Chagrin Valley Chocolate Almond Soap {review}

You know, my review on Chagrin Valley shampoo bars (here) is the most popular post on this blog. It's about time I got some more Chagrin Valley reviews up on this blog because I've tried a few of their products. Mostly soaps, of course. I figured I'd do these soap reviews individually instead of waiting until I can compile them all. Quicker this way, see? But anyway, onto the soapy stuff! 

(Sorry for the weird spacing on this post! I tried to fix it but it just won't show the way it is saved. Biggest problem I have with Blogger. Sigh.)

{the soap}

I ordered a sample size of this soap, which is very generously sized! It lasted for two weeks with me using nothing but this soap in the shower. And yes, that means I've used this all up! I'm a bit sad about it.

But let me tell you, I really enjoyed this soap! The lather was SO dense and creamy! It was a lather just full of body, if you know what I mean. It probably would have lasted longer (although two weeks was impressive!) if I didn't spend so much time playing with all the lather! There was not much fluff to it, just thick foamy goodness.

It rinsed off well and always left my skin soft and clean. And it passed the face washing test with no dryness or tightness. I even used it to shave my legs a few times and it was kind of amazing. Smooth shave every time with no nicks or itchiness!

The only thing I was slightly disappointed about with this soap was the lack of scent. I thought there would be a bit of sweetness in there but I cannot detect any scent. I was expecting differently, but really, I don't mind too much. I'm a fan of unscented soaps!

{ingredients}

Ingredients include sunflower oil, coconut oil, organic sustainable palm oil, olive oil, unrefined cocoa butter, water, organic coconut milk, sweet almond oil, sodium hydroxide, castor oil, organic fair trade cocoa, organic fair trade chocolate, essential oils of bitter almond and lemon, and organic cornstarch.

{final thoughts}

I loved this little bar of Chagrin Valley soap. I might even buy a full bar next time I place an order! But there are so many Chagrin Valley soaps I have yet to try, I might just continue working my way through the sample sizes. Tempting though! I would definitely recommend giving Chagrin Valley soaps a try - I have yet to be disappointed! And yeah, expect more reviews!

Epically Epic Soap Co. Solid Lotions {review}

I love me some Epically Epic. Seriously, one of my favorite shops ever! I have tried every product line from Epically Epic and have loved them all! Trust me, there will be many more reviews of these products on this blog. But for today, I will review the solid lotions.

{the lotion}

Honestly, I am not the biggest fan of solid lotions. I will always try them (and so I continue to buy them!) but they are not one of my favorites. Something about the waiting for it to sink in and the greasiness and just the whole process. But now now, don't get scared here! I am still a huuuge fan of Epically Epic solid lotions!

While it does take awhile for the lotion to sink in - and that should always be expected of any solid lotion - it is not as unbearably long as other solid lotions. Depending on how much you use, it could be a minute or so. A little does go a long way but sometimes I like to slather on and massage in, which is great to do at night while relaxing on the couch. I mostly use on my hands, with a little extra focus on my cuticles, and sometimes other areas that are needing a little more loving.

As for the greasiness, it is almost nonexistent in this lotion. It is there for a second and then it is gone! After it is all settled in, it doesn't make me feel like I can't touch anything without leaving greasy fingerprints everywhere. My hands are good to go and that is fabulous because I absolutely hate having any sort of greasiness lingering on my hands!

Another great thing about this solid lotion is the long lasting wear. It really sinks in and stays put! Sometimes when I put on lotion, it wears off quickly and after any hand washing I feel like I need more. With this lotion, it lasts through at least three hand washings. Which is awesome because reapplying constantly is not something I want to be doing.

And now for the best part - the epic moisturizing abilities! It keeps my hands super soft, especially in this dry wintertime weather. It is also the best cuticle butter, keeping it all tidy and perfect around there. But seriously, I might have the softest hands ever. People are always amazed and shocked. True story.

{the scents}

The scents in Epically Epic solid lotions are always lovely and never overpowering. I have tried these in a few scents, including some custom blends.

Coconut Vanilla - My first EE purchase ever! This is a classic coconut vanilla scent, all warm and sweet and buttery tropical goodness.

Hazelnut Donuts - I received a sample of this custom blend someone else had ordered. And I used up the entire sample tin of it! I love the scent of hazelnut and combined with the sugary donut it was just pure deliciousness. Good combo to whoever came up with this one!

Lavender Marshmallow - Probably my favorite EE scent ever! For now anyway! The fresh, herbal scent of the lavender blends so well with the sweet marshmallow. Completely lovely scent! After awhile the lavender wears off, but the marshmallow lingers sweetly on the hands. Love!

Peanut Butter & Vanilla - Custom blend here! I was really into peanut butter scents at the time so I asked for a peanut butter solid lotion with just a touch of vanilla. This is deliciously nutty and creamy! I kind of want to eat it.

Pumpkin Pie Red Apple - Another custom blend! I got it into my head that pumpkin pie with red apple would smell delicious. And it does! It has the warm, spicy scent of pumpkin pie mellowed with the sweetness of the red apple. One of my friends said "This smells like a candle!" Perfect fall-time scent.

Shamrock Shake - I don't think I've had an actual shamrock shake. Who makes them? I should try. This one is a blend of peppermint and vanilla. Perfect balance of minty freshness and creamy vanilla. 

Vanilla Bean - I custom ordered this scent because I love the Vanilla Bean lip balm! (Also custom ordered this scent in the hair & body mist - fantastic!) It is a lovely vanilla scent without being too sweet. It's a classic!

Yellow Cake - I got a sample size of this one. And you know what? It really does smell like yellow cake! All the sweet, fluffy goodness. It is more delicious than I thought it would be!

{the ingredients}

The ingredients include macadamia nut butter, jojoba seed oil, pistachio butter, candelilla wax, vitamin e, olive squalane, and fragrance/essential oils.

{final thoughts}

I absolutely recommend Epically Epic solid lotions! Even if you're not a fan of solid lotions, give these a shot! They are hands down the best solid lotions I have tried and I love all of the scent options. And they are very long lasting! Actually, I have yet to use up a single tin of lotion. And I am still thinking about which one I want to try next. Ah, the life of an EE addict! But really though, any Epically Epic products are amazing!

Darling Clandestine Halloween Collection Perfumes {review}

I am in love with these Halloween perfume oils from Darling Clandestine. And I know, I know - Halloween was over a month ago, but I am still having much fun with these perfumes! There's also a few of these scents still available, so my post isn't way too late. I was lucky enough to win these in a giveaway at Beauty Infinitum! Super exciting times!

Also, prepare for a long review...

{the perfume}

These perfume oils are splendid. I love the cool bottles they come in and the glass dropper/wand makes application easy. They are also very fragrant, but without being overpowering. The wear is about 6-8 hours and it fades beautifully with softly lingering sweet scents.

{the scents}

Falter
“All at once, the electric panic that lights up your inadequacies like constellations. Kill it.” Startling, misty, herbal, with notes including avocado and ozone and clary sage.

I think this is the one I'm going to have the most difficulty in trying to describe. Falter smells very interesting in the bottle - there's definitely a bit of an avocado note in there with other soft greens. Once on, it starts off smelling a bit like clay mixed with a sweet herbal scent that isn't too green. There's also a bit of creaminess to it.

After dry-down, the clay smell goes away and it morphs into a lovely scent that is so well blended it's difficult for me to accurately describe it. It's sweet and creamy, but not in a candy-like way. More like the light scent of sweet fruits. There might be a bit of melon in here. It's soft and mellow, without being too light. It's almost a clean scent, but in the best kind of way, like a scent I might find in a spa. I wish I could better describe this fragrance. But really, it is beautiful and quite soothing. Very wearable scent, even perfect for bedtime! I find myself drawn to this scent quite frequently, making reviewing other scents quite difficult at times! Definitely one of my new favorites!

Squander
“Rich as cello, the furious moments you wasted, never recognizing the fire at your command. Taste them.” Deep and decadent, with rich fruitful notes including clove and nutmeg and sandalwood and ripe red apple.

Squander is definitely a fall-time scent! It starts out strong with the apple and spices. The clove is very apparent in the scent, adding that extra punch of spice. After dry-down, the clove mellows out a lot. The sweet red apple also mellows out, bringing the other spices to the front. The fall spices in this perfume definitely stand out and are sweetened by the apple, which keeps the spices from getting too out of hand. There is also a hint of earthiness in the background. There is a deliciousness to this scent without being too foodie. It adds a bit of coziness to chilly, fall days!

Spurn
“At each silence, the ache of the blade that released your indecorous wrath. Twist it.” Fierce and passionate, with bright bursts of pomegranate, tempered with aged wood and haunted by marigolds."

Honestly, I am not sure what marigolds smell like. They must be some kind of wonderful though! This perfume opens up with bright, sweet pomegranate. I don't get much of the aged wood in this, but I think that is because my skin tends to amp up floral notes in any scent. I tend not to like florals for that reason, but marigolds are another story all together. They do not have a sharp, perfumey scent that most florals have. It is a deep and rich scent that is almost a bit heavy, but in a delightfully sweet way. Quite intoxicating!

Wither
“One Draconian day, the fissures into which your voluptuous youth dissolves. Welcome it.” Unsettling, ethereal, with notes including ozone and blueberry and trampled leaves, soaked in black rum.

Wither starts off bursting with blueberries. I'm not usually a fan of blueberry fragrances because the blueberry tends to be too sweet and candy-like. But the blueberries in this perfume have a real blueberry scent that isn't headache inducing. Yay! After the initial blueberry pop, the leaves quickly follow adding a bit of crunch to the scent. After dry-down, the earthiness of the leaves comes forward with the blueberries adding some sweetness to the scent. I detect a faint note of sweet florals in the background, but I could be wrong. To bring it all together, the ozone adds some freshness to the scent, like cool fall air carrying the scents of blueberries and fallen leaves. I really love how the scents play off one another in this fragrance - it never fails to interest my nose!

A few other things about Wither... from a distance, it has an alluring scent that is sweet and creamy. When it wafts my way (and I'm not sticking my nose up against it), there's a delectable quality about it. Also, I left the bottle open for a bit and I noticed my room smelled lightly of blueberries. Enjoyable all around!

{scents + peppermint}

I made a discovery with Falter while testing these out. I couldn't wait to try it, so I put it on even though I was about to shower. During my shower I used my peppermint scrub (reviewed here) and afterwards I noticed how beautifully the scent mixed with the perfume. I messaged Evonne at Darling Clandestine to tell her about my discovery and she suggested I try all of the scents with peppermint. Brilliant! And since I have a bottle of peppermint eo, that is exactly what I did! (Well not completely - I failed to test this out with Spurn, but didn't want to wait to post this review!).

Falter + peppermint
At first, the peppermint adds a bit of minty freshness. What I found interesting though is that when blended with Falter, the peppermint goes straight to being a sweet mint. There's no icy spike of minty coolness that peppermint usually has at first. The mint enhances that clean quality of the scent, while also adding some sweetness. It also brings out the ozone more. It is like the smell someone brings in with them from outside, but not when they first open the door, but as they come in and it slowly starts fading away. And they smell of something sweet but indeterminable, just a mellow and soft sweetness. Maybe sweet herbs with lovely creaminess. I really cannot get enough of this scent!

Squander + peppermint
This starts out with an interesting blend of peppermint and spices. They seem to balance perfectly - it's not too minty and it's not too spicy. They meld together enough to make you question and consider what you're really detecting in the scent. After dry-down, the peppermint brings out the sweetness of the apple while also adding a bit of tartness to it. It mellows out the clove in the scent and brings out the other spices. It also enhances the ozone. And put all that together and what do we get? Being outside on a cold winter night, when the skies are clear and the air is crisp, and there's a thermos full of hot apple cider at hand. It is a bit magical.

Wither + peppermint
This starts out with two strong scents - the icy peppermint and the sweet blueberries. It makes me think of biting into frozen blueberries. After it mellows out, the peppermint seems to enhance the sweetness of the scent while bringing the ozone scent to the front and making the airiness of it more crisp. The leaves are faintly in the background, but they start to emerge more with a bit of an earthy crunch that is slightly bitter. I love how the peppermint brings out these scent notes while also adding a bit of a twist.

{final thoughts}

I seem to fall more and more in love with Darling Clandestine perfumes! They are so unique and and completely beautiful! Never has a shop become one of my absolute favorites so quickly! I love Darling Clandestine so much, I can't stop exclaiming everything! Evonne, I <3 you! Highest recommendation from me and expect many, many more Darling Clandestine reviews from me!

Favorites Friday

Sorry for another late in the day post! It's been a crazy day around here. Full of appointments and waiting and dragging kids around busy holiday events. Finally at home relaxing! Although there won't be a photo for this post. Relaxing feels too nice! But anyway, here are my favorites for the week:

1. Vintage Lavender perfume stick from Dollface Perfumes (scent currently not in stock - I believe the owner is working on restocking her shop). I have been loving this scent this week! There's something fizzy about it that blends so well with the lavender. And it was such a great deal!
2. Yuletide at Baker St. perfume oil from Sarawen. I have only used this once this week but fell completely in love with it! I think I even fell asleep huffing it on my wrists. It has so many great scent notes that all take their time to shine. But, to be fully reviewed later (before Christmas!).
3. Whipped Squalane Face & Eye Mousse from Chagrin Valley. The texture of this mousse is amazing! I have only been using this for about a week so I'm still testing it out to see how it's working for my skin, but so far I have been loving it. It feels super moisturizing and I have a feeling this will be great for wintertime! 
4. Ginger Ale lip balm from Epically Epic. This really does smell like bubbly gingerale! And I love gingerale! And EE balms! Win win here, really.
5. Lavender Marshmallow solid lotion from Epically Epic. I'm not the biggest fan of solid lotions but I love the EE ones! And I believe I still need to review these. I will at some point because I have a lot! They are great for keeping my hands soft in this harsh, cold winter weather. Super moisturizing - they take a while to sink in (as can be expected), but totally worth the wait! And the Lavender Marshmallow scent is lovely! I can't get enough of it!

Let's see... what non-B&B favorites of the week do I have...

• Hot cocoa! And of course it has to be extra chocolatey! With whipped cream! It's that time of year when a mug of hot cocoa is one of the best things in the world.
• Prejudice by Tim Minchin. This never fails to amuse me! And it's so catchy. Tim Minchin is kind of a genius! 

And so there are my favorites for the week! And back to the relaxing thing for a bit. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I have one more weekend of homework then I'll be on break! Wish me luck on getting everything done! :)

<3 Alyssa

Ripe Shop Lip Balm {review}

I almost forgot that I had planned to post a review by today! And that is why it's so late. As I am in Alaska it is still Thursday but I know it is already into Friday for most of you! But continuing on...

Since lip balm reviews are one of the easiest, let's go with one of those! I've been trying out a few new lip balms lately, which has been fun since it's been awhile since I've tried new balms. Usually I get stuck ordering different flavors from the same shops. But anyway, up for review today is a Ripe Shop lip balm!

{the balm}

This balm has a really nice texture. It glides on smoothly with just a touch of creaminess. It also has a sort of solid feel in the tube, like it won't get too melty in your pocket and you won't accidentally smush too much onto your lips. Although, I am left wishing the texture was a bit more creamy. It feels slightly greasy to me. But it's not in a terribly annoying way that would make me wipe it off my lips or stop using it. There's just a bit of greasiness to it. Makes it glossy!

{the flavor}

I ordered this in Mexican Horchata. I have only had the actual drink once and it was quite delicious. This really does remind me of it. It is like sweet creamy milk with a bit of cinnamon. It is a perfect flavor for this cold weather - it is warm and cozy but the spice level isn't too intense or overwhelming. I am usually turned off from balms with spices in them because I always find it to be a bit much. But it is done perfectly in this balm!

{ingredients}

Ingredients include avocado, coconut, jojoba & sweet almond oils, beeswax, cocoa & shea butters, and flavor.

{final thoughts}

Although I found myself wishing for a slightly different formula, the balm was still quite pleasant. And I really love the flavor of this. I have found myself reaching for this balm often. I would definitely consider ordering more balms from Ripe Shop! And that's a recommendation from me!

Update and Whatnot

Hey lovelies!

I just wanted to give a little update on my life and this blog. I've really been thinking about my blog lately and wanting to post!

I am not sure how much details I gave in my last post, but I have been having a crazy busy time these last few weeks with moving back to Alaska. Travel from one small town on the Oregon Coast to another small town in Alaska is a lot of work! The travel is unbelievably time consuming - a lot of layovers in bigger cities. But I finally made it! Next I have to face the issue of cleaning and unpacking. Although good news is, I will soon have a decent set-up for working on reviews (which means better photos, depending on my skills).

I haven't been posting this past week like I had hoped I would be able to because I have had no internet. Living in Alaska, the weather majorly impacts out lives. Just one of the perks. But due to the weather last week, I was stuck without internet. Which also was problematic for schoolwork. But I'm getting there!

Speaking of school, I will be done with my semester next week! A have a few more projects to turn in and then I will be free for a month and a half. One awesome thing about grad school: the extra long winter breaks! I am looking forward to this time so I can work on my blog. Since I started this blog I haven't had the chance to do as many reviews as I want. But I really want to devote myself to it over break and really get it up and running and hopefully settle into a groove I can keep up with!

As for plans for my blog, there might be a few slight changes in the future. The biggest difference is that posts will be more regular. I am also thinking about reintroducing a rating system, but I am still on the fence about that one. I would have to devise a rating system that works for me to feel comfortable using one for this blog. I need more depth than just numbers, you know? And I might try to be more present in other social media networks. I'm excited for it all! Are you? :)

As for more short-term plans, this next week I will try to get up one review and a Favorites Friday post. It is basically going to be my school finals week so I will be fairly busy, but I'm sure I can throw those in there as well! I will also be traveling this next week, because that never ends for me! I'm going to visit my brother and his family before Christmas time since they can't make it home. Yay time with the nephews! :)

As for other updates, I am still on a hardcore perfume kick. I have a TON of perfumes to review but I will try not to overwhelm this blog with them. Don't worry - I'll try to do a mix of everything! I also might start introducing reviews for wax tarts. Speaking of which, I should try a new scent in my new warmer tonight... So many things to review!

Anyway, I'll stop my ramblings now. Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving!

<3 Alyssa

P.S. And just because I want to add a photo to this post, here's one from my last night in that small coastal town in Oregon. I am really going to miss this...

Favorites Friday

I had a couple reviews planned for this week but this week has been super busy for me! So sorry about that! I am moving back to Alaska this week, and besides all the packing, there is a ton of traveling to be done. I am actually posting this from my phone while waiting around at the airport! This moving business is crazier than I thought it would be. I have accumulated way too much stuff. I haven't even been able to get much studying done this week! AH!

And since I've been packing up preparing for my move, I haven't had many products out to play with this week. And because of that, I only have two favorites this week...

1. Unscented goats milk cream from Retro Creams & Perfume. I got mine when the company had a different name, so the label is not the same as the ones they use now. I have ordered a bunch of lotions from this shop - there are a ton of fun fragrances! I have been using this sample size cream for my face lately, which has been getting a bit dry. The cream is very thick so a little goes a long way. It takes a little while to sink in but when it does it is super moisturizing! I'm glad I found this in my stash - it has been making my face soft and smooth!
2. Chocolate Candy lip butter (flavor now called Shea Cocoa) from Anita's La La Land. This is one of my all-time favorite lip balms. Sometimes I forget that and then rediscover the amazingness of the balm, like what happened this week! It has the perfect creaminess without being too heavy or greasy. I also love that there's no artificial flavors in this. It's just pure chocolate goodness! Perfect for giving sweet chocolate kisses! ;)

Sorry for the short list this week! I'll probably have a long one next week with all the new goodies I've been ordering that are waiting for me in Alaska. Can't wait! And one more week until Black Friday! What shops are you keeping your eye on?

<3 Alyssa

Favorites Friday

Happy Friday! I thought maybe I'd start doing these weekly favorites posts. I'm really trying to get back into the whole blogging thing and keeping it that way! I've got some plans brewing and reviews in the works and I will be able to spend a lot more time working on my blog next month! Woo! :)

But anyway, onto my favorites for the week!

1. Falter perfume oil from Darling Clandestine. I can't get enough of this scent! It's sweet and mellow and utterly fantastic! I won't say too much here since I am working on a review for more DC perfumes. But I will say that this perfume works perfectly with my body chemistry and I have been swooning over it!
2. Baker's Boy perfume oil from Sarawen (reviewed here). This has been getting some use from me this week on those breaks from Falter! I have been really into leather scents lately and I love the blend in this, with the sweet cake and fruits complementing the warm scent of the worn leather. Wearing this right now and I can't stop sniffing my wrists!
3. Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream body butter from Mad City Soap. I only have a little sample of this, which I received in my last order. I'm not a huge fan of the scent, as blueberry fragrances aren't one of my favorites. But it is sweet and delicious smelling. And the lotion goes on beautifully! I've been enjoying using this on my hands at night. I am definitely going to order some body butter from MCS! Winter scents were just released today too! They sound so yummy!
4. Forest Berry Jam Root Beer lip conditioner from Ella Dean (reviewed here). I have been loving the bright and refreshing flavor of this lip balm. Plus, I've been trying not to drink soda lately. It has so much sugar! I've been getting my root beer fix from this balm. And the silky texture is heavenly, as always!
5. Double Mint soap from Noirliliana (although it looks like the shop is currently closed). I had this soap for a long time before I tried it. By then the minty scent wasn't as apparent so I was a bit sad about that. But I have moved it to my soap dish for washing my hands and it has been keeping my hands super soft! The lather is really creamy and great for this colder weather.

Here's a couple other things that are non-B&B related that have been my favorites this week:

• Spangler mini candy canes. I am so happy that it is candy cane season now! I love candy canes and these are perfect! There's 40 in a box for $2 and a serving size is 4 candy canes for a total of 70 calories and 13g of sugar. I've been stashing them everywhere! Must. Start. Stockpile.
•  Horse Outside by The Rubberbandits (video). I have been loving this song! It has been playing a lot around here lately. I don't know what it is about it - it's amusing and fun and has a slight dancy mood to it. If you take a listen, there is some cursing.

That's it for my favorites this week - hope you enjoyed my first favorites post! I'll do my best to keep it up! Have a great weekend!

<3 Alyssa

Rocky Top Soap Shop Shavin' Soap {review}

I was browsing through some of my photos today that I keep for this blog. I really have quite the backlog of products to review. For some of them it has been too long since I took the photo, and the product has been used up, that I can no longer do an accurate review. But I found one today that I can still review! And oh it has been waiting a long while for one!

Up for review is the Shavin' Soap from Rocky Top Soap Shop.

{the soap}

First of all, I should mention that Rocky Top Soap Shop specializes in unscented soaps. There is no added scent to this soap, but it smells lightly of cocoa butter and that soft, clean soapy smell. It's quite pleasant.

As for the soaping abilities, it is some kind of amazing! Since it is a soap meant for shaving, it produces a lot of creamy lather. And I mean a lot! It is dense and silky and all around delightful. For shaving, the lather stays in place until the job is done. And the glide is beautiful - smooth as silk, but not too slick. No more nicks from shaving!

I had been searching for a shaving soap for a long time and this one made the top of the list. My problem with most shaving soaps is that afterwards my legs feel very itchy. That is not the case with this soap. My legs are left feeling smooth and moisturized and not the least bit itchy.

Now, I don't just limit the use of this soap to my legs. It is far too delightful for that! With all that creamy lather, I just to have to have that good stuff everywhere. It's really a grand ol' shower experience. Kind of like showering with a cloud. It rinses off well, whenever I decide to do such a thing (my cloud!). And I'm left with soft and clean skin.

It is also a great facial soap. It is gentle and moisturizing and leaves my face clean without drying it out. I have also discovered this is a great facial soap for winter months! And really, that's quite the feat for a soap!

I have had this same bar of soap for over a year now and have finally moved onto the last quarter of it. Admittedly, there were a few months in that year that I didn't do any shaving (ahem). That is still a long life for a bar of soap that I use regularly. Overall, amaaazing soap.

{ingredients}

Ingredients include coconut oil, olive oil, castor oil, palm oil (organic, sustainably harvested), lye, apple cider vinegar, water, cocoa butter, and bentonite clay.

{conclusion}

I would definitely recommend trying the Shavin' Soap from Rocky Top Soap Shop. Or any of their other soaps, for that matter. All of the soaps are high quality and beautifully crafted. Simple is done perfectly over there. I think that one of my favorite things about Rocky Top Soap Shop soaps is that the soap does everything you imagine a bar of soap should do. If you want a bar of soap perfection, Rocky Top Soap Shop should be your next stop! (Couldn't resist saying that!)

Deep Steep Body Butter {review}

Continuing with my lavender kick, I randomly picked up this Lavender Chamomile body butter by Deep Steep.  It is an organic body butter at a fairly decent price ($7 when I bought it). I found this body butter while browsing Abe's Market. Lots of goodies to be found on there!

{the body butter}

I am not overly impressed with this body butter. It is thick and creamy, as body butters should be. And I like that it's in a squeeze tube so it makes it easier to use. It also spreads on easy enough. However, it takes a while to really sink in and I have to really massage it into my skin. There is also a slight sticky residue left on my skin, mostly noticeable on my hands. I always have to wash my hands after applying, which is a bit annoying.

However, the body butter is fairly moisturizing. My skin has been feeling a bit softer lately and someone even commented on how soft my skin is. This might also be because I have been adding daily moisturizing to my routine, which I often neglect to do. There are bound to be notable differences with this change in routine.

{the scent}

The Lavender Chamomile aroma in this body butter is a lovely scent. The lavender is most noticeable in the tube and when first applying and has that fresh, herbal scent lavender has. After applying, the scent mellows into a softly sweet scent that slightly reminds me of baby bathtime, but not quite. The scent is also light and does not last very long. But that is alright with me because I am not always a fan of strong scents in body butters.

{ingredients}

Organic Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Infusion of Organic Herbs; Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Extract, Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate (Vegan), Glycerin (Vegan), Organic Glycine Soja (Soy) Oil, Caprylic Acid (Coconut Fatty Acid), Aroma (Organic and Wildcrafted Essential Oil Blend), Organic Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Tocopherol (Vitamin E) Natural, Organic Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Protein, Cyamposis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate.

{conclusion}

I will probably not repurchase this body butter from Deep Steep. The formula doesn't quite do it for me. However, I do like the ease of use and the light scent. And it does a good job of keeping my skin soft. I will use up the rest of this product, but after that I am going to look elsewhere for a body butter. Any suggestions?

Darling Clandestine Aragon Perfume {review}

I don't remember how I stumbled upon Darling Clandestine, even though it was fairly recently. But I am so glad I found this lovely perfume shop! All of the fragrances sound so unique and amazing and I want to try them all! Today I will be reviewing the Aragon solid perfume.

{the perfume}

This is the best solid perfume I have ever tried! It has a great creamy texture and it goes on like silk. But that is not the best part. The scent lasts for HOURS! The scent stays strong for 6-8 hours and then it starts fading off. After 12 hours, there is still a hint of the beautiful perfume! I didn't think solid perfumes could be so amazing. Love it!

{the scent}

Aragon

"It opens crisp and fresh with intense lavender essential oil, mellowed and deepened by sea salt, red wine, a bit of leather, and a touch of caramel and chocolate. It's bold and bright, rich and sweet without being cloying or overbearing."

The scent starts off with the intense and fresh lavender with a bit of zing from the sea salt. The leather is faintly in the background. After dry-down, the fruity note from the red wine starts to emerge and it starts sweetening. It becomes a beautifully warm and sweet scent with a herbal background and a faint whiff of a dark/bitter note, adding a bit of moodiness to the scent. The longer it's on, the sweeter it gets. It is a beautifully complex scent that I find myself frequently drawn to. Lovely.

I would find this scent suitable for every day wear. It is also sexy enough for a night spent with someone special.

{ingredients}

Ingredients include lavender essential oil, fragrance oils, pure beeswax, sweet almond oil, rice bran oil, and grapeseed oil.

{conclusion}

If you are looking for new and unique fragrances, I would definitely recommend Darling Clandestine. I have been loving the Aragon scent and it has intrigued me enough to already place a few more orders from Darling Clandestine. I think I have found a new perfume love! Stay tuned for more reviews of the beautiful Darling Clandestine perfumes!

Buying Stuff!

I really should stop browsing shops and finding more smelly things I want to buy. It's such an addiction! And too much of a distraction!

Today, I just purchased some perfume samples from Firebird Bath & Body and lip balms from Orange Thyme. Yesterday, I ordered a perfume and lip balm set from Ripe Shop. And I also ordered some soaps, a moisturizer, and body oil (which I've been wanting to try forever!) from Chagrin Valley. In the last few weeks I've placed several perfume orders with Darling Clandestine. Who by the way is having an early Black Friday sale for 26% off with coupon code: BLACKEVERYDAY. I also won a giveaway for a set of her perfumes! SO EXCITING! I am going to have quite the collection of DC perfumes! I've also placed another order with Epically Epic for soap, perfume, lip balms, and a solid lotion. AND, I ordered some tarts from Sea Breeze Scents & Things.

Yeah, I've been going a little crazy with my ordering here! And since I am moving back to Alaska soon I've been having everything shipped there. So I'm ordering all these things but have to wait to try them and smell them which makes it harder to control my shopping spree. On the plus side, I'll have a bunch of smelly things to go home to! I hope my mom doesn't judge me for the millions of packages that will be coming in for me... ha!

In other news, I've been getting serious about my perfume reviews (not that I wasn't before but I haven't had so many to review before now). Since I have a lot a new scents to try out and it'll take some time to get through them, I've started carrying around a little journal with me to write down my thoughts on the perfume while I'm wearing it. And I've been having fun with that! I also like to wave my wrists in front of my roomie and ask her what she thinks of the different scents. That's also fun times! :)

Last night I found a random Orange Thyme lip balm in my raincoat pocket. I always have random lip balms tucked away in the pockets of my coats. Those are always fun to find! It reminded me of how much I love Orange Thyme lip balms. I know I don't have a review on here yet, but one will be coming soon. They are fantastic balms! And so that is why I had to order more today. Even though that is the one thing I've been trying not to buy as much of. It never seems to work out though. I have quite the lip balm collection!

I also wore Girl on Fire from Sarawen last night for a loungy movie night with a friend. And I wore my comfy lounge clothes including a flannel shirt. The scent was perfect for the night. All warm and cozy and cuddly! I love it when I can use that perfect perfume for the occasion at hand, no matter how casual it is!

But anyway, I'll stop rambling away here and get back to the homework. And I've been liking these rambly update posts. It's something to post between reviews and I like the casual chattiness. It's also a good for a short study break! So, hope you're not minding these casual posts!

I hope you're having a good start to the week! Happy Monday!

<3 Alyssa

Epically Epic Soap Co. Hair & Body Mists {review}

I've been using these awesome hair and body mists from Epically Epic Soap Co. for quite awhile now and there needs to be a review! The photo is of the most recent set of mists I ordered. And as you may be able to tell, I've been on a bit of a lavender kick lately. Also, the photo shows mini spray bottles although the shop sells larger 2.5 oz. bottles (I think the minis are about half that). I requested these because I love the size and the convenience for traveling! But anyway, onto the reviewing!

{the mist}

I mostly use these mists in my hair and they are bloody fantastic. They leave my hair silky and shiny without making my hair look or feel greasy at all. I will use after a shower, when my hair is still damp. I will use 3-4 spritzes on my hands then comb through my hair, and only a little on my roots. Also should note, I have a lot of hair so you might not need as many spritzes.  I don't even use conditioner anymore. These mists are moisturizing enough to do the job of keeping my hair amazing!

I have also used on my hair when it's dry. When my hair was in that awkward length period, I used to wear it up a lot. Sometimes my hair would be extra frizzy in the morning after I put it up. I would wet my hands, spritz some hair mist on them, then smooth my hair down. It made my hair look smooth and shiny and kept it tame all day!

I haven't used this mist much on my body. I did a few times and it was nice enough. Had a slightly "fizzy" sensation on my skin, if that makes any sense. But I prefer it on my hair. Although I did get a few comments about smelling like vanilla cupcakes (for the vanilla coconut blend) when I used it as a body mist!

I should also mention that the scents have some good wear. They make my hair smell delightful but not overwhelmingly so. I never get headaches from the fragrances (which is a problem for me with other hair products). There's a few that are longer lasting than the others. I've found that the sweeter or fruitier the fragrance is, the longer the scent will last. 

{the scents}

Most of the scents I have tried have been custom blends (an option Allison offers with tons of fragrances to choose from). Actually, I think all but one have been custom scents. I always think it's fun to hear about what others have come up with though, so I'll share my custom blends!

Apples & Almonds (blend of green apple, almond, and marshmallow) - I love the combination of green apple and almond in this. It starts off a bit sour and candy like from the green apple scent but then the sweetness of the almond comes out with an extra bit of sweetness from the marshmallow. This makes my hair delicious and I thought it would be a great hair scent and it really is!

Apricot Frosting (blend of apricot, hint of peach, and vanilla icing) - I wanted a sort of "apricots & cream" scent and this is perfect. It's a creamy sweet scent that's not too overwhelming. It's also a bit warm and cozy. I don't know why, but scents like this feel more like fall time scents to me.

Blackberry Tea (blend of blackberry tea and hint of lemon) - This is probably my least favorite custom scent I've ordered. It smells good, but it's a bit strong for me. It's also a bit perfumey. But it does smell like a good scent to have on your hair - it's sweet and fresh. And it definitely lingers.

Hazelnut Mallow (blend of marshmallow, vanilla, and a bit of hazelnut) - I want to eat this one. It smells sweet and decadent with all of the scent notes I picked. It is warm and all around deliciousness. It's kind of a weird scent to have in my hair but I still really enjoy it.

I Love Lychee - (*This is the only stock fragrance I have) I have never tried or smelled real lychee fruit, so I don't know how this compares. But I can tell you this is a lovely scent that is bright and sweet and fruity and I fell in love with it the first time I smelled it. Great for summer days! 

Lavender Marshmallow - I love Allison's Lavender Marshmallow fragrance. So, so good! The beautiful lavender blends well with the marshmallow. They balance each other out perfectly and create a sweetly soothing scent. And lavender is one of those perfect scents for you hair. Well I think so anyway!

Lavender Peach Peppermint - I thought these would go good together because of my recent lavender kick and my love for Sarawen's Georgina perfume that has scent notes of peaches and peppermint. I am really enjoying this blend - it's bright, fresh, and fruity.

Lavender Vanilla Cinnamon (blend of lavender, vanilla bean, and hint of cinnamon) - This might be my new favorite fragrance for my hair. I picked the scents with Chagrin Valley's Lavender Spice in mind and this definitely smells just as delightful. The hint of cinnamon adds that little bit of spice that makes the whole fragrance simply intoxicating. I can't stop smelling my hair after using this one!

Mint Heaven (blend of peppermint, spearmint, bit of tea tree, bit of rosemary) - I was in a huge minty mood when I ordered this one. And it truly was mint heaven. So very refreshing and soothing. All essential oils in this one and it satisfied all my minty cravings. I have used it all up now and it was much loved!

Peaches & Cream (blend of peach, vanilla, and coconut) - I wanted a tropical peaches & cream scent and this one was great! I loved the warm sweetness of the peach and vanilla with the tropical twist of the coconut. My only complaint is sometimes coconut fragrances can smell a bit plasticky. This one had a bit of that, but it was still a great scent I enjoyed in the summer!

The Cake (blend of yellow cake, apricot, strawberry, and marshmallow) - I know, I picked a terribly unoriginal name for this one. But aside from the bad name, this is a wonderful scent! It smells like a delicious slice of cake topped with a fruity whipped cream frosting. For real, it truly does smell like cake! Yummy!

Vanilla Bean - I love vanilla and this is THE perfect vanilla for my hair. It is a true vanilla scent and it makes my hair smell dreamy all day long. One time after giving one of my guy friends a hug, he said: "Mmmmmm, you smell good! Like hardcore vanilla!". Pretty much sums up how amazing this vanilla is! :)

Vanilla Coconut (heavier on the vanilla) - This is a pretty stellar vanilla coconut scent. Again, the coconut is a bit plasticky, but just barely. What is most notable in the fragrance is the buttery vanilla. The scent is super sweet and I always got comments when I wore this one. Quite a few people were telling me that I smelled delicious!

{ingredients}

Ingredients include argan oil, cyclomethicone, jojoba, sweet almond oil, macadamia oil, essential oils, fragrance, and vitamin e.

{conclusion}

I completely and 100% recommend these hair & body mists from Epically Epic Soap Co.. Because I am completely and 100% in love with them. I use these mists after every hair washing and I don't know what I would do without them! My hair would be a sad case. That's a true story. You should check these out (and the other awesome items!) at Epically Epic Soap Co. Go crazy with it and create your own scent blend! It's guaranteed awesomeness!

Little Update

Why hello there! I've been a bit busy around here and haven't been able to post any reviews lately. This is my first semester doing school full-time (in this graduate program anyway) and it's a lot of work, especially around "mid-terms" time. Although they don't really use that term in this program, the workload definitely increases. But anyway, enough school talk.

I am working on a few reviews! And I got my computer to accept my camera memory card so I've been able to take photos with my camera with plans of actually using them! Upcoming reviews include lip tints, hair/body mists, perfumes, and lotions. Maybe I'll make up a list of some of my favorite shops for holiday shopping as well! It is getting close to that time - have you started shopping yet? I have about half of my list done. Impressive for the last minute everything me! :)

Other stuff... I've been really into perfumes lately. I discovered Darling Clandestine and all of the fragrances sound so unique! Expect a review within the next few weeks! Also, anyone have any suggestions for perfumes/perfume shops?

And in other news, I ordered a tart warmer! I've been meaning to do this for a year or so. My sister-in-law is a Scentsy consultant (check out her shop here) and they were having a great sale earlier in the week. The one I ordered is a super cute turkey. I'd give a link but I don't see it on the site anymore. It's totally my style - a bit tacky, but awesomely so! I also ordered a few scents: Honey Pear Cider and Peppermint Dreams. I didn't get to smell any before I ordered but I FaceTimed with my SIL, having her smell things for me before I picked which ones I wanted. Ah, family. <3

Pretty excited about the tart warmer! Although I won't get to use it until I am back in Alaska (that's where I had it shipped). Anyone have any suggestions for places to order tarts? I know some of you are into tarts (looking at you Deb if you're reading this!). I want to find ones that aren't too strong. As much as I love fragrances, I am a bit sensitive so it'd be great to find a shop with mildly scented tarts with reasonable prices. After I find that, I might go crazy with it.

But anyway, there's my little update on product happenings around here. Excited for the holiday season and all the sales and all the new goodies! And to start with the Christmas music... maybe right now! :)

<3 Alyssa

Long Winter Farm Lip Balms {more flavors}

 
Here's another flavor update post for you all! Today on the list is Long Winter Farm lip balms. You can check out my full review here. I have been loving  LWF balms for this fall time weather. They're ultra creamy and perfect for keeping my lips moisturized with the changing weather! And I have been digging these new flavors I've recently received.

Peppermint Hot Cocoa - This is a perfect blend of peppermint and chocolate. It reminds me of these delicious mint chip brownies my roommate made recently! The chocolate scent is a true chocolately scent that isn't overly sweet. And what I like best about this lip balm is the invigorating minty scent that doesn't make my lips tingle or get irritated. That's what I dislike most about peppermint balms - I love love love peppermint, but when it's on my lips, it's usually too irritating. But not in this case so I am super happy to have a minty balm that I can use as often as I like!

Sea Sprite - The scent of this lip balm is ABSOLUTELY DIVINE! I am 100% completely in love with this! It is a blend of coconut cream and lavender. They meld together perfectly to create a sweet and delicious and pretty scent. It also has a bit of fizziness to the scent that makes it a bit refreshing. It is an intoxicating scent and I hope to see this in a perfume oil! I cannot get enough of this!

White Almond - This scent is a blend of almond and white chocolate. Almond scents can sometimes be super sweet, as almond tends to do. And white chocolate is a decadent scent. I was a bit worried that this balm would be too much with the sweet and decadent combination, but the blend is well balanced. Yes, it is sweetly decadent but not over-the-top. The almond is stronger in the balm, as almond tends to do! It is a delicious balm that reminds me of an almond cake I made once. I kind of want to eat this balm.

I think this is my favorite order of Long Winter Farm lip balms so far! And there's still a few more flavors I want to try. And I hope that Sea Sprite becomes a perfume oil! What I'm saying here is: I need to place another order!

Beautiful Twists Lip Conditioners {more flavors}

I've already done a review of Ella Dean's lip conditioners here, oozing with much love! I am still very much a big fan of these wonderful lip conditioners. They're super smooth and glossy and make my lips all happy-like. And I am always a fan of the flavor combinations Ella comes up with. So, I thought I'd do a quick post of my most recent flavors from Beautiful Twists.

Comfort (blend of vanilla, lavender, and carrot cake) (link) - The scent is definitely very comforting and soothing. The lavender is strongest in the conditioner, but it is sweetened and mellowed out by the vanilla and carrot cake. This is the first lavender balm I've purchased and I don't usually associate lavender with lip products, but I thought I'd give this a chance. I'm really glad I did. The scent is wonderful and pretty and I pretty much love it! I've also been a huge lavender kick lately and this has been one of the balms I've been using constantly.

Forest Berry Jam Root Beer (link) - I got this one as a freebie in my order (because Ella is so awesome with freebies!) and I'm really glad I got to try this flavor. In her description Ella says: "it will make you want to take a stroll through the forest". And I'm surprised it actually does make me think of the forest and outside world. The root beer mixed with the berry jam makes the scent very refreshing - you can really smell the fizziness of the root beer in this! The scent is also sweet and warm. Very interesting flavor and I've really been enjoying it!

Rotten Pistachio Pudding and Bubblegum off the Sidewalk (link) - Ella is always so creative with her descriptions. This one is for a flavor for the character Gloria the Garbage Lady. And just so you know, it doesn't really smell rotten! The scent is amazing! I can definitely smell the bubblegum and it has an interesting nutty element to it. The flavor is definitely sweet, but not over-the-top despite being a bubblegum flavor. The combination is so wonderful, this is one of my new favorites! And the label has gotten a bit beaten up by now (as you might be able to see in the photo) because of all the use it's been getting from me. I always have this one around!

Spearmint Vanilla Candy Ice Cream (link) - I love using this flavor before bed because of the spearmint. It has a really sweet spearmint and vanilla scent. It reminds me of the spearmint gum, but a little bit sweeter than that. It has a mild minty scent that is also creamy and just plain lovely. I fall in love with it all over again every time I open it! The scent is warm and soothing.

Ella Dean has such great flavor ideas! I am definitely going to go back and order some more sometime soon. Every lip conditioner I get from her gets a turn at being one of my favorites. Sometimes I'll get ones that I'm not too sure about at first, but a week later will be completely addicted to the flavor. Ella Dean is a flavor genius!

What are some of your favorite flavors from Beautiful Twists?

For Goodness Grape Lip Balms {review}

I've been buying lip balms from For Goodness Grape for quite awhile now. And I think it's prime time for a lip balm review! I also reviewed her lip tints here - and you should be expecting another one of those reviews soon because I just ordered some more!

{the balm}

The balms have that lovely texture - the kind you'd keep going back for! It goes on smooth and has quite a bit of creaminess. It is a bit on the thicker side of things, but it's not too heavy on the lips. The wear isn't the greatest. Sometimes I feel the need to reapply after an hour or so. But there's so many fun flavors I don't mind doing so. Also, it leaves my lips moisturized enough sometimes I don't even realize all my lip balm has worn off. I love it when balms are able to achieve that!

I've also tried one of the Baby Moose Lips balms which have different formulas than the regular lip balms. They are formulated to be gentle and moisturizing to give you "baby soft lips". The balm feels thinner than the regular balms with a hint more gloss. It feels really nice going on because it's soft and smooth. There's a bit of creaminess as well, but not as much as the regular balms. Overall, great balm and I'd definitely try more flavors but my preference is for the regular balms.

{flavors + ingredients}

For Goodness Grape has a TON of flavors! I bet she has enough flavors for every day of the year. Here are the ones I've tried:

• Apple Crisp - Smells just like the delicious dessert! It's all warm and sweet with the brown sugar and cinnamon combined with the tartness of the apples. I was surprised by how this actually smells like the real thing!
• Banana Colada - Pina Colada with extra banana! It reminds me of being in Hawaii with a sweet, tropical drink. Great for summer!
• Cherry Cola - I love a good cherry cola, and this doesn't disappoint. It's sweet and refreshing and fizzy.
• Chocolate Bailey's - This is a creamy chocolatey scent warmed up by the Irish cream. It's a nice mellow chocolate scent that I enjoy when I'm going through a chocolate phase, which was the case when I purchased this!
• Chocolate Coconut - Every time I open this balm I want to eat it! It is a sweet and delicious chocolatey scent. It reminds me of those Almond Joy candy bars, minus the almonds.
• Cookie Dough - This one doesn't exactly remind me of cookie dough. There is definitely some chocolate in there, but it also smells very boozy. And it's quite potent. Not my favorite.
• Hot Chocolate w/ Marshmallow - This balm is a two-layer. I haven't made it to the hot chocolate part yet, but the marshmallow is a great sweet mallow!
• Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream - Minty, sweet, and chocolatey. Definitely reminds me of mint chip ice cream! And it has a pleasant tingle from the peppermint. (This is the Baby Moose Lips flavor I have.)
• Mocha Marshmallow - I'm not a fan of coffee, but I like the way it smells and I love marshmallow. This balm reminds me of coffee ice cream, but slightly sweeter because of the mallow. It's delicious!
• Spumoni Ice Cream - This is probably one of my favorite FGG flavors. I don't know how quite to describe it and I've never tried the ice cream, but it's supposed to be a combination of chocolate, pistachio, and cherry. I can't pick out any of these scents in the balm, but rather they combine to create a delicious and unique flavor!
• White Chocolate Wonderful - I love peanut butter scents and I love white chocolate, so I just had to try this one! It does not disappoint. It is ultra sweet and nutty and chocolatey wonderfulness! Might be a new favorite flavor!

Ingredients (for the regular balms) include shea butter, mango butter, cocoa butter, sweet almond oil, beeswax, jojoba oil, coconut oil, castor oil, vitamin e, and flavor oils.

Ingredients (for the Baby Moose Lips balms) include sweet almond oil, chamomile butter, kokum butter, cocoa butter, candelilla wax, apricot kernel oil, macadamia oil, castor oil, rosehip oil, calendula extract, vitamin e, essential and flavor oils.

{conclusion}

I love For Goodness Grape lip balms. There's a ton of flavors to pick from and the formula is smooth and creamy. Perfect combination to feed my lip balm addiction! The only complaint I have about the shop is that shipping costs are high for lip balms - they charge several dollars more than other shops to ship the same amount of lip balms. However, the balms are so great and there's always new and delicious flavors popping up, I have still placed quite a few orders with For Goodness Grape and will continue to do so! I would definitely recommend these balms to anyone!

Sarawen Perfume Art Perfumes {review}

I don't know if I'm the best girl for doing perfume reviews. Sometimes I can be terrible at explaining things, and trying to describe the complexities of perfumes may lead to some confusion on your part. But I really love these perfumes so I'll give it a shot! And I'll do my best! :)

I was first drawn to Sarawen Perfume Art because of the vintage style presented in the shop. All of the perfumes are beautifully presented and I just wanted to take a whiff of them all! There are cool themes, such as fantasy & sci-fi inspired scents. The shop even offers masculine and unisex fragrances. Something for everyone!

Note on the photos: The bottles and vials used for the shop have changed since I've purchased perfumes. You will notice the difference if you browse the shop!

{the perfume}

These perfumes have no alcohol in them. That is what I like most about handmade perfume oils - there is no alcohol added to help throw the scent. I don't like everyone in the room to be able to smell my perfume. I prefer to only have those who get close enough to me to be able to catch a whiff. I also don't like the headache-inducing scent alcohol adds to perfumes, basically making them all smell the same (to me anyway). These perfumes are not like that. It is just oils and fragrance, and all I smell are the lovely, complex scent notes.

As with all perfumes with no alcohol added, the scent is not long lasting. The fragrance needs to be refreshed every couple of hours or so, if you're to wear it all day. Usually I just use perfume for a night out, so it's not much of an issue to me. But I don't mind reapplying a few times a day because it means I am using quality perfume that I prefer - it doesn't give me headaches and the scent stays close to me.

{the scents}

When I first ordered from Sarawen Perfume Art, I ordered a full size and four samples. Since then, I have ordered full-size bottles of three of those samples I received. (I will not go into Vanilla Vamp as I don't believe it is offered anymore and it was the one that I least cared for, so I no longer have it.)

The Baker's Boy is a scent inspired by The Hunger Games (the character Peeta in this case). It is described as: "A luscious, gourmand fragrance bursting with ripe strawberries (from Katniss of course!) and delicious yellow cake. Underneath the deliciousness drifts soft vetiver, leather, and golden amber. This perfume is a unisex blend that borders towards feminine." To my nose, this is a sweet scent mellowed out by the other components of the perfume. The blend of strawberries and yellow cake is perfectly done. It's not an in-your-face-sickly-sweet-dessert-fragrance, but rather it reminds me of sweet berries left out in the sun or some delicious berry dessert baking in the next room. In the background, I mostly detect leather (although admittedly, I don't know what vetiver smells like on its own!). It blends well with the sweetness, mellowing it out and adding an interesting and almost refreshing element to the perfume. Writing all this makes me want to wear this perfume all the time now!

Girl On Fire is another scent inspired by The Hunger Games (Katniss!). It is described as: "Wild strawberries gathered from the forest blend with the comforting scent of leather hunting boots, and in her hair a very faint hint of sweet forest herbals. A pretty scent, but not to be taken lightly - rebellion lurks beneath the feminine fruit notes! Main notes: leather, strawberry, green herbs." To my nose, this is an interesting scent combination that always intrigues me every time I wear it. At first, I smell the strawberries and the leather. When it settles down, the herbal scents come to the front with a faint sweetness in the background and warmed by the scent of leather. It almost reminds me of walking through the forest on a warm day. It is the perfect scent for an Alaska girl like me!

Georgina is a Victorian era based scent described as: "Spend a lovely summer afternoon with a pot of fresh-brewed mint tea, a bowl of ripe peaches, and a plate of delicious dainty cake! A scent that is fruity, sweet, and refreshing, with just a hint of underlying gloom beneath the sunny sky. Main notes: peach, black tea, mint, incense." To my nose, the combination is so refreshing! At first, the peppermint is a bit strong but it mellows a bit and blends well with the peaches for a sweetly invigorating scent. The black tea and incense add complexity to the blend with an almost spicy background. This has to be one of my all-time favorite fragrances. The peaches and peppermint seemed like such an odd pairing to me at first, but they work extremely well together to create such a beautiful fragrance!

Tea With Watson is a scent inspired by Sherlock Holmes. It is described as: "Take a break from adventuring and stop at 221 Baker Street for awhile. White tea, delicious yellow cake, and a dash of cream caramel with a lingering background of light tobacco and bay rum. It smells just like a tea party at Holmes and Watson's flat! This is a balanced unisex fragrance inspired by the world of Sherlock Holmes." To my nose, this is the one I have most difficulty in trying to describe. The scent is warm and smokey with a sweet background. It is more of a masculine scent, but I really dig it and feel like I can still pull it off. I like to wear it on rainy, chilly days because the fragrance reminds me of being in a warm, cozy cabin with a fire going. I believe this is one of Sarawen's more popular fragrances, so it gets a lot of love!

{ingredients}

 Ingredients include rice bran oil, fractioned coconut oil, fragrance, and vitamin e.

{conclusion}

I definitely recommend giving Sarawen Perfume Art a shot! The perfumes are high quality and the fragrance blends are interesting and beautifully done. All of the perfumes I've tried are very unique and I love having fragrances that are different than the toxic perfumes everyone else wears! The scents are so enchanting, there will for sure be some more testing of new fragrances by me! I'm just itching to try one of the Doctor Who inspired scents as I am a HUGE Doctor Who fan! And I just might do that since there is a sale going on right now! It is 20% off (through Monday 10/14) your order of $10 or more with the coupon code "THANKYOU"! Now there's no excuse to not try out some new perfumes! :)

There is also an Etsy shop if you feel more comfortable purchasing through Etsy!

Mad City Soap Body Scrub & Cream Soap {review}

I know, it's been forever and a day since I've posted a review! There's a million excuses on my end. A lot of traveling, a lot of school, and now in the midst of packing! Also, my computer refuses to take my memory card from my camera so all the pictures I've taken the past few months for reviews are currently stuck on there. Enter the handy dandy iPhone camera! But anyway, I'm here again and I'd say I'll try to keep up this time, but you know how things go. If it happens, it happens. And wouldn't that be wonderful? Maybe it will happen this time! ;)

Now that my excuses are out of the way, onto the review! Today I'm reviewing a couple products from Mad City Soap on Etsy. I've actually ordered from this shop several times for the past year or so. The products are awesome with great prices and it's about time I've gotten a review up here!

{ sugar body scrub }

My favorite product from Mad City Soap are definitely the body scrubs. I've gone through multiple jars of MCS scrubs and they are at the top of my list of best body scrubs ever! The scrub leaves my skin feeling soft and silky and super moisturized! I don't even feel the need to put on lotion afterwards, my skin feels that soft! The scrub is packed with lots of good moisturizing oils so the texture is fantastic - it's definitely not a dry, crumbly scrub! The level of scrubbiness is perfect as well - it does some decent scrubbing but it's not harsh, just soothing.

The last scrub I ordered is an 8oz size that I custom ordered with peppermint essential oil. And OH BOY! if I thought I loved MCS scrubs before, I fell completely head over heals when I got this in the shower. I am a lover of peppermint and this is peppermint perfection. There is enough peppermint eo in this to make the shower filled with the wonderfully invigorating scent. It just smells and feels so damn good, it is totally an orgasmic shower experience. And I have never used that phrase before for any bath & body product! 'Tis perfection.

Oh, and it gets better! Afterwards, my body was all tingly from the peppermint. I could feel the coolness on my arms for almost an hour afterwards. This would be great for summer! I honestly laid in bed in complete bliss for quite awhile after my shower!

As I said before, I've tried a few other scents from this shop. Others that I've liked:
- Chocolate Covered Marshmallows - I got this one a trio sample holiday pack. It was amazing - all chocolatey and sweet with that marshmallow (and I love marshmallow fragrances!). It smelled completely delicious!
- Honey I Washed the Kids (L*SH Dupe) - This one I got as a sample in an order and went back and ordered a full size! If you're familiar with the scent type, you know it's soft and sweet, just like a kiddo after a bath. With a more feminine twist. I don't know what the actual L*SH scent smells like, but I really enjoy this.
- Mint Meringue - Also got this one in that trio pack. It had a little bit of everything I love: coconut, marshmallow, vanilla, and minty things! It had a refreshing minty scent with a lovely sweet and mellow background. I was sorely tempted to order a full size of this scent (and the Chocolate Covered Marshmallows!), but was already well stocked up on scrubs at the time. Once the holiday scents come out though, I'm going for it!
- Vanilla Sky - This one has been one of my favorite MCS scents! I've gotten several jars of the Vanilla Sky scrub. It is a combination of vanilla and white chocolate and is completely heavenly! The white chocolate makes it extra decadent!

Another thing to add about the scents, is that they definitely linger on your skin afterwards making you smell all sorts of delicious. Complete amazingness!

{ cream soap }

I usually don't order cream soaps too often. I prefer to use bar soaps and feel the smooth, creamy bar on my skin when I'm showering. But lately I've been wanting to use something on a loofah. So when I was placing a scrub order, thought I'd go ahead and get a cream soap as well. And I am definitely not disappointed!

The lather is amazing. It really fluffs up with thick, silky lather. And a little bit goes a long ways. I have really been enjoying the generous amounts of bubbles a little bit of cream soap on a loofah creates. It's also nice to get that extra scrubbiness of the loofah while washing up! The soap rinses off well and leaves my skin feeling clean and soft.

I ordered this in the Vanilla Ice Cream scent. It is a sweet vanilla fragrance, almost on the edge of being one of those butter vanillas. It doesn't quite remind me of vanilla ice cream, but it is still a pleasant vanilla. I love all vanillas! The scent doesn't linger as heavily on the skin like with the scrubs, but it may be have been my choice of fragrance. Vanillas don't tend to be lingerers.

{ ingredients }

Sugar Body Scrub: Sugar, Fractionated Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Stearic Acid, Jojoba Oil, Emulsifying Wax, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Vitamin E, Essential Oils/Fragrance, Cosmetic Colorants, Jojoba Beads.

Cream Soap: Glycerin, Distilled Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Olive Oil, Sorbitol, Propylene Glycol, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Stearic Acid, Vitamin E, Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Pentasodium Pentetate, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Fragrance, Cosmetic Colorants (optional), Jojoba Beads (optional).

{ conclusion }

I truly love Mad City Soap. The products are awesome, especially the luxurious sugar body scrubs! I will definitely order again and again from this shop. I'm already planning my next order! I highly recommend this shop! Try it and trust me, you won't be disappointed. You'll have a total fantastical experience!