Wild Rose Herbs Lip Balms {review}

Remember when I was having crazy blackberry cravings? Oh, and just bringing that up reminds me of my summer in Oregon and all those deliciously addictive blackberries, mmmmm...

Ahem. Anyway. During that time, I stumbled upon Wild Rose Herbs and their Oregon Blackberry lip balm. I was intrigued by their use of natural flavorings for all of their lip balms. To me, that makes me feel like a shop is doing all they can to provide products of the highest quality. And knowing me, when I want something and find something that sounds so good, I simply cannot resist!

I ordered several lip balms and lip tints from Wild Rose Herbs. (The lip tints shall be reviewed at a later date). The shop also offers other skincare items and beard creams and conditioners that seem to be wildly popular. I have only tried the lip products, but I do keep going back for more!

{the balm}

The texture of this lip balm is fantastic. It is so very smooth and creamy. It glides on easily and has that kind of wet and glossy feel but with enough substance to not feel greasy. The texture reminds me of Ella Dean's lip conditioners, but with a slightly thicker consistency. I admit that I do put a lot of it on because it just feels so good I can't help but layer and smack my lips. However, if you're not crazy like me, just a few swipes should be fine. It offers nice coverage without feeling too heavy.

The wear is about average. It lasts for about two hours and leaves your lips feeling soft and moisturized. However, I will say they are not intensely moisturizing as they are fairly light balms. But as the warmer months are coming around, these balms are perfect.

There is one small complaint I have about these balms. During packaging, the tops of the balms form sharp-ish ridges from how it settles around the cap in the tube. I'm sure there is a better way for me to say that, but I hope that makes sense. But upon first application, the ridges crumble off and are a bit annoying and slightly messy. Now I usually just use my finger and take off those parts and try to smooth the edges before applying.

But anyway, that does not deter me from these balms. They are truly wonderful and are quickly becoming some of my favorite balms!

{the flavors}

I can't get enough of these! Ordered these flavors over 3 separate orders. And more to come!

Oregon Blackberry - This has a lightly sweet berry flavor with a bit of tartness. I'm not instantly thinking of juicy blackberries but it is still quite pleasant. It does have a bit of juiciness of its own.

Hot Cocoa - This is the best chocolate lip balm I have ever found! It is so very chocolatey, it does remind me of a cup of hot cocoa. An extra chocolatey cup of hot cocoa! A very true to name scent. I accidentally sent this one through the wash (forgot in my secret pocket!), but I loved it so much I had to repurchase! If you're a fan of chocolate balms, this is THE ONE!

Jasmine Tea - I wasn't sure about jasmine in a lip balm but I thought I'd give this a chance. And I am so glad I did! This is probably my favorite balm flavor from this shop, and pretty high up there on my list of favorite flavors of any balms. It is so soft and feminine and oh so very relaxing. It makes me want cuddles. I use this every night before bed.

Pear Blossom - This is a combination of pear and violet. It is mostly floral smelling to me though. A light floral with a hint of sweetness. It is another feminine scent that has more of a clean scent to it. It's very pretty!

Strawberry - This one is a sweet strawberry scent. It doesn't smell exactly like strawberries to me. It has a bit of powderiness ot it. Kind of like powdered strawberry candy. It's also kind of tangy. It's not my favorite, but I do really like it.

One more note on the flavors. I've never been a fan of anything too floral. Especially in lip balms. But I have been branching out and trying new things. And I have surprisingly fallen in love with the floral balms from this shop! I am kind of wishing there were more! But if you're hesitant like me about florals, I would say it is definitely worth the risk!

{the ingredients}

Ingredients include coconut oil, beeswax, mango seed butter, rosehip seed oil, gotu kola, paprika, vitamin e, and natural extracts. Some flavors may also include green tea.

{final thoughts}

I would most definitely recommend trying out Wild Rose Herbs. The balms are amazing with wonderful, natural flavors. They are truly high quality lip balms! And even better, there is a sale going on right now! Use MAYDAY2014 for 20% off through May 4th. You should take advantage! I am tempted to order a few more flavors myself! Ah, so much love!

Darling Clandestine's Morderteile Kelah Perfume {review}

It's finally review time and guess what! It's another Darling Clandestine perfume review! Really, how could I not? Evonne's masterfully beautiful creations are my new obsession and I would be content using no other perfumes for the rest of my life. They are really that good! They are also quite complex so forgive me if I have difficulty in trying to interpret all the goodness!

But anyway, let's move onto the review part!

{the perfume: Morderteile Kelah}

"This is a fragrance I've created in honor of a magnificent lady with magnificent knockers. Amber, hyacinth, milk and strawberry jam are just a few of the elements that capture Kelah. As if anyone ever could capture her completely. You need a butterfly net, I bet. It's sweet and sultry and spicy and summery, and I'm so very happy with it."

I will be honest here and say I do not like this perfume when first applied. It opens with a warm and slightly salty green fragrance and the sweet strawberry. It kind of reminds me of... weed. Ahem. 

But after dry down, it loses that salty/savory herbaceous warmth. It becomes a lightly fruity sweet that is warmed by a bit of spiciness. The strawberry is very well done in this fragrance. It's not too sickly sweet or childish. It offers just the right amount of sweetness to be feminine, but not girly. The other elements lend a more mature hand to the fragrance, with a floral bite and some spice. 

I think Evonne's description is spot-on. It very much is sweet and sultry and spicy and summery. When I wear this, I feel a warm summer evening that might be getting a little sweaty. It is such a warm and inviting scent, it makes me think of soft, sweet kisses. And while I wouldn't describe this as a cuddly scent, it does make me want to cuddle up with my special someone and have a few of those sweet kisses. It is a romantic scent. In a casual sort of way.

As for wear, it lasts a few hours on my skin. The sillage is low - it sticks nice and close, right where I want it to be for a scent that makes me want cuddles and kisses. It really does add to the feelings of sweetness.

And I am loving this perfume. It is soft and sweet and makes me feel all kinds of good. I see myself wearing this often. It already is one that I reach for a lot. It is very easy to wear. And love!

{ingredients}

Ingredients include pure sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, rice brain oil, and grapeseed oil. 

{final thoughts}

And once again, I am left swooning by an original scent from Darling Clandestine! Try any and all of Darling Clandestine perfumes and I promise that you will not be disappointed! Really, that's all I can say. Tis perfection and all must try.

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. 

Darling Clandestine Bifrost Lip Balm {review}

Darling Clandestine is one of my newest favorite shops. Evonne's perfume are unique and beautiful. BUT, she also makes lip balms and you know me - I love me some lip balm! And while I don't usually spend this much on lip balm (a single tin is $8-$9), the tins are huge and I have faith in Evonne's products so of course I had to try!

{the balm}

The balm comes in a sliding tin. I'm not exactly sure how much balm these tins hold, but they are huge! I mean, look at that!

The one thing I don't like about this balm is it is a bit too soft. Applying with my finger, there is more balm left on my finger than I would like. But I figured out a solution to this problem so it doesn't bother me as much any more. I rub the excess on the back of my neck! I don't know why I chose that spot, but it works. And I'm sure my neck smells delightful!

The softness may just be in this batch/flavor though. I have noticed that about lip balms from other shops. Some flavors have a softer texture than other flavors in the shop. Maybe it's just that batch or maybe it's the flavor. Although, I think the softness plays a part in the other things I like in this balm. 

I really do love the texture of this balm once it is applied. It is super smooth and silky. It is also very glossy, but not in a greasy sort of way. It almost has the "wet" sort of feeling which I really like. The wear isn't super long. Actually, it wears off very quickly. BUT, my lips are left super soft that I don't even feel the need to put any more balm on for a long time afterwards. Seriously, this might be one of the best lip softening balms I have ever tried.

And just a little note, this balm is perfect for kissing a certain someone who doesn't like to get lip balm on his lips after every kiss. I still get to use my balm, it wears off quickly, and my lips are soft and kissable!

Despite the huge size of this tin, I have already used up a surprisingly large amount. I've used up almost half of it! The balm really is quite fantastic.

{the flavor}

The flavor of this balm is called Bifrost. I love that this flavor is based off of Thor's story. The Bifrost Bridge is the rainbow bridge in Asgard (does this remind anyone else of Rainbow Road in MarioKart?). I haven't seen all of the Avenger movies (I know, I know - don't disown me!) but I have seen all of the Thor movies and love them! Mmm Thor...

Anyway, the flavor is a combination of coconut and peppermint. I thought this blend was quite a brilliant idea and one that I hadn't seen before. The flavors work very well together - the coconut adds a sweet, tropical twist to the peppermint. It also warms it up a bit so it doesn't seem too icy. The peppermint is strongest at first and then the coconut comes out, ending on that sweet coconut-y note. Also, while the peppermint scent is stronger, it is not too tingly once it is applied. I always appreciate this in balms with peppermint because I don't really like the tingle. The tingle in this is mellow and barely noticeable.

My mom also really liked this flavor. She tried this balm and said: "You always have the coolest things!"

{the ingredients}

Ingredients include shea butter, cocoa butter, beeswax, sweet almond oil, coconut oil, vitamin e, and peppermint essential oil.

{final thoughts}

I definitely recommend Darling Clandestine lip balms! The balm is smooth and silky and makes my lips super soft! Sometimes I just have to feel my lips because I am amazed by how soft they are after using this balm. The flavor is delightful and I can't wait to try more! The Violet Pear lip balm is quite intriguing. But yeah, ANYTHING from Darling Clandestine earns high recommendation from me!

And Evonne is always having awesome sales! Go 'like' her page on Facebook to find out about her sales! And jump - yes, really jump! - at the chance to order!

Fresh as a Daisy Rooibos Tea Soap {review}

I have been eying Fresh as a Daisy soaps on Etsy for quite a while, especially the Rooibos Tea unscented shaving soap. Although I have already found an awesome shaving soap (review here), I love trying new soap companies and I wanted to give this one a shot. And as a treat to myself for finishing up my busiest semester (I always look for ways to treat myself!), I ordered a gift set of 4 soaps and a solid lotion from this company.

I also found the service to be excellent. Shipping was quick and I received quite a few free samples in my order. I love it when shops send free samples! I am looking forward to trying the shampoo bar sample I received.

But for now I will review the Rooibos Tea shaving soap! (I believe this soap is currently out-of-stock but the shop is working on restocking after the busy holiday season.)

{the soap}

I first tried it as an all over body bar and it has quite a pleasant feeling. The lather isn't as dense or as fluffy as other soaps or shaving soaps, but it is silky. It also has a bit of slickness to it. It feels like it is just covering me with a layer of moisture. It almost feels like it leaves a bit of residue afterwards, but in a good way. My skin feels super smooth!

As a shaving soap, it is decent. I wish there were more lather for shaving, but it is slick enough that there are no nicks. And my legs aren't itchy afterwards which is the most important thing I look for in a shaving soap. However, I also feel like I really have to build up the layer of soap before I can shave. I will continue using this soap for shaving, but I'll also keep an eye out for new shaving soaps to try!

As for the scent, this bar is unscented. It has that light clean soap scent that leaves you with a simply clean feeling. Keep this in mind if you try this soap - I know not everyone is a fan of unscented products. For me, as long as it's already a quality product, I don't mind it being unscented.

{ingredients}

Coconut oil, olive oil, palm oil, castor oil, shea butter, OG rooibos tea, and Australian red clay.

{final thoughts}

I have been enjoying this soap from Fresh as a Daisy. The lather is pleasant and leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. Although, I prefer it more as an all-over body soap than a shaving soap. And yes, I definitely give my recommendation for Fresh as a Daisy soaps! I look forward to trying and reviewing more of the soaps! And I might already have my eye on a few more in the shop. You should definitely turn your own eyes that way!

Queen Bee Productions Lip Balm {review}

I received two of these Queen Bee Productions lip balms for Christmas from one of my cousins. She knows me too well! The company is located in Hawaii, using local ingredients, like Maui honey and beeswax. I had never heard of Queen Bee Productions before so I am glad my awesome cousin found this shop and gave me a chance to try these lip balms!

{the balm}

The balm goes on smooth and creamy. It has a bit of a thick consistency, but just enough to give it a delightful creaminess without making it too heavy or lip suffocating. It also has that firmness so it doesn't get all melty in your pocket!

The wear is also long lasting, good for a few hours at least! When I put it on before bed, there is still a bit of balm on my lips in the morning when I wake up. I am quite enjoying this balm! There is even a bit of gloss to it.

{the flavors}

There are four flavors offered on the site. I have two of them:

Plain Jane - This one is unflavored, but you can smell the ingredients used in the balm. I smell raw honey with a hint of cocoa butter. I kind of love it. A million times better than balms with honey flavor oil! The real thing is much better!

Tangerine Dream - I'm not usually a fan of orange-y, citrus-y scents but I like this one. It smells lightly of tangerine with cocoa butter. I appreciate the light scent, otherwise I probably wouldn't like it as much.

{the ingredients}

Ingredients include sunflower oil, sweet almond oil, organic shea butter, organic cocoa butter wafers, Maui beeswax, vitamin e, and flavor.

{final thoughts}

I am so happy that I have been introduced to Queen Bee Productions. The balms are delightfully creamy and the Plain Jane might just have to be my new go-to balm when I'm needing something unflavored. Honestly, as much as I love all the fun lip balm flavors out there, sometimes my lips get overly sensitive and I need something without the flavor. I definitely recommend Queen Bee Productions for some simply flavored balms with damn near perfect consistency!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

Long Winter Farm Lip Balms {review}

I'm sure you have all heard of Long Winter Farm. The shop is quite popular, especially in the lip balm world! Amanda, the owner, has even started a bit of a fart craze! Want to know more? Read on…

{the balm}

These lip balms have excellent consistency. They are nice and firm but still glide on smoothly with no tug. There is a lovely creaminess about them too. The kind of creamy that you just can't get enough of and might end up applying frequently and smacking your lips a little too often.

The balms leave a gentle and natural looking gloss on the lips. The wear is about two hours and it leaves my lips feeling soft and moisturized, as any good balm does. I am really in love with how these balms feel. To say it again, they really do have the perfect consistency!

{flavors + ingredients}

Here's the list of flavors I've tried out (so far!):

Black Currant Walnut - This is a good combo of nutty with fruity and sweet. It's a unique balm flavor that kind of reminds me of cookies with dried fruit in them.

Chai - I can't really detect the chai in this balm. It smells like almond and cocoa to me. Still pleasant though!

Cherry Almond - I love this one! You know those cherry chip box cake mixes? This smells like cherry chip cake! So yummy!

Pistachio Chip - This one is sweet and nutty with a hint of cocoa. The milky sweetness is the strongest scent note. I kind of want to eat it!

Rosemary Litsea - This one has an herbal lemony scent. It's very soothing as it has essential oils rather than flavor oils.

Unicorn Farts - Ah, the ever popular Unicorn Farts! The scent is a combination of spearmint and cotton candy. It's kind of like an ultra sweet version of mint chip ice cream.

Ingredients include natural beeswax, sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, unrefined cocoa butter, unrefined shea butter, vitamin e, flavor and/or essential oils.

{conclusion}

Long Winter Farm makes some pretty darn fantastic lip balms which I see myself purchasing many more in the future! The creaminess of the balms is among the best in the balmy world. The flavors are unique and delicious. And you know, they're popular for a reason. Go check out Long Winter Farm!

Alchemic Muse Foaming Body Scrubs {review}

It is a shame that I am just *now* reviewing an Alchemic Muse product on this blog. I have had a love affair going on with this shop for well over a year now. I know, I know… bad me. My excuse (because I always have an excuse) is that I am so in love with Alchemic Muse products, I have a hard time taking photos of them before I want to hop in the shower with them. Sorry it's taken me so long to calm down a bit!

(And even more of a shame that I wrote most of this review, including the above paragraph, months ago… *hangs head*)

Shall we continue? Up for review here are the foaming body scrubs. Please note, you might have to wait patiently for reviews on other products from this wonderful shop...

{the scrub}

This happens to be one of all-time favorite Alchemic Muse products. I love me a good body scrub and the foaming body scrubs deliver.  I hate the scrubs that are so dry they crumble away before you get it to your body. Or the kind that is to hard it forms into a ball when you try to rub it on your skin and rolls away before you get to scrub anything. 

This scrub is nothing like those. It has the perfect consistency that is soft enough to scoop out and apply but still offers a good and gentle scrub. As it is a foaming body scrub, there is some bubbles that offer a gentle and soothing lathering. And after all is scrubbed and lathered, it rinses off easily and doesn't make the tub messy or slippery.

After I get out of the shower, my skin is wonderfully soft and moisturized. And fragrant! The beautiful fragrances lightly linger for hours and make me feel happy and clean. Yes, the foaming body scrubs offer quite the experience.

{scents + ingredients}

Alchemic Muse offers seasonal fragrances. The ones pictured are from the summer line, and are my favorites from the summer line. The Caribbean Coconut and Waikiki are sweet and tropical and perfect summer scents.

Other scents I've enjoyed from Alchemic Muse have been Pumpkin Honey, Cocoa Bee, and Silhouette. Pumpkin Honey from the fall line is the perfect pumpkin scent! It has that spicy pumpkin pie scent with the sweetness from the honey so it's not overwhelmingly spicy. Cocoa Bee from the Valentines line (available now!) is sweet and spicy and simply intoxicating. Silhouette which was a limited edition vanilla release (which hopefully comes around again!) is the perfect vanilla scent! It's a sexy and sophisticated and airy vanilla which I can't get enough of!

I know, these are poor scent descriptions. I find Alchemic Muse fragrances to be a bit complex, more sophisticated than what I can accurately describe! But they're all amazing and there's always something for everyone!

Ingredients in the foaming scrubs include... Organic Cane Sugar, Distilled Water, Vegetable Glycerin, Sorbitol, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Chloride (Salt), Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Macadamia Ternifolia (Macadamia) Oil, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Oil, Prunus Avium (Cherry) Kernel Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grapeseed) Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, and Tetrasodium EDTA.

{conclusion}

I simply love Alchemic Muse products. And although I've been moving away a bit from products scented with fragrance oils, I don't think I'll ever stop purchasing from Alchemic Muse. Everything is phenomenal, especially the perfectly exfoliating body scrubs. The scents are beautiful and unique and hard to resist even for someone who's been leaning more towards unscented/essential oil products! If you haven't given Alchemic Muse a try, you should probably do so. Try the scrubs! Or anything, really! :)

Honey Bee Holistics {review} part I

I am so excited to review Honey Bee Holistics, it is going to come in several parts (how many parts still to be determined)! And I've got to be honest, I've been holding out on you for awhile because I use Honey Bee Holistics products daily so these reviews are long overdue!

And on another note, the Marshmallow Honey Face Cream was sent to me by the seller to test. I volunteered when the seller, Melissa Carr, was asking for product testers on her Facebook page. I was asked to provide the seller with my feedback by answering a list of questions. However, posting a review to my own personal blog was NOT a requirement. Please note that I will be reviewing this product because I WANT to, not because I was asked to.

Now that everything has been explained, let's get on to the reviews! The first part will be… face creams!

Oh wait, before we get to the reviews I suppose I should explain my face (what an odd thing to say…). But yes, I fall between the normal and dry skin types. Most of my face tends to be normal with few blemishes, oiliness, or dryness. However, my eyes and along my lower right jaw tend to get quite dry to the point of flakiness. Sexy, no?

AND NOW...

{Organic Wrinkle Away Face Cream}

During the winter months, I was on the hunt for an ultra moisturizing face cream to help with those dry areas on my face. I wanted something with carrot seed oil since it seems to really work with my face. I also wanted something that didn't smell of roses, because I really detest roses, and it's strangely difficult to find carrot oil moisturizes without rosey scents. And so, I was super excited to discover that Honey Bee Holistics carried such a face cream, because by then I was already in love with the shop!

The Wrinkle Away Face Cream is thick and luxurious and quite lovely for slathering on when those dry face days roll around. It is also surprisingly light for being a thick cream. When applied, it sinks into the skin quickly and leaves behind a silky, powdery finish. I found the cream to be best applied before bed with just a little touch up in the morning. It left my skin feeling soft!

And, I completely adore the scent. It's so bright and fresh with a little green in there. But please note, Melissa never uses fragrance oils in any of her products! (LOVE that!)

Ingredients include almond oil, jojoba oil, beeswax containing bee propolis, evening primrose oil, mountain spring water, vegetable glycerin, vitamin e oil, witch hazel extract, and carrot seed essential oil.

{Organic Marshmallow Honey Face Cream}

This is a sample of the cream. When ordered, container will be different.

One of the great things about Honey Bee Holistics is the versatility of the products. For the Marshmallow Honey Face Cream, I discovered that it is an excellent night cream, a daily eye cream, a hand cream, and a moisturizer for those extra dry days. The more I use this cream, the more I love it. I mean, what other face cream can you find so many uses for?!

And here is what makes it so gosh-darn useful: It is ultra moisturizing and super gentle for sensitive skin. And when I say ultra moisturizing, I mean it. I would even go as far to say that this is the most moisturizing face creams I have ever tried. Well, the most moisturizing that doesn't leave my face greasy or sticky or suffocating under a just-won't-sink-in layer of product.

The cream goes on suuuper smooth and a little bit goes a long way. The cream is a bit on the heavy side and takes a little longer to sink in completely. But once it does, my face is soft and smooth and I can just feel the hydration!

I don't use the cream as a daily moisturizer, but I do use it as a daily eye cream. The area around my eyes tends to get very dry and this cream has done wonders. It's also great to use as a moisturizer when my face is generally feeling pretty dry, like after a little soak in the chlorine filled hot-tub that I just can't avoid. And slathering on some before bed results in some amazingly soft cheeks in the morning.

AND, the Marshmallow Honey Face Cream is a pretty outstanding hand cream. My finger tips can sometimes get really dry and this is the product I now turn to. My mom, who gets really bad eczema on her hands, really loved using this cream on her hands also. She was surprised by how moisturizing and soothing the cream was!

Personally, I think everyone needs some of this cream. At some point, we all need some ultra moisturizing lovin' and this cream can bring it. It's moisturizing abilities are deeply penetrating and soothing. It is just so much more than a face cream.

Ingredients include jojoba oil, beeswax containing bee propolis, evening primrose oil, mountain spring water, vegetable glycerin, vitamin e oil, witch hazel extract, marshmallow root infusion, and calendula.

{conclusion}

I am simply in love. Honey Bee Holistics makes some fantastic face creams. And I have found a face cream product that I don't ever want to be without! What else can I say? I use nothing else but Honey Bee Holistics products on my face. But that's not limited to just the face creams…

Stay tuned for part II of the Honey Bee Holistics reviews!

Nature's Edge Bathworks Soap {review}

You know, I ordered so many fall-inspired soaps this last fall that I'm still working my way through them. It's all good though - fall soaps are some of the best! I love the warm and comforting scents, which are still welcome in this cold winter we're in the midst of. But anyway, I tried a new soap tonight from my fall shopping spree. And it was kind of magical.

{the soap}

The soap I am going to tell you about is called "Haunted House" by Nature's Edge Bathworks. Here's the intriguing description given for this soap:

Creaking doors, cobwebs and old, burnt fireplaces. The scent of fallen apples in a grey garden waft through a broken window. Long hallways and damp, musty rooms around every turn. The unknown lurking in every shadowy nook. An unforgiving wind howls through the air in the dark, dark night....

When I read that, I just had to have it. It sounded so mysterious and wonderful. And, I think it has turned out to be one of the best fall scents I've ever had the pleasure to sniff. But that may just be my post-fall senses talking. It is indeed a warm and comforting scent, as a fall soap should be. But it is not so intense on the spicy-cinnamony warmth. The soap is mildly sweet, almost fruity, with a hint of cinnamon in the background. What I'm really digging about it is the mildness of it. It makes you think about what you're really smelling - it really is rather mysterious. 

The soap formula is quite fantastic as well. It has a nice creamy, almost foamy lather. And it is quite moisturizing. In fact, I was quite surprised by how soft my skin felt afterwards. It feels as if the soap left behind a bit of residue, for my skin feels slightly powdery. However, it's not an unpleasant feeling. Rather, it makes my skin feel all the more moisturized and silky soft.

Surprising and mysterious. That's what this soap is. And I greatly enjoyed it.

(ingredients}

Palm oil, coconut oil, olive oil, palm kernel oil, castor oil, safflower oil, grapeseed oil, apricot oil, cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut milk, clay, essential oils, and fragrance.

{conclusion}

The soap from Nature's Edge Bathworks was a true pleasure. I am definitely going to buy another bar or two. Probably tonight! In fact, I strongly urge you to do so also while you still have the chance! The shop will close soon and the soaps are priced to sell! Also, there's an additional coupon code for 15% off (NEF15). AND, the Haunted House soap is on clearance, being a Halloween/fall scent and all. If you're interested in trying out a great bar of soap for less than $3, go check out Nature's Edge Bathworks. I think I'm gonna try their peppermint soap next! :)