Oh, hey err'body! I bought a bunch of crap at Sephora! Reviews coming soon. In the meantime, what's coming:
- Sephora+Pantone Universe Marsala liquid liner
- Sephora Cleansing Water
- Sephora Waterproof Black retractable liner
- NARS lip pencil thingys
- Elizabeth + James Nirvana BLACK perfume (I know, I know...I hate myself for this, too)
Oh, and a bunch of lingerie. But I'm not reviewing that for the internets. SORRY.
Showing posts with label perfume. Show all posts
Showing posts with label perfume. Show all posts
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Friday, June 15, 2012
One Hand Washes The Other...Hand. Or Something.
Whelp, I finally got my (two) cameras working, which means the time has come: the time to share my One Hand Washes The Other (heretofore known as OHWTO) review. Full disclosure: this post has some pictures. Even more disclosure: I <3 OHWTO. With that said, let us begin...
The reason you may have heard of OHWTO: Black Magic soap. Black Magic is exactly that - *magic*. It is a combination of "a unique blend of traditional essential oils and botanical ingredients combined with modern cleansing technology," if I may quote the magician who created this magical soap. Black Magic is a dark, grey/black color, with a noticeable botanical smell. I find the smell pleasant, and have been know to open the jar of soap while I bathe, just to have the smell in the air around me. The soap itself is creamy, requiring a dollop about the size of a dime to lather my face and neck. It rinses cleanly and leaves no residue. But, most important of all is what the soap does to your skin (well, MY skin, but still...still...). When I started using Black Magic soap, I had dry, flaky patches on either cheek and in the middle of my forehead. Foundation and powder both magnified the patchiness, and I was at my wit's end, having tried eleventy-million different soap/moisturizer combinations, to no avail. When I finally tried Black Magic soap, it was with little hope of any change. Lemme tell you - my dry patches were gone after (no joke) one use of Black Magic. ONE. Needless to say, I'm somewhat of a zealot about this product. I now use both the cream soap and the scrub (also cramazing), as well as a tiny travel bar that a friend gifted me. I will never use another soap, and you can take my Black Magic away from me when you pry it from my cold, dead hands. (Even then, good luck!)
In addition to Black Magic soap, OHWTO also makes an oil spray called Snake Oil (or Snayk Oyl). This oil is soft, light-weight, and just sinks into your skin, especially when used after the bath, on damp skin. I haven't used it on my hair, since I have thick hair that is prone to oiliness, but I've heard it's a lovely conditioner/detangler. The oil can also be scented, as you'll notice mine is. Which brings me to the next amazing product(s): the perfumes.
OHWTO makes some of the most amazing, unique perfumes I've ever had the good fortune of wearing. (I'm wearing one right now: Oakmoss & Sandalwood.) As you can see, I own quite a few of these scents, both in solid and oil forms. The oils are, from L to R, clockwise: Festivus, Burning Times, Hivemind, Coven, and Be Mine. Of these, Festivus is a limited-edition scent from the Winter collection, while Burning Times and Coven are LE Halloween scents. Be Mine is a Valentine's Day LE scent, while Hivemind is available year-round. The solid scents are as follows: L row: Be Mine, Waes Hail, Frankincense and Mirth, Dude, Festivus, I Smell Like A Witch, and Aravine; R row: The Cake Is A Lie, Oakmoss & Sandalwood, Oceanside, Anael, Watch You Disappear, Violette, and Exhume. Whew. That's *alot* of fragrance. Before you ask, no, I don't have a favorite. Although I do have periodic obsessions, like my current obsession with Hivemind. What's that? What do they smell like, you ask? Well, let me describe a few for you!
Hivemind is described as "The scent of a thousand apiaries in Spring, all the inhabitants functioning with a singular focus. Creamed honey, laced with a buttery vanilla, its sticky sweetness tempered by white musk and a touch of dark patchouli." This is pretty accurate. Hivemind is a visceral fragrance, heavy and sweet, with an undertone of dark, sticky musk. This fragrance is carnal, like the scent of sex in the summer. If anyone reading this remembers MAC Africanimal, this is its long-lost, less inhibited older sister. Sticky, sweet, and oh so dark.
Burning Times is spicy. SPICY! The first two scents to hit you out of the bottle are cinnamon and smoke. On the skin, it dries down to a warmer, spicy blend, with the smoke fading into the background (but never gone). Burning Times smells like a dance by firelight, with a gypsy caravan parked just out of reach of the fire. Exotic and rare, but with an underlying danger. If it returns this Halloween, it is a must-buy.
Those are my two current favorites, although you can no doubt tell by my back-ups that Festivus and Be Mine are also worn frequently. But there is not a bad scent in the bunch. Blended to perfection, no single note stands out or jars the senses. OHWTO has succeeded in leading me out of my fragrance cave (spicy/woody/oriental) to try new things. Several of these fragrances are nothing that I would have bought, or thought I'd like, based on the scent descriptions, but OHWTO has such a steady hand in blending that I trust I will like every scent I try. So far, so good.
I cannot recommend OHWTO highly enough. Fabulous skincare, combined with a top-notch selection of fragrances. There is literally something for everyone, male and female, at this site. If you purchase one product, make it Black Magic soap, in any of its forms. You won't be sorry.
***everything mentioned here was purchased by me, all opinions are my own, I do not review anything for compensation***
The reason you may have heard of OHWTO: Black Magic soap. Black Magic is exactly that - *magic*. It is a combination of "a unique blend of traditional essential oils and botanical ingredients combined with modern cleansing technology," if I may quote the magician who created this magical soap. Black Magic is a dark, grey/black color, with a noticeable botanical smell. I find the smell pleasant, and have been know to open the jar of soap while I bathe, just to have the smell in the air around me. The soap itself is creamy, requiring a dollop about the size of a dime to lather my face and neck. It rinses cleanly and leaves no residue. But, most important of all is what the soap does to your skin (well, MY skin, but still...still...). When I started using Black Magic soap, I had dry, flaky patches on either cheek and in the middle of my forehead. Foundation and powder both magnified the patchiness, and I was at my wit's end, having tried eleventy-million different soap/moisturizer combinations, to no avail. When I finally tried Black Magic soap, it was with little hope of any change. Lemme tell you - my dry patches were gone after (no joke) one use of Black Magic. ONE. Needless to say, I'm somewhat of a zealot about this product. I now use both the cream soap and the scrub (also cramazing), as well as a tiny travel bar that a friend gifted me. I will never use another soap, and you can take my Black Magic away from me when you pry it from my cold, dead hands. (Even then, good luck!)
In addition to Black Magic soap, OHWTO also makes an oil spray called Snake Oil (or Snayk Oyl). This oil is soft, light-weight, and just sinks into your skin, especially when used after the bath, on damp skin. I haven't used it on my hair, since I have thick hair that is prone to oiliness, but I've heard it's a lovely conditioner/detangler. The oil can also be scented, as you'll notice mine is. Which brings me to the next amazing product(s): the perfumes.
OHWTO makes some of the most amazing, unique perfumes I've ever had the good fortune of wearing. (I'm wearing one right now: Oakmoss & Sandalwood.) As you can see, I own quite a few of these scents, both in solid and oil forms. The oils are, from L to R, clockwise: Festivus, Burning Times, Hivemind, Coven, and Be Mine. Of these, Festivus is a limited-edition scent from the Winter collection, while Burning Times and Coven are LE Halloween scents. Be Mine is a Valentine's Day LE scent, while Hivemind is available year-round. The solid scents are as follows: L row: Be Mine, Waes Hail, Frankincense and Mirth, Dude, Festivus, I Smell Like A Witch, and Aravine; R row: The Cake Is A Lie, Oakmoss & Sandalwood, Oceanside, Anael, Watch You Disappear, Violette, and Exhume. Whew. That's *alot* of fragrance. Before you ask, no, I don't have a favorite. Although I do have periodic obsessions, like my current obsession with Hivemind. What's that? What do they smell like, you ask? Well, let me describe a few for you!
Hivemind is described as "The scent of a thousand apiaries in Spring, all the inhabitants functioning with a singular focus. Creamed honey, laced with a buttery vanilla, its sticky sweetness tempered by white musk and a touch of dark patchouli." This is pretty accurate. Hivemind is a visceral fragrance, heavy and sweet, with an undertone of dark, sticky musk. This fragrance is carnal, like the scent of sex in the summer. If anyone reading this remembers MAC Africanimal, this is its long-lost, less inhibited older sister. Sticky, sweet, and oh so dark.
Burning Times is spicy. SPICY! The first two scents to hit you out of the bottle are cinnamon and smoke. On the skin, it dries down to a warmer, spicy blend, with the smoke fading into the background (but never gone). Burning Times smells like a dance by firelight, with a gypsy caravan parked just out of reach of the fire. Exotic and rare, but with an underlying danger. If it returns this Halloween, it is a must-buy.
Those are my two current favorites, although you can no doubt tell by my back-ups that Festivus and Be Mine are also worn frequently. But there is not a bad scent in the bunch. Blended to perfection, no single note stands out or jars the senses. OHWTO has succeeded in leading me out of my fragrance cave (spicy/woody/oriental) to try new things. Several of these fragrances are nothing that I would have bought, or thought I'd like, based on the scent descriptions, but OHWTO has such a steady hand in blending that I trust I will like every scent I try. So far, so good.
I cannot recommend OHWTO highly enough. Fabulous skincare, combined with a top-notch selection of fragrances. There is literally something for everyone, male and female, at this site. If you purchase one product, make it Black Magic soap, in any of its forms. You won't be sorry.
***everything mentioned here was purchased by me, all opinions are my own, I do not review anything for compensation***
Monday, June 4, 2012
Darling Clandestine-ly In Love
Cloudswing is described as "a bright, crisp, golden-green scent with notes of warm hay and vanilla and mowed clover and marigolds and intense lemongrass." I find the lemongrass and hay to be the most intense scents when smelled from the tin, but on the skin, the lemongrass and vanilla really move to the forefront, with the lemongrass taking the lead. However, it isn't overwhelming, and you won't smell like Thai food. Cloudswing is a lovely, bright, green fragrance. It isn't a "type" of fragrance I would have gravitated towards, but, like many of Darling Clandestine's scents, it is quickly becoming a favorite.
Harpy isn't for sale yet, though I'm told it will be for sale in a matter of weeks. Harpy...Harpy is a combination of coconut, lime, salt, and other scents. It is tropical, but dark, all at the same time. It has an absolutely lovely dry-down, and it mellows into a gorgeous, sandy, beach scent. It smells like margaritas at night, and an ocean breeze on a rainy day. I love it!
I also own several other Darling Clandestine scents: Falchion (sexy sex in a sexy tin), Mortardeille Kelah (creamy strawberry sex), Maudlin & Bedlam, Carny Wedding, Big Top Train, Inked (subtle, musky sex on the skin), Summer's Cauldron, Mad As Birds (minty, bright, lovely), and Circassian (coffee sex). So, yeah. I recommend Darling Clandestine fragrances. You'll smell unique, and lovely, and trust me, people will ask you, "what's that amazing scent you're wearing?" They'll ask you that A LOT.
***everything mentioned here was purchased by me or provided as a gift, all opinions are my own, I do not review anything for compensation***
Thursday, May 31, 2012
All The Sexy Things. ALL OF THEM.
So. Today was non-make up shopping day. OK, there *may* be a few Dawn Eyes Cosmetics in the photo, but...mostly lingerie. One thing I have learned after 30-some odd years on this Earth: bras are not where you want to skimp on money. No sirree. Which means that, due to a combination of having large boobs and expensive tastes, I shop once or twice a year, when Nordstrom has a sale.
I've learned that a few brands are go-to's for me, and today was no exception. Freya, Chantelle, Panache, and Le Mystere all make gorgeous, non-dowdy large-cup bras (thank god for that...), and today was an embarrassment of riches. In addition to the two push-ups in the pics, there *may* be a mint-and-white polka dot push-up bra in the mail... I will say that it is worth the time and effort to get fitted at Nordstrom. The fitting is free, and it is FAR more accurate than a Victoria's Secret fitting. My actual bra size was WAAAAY off from what I'd been wearing. Embarrassingly off. Like, 40D to 38E/F off. The difference in comfort levels since I've started wearing the correct size is remarkable.
In addition to the bra and cosmetics, I picked up cologne. Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb. Yes, it's a men's fragrance. Yes, it's for me. It is spicy heaven! I don't buy mainstream perfume often, but this was love at first smell. It is spicy, with cardamom and cinnamon the most obvious top notes, then it mellows with leather and tobacco. It is a seriously sexy smell. (I will be hiding this one from my husband.)
Lastly, the cosmetics. Oh, Dawn Eyes, how I love you. I've ordered from Dawn Eyes twice, and each time my order shipped within 3-4 days of my order. That is some fast service! The eye shadows are gorgeous and pigmented, and, most importantly, complex. Three of these are from her Winnie the Pooh collection, all of which are duochromes with more sheen than sparkle. The other four are soon-to-be retired colors, two of which are also duochromes. I've yet to be disappointed by Dawn Eyes, and would highly recommend them to anyone who likes beautiful things.
All in all, not a bad shopping day. <3
***edited to remove picture***
***everything mentioned here was purchased by me, all opinions are my own, I do not review anything for compensation***
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Things That Are Awesome, Pt. 2...
...or another post in which I describe more things that are awesome on my face.
Being an indie-shopper, most of my purchases will be from indie/small business. I don't need to go into the whys and wherefores, but I will: small businesses need support, and are awesome. Just sayin'. So here is my list of places I shop from, and what I buy:
1. One Hand Washes The Other: I can't recommend this shop highly enough. Fragrance and bath/body products. So. Good. Holy grail product alert*: Black Magic soap. My skin is suddenly even, with no dry patches, which was not the case prior to Black Magic. Also the perfumes...so many perfumes. My favorites: Festivus, Coven, Burning Times, Oceanside, Frankincense and Mirth. Just perfect. Add top-notch customer service, and it is WIN. http://www.ohwto.com
2. Darling Clandestine: Another indie fragrance shop, run by a lovely woman, who makes some amazing, OOAK scents. Soft, long-lasting solids and amazing oils. My favorites: Falchion, ...Kelah, Inked. Inked smells like your skin, if you were made of magic. *cramazing*
3. Sweet Anthem: Yet another indie fragrance shop, located on Etsy and in my neighborhood. Reasonable prices and complex smells, and her brick and mortar shop sells other small/independent perfumers. My favorites: Elliott and Rebecca. Both spicy, both deep. Elliott smells like pine, musk, and sex. Good sex. Sexy sex.
Honorable mention: The Morbid The Merrier. Unfortunately, no longer in business, but decants and bottles are available through various websites. If you get the chance, pick something up. Anything. Because they were all keepers.
There are many reasons to "support indie," but the best reason is simply that the product you purchase works for you, and you like it. Each of these businesses offer stellar customer service and unique products.
Being an indie-shopper, most of my purchases will be from indie/small business. I don't need to go into the whys and wherefores, but I will: small businesses need support, and are awesome. Just sayin'. So here is my list of places I shop from, and what I buy:
1. One Hand Washes The Other: I can't recommend this shop highly enough. Fragrance and bath/body products. So. Good. Holy grail product alert*: Black Magic soap. My skin is suddenly even, with no dry patches, which was not the case prior to Black Magic. Also the perfumes...so many perfumes. My favorites: Festivus, Coven, Burning Times, Oceanside, Frankincense and Mirth. Just perfect. Add top-notch customer service, and it is WIN. http://www.ohwto.com
2. Darling Clandestine: Another indie fragrance shop, run by a lovely woman, who makes some amazing, OOAK scents. Soft, long-lasting solids and amazing oils. My favorites: Falchion, ...Kelah, Inked. Inked smells like your skin, if you were made of magic. *cramazing*
3. Sweet Anthem: Yet another indie fragrance shop, located on Etsy and in my neighborhood. Reasonable prices and complex smells, and her brick and mortar shop sells other small/independent perfumers. My favorites: Elliott and Rebecca. Both spicy, both deep. Elliott smells like pine, musk, and sex. Good sex. Sexy sex.
Honorable mention: The Morbid The Merrier. Unfortunately, no longer in business, but decants and bottles are available through various websites. If you get the chance, pick something up. Anything. Because they were all keepers.
There are many reasons to "support indie," but the best reason is simply that the product you purchase works for you, and you like it. Each of these businesses offer stellar customer service and unique products.
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