.
The travel sized bottles also mean you can use them to spritz when travelling and they are easily portable for day-time perfume topping-up, and into the evening.
My favourite is the Driftwood and Sea Salt, which has notes of amber and bergamot infused with base notes of woods and coconut. It’s a watery, airy scent which has summery connotations of wind in the hair and days by the beach.
While I love using it by itself, it also comes to life when combined with Mandarin and Lime Basil. Citrus notes of mandarin and lime are entwined with herbal basil, contrasted against base notes of woods and leather. Used together, it transports you to the gardens of the Mediterranean.
For those who like a sweet, floral scent, then the Pink Peony and Cashmere is just the ticket. It has top notes of grapefruit and red apple, with floral tones of jasmine and cherry blossom, infused with deep base notes of peach and amber. It’s like a bouquet of fresh, cut flowers.
To give it a darker twist, I’ve been combining it with the Spiced Vanilla Chai – which is a warm, spicy scent with a heart of sweetness. The unique notes work well together to give something unusual and utterly appealing.
The Bergamot and Cucumber scent, meanwhile, has an airy, unisex appeal – with a light, top note of watery cucumber giving way to a deeper heart of bergamot. To give it more of a complexity, spritz it on with the Berry Cassis and Fig, which has candy tones and sophisticated fruit notes, working wonderfully well together to create a bespoke scent.
Available from superdrug.com
*This review is based on a press sample
