u/Future_Literature_70

Sniffed some testers the other day. Elizabeth Arden's 'Splendor' was a nice surprise. For about £14, it's a huge bottle and it smells extremely pleasant to me (white flowers with a green/fruity freshness, good for spring/summer). Lasts quite long on my skin, too, about 4-5 hours.

Why are Arden perfumes like these so cheap? Is it just a branding thing? I assume the ingredients are ok quality-wise?

I think I'll buy it next time. Might also give Elizabeth Taylor's 'White Diamonds' a go. (Also very affordable. Same question - why are they so much more affordable than others? Is it because they're now more "old-fashioned", i.e. not gourmand?)

There's a smallish strip of clay soil in front of my house, which currently looks terrible - just dandelions and other weeds. I'd like to plant something that needs as little work as possible but looks good.

The strip is west-facing and will get some sunlight in the afternoon.

I'm not sure if lavender would work? Or any kind of hardy plant/bush that doesn't need a lot of attention.

Alternatively, I was thinking of weeding the whole lot, then putting decorative bark chips on top, and just add a few decorative pots with some flowers in. Would that work or do the bark chips need a lot of attention (i.e. weeding every few weeks?)

Many thanks!