Great Goth Gift Giving Guide~ Fragrance

Do you have a friend or relative who with an appreciation for the darker things? If your not clued up finding that perfect Christmas gift can be a total nightmare. So here i give some ideas and tips on finding the perfect gift for your alternative familiar. Girl's love to smell nice FACT! So why not give your friend the gift of fragrance this Christmas. You should bare in mind that top selling celebrity fragrances are probably not going to impress. Before purchasing a fragrance you need to know if your giftee likes floral, fruity or spicy scents. Age is also an important factor when buying a perfume for someone, overly sweet fragrances are more suited to teenagers while delicate florals are for the mature woman. Here are my top 5 fragrances, these are more suited to those aged between 20-40.

*Luna's Top Tips
1. Always check the prices of fragrance gift sets, they are often cheaper than the bottle of perfume alone.
2. Some stores offer free gifts with perfume purchases so it's worth shopping around
3. Debenhams have a variety of "try now fragrance guarantee" fragrances which come with a sample of the perfume, these are ideal as a gift if you are unsure of your Goth's fragrance preference.

Top Notes
Middle/Heart Notes
Base Notes

1. Paco Robanne~ Black XS

This is definitely a perfect perfume for a metal chick, the kind of girl who rocks out all night in the mosh pits and doesn't get home until the early hours of the morning. This is one of my all time favourites, it is a floral scent with a hint of earthy fruitiness. It has a real confident sexiness about it which makes it perfect for evening wear but the sweetness would make it a good gift for an older teenager. The bottle is eye catching and has that alternative look about it, i once purchased this in Debenhams and i got a gorgeous black skull candle as a free gift.

RRP: 30ml £25, 50ml £32, 80ml £45

Perfume Notes: Cranberry, Pink Pepper and Tamarind, Rose, Cocoa and Black Violet, Vanilla, Patchouli and Mossoia Wood

2. Calvin Klein~ Euphoria

I absolutely adore this fragrance, my mum wore it a lot when i was a teenager (i used to sneakily put it on because i couldn't afford my own). It really is a timeless sensual evening essence that seems to work for women of all ages, the only way to accurately describe it's scent is euphoric (sorry for the pun). The bottle isn't particularly eye catching or unusual but i am yet to find someone who doesn't fall in love with its woody oriental contents.

RRP: 30ml £30, 50ml £38, 100ml £65

Perfume Notes: Pomegranate and Persimmon, Lotus blossom, Champaca Flower and Black Orchid, Liquid Amber, Black Violet and Mahogany Wood

3. The Perfume Shop~Vivabox 

The Vivabox by The Perfume Shop is the perfect fragrance gift if you have no idea what kind of scent your alternative friend looks for. Vivabox contains a variety of seven popular fragrance samples which are changed slightly each season. The great thing about this gift is that it contains a voucher for a full sized bottle of perfume so you can try each one and choose your favourite. These boxes are available for both men and women. The women's box currently contains; Jimmy Choo~Flash, Carolina Herrera 212 VIP, Lacoste~Touch of Pink, Boss~ Orange, Ghost, Paco Robanne~Black XS and Paco Robanne~Lady Million

RRP £37.99 at The Perfume Shop

4. Guerlain La Petite Robe Noir

Another one of my favourite scents, this one i would say is targeted more at the under 30's as it is a sweet, fruity floral (at least on my skin). I would describe this scent as chic, and seductive but definitely youthful. One of the notes that can be easily detected it the black cherry, it gives a fruity sweetness with sensual and mysterious notes of licorice and black tea. The bottle is a beautiful light pink faded into a mysterious inky black. I would recommend this fragrance to fashion conscious 20 somethings. 

RRP: 30ml £35, 50ml £59

Fragrance Notes: Black Cherry, Almond and Red Berries, Rose Licorice, Smokey Black Tea

5. Giorgio Armani Code

This little beauty would be ideal for the girl who takes a lot of pride in her appearance, think glam goth or Morticia Addams. I have the tiniest amount of Armani Code left in the bottle but i just can't bring myself to use it, the bottle is too beautiful to throw out. Armani describe it as spellbinding and elegant, i have to agree, it has an air of mystery about it, the colours remind me of the night, . This fragrance is an oriental floral (not the yucky granny kind), very delicate and sensual so it would be perfect for anyone 20+. I really have never smelt anything similar to this, it's the most elegant fragrance i have ever smelt and i am in love with it.

RRP 30ml £35, 50ml £45, 75ml £65

Fragrance Notes: Jasmine and Orange, Orange Blossom, Honey and Vanilla

Great Goth Gift Giving Guide~ Cosmetics

Do you have a friend or relative who with an appreciation for the darker things? If your not clued up finding that perfect Christmas gift can be a total nightmare. So here i give some ideas and tips on finding the perfect gift for your alternative familiar. Goth's are usually very creative, this doesn't mean that we are all artistically talented but is reflected in little things like the way that we dress or do our makeup. Today i will be focusing on Cosmetics. Before you go spending mad it's important to take notice of what your recipient is going to like. Do they wear dark or bright colours, are they really going to wear that blue lipstick and are they more interested in quality or quantity. Makeup is a great gift for your gothic girl, or guy, here are 5 of my favourite alternative cosmetic brands.

1. Sugarpill~ Sugarpill are a californian cruelty free cosmetics company founded by punk fashion designer Shrinkle. Shrinkle has created a line of highly pigmented brightly coloured pressed and powdered eye shadows that really are to die for. The packaging is embellished with graffiti symbols and bright colours, reflecting the alternative nature of the product. These aren't always easy to get hold of in the uk and can be a little pricey but if you can get it your on to a winner, especially if staying power is important to them. If your girl likes a shimmery goth eye i would recommend the cold chemistry palette which features four stunning shimmering shades. The pallet costs around £25.00 and can be found on cocktailcosmetics

2.Illamasqua~ These guys seriously know there stuff when it comes to making cosmetics so any illamasqua product would be perfect for a real makeup obsessive like myself. They have the most incredible nail varnish formula, highly pigmented chip resistant in shimmers and sparkles. At £14.50 a polish these are seriously pricey but are sure to impress a girl who is more interested in high quality makeup. They sell just about every makeup item you could possibly need, one of my favourite products is the Intense lip gloss. Intense lip gloss is a highly pigmented lip product that comes in unusual shades of black, purple and even silver. For a more luxurious present why not give the gift of makeup brushes, good quality brushes really do make all the difference and beauty obsessives will really appreciate this. Illamasqua also support the Sophie Lancaster foundation and sell wristbands raising awareness of prejudice and discrimination of alternative subcultures. All Illamasqua products are cruelty free including their cosmetics brushes which are cruelty free.

3. Barry M~ Needing some small last minute gifts? Budget cosmetics brand Barry M are really easy to get hold of, being available in the high street chain
Superdrug. They make over 100 different nail varnishes from plain blacks to textured and magnetic ones. These are available from as little as £2.99 but there are often various offers in store. These products are all very good quality and long lasting considering the price. I would also recommend gifting some of Barry M's dazzle dust, these are small pots of glitter and matte powdered eye shadows that come in just about every colour you could imagine. These also make really great stocking fillers. Barry M are another British cruelty free makeup company.





4. Stargazer~ These guys are pretty much the company that got me into makeup as a teenager, if you go into any alternative/ goth shop i guarantee you will find some. Stargazer like Barry M make brightly coloured low cost makeup, my favourite things as a teenager were the mascaras and eyeliners (i still have a red mascara in my collection). These would make a really good gift for teenagers or anyone just getting into makeup, they also make cheap stocking fillers. A product i use everyday is the Stargazer cake eyeliner, this is a pressed liner which creates a liquid liner once water is added. I love this product but it does take some practice with a good quality liner brush. I would suggest gifting the black but there are other colours to choose from, the violet is a lovely shade. Stargazer's pressed white face powder is another favourite of goths who prefer paler skin. Most of the products cost under £4.00 and are not tested on animals, however some of the cosmetics may contain products derived from animals.



5. Topshop~ Ok so this isn't really the first company that springs to mind when i think dark and mysterious but you would be surprised, Topshop has a dark side too. I recently splurged on a couple of products, the first being the nebula eyeshadow trio (£12.00). The packaging is black and rubbery and its contents are incredible, black, silver and gold shimmery shadows that are such great quality and perfect for that person in a hurry to get places. Topshop have a new collection of products collectively known as The Damned that would make great alternative gifts. One of the more interesting products they have is velvet lips (available for £10.00) which is a highly pigmented matte cream available in red, purple and black. Topshop also have a good selection of nail varnishes in desirable shades and finishes. My top 5 shades are; Cloak and Dagger, Plume, Blitz, Velvet Underground and Daredevil, all available for £6.00