Sleepy Sunday and Username Meaning

Hello lovelys! I hope you are all enjoying your weekend. I am finally feeling much better, despite this really annoying headache I've been getting the past few days. I'm thinking it's either from the green coffee bean extract, MSG in gluten free foods, or my medication adjustments :| But it's tolerable with ibuprofen, so all's well.

I wanted to quickly touch on my blogger username, because it kind of sounds conceited and it bothers me that it might come across the wrong way. I am a big Ramms+ein fan. Ramms+ein was the first concert I was ever allowed to attend, and I was 14 years old at the time. It was a really amazing concert with great special effects. I don't think they've returned to the US to tour since then, so I feel lucky to have seen them live. Anyway, they have a song called die Sonne, which in English means The Sun. It was written about an amazing boxer that had a tendency to knock his opponents out. One of the lines in the song is about the sun being the "brightest star of them all," which refers to the boxer knocking out his opponents (they would see "the sun" when getting knocked out.) I used to practice kickboxing and Muay Thai, which really helped me through a bad depression in my life. So that Ramms+ein song and its meaning is where my username came from. I just thought I'd share o^.^O

Also, I wanted to give you guys my twitter username. I usually just say what scent I'm wearing for the day, though I also bitch and moan on there more than absolutely necessary. I'd sure love to follow you lovely ladies! So if you haven't already, please let me know your twitter usernames below. Mine is @BlurringOfBlue if you want to stalk me on there. I'm on instagram more than twitter, where I have a zillion pictures of my animals. My instagram name is the same as my blog. Again, feel free to let me know what your usernames on there are! I already put this on instagram today, but here's a picture of V that I took this morning c:

          
I hope the rest of your weekends go well, and that you have a wonderful upcoming week!

~Rachel

MOAR Valentine Scents ~ Be Mine and Be True

I thought I'd shop my stash for more Valentine scents to stay in the theme of the current month! I knew I ordered these solid scents from last year's Valentines Day offering at One Hand Washes The Other, so I'm going to let them be a pair in this blog post and hope they play nicely! The scents I am referring to are Be Mine and Be True. Let's take a peak at the official OHWTO scent descriptions.

Be Mine: Slightly different from the 2011 version, but essentially the same- It's a spicy/fruity/vanilla smell, definitely on the feminine side, but I don't see why the right male couldn't pull this off. It's got florals and greens but not a ton- just enough to move it out of the "I smell like food" category. Be Mine is the smell of a thousand heart-shaped cinnamon red-hots sprinkled liberally on buttercream-frosted cupcakes, accompanied by a bowl of punch, cups of coffee and tea; all served at an antique wooden table laden with roses, jasmine and orange blossoms; the perfect Valentine's Day afternoon teatime treat.

Be True: New for 2012, Be True is a romance-inducing blend of bouquets of Baby Roses, gifts of White Chocolate, luscious Raspberries and a hint of Sandalwood to hold it all together. A floral scent tempered by sweet berries and soft chocolate notes.

Be Mine and Be True solid scents with more of my miniature bears to keep them company c:

Be Mine
I knew going into this purchase last year that I was not a cinnamon girl, but I was also (let's be real- I still am) a perfume noob and was willing to try new things. I smell cinnamon and tea upon initial application- and the combination is actually quite charming! I am a huge tea fan, whether it's in my perfume or my tea cup. After about 5 minutes, I smell what I think is the wooden table this Valentine Tea Party is hosted on. I love wood notes, so that is not a bad thing! I have a hard time pinpointing certain notes in this one. I like the description and premise of it, but this scent was never really my favorite and unfortunately, never received much love from my wrists. Now that I'm wearing it, however, I like it a lot more than I remember. The tea comes back strong after awhile, which I love! You can't have a tea party without tea!

Be True
I recall liking this one a lot more than Be Mine, but now I am finding the opposite is true. I really want to like this one, but it smells really artificial on me. It calms down during the dry down and becomes a lot more likeable, like roses and white chocolate! It is very pretty and romantic. I know some perfumes need some time to calm down on the skin before they start behaving nicely, and I think this is one of them. At least, it is on me! This one smells like a romantic Valentines Day date with roses, white chocolates, and fresh fruit all playing nicely. Perhaps the artificial smell at the beginning was a brisk lover's quarrel before things settled down and the date began, haha! ;)

I'm pleasantly surprised with both Be Mine and Be True. I never remember liking either one of them enough to click my heels together, but they're actually both really nice. They're not my favorite scents in my perfume hoard, but they're both very pretty in my opinion :)

I hope you all have a very wonderful weekend! Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday. Though I am not big on football, my dad is an ex-football player so it's a big deal in their household. My parents are having us over, so it should be fun!

Until next time, take care of yourselves, and smell pretty!

~Rachel

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!

Solstice Scents ~ Nightgown

I can't believe it's February already! That just makes my head spin. In honor of this new month with the infamous Valentine's Day, I decided to review a scent that was released for Valentine's Day: Nightgown by Solstice Scents! :)

Above- Nightgown sample with my cute teddy bear. Isn't he darling? I saw him at a craft store and just had to buy him. I want to make him into a bracelet.

I've been wanting to try Nightgown for such a long time, so I finally chose it for my sample with Smoky Mountain Mallow. I know a lot of you like Nightgown, and for good reasons! Let's check out the scent description:


NIGHTGOWN
Vanilla, White Chocolate, Tuberose & Tiare Flowers

Shake this perfume gently before use. A sensual and very creamy floral fragrance, Nightgown evokes the image of a gorgeous satin nightie with lace trim. It fits like a second skin and is the perfect attire for lounging and snuggling. This perfume is the representation of the fabric itself: beautiful, plush, sweet and delicate with white velvety petals from exotic flowers that entrance you with aphrodisiac qualities. The floral notes are very creamy, well rounded and tame while still being detectable and not too heady, sharp or perfumey. The dominant notes are a vanilla accord blended with a touch of divine white chocolate. The floral notes are present on initial application and for some time on the skin though on the long term dry down they will recede and the vanillas and white chocolate will be predominant. If you like the vanilla accord in Manor and Snowshoe Pass, it makes a striking appearance in this blend! Nightgown is wispy, innocent and mysterious at once - like feathers and a gently strummed harp.


This perfume is absolutely lovely! I love Solstice Scents' descriptions, because Angela lets you know exactly what to expect from initial application to dry down. It is a very floral fragrance when first applied, but a very beautiful one at that. I get hints of tuberose and another floral note- probably the tiare flowers. Almost immediately, the perfume tames down and turns into that "second skin" that was described in the scent description. It is very soft and suttle, yet overwhelmingly beautiful. It really is perfect for snuggling in bed with your loved one or your kitty cat! I do get the vanilla from Snowshoe Pass in this blend, which is great because I love that perfume too. I think this would be a perfect perfume for any day you don't want to smell too much like perfume and want something more delicate. I sometimes worry that people will get mad at me at work for always smelling like graveyards, ancient libraries, or haunted houses (which my favorite perfumes smell like); so Nightgown would probably be more of a crowd pleaser. I really feel like an outcast at both my jobs. No one else really wears makeup, nail polish, or even perfume.


Speaking of work, I must go get ready for it! Let me know what kind of Valentine edition perfumes you guys love!

~Rachel

DISCLAIMER- Nightgown was a free sample with my purchase of a full size perfume. I am not affiliated or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are always my own and always honest!

Boring Stuff

I seriously just walked around my room and tried to find something that would be interesting to blog about. That's kind of sad. This post will just be about my life, so bare with me!

So unfortunately, I'm still kind of sick. I'm actually kind of freaked out about the way these viruses are mutating. My coworker had to go to the emergency room on Monday, and she said there were like 150 people in the waiting room throwing up in trash cans and shit. It's like something you'd see in a zombie or virus movie- not cool. I'm just so ready to feel better. I'm also freaked out that I'll just get sick again. I'm constantly around sick kids and adults, so it wouldn't be a long shot. I guess that's a selfish thing to think, but I've seriously had a fever off and on and cold symptoms for about 3 weeks now, so I'm really fed up with sickness. I never used to get sick until I started working with kids. My mother and I have a loving term for them- "germ carriers."

Also, I have iron deficiency anemia and take iron supplements for it. I'm not as tired as I used to be, but I'm still not "well" I guess you could say. It's really hard for me to wake up in the morning. I really want to start a gluten free diet to see if I can benefit from it health-wise. I guess 1 in 133 people have celiac disease, so maybe I do have gluten sensitivity. I probably sound like a hypochondriac! Anyway, I am really kind of freaked out of doctors, hospitals, and diseases people can get. Sometimes I get panic attacks because I get so worried that something is wrong with me. I am, in short, a mess.

Last week, it was really cloudy, foggy, and awesome. I took a bunch of pictures, but they didn't turn out the way I wanted them to; so I'll just share one!


When I start feeling better, I want to start volunteering at the no-kill shelter at my local pet store with the cats. I already got an application. I think it would be a wonderful way to spend my spare time.

In other news, I already re-ordered from Black Baccara! I couldn't help myself, their perfumes are just lovely. I also placed a Haus of Gloi and OHWTO order. Yes, One Hand Washes the Other is finally open again, and their TAT is really short! I am so thankful, as I was running quite low on my black magic soap. It has done wonders for my skin. I can actually leave the house without makeup and not feel self conscious about it. It's definitely a HG for me!

I think that's about it for now. Until next time, thanks for reading, and take care of yourselves :)

Quick edit: I forgot to mention green coffee bean extract! I thought I'd try it (NOT because of Dr. Oz, whom is an asshole that capitalizes on the weight loss industry and he can screw the hell off) because it has some good benifits such as weight loss and regulation of blood sugar. I'm actually pleasantly surprised, as I've lost like 6 pounds without changing my diet and exercise routine. I know I sound like a lazy fatty, but whatever. I like this stuff.

Black Baccara - Vlad

I was doing a clean rampage of the house tonight. It's scary how fast things can get messy when you're sick! Anyway, since I'm an amazing procrastinator, I decided to sniff Vlad while changing my bed sheets because I got it as a free sample with Boneyard and I haven't tried it yet! Since I already took a picture of this sample with my last post, I'm just going to provide the company's full size product photo of Vlad for reference.

Photo credit- Black Baccara

VLAD: Dark, mysterious and perfectly sinister. Vlad conjures visions of the madman himself. A rich blend of allspice, cedar, leather, tobacco and bay rum, among others. This is perhaps the darkest brew among my men’s colognes.

I know this is a men's cologne. However, as a rule of thumb, I strongly believe in wearing what you enjoy, not what society tells you you're supposed to enjoy. I'm sure I've mentioned that before, but it's important to me. Anyway, Vlad is freaking amazing! Upon initial application(wet on the skin), I smelled a strong leathery note. Mmm, leather. I'm a big fan of leather in perfumes, so I suppose I'm not shocked at how much I liked this one. The leather is mixed with a sweetness that I'm fairly certain is the tobacco. I actually think tobacco in a perfume is a fabulous idea! The tobacco and leather smell absolutely magical together, like I'd imagine Aragorn from Lord of the Rings would smell. I loved it so much that I ran to my boyfriend, who was in the hamster room cleaning their tanks, and I made him smell my wrist. I got a delighted utterance out of him, so I'd say he approves. The dry down reveals the allspice note. I'm not quite sure I can detect the bay rum, though I'm not heartbroken over that fact.

Black Baccara is quickly becoming a favorite perfumery for me. I love the theme and I adore both the perfumes I've tried so far. I might have to place another order soon!

DISCLAIMER- I received Vlad from Black Baccara as a free sample with my purchase. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are always my own and honest!

Black Baccara- Boneyard

Today was a rainy day, which I thoroughly enjoy. It doesn't rain much at all in my neck of the woods, so it's nice when the sun finally succumbs to grey-tinted clouds and rain trinkles down on our city; giving it a breath of fresh air. I can find no greater happiness than snuggling up next to my cat and boyfriend while the rain pitter patters on the roof; optional bonus- a cup of tea in one hand and a good book in the other.

Tonight, I'll be reviewing a perfume from a company I've never previously tried before! I love discovering new companies, and I wouldn't have heard about Black Baccara had I not read some of your guys' recent SADs; and also seeing it on the lovely La Domna's ScentBase! After reading the description, I knew I had my heart set on this little perfume.

I suppose I knew I would adore it without even spritzing the bottle, because it did leak a teeny bit on its journey to me and, therefore, I could already smell its amazingness! I can't detect exactly what it is I am smelling, but I'll post the scent description and try to decipher it. This is from the company's etsy shop:

❀BONEYARD-A long walk through the cemetery in autumn has made its way into this bottle. Cloves, cedar, damp soil, and a whispered offering of violets and wildflowers make way for deep earth, oak moss, and an extinguished candle flame carried on the wind. Dark, brooding, earthy and timeless.

                   

Above- The packaging Boneyard was housed in. :)

 

Above- The perfume came in this pretty black box. 

Above- Boneyard by Black Baccara

                      
                               Above- Boneyard atomizer and sample of Vlad                    




I'm pretty sure it's the cloves I'm smelling at first. After a minute or two, I can smell the earthy
presence to this gem. I'm fairy certain it's the oak moss I'm getting, perhaps with a slight touch of the damp soil. Something about this really grounds it and makes it more polished and not like you're a wet, mossy, Cemetary leaf (nothing wrong with smelling of such, but it is nice to smell more layers upon that). I wish I could say what I'm smelling exactly, but my perfume noobiness seems to be holding me back.

And let me tell you guys, the drydown on Boneyard does NOT disappoint. I can smell the floral notes dancing with a hint of something sinister in the background, and it's absolutely stunning. It's literally one of the most beautiful perfumes I've ever had the pleasure of sniffing. The etsy scent description says you only need one spritz, and that certainly holds true! I only used one spray, and it was quite strong (even with my stupid sick senses).

I would like to honestly comment on longevity, but it wouldn't be a true answer because, again, my immune system isn't at its best. I will say that we spent a couple hours at a cute secondhand/art store, and I can still tell the perfume is on my wrist.

I really love dark and gothic themed things, so I'm really glad I was able to stumble on Black Baccara through you wonderful ladies! Boneyard is really one of those perfumes that make you look crazy because it smells so good, your nose is glued to your wrist all day. This is really a wonderful perfume, in my opinion of course.



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 100% honest.

Rainbow Candy Canes from Cocoa Pink

It always seem like, no matter how far apart I place my orders with different companies, everything always gets shipped around the same time. My mail lady really must think I'm a hoarder! But this order was mainly stuff I use in my daily hair care routine (that I previously ran out of), so I didn't "need" it, but I really enjoy these products! My favorite conditioner is the Soulmate Conditioning Treatment by Cocoa Pink. Here's my empty jar!

No more conditioner :(

Do you guys reuse your empty jars of products? If so, what do you use them for? I like to keep them to put in things like spare coins, bobby pins, nail polish I use a lot, etc.

I ventured out of my comfort zone with the scent I chose for the products I ordered, which I find is great to do from time to time. You never know what might surprise you! The scent I chose is called Rainbow Candy Canes from Cocoa Pink. Let's take a look at the scent description!

Rainbow Candy Canes - Rows of shimmering candy canes swirled with rainbow stripes and flavored with plump juicy blackberries, succulent raspberries, sugared lemons and limes, satsuma oranges, marshmallow fluff, ribbons of vanilla bean noel & peppermint infused sugar cane.


I ordered one Princess Poo shampoo, two soulmate conditioning treatments, and a perfume in the same scent.

Above from L to R: Princess Poo shampoo, two Soulmate conditioners, and a perfume in Rainbow Candy Canes

In this case, I'm quite happy I ventured far from my normal tastes in perfume. Rainbow Candy Canes has a lot going on with it scent-wise, but not in an overwhelming sort of way. I was worried at first, though! Upon initial application, I thought it was really strong and thought it DID have too much going on. However, it immediately calmed down into a beautiful fruity scent with distinct notes of the sugary lemons and limes with the orange coming into play. It started reminding me of that Sunkist candy- the circular, fruit flavored gummies coated in sugar. I love those candies, so it wasn't bad to smell like them! The peppermint comes out almost right away, and it grounds the intense fruity scent so it's not ALL fruit. After awhile, the fruity scent almost disappears, and the sweet, fluffy marshmallow comes to take the lead role. I really enjoy Rainbow Candy Canes! I wouldn't wear it as a daily scent, but I'm glad I got it and I will get some good use 

out of it! :)

That's all for now! Thanks for reading, my dears!

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