I was introduced to Christian Dior's Private Collection Fragrances, or La Collection Privee, by none other than Sheenie, just over three years ago when she had the audacity to wear Oud Ispahan in my presence, and I could literally smell it from the opposite end of the table. So of course, I had to ask Sheenie what this fragrance was, and of course, I had to have it. Review here, if you're curious.

And have it I did. In fact, I still have it, and I still have quite a lot of it. At the time of buying it, for something like £290 for a 250ml bottle, I reasoned that it's so expensive, I'll only spritz it on special occasions. So for about two years, I barely ever used it for fear of literally spritzing our money away and it looked like a brand new bottle still. So I've adopted a new approach now, similar to the one I take with makeup:

Because I'm certain, that one day, I'll give it a spritz and it just won't quite smell the same as it always did, and that truly will have been a waste of money. So fuck it, if I'm going for brunch, it's on. If I'm going shopping, it's on. If I'm picking up a parcel I've missed, it's on. If I need to buy bread and milk, it's on. No regrets.

I've been fascinated by La Collection Privee ever since my first encounter with Sheenie's Oud Ispahan, because it's presented in such an elegant way yet appears to give the wearer a unique aura. Simplistic, minimal glass bottles filled with liquids of various colours, it almost looks like a really interesting chemistry lab. There are 25 fragrances in this collection, which I'd describe as very niche, and without disrespecting any other perfume brands out there, these are at least a couple of notches above.

I'd been feeling the need for a new fragrance lately, something a little different, when I stumbled upon Christian Dior's pop-up shop at the Trafford Centre, so I wandered in and was immediately struck by 'Rose Kabuki'.

I'm going to be completely honest here, I'm not a perfume connoisseur in any shape or form, I can't distinguish between middle notes or base notes, and I'm way more at ease with topknots than top notes, so please don't expect a full in depth review on that front.

My best attempt at describing it would be as a powdery, floral scent that smells so innocent, but at the same time smells sophisticated and elegant. When I wear it, I feel like it gives an instant confidence boost too, like bitch, I am worthy of this expensive scent.

I have always had a soft spot for powdery fragrances but I find they can easily go wrong. They can either be a bit too powdery, and give you talcum powder flashbacks, or they can be sickeningly powerful. Dior have got the balance just right with Rose Kabuki though, it smells like something you want to wear, that you wish would never fade away.

And so, in the words of their perfumer:

"I wanted to create a delicate rose swathed in powdery, cottony musks, bringing to mind the immaculate faces of traditional Japanese Kabuki theater. A rose that is pink at heart, but enveloped in a white that haloes its petals. Its caressing softness is pricked with vivid, dew-pearled greens."

I'm not so sure whether I get all of that when I have a whiff, maybe it will come in time, but what I can say is that it lingers for pretty much the whole day, I haven't really come across anything out there quite like it, and of course it smells luxurious and expensive.

And that's because it is. It really, really is.

If you're feeling particularly flush, you can go all out on the 450ml bottle, which will set you back £405. At the rate I currently use perfume, I think flying cars and hover boards will be around, and I'll still be spritzing this.

If, however, you're feeling a bit more realistic about life, there are 3 other slightly less extravagant options - £89 for 40ml, £200 for 125ml and £290 for 250ml. Personally, I went for the 40ml bottle, so I'll have to set aside dreams of flying cars and make do with watching YouTube videos of home made jetpacks for now.

Is it worth it though? Absolutely.

Hola! 

It's now been just over a year since Rihanna shook up the established order of the makeup industry with her brand Fenty, and the launch of the now famous Pro Filt'r foundation boasting 40 shades that seemed to cover just about everyone. To me, it feels that Fenty shone a light on those of us at the less-white end of the scale, and brands have started to pay a little more attention to their own lack of shade ranges, an in turn upping their own game too.

This is something that I, and just about every other woman of colour, have been speaking about for years, dating back to the Sunday night Twitter chats under the #bblogger hashtag, where I shared my woes of the difficulty in finding a good foundation in a shade that actually suited me. I recall fondly the number of caucasians who'd say they 'know how I felt', as they couldn't get a match, and 'it's not just Women of colour who struggle. Yeah. hashtag truestory. But yeah, Fenty have come along with a big wet multicoloured fish and slapped it across the makeup industry's facetuned cheeks.

So now here's my confession. I hadn't actually visited their counter until their first anniversary. The shame. I spoke with the MUA at the counter about this, and she forgave, said I'd come at just the right time, as it was their first birthday, and that they'd just launched a new highlighter and lipgloss. Truth be told, I'd already been eyeing up the highlighter from the moment I entered the store, and was already head over heels in love by the time I'd been given this information. I mean, look at the fucking packaging. They could have stuffed it full of actual chalk and I'd still have bought it.

When I opened it up, I imagined it to be the same feeling a diver gets when they open up an Oyster's shell and find that perfectly round, white pearl. It looked so silvery and glittery, but the texture was highly unusual, this was not powdery at all, more of a soft jelly like feel that might leave a fingerprint if you pressed your finger into it. The closest I can think of to this is Stila's Heaven's Hue highlighter, but this makes that seem more rugged than a rock formation by the sea.

The highlighter doesn't even have a base, it's just pure micro-particles of silver, and swatching it leaves a trail of pure glitter reaching from one side of your arm to the other like a shooting star. The MUA dabbed a small amount onto my cheeks with her finger, and it was like someone had applied that fake glittery filter to my face, I was positively gleaming. Put it on my teeth and I could probably be the star of a cheesy Colgate advert from the 90s.

I just had to buy this there and then, no further questions your honour, and I've found that it really complements the editorial style of makeup I've been drawn to this year. Dabbing some of the Diamond Bomb on to my lids and lower lash line for that bit of silvery sparkle has worked a treat.

And let's get something out there right now actually, I'm genuinely so happy that Rihanna or Fenty opted for a silver highlighter. I've found that since the beginning of makeup time, it's been suggested that women of colour should opt for more golden. bronze shades as it's more complementary to our skin tone. It even filters across to clothes, just try finding a sari with silver embroidery, I dare you.

Long time readers will know I'm not really about the warm tones, it's cool tones all the way for me, regardless of what some makeup executive has decided best suits my skin tone. Bust those myths and stereotypes.

Of course, Diamond Bomb isn't solely catered to women of colour, it's an inclusive brand, but with Rihanna being a woman of colour herself, I feel that Fenty has smashed boundaries, in the sense that it's glamorising the fact that anyone can wear whatever the fuck they want, and I can totally relate to that.