I haven’t reviewed a perfume before. So when Cheryl(was Cole)’s new perfume Storm Flower landed on my welcome mat (courtesy of Fragrance Direct), I wasn’t really sure I could do it justice and had a panic. I ran through a few scenarios in my head; I could hide it away on my bathroom shelf and pretend it never arrived; I could just cheat and copy and paste the description from Cheryl’s site; I could shut down my blog and change my email address…

How was I supposed to convey to you all how something smells through writing?

Then I clocked a few adverts during 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (you know, the black & white sort, with chiffon dresses, glossy pouts and a mountain… always a mountain or a Parisian flat) and realised that we can’t smell the telly either. That doesn’t stop us all making a beeline for the perfume aisle in Boots whilst hubby queues to pay for a basket full of breastpads, leg wax and stretchmark lotion - just to get a whiff of the scent that saw Charlize Theron trussed up like a Christmas decoration.

You don’t have to smell a perfume to be intrigued by it. When you buy a perfume as a gift, do you always smell it first? I don’t. If I’m in a rush I just ask the lady at the counter to pick something for me.

I can still do a good job. I’ll just make you all want to smell it.

Sorted.

So first things first, Storm Flower is the debut fragrance by our Cheryl. This should be selling point enough for some of us. When I first sprayed it on my wrist and put it to Craig’s nose I whispered “This is what Cheryl smells like” in a vaguely sexy way. There was no way he’d ever turn his nose up with that kind of mental image in his head. She also looks pretty amazing in the all the promotional shots - but then does she ever look terrible? I can’t promise you’ll all transform into her when you dab a bit of Storm Flower behind your ear, but a good spritz of perfume definitely does make you feel sexier (especially when you’ve been surrounded by the less pleasant smell of baby vomit all day).

On a serious note, the bottle is a bit irritating. The lid wobbles on the neck of the bottle and looks more plasticy than the pack shots. It does look pretty under a light though so would look cute on your bedside table. I also like the two-tone bottle which I suspect has been chosen to symbolise sensuality and depth (check me out!) - I just like it because it makes the perfume look less orange.

The bottle shouldn’t be a major draw though. We all know you should store you perfumes in the box - and I really do like this one. It’s tough and more special than your average envelope box.

Now onto the tricky bit: The smell.

Storm Flower is a fresh, clean and floral perfume that was designed to reflect the scent of the air after the storm. It opens with fruity notes of nectar and mandarin followed by a floral heart that is interwoven with the scent of peach blossom and freesia. The fragrance then closes with base notes of sandalwood and musk. This light and refreshing scent conveys her elegance, sophistication and personal style / Fragrance Direct

Do I agree?

Nope. Fresh and clean would suggest a crisp linen-like fragrance to me; a “day-perfume”. This is much more sultry. You can definitely smell the sandalwood and musk making it great for evenings out. The citrus notes also really come through.

Cheryl’s own site describes the scent as “luminous, hypnotic and uplifting” and this seems right on the money to me. It’s definitely a layered scent that will offer something new every time you smell it. After an hour, the musk seems to fade and you’re left with a very sweet-smelling fragrance - like Parma Violets and Lovehearts. It’s a little too intense to be refreshing but it’s very alluring.

The scent lasts around 3 hours then you’ll need to reapply, so not great staying power for a eau de parfum.

… So would I buy it?

My usual scent is Dior Addict. Storm Flower is definitely more girly. I certainly wouldn’t be disappointed if someone gifted it to me (far from it!), but I’m not sure I’d be kicking myself if I forgot to spray it on before a date night with Craig. Having said that, I’d definitely nip into Boots on my lunch break for a quick pump if I had a client meeting afterwards.

If I’ve managed to tempt you to smell it, and you fall in love with it, it’s currently on sale at Fragrance Direct. It would make a great Christmas present for someone special as it’s very reasonably priced when compared with all the designer fragrance houses.

For more inspiration from the guys at Fragrance Direct you can check out their blog, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

So how did I do??? Is there a career in perfuming blogging for Ms Mills? Leave me a comment and tell me whether I’m deluding myself!