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'Twas 9pm on a Wednesday night circa 2005. The curtains were drawn, the bath had been bathed in, the kettle had been brewed and I was seated ready for my slice of American Pie; The O.C. When 10pm came, to bed I would retreat. GCSE's did not gain themselves; here in Blighty us teens needed brain power; over the pond in the sunshine state, girls like Marissa and Summer slumbered for beauty sleep and dreamed about boys, make-up, clothes and parties. In amongst my own teenage dreams (Katy Perry: I'll let you have this one) of bunsen burners, French vocabulary and the English coastline, I longed for the lifestyle of an all-American girl.

I wanted to live the American dream; it seemed so fun, so luxurious, so far removed from the goings on at The Ashley Centre in Epsom on a Saturday afternoon. With a few buck to my name, I set about it. The O.C was sponsored by some perfume that looked quite nice, Summer and Marissa probably wear it, girls in America probably like the smell of it. I'll have it. And so it was, on the Christmas list of 2005, Christian Dior Pure Poison - Eau de Parfum.

I gave up on America when I realised me and a ton of others were all in the queue for a green card. The O.C finished after four seasons in 2007. One thing remained; the perfume that has endured a six year love affair with me, myself and I. CD and CBL make such a perfect fragrant friendship. Poisonous this aint- seductive it is. Featuring a floral note, a calabrian bergamont top note, an orange blossom heart note and a white musk base note, Dior is numero uno as my perfumery preference. Based on orange blossom, jasmine, gardenia, amber and sandalwood, its delicate and modern scents can come out at night or during the daytime.

Fragrance is eternal. Teen dramas are temporary. 

Price: £44-£85 (30ml-100ml)

Vanitas, the latest fragrance from the fashion oligarch Versace, represents the brand through and through with its heady murmurs of beauty, self-assurance and femininity. 

The combination of zesty lime and freesia with exotic solar tiare flower makes Vanitas a sensual fragrance and it evokes memories of heady and seductive summer nights with its cedar wood finish.

Trend Life says – buy it!

Eau de Parfum £60 for 50ml

www.versace.com

Impulse and Barry M – two delightfully fun beauty brands have teamed up to create three limited edition handbag essential packs. The two brands have paired a luscious lip gloss with a much loved Impulse scent and they are available together for a limited period only.

Choose from the Very Pink fragrance which comes with a sumptuous strawberry scented and flavoured pale pink lip gloss; Into Glamour comes with a velvety vanilla clear lip gloss and lastly Tease completes the collection with a nude lip gloss in a delicious caramel flavour.

The limited edition Barry M lip glosses are only available from 26th April – 11th June. Get the range from Boots from 26^th April – 17^th May and from Superdrug and Tesco from 7^th May – 11^th June.

Price: £3.00