Like a tropical island vacation...

Hawaii is one of my favourite places in the world. IN. THE. WORLD. Stepping off the plane and onto the waiting WikiWiki bus, you can't help but wonder if your aeroplane flew into a time hole and you landed in 1980. Walking down Kalakaua Avenue is an amazing mix of touristy fare (ABC Stores for the win!) and high end fashion, and taking the trolley over to Ala Moana is a religious pilgrimage for a shopper like me. But it's the beach I really love. The warm, soft sand and the still blue water are like nothing else on earth. Watching the surfers being pushed gently back to shore, you have to wonder if the surfing gods are holding them up because the waves are no bigger than ripples but they never fall down. On my next trip I am 100% committed to learning how to surf, and plan to sign up with the Hans Hedemann surf school as soon as I get there.

So Hawaii. I'm a big tropical girl. I would dearly love to dedicate an entire post to the Tommy Bahama coconut and mango candle in a tin that I have been passionately burning, but it wouldn't seem fair because Tommy Bahama don't ship internationally (much to my dismay). However, I have found a new tropical love that I can share with you instead.

I would like to think I am an early adopter. In fact, I can confidently say I AM an early adopter, but clearly I dropped the ball with the Tom Ford for Estee Lauder Azuree Soleil range. I was very fortunate that Estee Lauder gave me some beautiful makeup from this collection many many months before it was available in shops (the bronzer is a winner), so I wasn't racing down to Myer when it was finally launched. I would need fingers and toes to count how many times I have walked past the display and never taken the time to stop and smell the fragrance. STUPID! The skinscent atomiser, or eau fraiche if we are being posh, is simply beautiful. It's like gardenias, warm sand, coconut, caramel and tropical tropical tropical all rolled into one beautiful bottle. The bottle itself is a marvelous blue with an old-school gold lid - very Tom Ford.

Price: $100
From: Myer or David Jones
Why you need it: Eau fraiche is a weaker form of fragrance (ie. not as strong as 'parfum') which means it is light and breezy and super appropriate for wearing every day. You'll feel like you are always in tropical paradise!
The good news: When you spend $95+ at Estee Lauder on fragrance right now you get a super cool tote bag, perfect for overnight rendezvous or carrying gym gear. Choice of red or black (I chose red)
The bad news: The perfume is very limited edition and is starting to sell out in stores already, so you need to act quick! Also, the bonus tote bag offer is also limited. All the more reason to go out and buy it today (or tomorrow, if you are reading this in the evening).