Winslow's by Solstice Scents

Hello cozy cups of hot chocolate! I am here listening to the Bright Eyes Christmas Album (!!!) about to talk to you about one of Solstice Scents' new winter perfumes! Last Sunday, Solstice Scents released their winter perfume collection. They kept with the Foxcroft town theme for the winter collection, which I find so charming. The perfume came with a cute little postcard that included a fabricated version town's current events. LV, you will be intrigued to know that the fire at the Manor is thought to be arson ;) There is also an annual crafts fair held at Winslow's TODAY, which I am sure will be amazing! Too bad I am far across the country. 

The perfume I ordered from the winter collection is called Winslow's. I am very excited about this perfume, and I just knew I had to own it just by reading the description. Let's take a peek at what Solstice Scents has to say about Winslow's.

 Winslow's:

Rows of Christmas Trees, Clove Studded Oranges, Bayberry Tapers, Handcrafted Wreaths & Mistletoe

Winslow's Christmas Tree Farm sits at the base of Mount Willow in the town of Foxcroft.  The annual winter crafts festival at Winslow's offers handmade bayberry candles, rustic wreaths, orange pomanders and much more.  Meandering down the lane leading into Winslow's, you pass rows upon rows of fragrant Christmas trees ready for harvest.

Winslow's is the scent of winter.  Fir, woods, bayberry and mistletoe meld with spicy clove and blood orange essential oil and the result smells effectively like bottled winter.  Winslow's contains fir absolute and essential oil, spruce EO, cedar, a touch of guaiacwood and a blend of several fragrance oils in addition to the bayberry, mistletoe, clove and blood orange.  Fans of our Black Christmas soap will love Winslow's as the fragrance is very similar.  If you enjoy evergreen and/or woods scents or our Shoikan Grove, Covered Bridge and the previously offered Cedar & Siberian Fir fragrance, make sure to try Winslow's.  The combination of bayberry and clove gives the impression of a Victorian Christmas.  Unisex.

Winslow's is all I could ever hope for in a Winter/Holiday/Christmas perfume. I truly adore it, and I
really wish I could describe it much better than I know I'll be able to. I think the Solstice Scents description of this perfume is incredibly accurate. This perfume truly is like bottled winter. It is such a warm and comforting scent. It's like being home for the holidays, sans the cranky family drama. A lovely blend of orange and cloves sizzles on the stovetop while the invitingly fresh spruce scent from the Christmas tree dances throughout the air. This is a very consistent perfume that, to my nose, does not stray from cold sniff to drydown. It is incredibly comforting. I wore it yesterday, and I am happy to report that it lasted all day on me. Solstice Scents definitely makes some of the longest lasting perfumes I've ever worn. The silage is also incredible. I kept getting whiffs of Christmasy awesomeness throughout the day, which I knew to be Winslow's!

Well, I have a bit of a busy day ahead of me, so that's all for now. I hope you all have an absolutely wonderful weekend! Thanks so much for reading!

Disclaimer: All items mentioned were purchased by me, all opinions are my own. 

One Thousand and One Nights by Iris Handmade Soaps

Hello lovely falling crimson leaves! Last week was a pretty difficult week for me at work, so I was planning on crashing on the couch and watching Orange is the New Black on Netflix, but I started drafting this post instead. Blogger has been wonky lately, so unfortunately I couldn't finish this post until now. The reason I drafted this post last Friday is because I purchased a perfume from Amanda's new etsy story  two weeks ago, and it came in the mail last Friday! I was really surprised that it arrived in America just one week from when she shipped it! It was a really nice surprise after the week I had, and I am very happy to say that the perfume I ordered (A Thousand and One Nights) is absolutely stunning. So stunning that I am very sad I couldn't finish this post sooner. 

Here is the scent description for A Thousand and One Nights from Amanda's etsy:

This was named by my mother after she tried this on!

A perfume all about the warmth and abiance of telling a story:

ginger cookies,vanilla, oats and spiced milk.

This is buttery and foodie. Yum!  



  Above: A Thousand and One Nights. The labeling is really charming and pretty.

 

  Above: The packaging was really awesome. Amanda sent everything in a lovely (and reuseable) blue box. She included a very sweet (and incredibly cute) card adorned with a teddy bear. She even sent me some extra goodies- candy and a beautiful handmade soap with a starfish molded on top!

The perfume itself is absolutely stunning. Most of you probably know that I don't usually go for foodie scents, but I had a feeling this would be an exception (and it certainly is!). This is definitely a foodie perfume, but a very wearable foodie. I know some perfumes with spice notes can get a little overwhelming, but that is not the case for A Thousand and One Nights. The vanilla and oats balance everything out to make the spiced milk and ginger notes really warm and comforting. The notes are very well blended and they work together to create a very charming and incredibly beautiful scent that I greatly look forward to wearing for the colder weather and holiday season. The sillage is incredible. I did not need to sniff my wrists to be able to detect this perfume, I could definitely smell it on me! It also lasted for hours. I don't know the exact amount of time, but this perfume has really wowed me in all the areas that make great perfumes!

Amanda, thank you for the very sweet note and for the extra goodies in my package. You are truly talented and I really wish the best for your new store! *hugs*

Autumn Daze: The Horseman by Haus of Gloi

Hello lovely little raindrops! I hope you're all doing very well. I thought today would be a perfect day to begin my Fall-based series, since we are already two days into September!

Recently, Liber Vix wrote about some great things she picked up from Haus of Gloi's Indian Summer collection (you can view that post here!); and she gave us a sneak peak of one of Haus of Gloi's new Autumn scents- The Horseman! I was so excited about the scent description, and I just knew I had to own it.

The Horseman official scent description:
Autumnal forest and wood, distant fire, smooth saddle leather, brown musk and the lingering scent of a dark gentleman's cologne on a black woolen coat.

I jumped and purchased the full size perfume oil, which I'm glad I did! I also ordered the bubbling scrub in the same scent. I actually received the pumpkin butter in The Horseman instead, but I didn't even contact them about it because I have a plethora of soap and not much lotion. I have no doubt in my mind that Matt and Britton would make it right if I were to ask, though. I have always gotten excellent customer service from them.

Onto the pictures and my thoughts on this perfume! :)

The Horseman is very dark, musky, and smoky upon cold sniff; and I can even smell the autumn woods. I sniffed Samhain to see if they were alike in the bottle, but Samhain is completely different to me.
I know this is crazy, but The Horseman completely captured The Headless Horseman in a bottle. It is musky, woodsy, and autumnal, with a good amount of leather from the haunted rider's saddle. It's like walking through the woods on a foggy fall evening. You can't see what's through the mist, but you're pretty sure it's a good thing you can't. The light from your torch does nothing to your field of vision, but releases a sweet smokiness into the autumn air.
I am seriously in love with this perfume and couldn't be happier that I got it. I wore it yesterday, and it lasted about 5 hours on me.

If you'd like to see what I ordered last year for Haus of Gloi's autumn release (which includes my thoughts on Samhain, Ghost Puffs, and Spider Silk),  please go here! :)

Thank you guys so much for reading, and I hope you have a great day/night!

BPAL ~ A Nocturnal Reverie

Hey lovely ladybugs! Today I will be discussing one of BPAL's Halloweenies, A Nocturnal Reverie. I was a bit reluctant to do this post because I wanted to save all my autumn/Halloween perfumes for a Fall-based perfume series that I've already started drafting. But after lurking BPAL's website this morning (and also reading Amanda's recent BPAL/Arcana haul), I knew that my fate had already been written. Speaking of Amanda, she very kindly sent this lovely imp to me. Thank you so very much, dear one!

Scent description for A Nocturnal Reverie by BPAL:
Violet musk and oudh with black amber, ambergris, agarwood, black currant, dark musk, fig, and lavender incense.



The cold sniff in this blend is straight-up lavender. It's an earthy lavender as opposed to medicinal. Lavender is a scent I have always enjoyed. I remember buying lavender linen sprays and lavender scented lotion in the dark ages before I got into perfume. Lavender is also a perfect scent for me right now, as I'm a huge mess of stress and it's well known for its ability to relax people.

How many times can I say "lavender" in one post? :)

When initially applied, the lavender is still there. However, it is also paired with beautiful muskiness and fig. These notes kind of battle to be the center of attention for awhile. It's incredibly enchanting, like being inside a dark fairy tale with a malevolent creature lurking in the forest.



The drydown on me is a wonderful musky violent scent that I very much enjoy. Sillage is medium, and longevity is absolutely astounding! This perfume lasted all day on me, which is very rare due to my climate and skin type. This is a wonderful Halloween scent that I would happily wear year round. Lavender and lilac haters need not apply ;)

Cocoa Pink - Fear of Cemeteries

Hey there, cute little graveyard ghosties! It is no secret that I'm obsessed with fall and all the indie scents and collections that come with it. I've always adored Halloween, and I wish the entire year could consist of rainy days, crimson leaves, hot tea, apple cider, cuddly sweaters, and everything else like that. To live in imagination land, I reblog pretty autumn photos on Tumblr; and I also wear fall perfumes even in this disgusting summer heat. One perfume that I'm in a serious relationship with, but have yet to do a proper post on until now, is Fear of Cemeteries by Cocoa Pink! Here is the scent description from Cocoa Pink:

Fear Of Cemeteries (Coimetrophobia) - Cool damp graveyard dirt with a single white carnation placed cautiously against an old granite headstone, covered by dying crimson and yellow autumn leaves with a soft whisper of wood smoke carried in a crisp breeze.


Carnation and autumn leaves are the stars of the cold sniff. The autumn leaves note in this perfume is absolutely realistic: you can literally imagine the earthy, damp leaves beneath your feet. Initial application reveals an equally realistic aroma of wet concrete. It's a beautiful ozone note that I've always yearned for in a perfume. There is also a lovely note of cool, damp dirt; though it's not as prominent as the ozone. The autumn leaves are continuing their dance through the air, so it's like walking through a graveyard on a rainy autumn day. The carnation in this blend is soft, but profound- like the voice of one's conscious. It is there to remind those that have passed to know they are not forgotten, and it softens this otherwise dark blend. The drydown is almost entirely the same as the initial application, except the smokiness is unearthed (no pun intended, heh). This perfume is perfect and I hope to get a backup bottle when it's released again.

Solstice Scents ~ Hand of Darkness

Hello, sweet sparkly gems! Though the summers here are long and excruciating, I've never been much of a fan of summer releases. The Autumn collections are my absolute favorite, and I'm okay with smelling like Manor all year! However, there was a huge standout perfume in the Solstice Scents Summer release: Hand of Darkness. I knew I had to have it upon reading the scent description.

The following scent description is from Solstice Scents:

HAND OF DARKNESS PREMIUM FRAGRANCE
Oceanic Accord, Rain Accord, Woods Blend, Black Pitch, Buddha Wood, Lime, Coriander, Tarragon, Amber - 5ml

NOT TO BE USED BY WOMEN WHO ARE PREGNANT OR NURSING. THIS SCENT CONTAINS SEAWEED ABSOLUTE.


The Hand of Darkness is a term coined by seafarers to describe the loss of the guiding light of the moon as it vanishes behind a thick misty veil. The resulting darkness makes the seas treacherous and difficult to navigate. This phenomena strikes fear into the heart of even the most grizzled mariner.

Hand of Darkness is a dark aquatic and woods blend. It opens with a tumultuous and disconcerting blend of oceanic accord (a blend of fragrance oils and seaweed absolute to evoke a realistic scent of the ocean), chilly rainwater, black pitch and the saturated planks of a wooden ship. On initial application expect to be pelted with a strong blast of cold rain and oceanic brine. The black pitch in between each of the ship's planks adds a dank quality at the base while the lime EO provides a jolting top note. After a few minutes, the danger begins to recede as the rain slows and a sliver of moon reveals a promise of visibility. At this stage, the light woods blend comprised of teak, copal and blue cypress begins to emerge along with a splash of sea spray. Shortly thereafter, the moon fully emerges and the calm seas signal the retreat to the dry warm Captain's quarters. Here the true dry down of this evocative scent is revealed. A tendril of spicy buddha wood EO begins to unfurl from the warm wooden base. The buddha wood will grow stronger over time but the dry wood notes remain unchanged. The dry down is achieved very quickly but you have to journey through the story of this scent to get to the finale. You must skin test Hand of Darkness in order to assess its true character. This scent hugs close to the skin and liberal application is recommended. Even though this scent starts out strong and masculine, the dry down is very wearable and may be enjoyed by Women who like darker wood blends.

Hand of Darkness is comprised along with several fragrance oils along with the following essential oils, absolute, CO2s and attars: mitti, blue cypress, copal bark, fossilized amber, swiss stone pine, lime, galbanum, coriander, seaweed, kapur kachari, tarragon and a small amount of lavender absolute.



This is the first premium perfume I have been able to try by Solstice Scents. I absolutely love the inspiration behind this perfume. I'm going to sound like a broken record here, but I really find that Solstice Scents perfumes really take you on a sensory and visual journey; and Hand of Darkness holds true to that.

The cold sniff is a bit perplexing. The lime is quite strong and paired with a mixture danky, mossy, seaweed. It really smells weird... But that's okay, because the initial application and drydown are on a whole new level of cool.

Initial application has kept me on my toes, because this perfume is quite a morpher. It starts with a strong, tropical lime note that immediately morphs into into the most amazing and realistic oceanic aroma. It completely lives up to its name as a "dark aquatic" (the dark woods come in later). The seaweed and oceanic notes give it a realistic scent of an angry, roaring sea. It's really neat, and VERY far from any aquatic scent I've come across. I mean, this is straight up Davey Jones oceanic. There is also a very realistic, ozoney note of pouring rain that so many other perfumes have a hard time achieving.

The drydown truly comes almost instantly in this blend. The dark, woodsy aspect to this perfume unfolds in a very beautiful manner; with the hearts of the ship crew still beating tumultuously. The blend of woods that are supposed to be present at this point are teak, copal and blue cypress. I can definitely detect the teak, though I am not familiar with the other notes (unfortunately). The Buddha wood adds a pleasant and spicy aroma to the already beautiful woody blend this scent has become.

This scent is definitely very dark and equally beautiful. It couldn't be further from the mass produced, light, feminine leaning aquatics like those from Bath and Body Works. And I think that's what's so charming about this perfume. I also like how it morphs beautifully from the initial application to the drydown. It is truly a dark and masculine blend, so this won't be your cup of tea if you're not into that sort of thing :)

Thank you guys for reading. Until next time, take care!

DISCLAIMER- All items mentioned were purchased by me for my own personal usage. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own and honest.

Darling Clandestine ~ Fisticuffs

Hello, dear friends! I am excited to bring you my very first Darling Clandestine perfume review today, Fisticuffs! I'd like to give a huge thank you to Nadja, as she sent this perfume to me. Thank you, Nadja!

Fisticuffs
Wine and honey and hot blood and concrete, with the green rush of the thrill of the fight.

If I could only review this in one word, it would be, "Wow!" Fisticuffs throws one mean punch. I mean, just upon cold sniff, it really just screams, "Bam! I am Fisticuffs and I'm here!" Of course, that would be in a Spartan voice. I smell a green scent I've never smelled before, like a very sharp green scent. Perhaps a beautiful ivy that's also extremely deadly. This deadly green comes along for the ride during initial application. It demands to be noticed. There is something incredibly elegant about this scent, which is so funny because it is a battle perfume. I asked my boyfriend what this smelled like when it was still wet, and he said, "Flowers . . . I don't know what kind." Spartan flowers! I also get a strong whiff of the concrete, which I'm so happy about because it smells so freaking good. It's a very clever element to this blend. On the drydown, I get the honey note. It reminds me of the honey straws that are sometimes at coffee or tea shops. It does wonders to the green note, making it softer and sweeter. The concrete also comes out to play. Fisticuffs is one of those delightful blends where each note takes center stage in a way that it smells different every time you sniff. I do not have words to describe how amazing this perfume is. Darling Clandestine perfumes are described as truly inimitatable, and I think that rings completely true. I've never smelled anything like this, and it has me yearning for more DC. It's absolutely breathtaking.

Thank you so much for reading, and have a lovely week!

Alkemia ~ Moon Goddess (plus bonus puppy pictures!)

I've come out of my hobbit hole to finally review another perfume! I've been hopelessly addicted to reading Nosleep and Creepypasta, it's really kind of embarrassing.

I've never had the pleasure of trying any Alkemia perfumes until Nadja sent me a bunch in her care package, and among them was Moon Goddess. Today I will reviewing it for you :)


Official scent description:
A magical elixir of narcotic florals — datura, night-blooming cereus, and white poppy enfolded in a aquatically luminous blend of water musks, delicate cucumber, and the palest melons.

Upon cold sniff, the cucumber is the most prominent note; though the aquatic aspects to this blend are also apparent. Initial application for me is an aquatic floral with the cucumber note to add a bit of dimension. I think this perfume should be called Sea Goddess, because it's a beautiful underwater scent. The drydown is interesting because the notes don't change, they just blend seamlessly together to make the most beautiful aquatic floral known to man. This is what Cucumber Melon WISHES it could be.

Oh, and here are some pictures of Cheyenne for those that wanted to see her! :D

Have a wonderful weekend!

Disclaimer: Moon Goddess was kindly sent to me by Nadja. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. My opinions are always my own and honest. Thank you for reading!

Smoke and Mirrors

Top of the day to you, my dear friends! Today I will be reviewing one of the glorious perfumes that Nadja graciously sent me: Smoke and Mirrors by Alkemia. This seems to be a perfume that's adored by all of you, and I can absolutely see why. (Fun fact: When I googled this perfume, the first results page had Su's, Dee's, and Nadja's reviews!)



Scent Description from the Alkemia Etsy:
An elusive, smokey blend of burning wood, Madagascar Vanilla, and Tonka. We find this one to be elementally simple, but unusually mercurial and highly responsive to different skin chemistries… the vanilla and the smoke dance with each other almost continuously… sometimes the foreground is smoky, then sweet, then returns with sweetly smoky, then smoky. 

From the vial, Smoke and Mirrors smells a tiny bit sweet, yet smoky. The sweetness can be attributed to the vanilla, of that I am certain.

Once applied, Smoke and Mirrors smells absolutely wonderful. Like smoke and leaves on a crisp autumn day. Luckily, the smoke in this perfume isn't the dreaded "I smell like a barbecue" smoke- it is a beautiful, realistic campfire type of smoke.

The drydown doesn't really change this perfume. It stays beautiful and smoky, and the vanilla stops by to say "hello" every so often.

This is the first perfume I've ever tried by Alkemia, and I'd buy a full size at the drop of a hat. It's a beautiful scent, and I cannot stop smelling my wrist. This perfume reminds me of Smoky Mountain Mallow by Solstice Scents, and I love that one too!

Thanks so much for reading!


Disclaimer: Nadja sent this perfume to me. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. My opinions are my own and honest.

1 Year, Cheyenne, and Ploughman

Hey friends! I hope you are all doing wonderfully. I have exciting news! Today is my one year anniversary for this blog! I can't believe it's already been a year! I'm so glad I made the decision to start my blog last year, and I'm honored to know you guys through blogging. I wish I had some sort of fancy giveaway planned... But I don't. I've been crazy busy lately. This week I returned to work after spring break, and it wasn't exactly the best work week I've ever had. But on Friday last week, my boyfriend and I rescued a dog that was running through the street. She came home with us and we took her to the vet to get her microchip scanned. It wasn't registered, but the employees were awesome and able to find the owner the next day. We called the owner, which was a crazy conversation to say the least. Apparently her son is mentally unstable, and he broke into her house and let the dog out; then he stole her car. I don't know how her other dogs didn't get out, but I don't know how true her story was in the first place. She then went on to say she was DOWNSIZING and that we could keep the dog. She also said we could return the dog, but that she knew this would happen again. It's 11 years old and I'm pretty sure it's a German Shepard lab. She's such a sweet dog and is very well trained. We still have her, and I really don't want to give her back to a lady that views her as an object to be downsized. But it's been a hard decision to make. I'm almost certain we'll keep her. The crazy thing is that her name is Cheyenne, which is the city my boyfriend was born in. I'll keep you guys updated if you're interested and I'll try to get pictures of her. I have some, but the quality isn't good.

I have an insane amount of perfumes to review, but today I'm going to review Ploughman by Haus of Gloi. They recently released their Spring products, but I did not buy anything initially. Then I read Liber Vix's Haus of Gloi Spring haul here, and she inspired me to purchase a lovely Spring perfume from them- Ploughman! I also got a whipped soap in the same scent.

Haus of Gloi describes Ploughman as:
Well worn leather, dirt n' dandelions, carrot, a pinch of tobacco and a light sheen of feral skin musk.

Cold Sniff: The dandelion note is very strong upon cold sniff. It's quite glorious, though I am a huge dandelion fan.

Initial Application/Wet on Skin: The earthiness/dirt note pops out, though it blends so seamlessly with the Dandelion note that it's just absolutely magical. I never noticed this from my Ploughman imp, but the carrot note peeks out here too.

Drydown: The drydown for me is every note from the scent description dancing together beautifully. Eventually this perfume ends right where it started- with the green dandelion note.  This is truly a unique and wonderful spring scent.

Final Thoughts: Liber Vix told me that this scent kind of reminded her of a hobbit, and I thought that is a perfect description for Ploughman! Working hard in the field all day to plow vegetables, dandelions dancing in the light breeze, riding ponies with leather saddles, and having a delightful puff of pipe weed after a hard day's work. The Shire would most definitely smell like this perfume. I'm happy to finally be the proud owner of a full size.



Disclaimer: All products mentioned were purchased by me for my own personal usage. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are always my own and honest. Thanks for reading!

Twyla ~ The Golden Lilies; Soma

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't been as active around here as I normally am. I've been feeling really overwhelmed about life and jobs and all that crap. But this coming week is my Spring Break, so I hope to have lots of new reviews for you soon! I'm also thinking about doing a post about stress relief, because goodness knows I've tried everything under the sun!

As you probably know, the ever so awesome Dee sent me a lot of imps not long ago. Among them were some Twyla imps. I've been very excited to try the Twyla perfumes, as I've been enjoying reading all of your thoughts on them! Today I am reviewing two of the Twyla imps: The Golden Lilies and Soma. Also, I could have sworn I took product photos, but I can't find them anywhere! I found a couple pictures for the perfumes that I hope will suffice.


The Golden Lilies


Image Source- digme.org

This scent starts off strong on the Lily-of-the-Valley, tiare and apricot, with a beautiful and golden, earthy base of resinous amber to anchor the sweet, almost candy-like tonka bean. Davana is said to have the unique property of smelling differently on every person's skin. I find it to be rather woodsy, with a hint of herbal-vanilla. The smooth, deep sandalwood and unusual, almost musky floral of the fire tree - which smells a bit like a musky lilac with a hint of apricot, round out this unique and lovely blend.

Cold sniff- Vanilla and a crisp, green aroma.

Initial Application- Something went medicinal on me, like straight up cough medicine. Maybe it's the Davana, and my skin is just unlucky with that note.

Drydown- The drydown is a lot more pleasurable for me. The apricot stands out very much on my skin, with a bit of an herbal note as well. It's kind of a "bitter" perfume, but in a pleasant way. I didn't have hope for this perfume, but I'm glad I waited it out.


Soma


Image Source- Tumblr

This is the second in a series that was intentionally created to fall into the category of both aromatherapy AND perfume. Created to ease anxiety and stress, this oil smells like lovely lemon-flower cotton-candy (due to the sweetness of the vanilla and lemony scent of melissa, not because i used synthetics), white lotus-flowers and sunshine.


With several calming essentials including melissa (a powerful relaxant, some studies have shown it to help ease clinical anxiety and help calm children with ADD - although current research will show more solid results one way or another in time), lotus, which has a calming and some say euphoric effect; sandalwood, which is commonly used in anti-depressant and anti-anxiety blends for it's soothing aroma; rosewood, ylang ylang and vanilla - all three of which are soothing and comforting to the senses.

This is another one that might help some of you sleep (like Migraineur) - i find it extremely calming. Most effective as an inhalant or in a room-diffuser/oil burner for several minutes if used for anxiety - but absolutely LOVELY as a perfume!

I was most excited to try Soma because I am willing to try anything that will help with my anxiety!

Cold sniff- A very clean and beautiful lemon note (melissa!).

Initial application- The beautiful lemon note stays put, and I also get the rosewood. I don't know if I'm experiencing a placebo effect, but I actually feel almost euphoric upon inhaling this perfume. Perhaps it's just that it smells so good ;)

Drydown- I don't really notice a difference between initial application and drydown.

I wish Soma came in shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and bajillion gallon containers of perfume. Maybe then I could contain my stress :)

I enjoyed trying these Twyla imps, and I look forward to trying more! I hope you're all having a great weekend!

Disclaimer: The items mentioned were sent to me for free by my lovely fellow blogger, Dee. My opinions are my own. 

OHWTO Haul :)

The weekend has finally arrived, and so has my One Hand Washes The Other order! Woohoo! I haven't been able to shell out much extra money lately, but that's okay. It just makes me much more appreciative when I'm able to make even a small order like this one.

I ordered two full size perfumes- Cascadia (solid scent) and Ideas Are Bulletproof (perfume oil).

Please Note: Italicized scent descriptions are from OHWTO.

Cascadia

Cascadia:
 A scent for a country that never was. At least, not yet. Dense evergreen forests, endless waterfalls, pine boughs, woodland paths littered with dried leaves, ambergris washed ashore the rocky coastline, driftwood, midday showers, oakmoss, sandalwood and ylang ylang.



I absolutely had to order Cascadia after reading the scent description. I thought it was such a neat idea, somewhat similar to Dudleyville (not in the notes, but the concept). I wanted to get it in a perfume oil, but it wasn't available at the time I made my purchase; so I got it in a solid scent! I'm not complaining, as I love the affordability and convenience of OHWTO solid scents. Also, since the weather is warming up a bit, I feel like solid scents are the perfect medium for perfume because they really hug your skin and give you just the right amount of silage.

Cold Sniff: An incredible combination of summer and fall- like a beautiful beach that's surrounded by an enchanted forest with a whisper of falling leaves.

Wet on Skin: Aquatic and earthy, which I assume to be the waterfall, evergreen, and oakmoss notes. Absolutely beautiful.

Drydown: An incredibly magical blend of an aquatic, almost beachy, fragrance amped up with sandalwood and earthy notes (such as evergreen and oakmoss).

Final Thoughts: Cascadia is an utterly genius perfume. It really is like a magical wonderland just waiting to be discovered. I love how it's a strong aquatic scent that's taken to an earthy, woodland realm. None of my words could ever do it justice. I'm so happy with this scent!


Ideas Are Bulletproof

Ideas Are Bulletproof:
Larkhill facility, in flames. Scarlett carson roses. The wood-lined walls of secret hideaways, furnished with a myriad of beautiful-but-illegal artifacts. Leather-wrapped dagger handles. Bergamot-laced tea and incense from a ChurchThe energy of an uprising against an unthinkable injustice, and an ever-present plastic face mask- beneath that mask, there is more than flesh. Ideas do not breathe, Ideas do not feel pain. You cannot kill an Idea, you cannot touch it or hold it. Ideas are bulletproof.
Notes include: Frankincense*, sandalwood, carnation, red rose, atlas cedar, bergamot, leather, ambergris, civet, and oak.




Ideas Are Bulletproof was created as an anniversary perfume for the shop. It was inspired by the film V for Vendetta, which is an outstanding movie (and is also the reason I named my cat V!). I initially named my cat Vendetta, but I have always called him V for short.



Cold Sniff: Bergamot, bergamot, bergamot!

Wet on Skin: It initially begins with the citrusy aroma of bergamot, but immediately morphs into an array of other notes such as rose, cedar, and leather.

Drydown: Ideas Are Bulletproof is strongly floral at this stage. It's a whirlwind of carnation and rose with a heavy breath of oak to even things out. It's a very romantic scent.

Final Thoughts: I didn't think I'd enjoy this perfume right off the bat, but it dried down to a very elegant, pretty, and romantic perfume. For some reason, it reminds me of a tea party!



Disclaimer: All items mentioned were purchased by me. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own and honest. Thanks for reading!

Nevermore Body Company ~ Madame

Hullo and happy Sunday! I've been wanting to try Nevermore Body Company ever since I read a review about them around Christmastime. I went to their etsy site (though now they have their own website and realized they had a lot of neat products with a solid theme. However, Nevermore is one of those companies I just haven't gotten around to trying yet. Luckily, Dee sent me two imps because she's infinitely awesome; so now I'm here to share my thoughts on Madame. You can find Dee's review of Madame here!


Madame scent description:

Madame’s golden days of Cabaret brings back the warm and sophisticated, yet subtle blend of apple and oak, with a spice mahogany bouquet, soothing hints of vanilla, cinnamon and dark wood, ripe tones of sweet figs and infused with a blend of tobacco, black tea and fruit spices.




Cold sniff: Sweet, fruity, and just the kind of autumnal touch I love!

Initial Application/Wet on Skin: This stage is rather frustrating to me, because I have no idea what I'm smelling. When I think I smell something, that scent will completely morph into something else. I've had this happen with quite a few perfumes in the past. My best description at this stage is a spicy, fruity scent with mahogany peeking through.

Drydown: I have no idea what's going on, but it's like my skin ate this perfume. I can detect a faint hint of something cinamonny, but that's about it.

Final Thoughts: This perfume had so much potential, but it just didn't want to work for me. I will probably try this again after I shower to see if it behaves a bit better. For now, there's nothing much else to say. :(

I hope you all are enjoying your weekend! Thank you so much for reading!

A Dirty Murder of Crows

Recently, Dee was so incredibly kind to send me some imps in the mail, and among them were two from BPAL. She sent me Dirty and A Murder of Crows. I was so excited to have the opportunity to test more BPAL scents, because I haven't been able to purchase anything from them yet. So, once again, you guys are amazing and deserve all the Internet hugs in the world! ❤

Italicized scent descriptions are from BPAL.

Dirty

A wonderful antidote to an all-nighter oozing with drunken, addled perversion and debauchery. A fresh, crisp white linen scent: perfectly clean, perfectly breezy.




Cold sniff: So fresh and pretty, and something slightly floral.

Initial Application/Wet on Skin: I'm getting that mysterious floral note once again. I'm not quite sure what it is. I read a review from bpal.org that said they detected plumeria on initial application, and I'd say that's spot on. My mom and I loved the Plumeria line from Bath & Body Works when I was in high school, so the plumeria in this blend is a pleasant and welcome surprise for me.

Drydown: The drydown for me is 100% fresh, clean laundry. It's so delightful and incredibly realistic.

Final Thoughts: I would definitely recommend this to anyone that is into "fresh" scents. Dirty is also a perfect everyday scent for anyone who doesn't want to smell perfumey. I asked my boyfriend what he thought it smelled like, and he got the floral note in it too. Though it is a simple scent, the possibilities for it are endless. I can see it working for practically any occasion (expect going out, as you'd probably want more of an exotic option... unless you want to have men or women wondering what laundry detergent you use, haha).




A Murder of Crows

Sleek iris and verbena, grey amber, benzoin, davana, and glossy herbs.



Cold sniff: I was stumped when I tried to decipher this scent. I know I've smelled it before, but I didn't know what it was exactly. My boyfriend ran into the same dilemma. If I had to guess, I'd say it's the iris/verbena notes.

Initial Application/Wet on skin: For the first minute, what I believe to be the iris and verbena are present. However, it immediately transforms into a woody and resinous aroma (the benzoin and davana).

Drydown: The most prominent note for me is the benzoin. At least, that is what I believe I am smelling. It is very woody at this stage, and since benzoin is derived from the bark of numerous trees, I can only make an assumption that it's the benzoin ;) It's also very resiny, which I think is the grey amber making its debut.

Final Thoughts: I'm a huge fan of Halloween scents, so this perfume already had an advantage before I even sniffed it. But it's so much more than I expected. It's incredibly beautiful and unlike any perfume I've ever tried. If BPAL ever brought this back, I'd buy a full size in a heartbeat. It's absolutely gorgeous.

Now, to enjoy this lovely rainy Friday! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Possets Day 8 (FINAL DAY!) ~ Lavender Corset; Washington

I have made it to the final day of my Possets perfume reviews! AND it's Friday! This calls for a celebration!


Image source:
Funlock.blogspot.com

The last two scents I have for you guys are Lavender Corset and Washington These were saved for last for Nadja, as they are not her thing :D The italicized scent descriptions are from Possets.


Lavender Corset

Such a pretty and old fashioned yet bleeding edge modern scent! Lavender Corset is more lilac than lavender, very feminine, long lasting and a persistent whisper of a fragrance. Like a corset it creates a perception about you but one about which others are barely conscious. It is magical, though. Perfect as a day perfume but not prim, perfect as an evening perfume but not brash. Characteristics: Lilac, musk, versatile, feminine, clean, sophisticated, long lasting, cooling, summer scent..

Lavender Corset is a very simple, yet pretty, perfume. The description is spot on, especially about the scent having lilac notes as opposed to lavender. It is the perfect lilac scent. Though lavender is renowned for its relaxation properties, I think lilac is just as calming (if not moreso). Lavender Corset is not for those who are into complex fragrances, as it's pretty one-dimensional. The lilac is the main component of this perfume at every scent stage. It is also a bit musky, though absolutely nothing like the overpowering musk in Silver Violets. The musk is very subtle and delicate, which makes it blend seamlessly with the lilac. I think this would be the perfect scent for spring or summer; but also for any hectic days where a calming scent would be beneficial. I could also see this as the perfect bedtime scent or even a linen spray :)


Washington

What do you think of when you think of Washington state? Apples, of course. But I put them with the sweet briar rose (which is actually its cousin and does grow well in Washington state), and a honey accord which is so smooth it is almost illegal. Finally I am topping this all off with an incense which weaves the entire thing together and you have what I consider an essential beautiful perfume fitting to represent a lovely place.

Cold sniff offers a very strong apple note. The Washington title paired with the apple note reminds me of the Twilight saga, haha. The honey really smoothes it out on the initial application. My hamsters would probably bite the hell out of me if they smelled this on my skin. They adore apples. I really have to concentrate to detect the rose, but I think a lot of that is due to the fact that Possets perfumes are so well blended. The incense comes out during the drydown, which is really nice. I like Washington more than I expected, it's really quite nice. :)

Pertinent Links
Possets Day 1 (The Tisane of the Witch)
Possets Day 2 (Sorrow)
Possets Day 3 (Dark Lady)
Possets Day 4 (The Fascinator)
Possets Day 5 (Death [The Pardoner's Tale])
Possets Day 6 (The Temptress)
Possets Day 7 (Silver Violets; Heka)


Disclaimer: These perfume samples were provided for free with my Possets purchase. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own and honest.

Possets Day 7 ~ Silver Violets; Heka

I was pretty close to not posting today. I had an interview, so I didn't wear any perfume. I used my Haus of Gloi butterbomb in A Simple Rose, and that scent lasted on my skin enough to be pleasant but not overpowering. Now that I'm home, I decided to do two Possets reviews for Day 7. Interviews are so emotionally exhausting, and I doubt myself enough as it is without others summing me up in a 10 minute questionnaire. So anyway, I thought it would be fun to talk perfume so I can get my mind in a more pleasant and simplistic reality. Today I'll be reviewing Silver Violets and Heka. Please note the italicized scent descriptions are from the Possets website.

Silver Violets

Imagine the first violets of spring poking their heads up above a thin covering of snow and sparkling with a silvery light. Silver Violets is sweet but refreshing and welcome at any time of the year. Particularly reviving in the heat of summer months. Though violet scents are rather rare anymore, their popularity is enjoying a new vogue. I am particularly proud of this interpretation of this charming blossom. A very popular scent. Characteristics: floral, musky, feminine, scent locket, long lasting.

Cold sniff: Floral, sweet, and musky- really, really musky.

Initial Application/Wet on skin: It's decidedly floral at this stage. The violets are the stars. It's very feminine. I'm quite a fan of musky perfumes, but the musk at this stage is really strong and kind of scaring me away.

Drydown: It's still quite the same. Very sweet, really floral, and extremely musky.

Final Thoughts: Unfortunately, I don't like this perfume. I can definitely see floral lovers going insane for Silver Violets, but it's almost too floral and sweetly musky for me. Something about the notes just don't work for my skin.


Heka

Though the Egyptians didn't have pumpkins as we know them, they probably had gourds, the other members of the pumpkins' family. This perfume starts out with a gourd accord (!) and slides into a fine brew of lavender, oakmoss, and thyme which are twined around a resinous ambery heart. Magical and unexpected.Pretty surprising pairing of different fragrances to make a very solid and beautiful new one.

Cold sniff: So intriguing! The strongest notes from cold sniff are the gourd and lavender.

Initial Application/Wet on skin: There's definitely an herbal air to the perfume at this stage, which I'm assuming is the thyme. With a careful nose, the lavender and oakmoss are also detectable. The gourd accord holds everything together and keeps it interesting.

Drydown: Heka becomes resiny from the amber at this stage. It really is an unexpected fragrance, which ultimately makes it hard to explain. It's also earthy and a bit autumny from the initial gourd. The lavender calms it down, adds a bit of balance and femininity, and makes it downright beautiful.

Final Thoughts: Heka completely made up for the letdown I felt for Silver Violets. Heka is just so interesting, beautiful, unique, and autumnal. It's also extremely comforting, like the first warm cup of cider on the first day of autumn. I just cannot adequately express my adoration for this fragrance coherently. I love the addition of the gourd. Assuming I wasn't poor as hell, this would definitely be a full sizer for me.

Pertinent Links:
Possets Day 1 (The Tisane of the Witch)
Possets Day 2 (Sorrow)
Possets Day 3 (Dark Lady)
Possets Day 4 (The Fascinator)
Possets Day 5 (Death [The Pardoner's Tale])
Possets Day 6 (The Temptress)
Possets Day 8 (Lavender Corset; Washington)




Disclaimer: All items mentioned were purchased by me for my own personal usage. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are always my own and honest. Thanks for reading!

Possets Day 6 ~ The Temptress

I hope these Possets reviews are not completely bugging you guys and clogging up your dashboards. Excluding today's, I have four imps left to sample. I will probably review them in groups of two so that there are only two more posts instead of four.

 Possets description:

This is a dark sparkle like a true temptress. A pink musk provides the fizz and there is an overlay of sweet musk, a brush of lavender (Bulgarian), a bit of fern, and finally a slight bit of amber musk to keep it all going in the desired direction. Very tempting and ripe for falling. Like getting caught with someone you are slightly ashamed of...emboldening.



Image Source- Possets

Cold sniff: I spent quite a bit of time deciphering what exactly I was smelling. At one point, I thought this was a musky, sweet smell from the imp. But my initial guess was a fruity smell, which makes no sense from the description. So I headed to the Possets forum and noticed that the ladies over there were smelling peaches! With another test whiff, I can absolutely verify that it smells like peaches. Sweetly musky, peachy, fizzy, and fun. (that's quite a mouthful!)

Initial Application/Wet on skin: I don't know where that peach note is coming from, but it's definitely still there. The cold sniff translates almost completely to the initial application. It's just more complex now because I can also detect the amber and lavender notes at this stage. It's very pretty and versatile.

Drydown: Oddly enough, I don't really smell much of a difference from initial application to drydown.

Final Thoughts: This is a really fun, lighthearted perfume that I could definitely could have seen myself wearing when I was in high school; but I don't think it's currently for me. It really saddens me to say that because I do like this perfume quite a lot. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the formula, silage, or longevity. It smells wonderful, and it's really cheeky! I honestly just can't justify buying a full size when I know I wouldn't wear it very often. I am going to let it age a bit and test it again, because I want it to work for me :)

Pertinent Links:
Possets Day 1 (The Tisane of the Witch)
Possets Day 2 (Sorrow)
Possets Day 3 (Dark Lady)
Possets Day 4 (The Fascinator)
Possets Day 5 (Death [The Pardoner's Tale])
Possets Day 7 (Silver Violets, Heka)
Possets Day 8 (Lavender Corset; Washington)

Disclaimer: This perfume was sent to me as a free sample with my purchase from the company. I am not affiliated or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own and always honest. Thanks for reading!