Today’s post brings my very first Pandora Autumn 2015 review, with an in-depth look at the new Forest Fairy charm! Happily, this charm seems to have been released in most, if not all, markets, so it’s not at all difficult to obtain.
This charm was one of my only must-haves from the initial collection. The addition of the little toadstool for her to sit on is rather perfect, and makes it even cuter than the existing two-tone Pixie charm IMO.
The charm
The charms I get most excited to review are the ones that most reward a closer look, with little aspects and shadings that aren’t necessarily apparent on a first glance; the Forest Fairy is definitely one of those charms! The wings are veined and beautifuly shaded, both on the inside and the outside. This charm has more of a classic Pandora feel, with a focus on interesting design rather than showy sparkle – it wouldn’t look out of place in one of the beautiful collections of 2013, for example. <3
(I’ve used the Essence bracelet for these pictures, FYI, as I didn’t want the chain to be too prominent.)
The stock image is fairly true to the charm itself – the only thing is that it doesn’t really convey all the lovely oxidised shading that give depth to the mushroom and the fairy’s wings.
She has a hint of a face, but there aren’t really any specific details – a little curve for her nose, and not much else. The face is so tiny, though, that you would never notice and I had to really get close to be able to tell at all.
The only thing is that she spends all her time upside down. There’s not been a time that I’ve looked down at my wrist and seen this charm the right way up – the uneven weight balance just means that it flips very easily.
The other thing that I am less keen on is the prominence of the ALE hallmarks. They are placed either side of the plain silver part of the charm, and are very noticeable. I feel like they detract from the overall delicacy of the design a little. It’s curious that they aren’t pictured in the stock image, at all, so you don’t realise until you see the charm in person!
Stylings
The Forest Fairy would fit really nicely on a traditional fairy-tale-themed bracelet, with charms such as the Song Bird, Frog Prince etc, but for this review I’m actually more inclined to focus on the ‘forest’ aspect of this little charm. I find myself more inspired by the idea of her hidden amongst flowers and leaves, and deep foresty greens, rather than as part of an explicit fairy-tale theme. I love this styling from Pandora, for example, where the Fairy is just tucked into the top corner of the left bracelet design:
First of all, I’ve opted for a mini forest theme, with fresh, bright colours and some delicate butterfly and flower openworks to set off the Forest Fairy as a centrepiece. The Flowers for You muranos are retired, and I suppose a little dated in their simplicity, but I still love them! The purple version is particularly beautiful.
Next up, we have another forest idea, which makes use of some more recent Pandora pieces. This is how I will be wearing my fairy: on my actual Pandora Rose bracelet design, with the Wildflowers murano as a focal point. I’m thinking of replacing the pearl bell charm with the new Majestic Swan charm; I also want to add the gorgeous Pandora Rose Sparkling Butterfly next to the fairy. 😀
I’m rather fond of this combination of colours; the warm colour of the Rose charms is surprisingly beautiful put with the more delicate Wild Flowers murano from Spring 2015.
Finally, however, I’m suggesting something a little different. This is a midnight magic design, using the darker oxidised bracelet, starry motifs and some beautiful moonstone cabochon spacers – while the copper glitter of the Aventurescent offers just a hint of fairy dust! You could easily add some floral charms to this design to match with the Fairy, too, and really go for a ‘midnight garden’ sort of feel. 🙂
Conclusion
This is the only charm from the regular Pandora Autumn 2015 collection I’ve purchased so far; all the rest have either been Essence or country exclusives such as the starry safety chain or the Arabian Coffee Pot. I have others on my wish list still, but this lovely Fairy stood out for its affordability and lovely whimsical details. The only thing that lets it down a little is that it invariably flips when it’s actually on a bracelet.
The Forest Fairy is $35 USD or £30. If you’re in the UK, you can purchase it alongside the rest of the Pandora Autumn collection from authorised retailer John Greed.
Do you have this charm, or is it on your wish list?
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