Enter Cliche Happy New Year Title HERE ;D

Another year has passed, which never ceases to baffle my mind. I truly don't know where the time goes, but it certainly goes by way too fast.

2012 was a great year overall. I am very blessed and extremely thankful for everything in my life. I have two jobs that I find fulfilling and challenging, and both are always rewarding. I have such a loving boyfriend that I celebrated my 5 year anniversary with this year. I also have a great family and pets, both of which I love dearly. I am truly blessed, and incredibly thankful.

I hope you all have a wonderful New Year's Eve and that 2013 brings you wonderful things to come!

Thanks for being here to read my little blog :)

December Favorites 2012

Even though we are only halfway through December, I thought it would be fun to share some of the products I can't put down for the most wonderful time (or, shall we say, 'month') of the year!

It's certainly no secret how I adore indie products, and I'm like a broken record swooning over seasonal indie collections. So it's no surprise that the majority of my favorites are from winter collections from indie e-tailors! So let's get the ball rolling, because I have a lot of stuff to say, haha!

Bath & Body Favorites

Winter can really take its toll on our skin, making it dry and lifeless. (Wait, why does that sound like a commercial? LOL, I promise it's not!) I have been loving Haus of Gloi's soft bubbling scrub to rejuvenate my dull, dry skin. I've been using one of the Halloween scents (Spider Silk), but I just ordered and received Hearth bubbling scrub from the Yule collection. I have been using Hearth in place of Spider Silk ever since because it's so close to Christmas, and I wanted to use a festive scent :D I absolutely adore HoG's bubbling scrubs- they are scrubby enough to combat dry skin patches, but they don't leave your skin feeling weird or greasy. It leaves my skin so soft, and of course, smelling nice! I love how the water from my shower really brings this product to life.

I also like to use HoG's whipped soap as a body wash and shaving cream. I'm currently using the Hearth scent, but I have a backup of Three Treasures for when I run out since I go through whipped soap like there's no freaking tomorrow.

Above: Hearth Bubbling Scrub on top of Hearth Whipped Soap.

Perfume Favorite

There are a lot of beautiful scents with winter collections this year, so this was a hard choice. However, I cannot deny that I have been reaching for Smell Bent's Ice Station Zebra the most. I did a review on it here: http://brighteststarofall.blogspot.com/2012/12/smell-bent-ice-station-zebra.html . It really just smells like Christmas to me and makes me happy!

 Above: Smell Bent Ice Station Zebra

Above: Smell Bent Ice Station Zebra. I've used a lot so far!!

Eyeshadow Favorite

I never knew about the wonders of Aromaleigh before they went under new management. Therefore, I was never able to purchase a color I've been drooling over for over a year- Twinkling Lights. I've spent an embarrassing amount of time sighing over swatches and stalking eBay and Amazon to no avail. I didn't think any colors from the past would reappear on the Aromaleigh 2.0 website, but I almost had a heart attack when I saw Twinkling Lights back on there for this season. It was sold out last year, so I nabbed 2 full size jars immediately! And I am so glad I did! I've been wearing Twinkling Lights almost every day since I got it in the mail. It's such a perfect Christmasy green color with pink sheen and absolutely packed with pink sparkles. I adore it!

Above: Aromaleigh Twinkling Lights swatched on clean skin over DGC Glitter Glue

Nail Polish Favorites

There are usually pretty good options for holiday nail polish collections. However, I have absolutely never seen anything like China Glaze's Party Hearty. I did a post on it where you can see it on my nails right here: http://brighteststarofall.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-elusive-china-glaze-party-hearty.html . It is so beautiful, really Christmasy, and sparkly! I love how there are a lot of different festive colored sparkles in different sizes. Now that indie polish is gaining a following, I bet there are some other good options for awesome colors like this- which is totally awesome!

I also like China Glaze's Twinkling Lights. It is also very beautiful and festive. Twinkling Lights only has small sparkles in it as opposed to different sizes like in Party Hearty. It really is pretty though. I am wearing it now over China Glaze's Mistletoe Kisses. Party Hearty is from the 2010 Christmas collection, and Twinkling Lights is from the 2011 Christmas collection.

Above from L to R: China Glaze Twinkling Lights, China Glaze Party Hearty.

If you've made it through this entire post, you deserve a gold medal! Thanks for stopping by, and have a very wonderful day!

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 my own and 100% honest!

Solstice Scents Snowshoe Pass Review

Hey hey! So, today I have another perfume review. Solstice Scents released their winter collection on Saturday, 12/1/12. I ordered a full size perfume in Snowshoe Pass, and a whipped soap in the same fragrance (though I'm just reviewing the perfume for the sake of time).

Okie dokie, let's get into the fun stuff, shall we? I'll begin with Solstice Scents' description of Snowshoe Pass, because it will surely surpass my words! This description is from http://www.solsticescents.com/SNOWSHOE-PASS-PERFUME_p_351.html

SNOWSHOE PASS
White Amber, White Musk, Vanilla Accord, Peppermint Cream, Cold Winds

A chilly white blend of an ethereal snow blanket and cold winter winds, Snowshoe Pass combines pale white amber, delicate and smooth white musk, a sweet touch of vanilla and a faint whisper of creamy cold peppermint. The result is a unique take on a winter scent inspired by heavy snows and desolate rural regions. On cold sniff and initial application a creamy peppermint note is detectable as a top note, though it is a careful addition that takes a backseat to the other notes as it wears on the skin, ultimately receding entirely. There is just enough peppermint to enhance the coolness of this plushly white blend. The other notes swirl together to evoke not only a snow covered landscape that may only be traversed with snowshoes and a pioneer spirit, but the calm and intense silence after a snow deep in the wild.

Can we pause for a moment and appreciate that delightful scent description?

Geez, I don't even want to try now. Haha. Okay, let's have a picture-infused intermission. :)

Photo Credit: Solstice Scents

http://www.solsticescents.com/SNOWSHOE-PASS-PERFUME_p_351.html

 

 

 

 

Above: My bottle of Snowshoe Pass. The packaging was amazing. It came with festive colors of crinkley paper, these two vintage bells, and a clipping of an evergreen tree. So festive and adorable!

My take on Snowshoe Pass:

 

Snowshoe Pass, above all, brings the color white to my mind whenever I sniff it. It is so beautiful, unique, and really sexy- a very awesome take on a winter scent. The scent description on the website is spot on about the peppermint being prominent immediately upon cold sniff/initial application; but it quickly runs away to the back to let the white musk and white amber notes become the stars of the show. The vanilla accord is a wonderful addition to this scent, and it really balances everything out.

Snowshoe Pass makes me think of a classy winter tea party in a breathtaking vintage house in the middle of nowhere. While the guests have their tea, snow falls outside, creating a fresh blanket over the already white-with-snow landscape.

Snowshoe Pass is extra awesome, because the 'white' I get when smelling it really reminds me of snow; and it's the only snow I'll get this year :( At least I don't have to shovel it!

Also, the silage is absolutely fantastic, like with all my Solstice Scents perfumes. It's really nice to smell great for hours without having to reapply the product!

I think it's worthwhile to mention that the TAT is absolutely phenomenal with this company. Even though I ordered my products the night of a huge winter release and live all the way across the country from the Solstice Scents wonderland, I got my products 4 days later (and one of those days was a weekend day). Angela is seriously a magical princess.. She makes the greatest perfumes ever, and ships them right away. She's also super sweet and always replies to my messages when I have any comments or questions.

If you so desire, you can also be the proud owner of Snowshoe Pass! Head over to http://www.solsticescents.com to get a whopping 10mL roller ball bottle for just $14 USD. It's a steal, I tell you!


Thanks so much for stopping by and reading! Stay warm, happy, and smell pretty!

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 always 100% honest.

 

Smell Bent- Ice Station Zebra

Lately, I've been looking for a Christmasy perfume to wear. I heard about a fairly new indie perfumery called Smell Bent through hottiemcnaughty. Smell Bent recently released a holiday collection called Holiday Happening. I decided to order a rollerball of Ice Station Zebra.

Perfume description from Smell Bent:

"howling arctic winds, cracking ice, frozen earth, and crisp evergreen buried under a drift of snowy
musk"


My Perception:

Ice Station Zebra is a perfect wintery scent. It is so crisp, like a snowflake melting by your nose. The evergreen adds a special Christmasy kick that is ever so lovely. Once the perfume is dry, the notes that stand out to me are the evergreen, musk, and a very slight sweetness that balances everything out. It is a delightful blend that I really enjoy. It's definitely not for everyone, but it's a lovely, icy blend perfect for what my heart has yearned for this holiday season!

Scroll down if you'd like to see the pictures of Ice Station Zebra!


Stay Warm and Happy!

Rachel


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. My opinions are my own and always 100% honest!

A Darling Girl Christmas Story Swatches!

I recently purchased the Christmas 2012 collection from Darling Girl Cosmetics, which is inspired by A Christmas Story and approprately titled A Darling Girl Christmas Story. I ordered the petit set, and it came in the mail yesterday. It is so beautiful that I wanted to share it with all that would care to see it!

There are 12 eyeshadows in this collection, which is awesome in and of itself. Be still, my heart! I truly adore holiday collections from indie companies, and DGC always seems to have extensive and beautiful holiday collections.

On with the swatches! Since there were 12 colors, I swatched them in two groups of 6. All of these colors were swatched over Darling Girl Cosmetics Glitter Glue on clean skin. :)

Above from L to R: Blind Ralphie, You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!, Electric Sex, The Flagpole Incident, Fra-gee-lay, and Fa Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra

 

Above from L to R: Blind Ralphie, You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!, Electric Sex, The Flagpole Incident, Fra-gee-lay, and Fa Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra

Above from L to R: Pink Nightmare, F-Dash-Dash-Dash, Red Ryder, Triple Dog Dare, Soap Connoissour, and Tapestry of Obscenities

Above from L to R: Pink Nightmare, F-Dash-Dash-Dash, Red Ryder, Triple Dog Dare, Soap Connoissour, and Tapestry of Obscenities

Above: The adorable jars each of the shadows were housed in. They have the infamous Christmas Story lamp on them and are adorned with the name of the collection. Love it!

As you can see, the colors in this collection are incredibly beautiful! My favorites so far are Tapestry of Obscenities, Red Ryder, The Flagpole Incident, Electric Sex, and Pink Nightmare.

Pertinant Information:

I just wanted to post a couple things about Darling Girl Cosmetics for your guys' convienence. DGC will be closed from around December 10th to the new year. That being said, if you want to purchase any of these colors with the cute Christmas Story logo on them, you'll need to do so before December 10th. After December, the collection will still be available, but it will have the original DGC packaging. I know the packaging isn't a big deal to everyone, but I just wanted to throw it out there because I read it on the website. :)

The DGC eyeshadows come in full and petit sizes. Full sizes contain 3/4 tsp of product in a 5 gram jar, while petit sizes contain 1/4 tsp in a 3 gram jar. Both sizes have the Christmas Story packaging for this collection (as long as you grab it in December). You can also purchase the full and petit sets for this collection. I purchased the petit set for $27.00, though it was originally $30.00. The full sized set is $70.80, and $63.72 while it's on sale. I checked earlier this morning, and both sets were still on sale.

Everything I swatched and discussed today can be viewed and/or purchased at www.darlinggirlcosmetics.com


I hope you guys are staying warm and having a wonderful week!

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 my own and 100% honest.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi everyone! I just wanted to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving full of laugher, love, and happiness! Though I have a tendency to be quite the cynacist, I am truly thankful to be alive and have such amazing people in my life. I even have the best pets I could ever ask for! I am thankful my hamster had babies in March, because my 3 little boys bring me great happiness even after the most stressful days at work. I am thankful for my cat, V, who always keeps me smiling, laughing, and shows me unconditional love. I am thankful for my boyfriend, who keeps my heart beating every day. I can't believe I was lucky enough to find someone who has such a beautiful soul and that truly loves me unconditionally with all my strengths and flaws alike. I am truly a lucky lady, and if I died tomorrow, I would die with a smile on my face and with no regrets in my heart.  Even if you do not celebrate this holiday, I hope you all have a wonderful day!

The elusive China Glaze Party Hearty!

Hello there! It's been cold outside (which is saying a lot, because I reside in a desert that seems to be sweltering 85% of the year), and I guess the weather has instantly made me in the mood for Christmas. We got some classic Christmas lights for the new house we're renting. I am super excited, as there wasn't much we could do to decorate when we lived in the apartment. I also got some candy cane rope lights, so those should be fun!

Another Christmasy thing I did was paint my nails Party Hearty from the China Glaze 2010 holiday collection. I have held onto this polish with my dear life, as it was extremely hard to find! I've also babied it with polish thinner. It's seriously one of my absolute favorite nail polishes, and I am so grateful and lucky I was able to find it. All the beauty stores were sold out (even the gift sets had been stripped of Party Hearty- WTF?!), but I happened to stumble in Sally's beauty supply one afternoon- and ONE Party Hearty had been restocked. The Angels sang from heaven, and I bought that lovely, elusive bottle of polish before it was gone (which would have been not much later than that second, I'm sure). So, that's my story, and here's the polish! It really IS Christmas in a bottle!

           Above: China Glaze Party Hearty

Stay warm out there!

Rachel

Disclaimer: All items mentioned were purchased by me for my own personal usage. I am not compensated by or affiliated with any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own and 100% honest.