4711.

For the past two years, I've been besotted with the gorgeous fragrance Neroli Portofino from Tom Ford.  I love everything about it! Everytime I go past a bottle I literally douse myself in it, whilst trying to say loudly enough so the poor sales assistant can hear me "Oh yeah, I'll totally be in to get this next payday." They always know it's not going to happen and I know it's not going to happen.  I've been smart enough to strategically forget the price for a bottle of Neroli, but we're talking around the £120 for 50ml mark.  That's like half of my months pay for a perfume!

So I went on a mission for a good dupe. I'd read a bit about this 4711 eau de cologne online, but kept forgetting to check it out in Boots.  So when I was wandering around a Boots over the weekend, trying to buy but also trying not to buy, I caught sight of it, sniffed it, and shrieked like a small-excited child, before popping a 100ml and a 25ml (for the handbag of course) into my basket, delighted with life.

Now, I bought a 100 ml bottle, which retails in Boots for £17.49, but is on sale for a measly £11.66! I was originally going to get a 50ml which was £7.66 reduced from £11.49. However, I was stood there thinking about it, and I worked out by getting the 100ml, your getting 50 extra ml for the same price as the 50ml original price! Therefore I went with the 100ml and a £4.33 25ml for on the go.

This 4711 really is delicious.  It's much lighter than Tom Ford's offering and doesn't last too long, but for that much, I'm not expecting miracles. To be honest it much more of a daytime fragrance then Tom Ford’s offering, and for the price you can use it every day without feeling serious guilt for paying a ridiculously high price for it, and feeling like your wasting it.

What I love the most about this fragrance is it makes me feel so happy and content. The mix of citrus, floral notes and sandalwood is perfection for me and now I'm hoping the weather stays warm for a bit so I can continue my love affair with it. It even explains it can be used to help relax the mind, body and soul, which is so true. I definitely think because its lighter then Tom Ford, if you suffer with feeling sick or getting headaches from really heavy perfumes (like my sister does), then this is a great option.

Overall, if you hate humidity, clamminess and want to feel fresh, then 4711 is your only man.  There's lots of history surrounding 4711, but I've no interest in that.  All I care about is that it has saved me £100!  I love a good dupe and this, my friends, is a great one.