Mini Blurb

Hello dearies!

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I've been traveling and dealing with tough things because goddamn life is hard. And I really need to get caught up on school work (story of my life). AND, today I am sick in bed. I am actually writing this from my phone. I am too sick to get up and do anything productive, but not so out of it to be consumed by sleep. So here I am!

I've been getting back into perfumes again. I have been reading perfume reviews all day. And I got a couple new Darling Clandestine perfumes yesterday. Have I mentioned before how much I loooooove DC perfumes?! I am becoming a DC hoarder. Must have them all! One of the amazing things about DC perfumes is that Evonne can take scent notes I don't like and make me love them. She has done this several times now - cantaloupe, strawberry, cherry. She builds such complex and beautiful fragrances I just can't get enough.

Well now I'm curious about Tapadero. The description says: "Tapadero begins bold and bright with sage and roses, and ends with dusky sweet smoke and leather. Unisex, clean and cuddly." Now I am not a fan of roses at all. I very much dislike the scent. I don't even like real roses - the scent is too much for me. However, lately I've been discovering it's not too terrible when blended right with other things. And I am wondering if Evonne is magical enough to make me love roses too. I think it might have to be something I give a chance! And I do have a fondness for leather in perfumes. This might be next on my list. Tis very shocking. 

Anyway, enough ranting about perfumes. Imma get back to those reviews. Just wanted to be a bit blurby since I'm in bed all day being bored! Hope y'all are feeling better than me!

<3 Alyssa

EE Update

Just a little note - I've updated my Epically Epic lip tint review! I decided to update it instead of creating a new review because it is one of the more popular posts on this blog. I've added in photos to follow my new lip tint review standards. Meaning, there's more photos! And just thought I'd let you all know! Check it out here.

I will also be working on going back through some old reviews and updating them to follow the current review format. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and want everything to be consistent!

Anyway, Happy Sunday!

Favorites Friday

I am supposed to be working on a homework assignment right now. So obviously that means it's time to blog! I know I didn't have a list last week but I wasn't really into anything last week. Thinking about how I might change up this weekly post as well. Stay tuned for that! Anyway, onto favorites!

1. Hot Cocoa lip balm from Wild Rose Herbs. I almost didn't order this flavor but I am so glad I did! It is super chocolatey and smells exactly like hot cocoa! I love me a good chocolate lip balm and this is one of the bests I have found. I can't stop using it! 
2. Sharkbender solid perfume from Darling Clandestine. This was one of Evonne's limited edition releases - I don't know if it'll make another appearance. It is a blend of her Love & Sharks and Hellbender fragrances. And I love the blend! It is a good balance of sweet and spicy that makes it quite intoxicating. I got a compliment on this one the other day!
3. Valiant Heart perfume oil from Sarawen. I am completely in looooove with this one! It might possibly earn a spot on my list of very favorite perfumes. The main notes are lavender, plumeria, citrus, English apples, and almond cake. And it is HEAVENLY! It is sweetly floral and spicy and sultry. Sexy! I want to wear this all the time. Oh, and it's currently on sale!
4. Suave Kids Naturals Head to Toe body wash in lavender. I don't usually use a lot of commercially produced items. I was desperate when I first tried this - I was traveling and needed shampoo and my only place to get some was at a department store. I am really sensitive to most commercial shampoos. The fragrances are too much for me and give me headaches all day. This was the least offensive one I found. And I found out it performs really well on my very picky hair. And the scent is gentle when in use, and leaves no lingering scents. My hair is always soft and silky when I use this shampoo! I was very sad when I ran out and had a hard time finding it in stores up here in Alaska. I gave in and ordered some online. While I do love shampoo bars, and still use them, shampoo bars are not good for washing your hair everyday. And now that I am working out, I have to wash my hair everyday or else I'll go around smelling like sweat all day. This is perfect for every day washing! Maybe I'll do a full review on this later on instead of writing a book here...
5. Small Saga solid perfume from Darling Clandestine. I am not a big fan of this when I first apply, but after a few minutes it is a beautiful fragrance! I am not even sure how to really describe it. It is sweet with a bit of zing in there. And a bit of creaminess and lightly fruity background. It definitely makes me happy!
6. Sra. Rosemary soap from Epically Epic. Of course I had to try the new EE soaps! And I have been into rosemary lately and this bar is perfect! It is a bit medicinal in smell but I really like that about rosemary - it's soothing and relaxing. And it is very strongly scented - I was surprised and impressed! It completely fills the shower when I use it and the rest of the bar I'm not using is making my room smell really good. Can't wait to try more EE soaps!

Pretty decent list this week! I recently placed another order with Darling Clandestine as well. I just can't stop myself! Looking forward to playing with new goodies soon. Also, in other news, I will be traveling again next week so I am not sure if I'll be able to post much next Friday. We'll see though.

Anyway, hope you all have a wonderful weekend! It is finally starting to get cold here. I pulled out my winter socks! Stay warm everybody!

<3 Alyssa

Elegant Rose Boutique Splash in the Sun Soap {review}

I have been having some new soapy adventures lately! I ordered a bunch of samples and a couple full size bars from Elegant Rose Boutique. Today I will be reviewing one of those soap samples: Splash in the Sun.

I was drawn to Elegant Rose Boutique because the scents all sounded so delightful and they are all created using essential oils. However, some of the descriptions of scents are a bit lacking. Some products simply list an "essential oil blend" in the ingredients without providing more information on the scent. I was curious about one of the scents and contacted the seller to ask for more information. I never received a response. A bit disappointing, but I went ahead and ordered anyway.

And I was definitely not disappointed with my order!

{the soap}

The soap lathers up quite beautifully. It has a soft and gentle lather that builds up quickly. And what I mean by that is that it doesn't take a lot to get a nice layer of lather to play with! I probably use more than I need to, but I like the silkiness of the lather and I just can't help myself.

There are also calendula flowers in this soap. It offers a gentle scrubbing that is not irritating in the slightest. It is soothing and very pleasant. I also think the calendula flowers make it very pretty!

The soap rinses off well and doesn't dry out my skin, even in this wintertime weather. My skin feels soft and clean after my shower. I have also used this a few times on my face and it works well without leaving my face dry and tight.

And for a sample, this is decently sized. I've been using this soap for almost two weeks now and there's still enough left for one more good shower!

{the scent}

The Splash in the Sun scent is heavenly! It is a blend of bergamont, orange, lavender, peppermint, rosemary, and clary sage. I mostly detect the citrus and mint in this soap, but in a sweet and mellow way. It is bright and refreshing with a soft zing to it. It's quite a cheerful scent. And I think I've mentioned before, I am not usually drawn to citrus-y scents. But I am completely in love with this and I just might need me some more!

{the ingredients}

The ingredients include olive oil, coconut oil, organic palm oil, unrefined shea butter, water, sodium hydroxide, essential oils, and calendula flowers.

{final thoughts}

I would most certainly recommend Elegant Rose Boutique. I have been enjoying all of the samples I have tried so far and the Splash in the Sun soap is quite a fantastical soap. The lather is delightful, it keeps me feeling soft, and the scent is bright and cheery. It is definitely a feel good soap so if you're looking for some good feelings check out the soaps at Elegant Rose Boutique.