False Nostalgia ~ Winter is Coming

Not long ago, the lovely Nadja from La Domna wrote about some awesome Game of Thrones inspired perfumes right here. Not only did she influence me to start reading the first book in the series, she also inadvertantly motivated me to purchase one of the perfumes she posted about: Winter is Coming by False Nostalgia. False Nostalgia is an awesome etsy store that makes soaps and perfume oils inspired by fandom books and series such as Hunger Games, Doctor Who, and (of course) Game of Thrones! I think it's such a neat concept. Their etsy store has quite a variety of fragrances at incredibly affordable prices. Winter is Coming came in a 7ml rollerball for only $7.95 USD.

The following is the scent description from False Nostalgia:

Winter is coming: The scent of the North.
A cold woodland breeze, icy snow, Weirwoods, and moss with smoke and ash.

Above- Winter is Coming by False Nostalgia

Upon cold sniff, I detect an earthy, sexy moss (oakmoss?) note, along with a bit of smoke to liven things up.

Initial application is to die for. Is it possible to smell a cold woodland breeze in a perfume? I don't know, but this is what I suspect it would smell like. I am honestly taken to the harsh, icy lands of Winterfell with direwolves howling in the distance. Even at this stage, I am certain this would be classified as a masculine scent; but it would be an absolute crime for us ladies to miss out on such sexiness!

The drydown features the smoke note, perhaps from a fleeting fire to keep unlucky wanderers warm. Every stage of this scent truly captures what I imagine Winterfell would smell like: Cold, harsh, and foreboding (to say the least).

The smoky scent fades to ash, like it truly would during winter in such a harsh environment. I also get a snowy note, or what I assume to be the snow. Of course, the snow is likely what put out the life-saving fire!

I cannot praise this perfume enough. I know I have a lot of positive reviews, but this is already without a doubt up there in my gallery of favorite scents. The shop owner is truly a talented person, and I would absolutely purchase from False Nostalgia in the future!

Now, I am eager to read the next chapter of the book! Thanks for reading, and I hope you had a wonderful Tuesday!

~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. All opinions are always my own and honest!

Smile! :)

I thought I'd share some pictures that make me smile and laugh. I know some of you deserve a smile right about now!

Haus of Gloi ~ Vice

Hello and happy Monday! I'm definitely happy this Monday because it's Presidents Day and I'm off work. Weehee! So I will be enjoying this extra day off, as tomorrow morning I have a meeting and other responsibilities to tend to.

Today, I will be going out of my comfort zone with a free imp I received with my Haus of Gloi Valentine order- Vice! Vice is a fragrance I wouldn't choose for myself, but I think every perfume deserves a chance!

Let's explore the scent description together! :D

Steam billows rolling off a vessel of fresh made Turkish coffee, marshmallow goo tainted by graham cracker crumbs, toasted hazelnuts and blanketed in black chocolate.


Vice by Haus of Gloi

Vice is a perfume from Haus of Gloi's general catalogue, so I have happened upon the scent description before. The reason I have not given this little guy a chance yet is because I'm usually not into foody scents, I don't think I'm into coffee scents (as I'd rather smell like tea, but I've never explored the realm of coffee fragrance until right now), and I'm not a big fan of chocolately scents. Therefore, Vice is a combination of things I tend to avoid in a fragrance. Sorry, Vice!


Preparing myself for the worst!

When I opened the imp, I smelled coffee and marshmallows!

Initial application is interesting and perplexing. Where are the foody notes I so dread? This smells nothing like the description. In fact, I'm actually rather liking what I smell! Maybe the notes melted together and made a super fragrance that's not foody, but just balanced and sexy! I almost smell something that's not in the scent description, like maybe a floral note? I can't put my finger on it!

The drydown reveals the coffee once again. I think I can smell the dark chocolate and a bit of the graham cracker notes as well. Okay, this is more like the description. I definitely don't dislike it as I thought I might. I still can't quite put my finger on this perfume. I don't know if I like it or I don't like it. Is that weird?

Once the perfume is dry and settled on my skin, it's a lot more subtle and the mystery note comes back for me. What am I smelling?! I do detect hints of the scents in the description, but it's still not what I particularly expected.

So, have I been converted? Not really. I think Vice is a nice scent that I had fun trying out. I bet it's absolutely perfect in a pumpkin butter, which I'd be willing to purchase. However, Vice will not make its way into my full size collection. I can absolutely see it working for people that are more into this kind of perfume, but it's still not really my thing. I give Vice a lot of credit though, as it's so much better than I expected it to be (not that I thought it would be bad- just that I didn't think it would be a scent I'd enjoy).

I hope you all have an amazing week! I am waiting on a couple orders I made, and I can't wait to review them for you wonderful ladies!

~Rachel

DISCLAIMER: The perfume I mentioned in this post was a free sample with my order. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own and always honest! Thanks for reading!

Indecisive.

I admit it, I'm incredibly indecisive. In a way, it can be semi-good, in the sense that it forces me to really think things through. Alternately, it can be a major pain in the butt, as you can imagine!

I'm not ALWAYS stalling on decisions. I can make quick ones, especially when I know it's an important decision that needs to be made in a timely manner. I'm more indecisive when it comes to the smaller things, like what eyeshadow to wear, and what perfume to wear. I've been in a huge makeup rut lately, which is why I don't even post about makeup anymore. I feel so inadequate with my makeup skills, especially compared to all the talented people on makeup blogs and certain YouTube channels. Lately, I've just been wearing winged liner with mascara (or false lashes if I'm feelin' fancy)- if I wear it at all. So that completely solves the "what eyeshadow color should I wear?" question, haha! But when it comes to perfume, I can really have a hard time choosing a scent in the morning! I see my perfume display, and I silently scream for my brain to work- because I just can't even come close to deciding.


Some days are definitely better than others. I'm not trying to make this sound debilitating, because it's not. It just gets annoying when I choose a scent I am just not feeling for the day and end up scrubbing it off. Or worse, when I can't decide at all. Do you guys have a rhyme or rhythm to choosing a perfume to wear every day? Do you choose based on the weather, your mood, or does it even matter? I'm very curious, as I get very annoyed at myself for not being able to just decide and go!

I hope you're all enjoying the rest of your weekend!

~Rachel

Black Baccara ~ Orpheus

Hey there and happy Saturday to everyone! Today I will be reviewing Orpheus by Black Baccara. I received it as a free sample with my Bloody Valentine perfume but haven't gotten a chance to try it until recently.

Official scent description from Black Baccara:
ORPHEUS- A beautiful unisex perfume. It begins with a fruity wave of oranges, pomegranates, apples and lemons and then moves into a primordial phase of burning cedarwood, fire, cloves, and earthy oakmoss. This perfume brings to mind offerings of spices, herbs, and fruits being consumed by a brilliant cedarwood fire.


Orpheus by Black Baccara
Image Source- Black Baccara Perfumery

From the imp, Orpheus smells like oranges with a bit of oakmoss. Interesting!

Wet on skin, it smells exactly like candy with perhaps a bit of something earthier to makes it less "foody" smelling. The scents intended for the second phase almost immediately push their way through. It's very interesting at this point as all the notes battle it out and try to make their own special appearance. I can definitely make out the oakmoss, as I recognize that note from my other Black Baccara perfumes.

On the drydown, the smokiness comes into full throttle. It is a very realistic smoke scent and almost "catches" in my throat, if that makes any sense. The oranges also stay strong, as they have been pretty consistently the rest of the time.

This perfume fades into an interesting blend of oakmoss, smoke, and a hint of cedar and lemon. It's very pretty and I like how it morphs. It's not my favorite perfume and I wouldn't purchase a full size, but it is a well made scent that I'm glad I was able to sample. Fun fact- Initially, I thought this perfume was called "orphans" because I misread it on the etsy site. I wondered why orphans would smell of oranges and smoke, but now it all makes sense! ;) Another fun fact via Wikipedia-
Orpheus (Ancient Greek: Ὀρφεύς) was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music, his attempt to retrieve his wife, Eurydice, from the underworld, and his death at the hands of those who could not hear his divine music.

By the way, you can click the Wikipedia link to learn more about Orpheus! I only referenced the first paragraph.

Complete change of subject! Since today is also known at Caturday in the kittah lover interwebz, I wanted to add a picture I recently took of V. You can see my boyfriend's arm in the corner cause they are official cuddle buddies. :)


I love the strange look on V's face.

V decided to wake us up at 3:30 A.M. this morning. He usually doesn't eat wet food, so we only had dry food out for him. He had a tummy ache, so we dragged our butts out of bed to get ourselves coffee and wet food for my little prince. He feels better now :)

Have a wonderful Saturday, Caturday, and weekend!

~Rachel

Disclaimer: Orpheus was a free sample provided with my Black Baccara purchase. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. My opinions are always my own and always honest. Thanks for reading!

Valentine's Day Aftermath

Now that Valentine's Day is finally over and we can all forget it ever existed until next year, I thought it would be fun to rehash the events from my day!

First, Aaron and I got up really early and got our morning coffee. There is a gas station right by our house where we get our coffee. We drove around our neighborhood drinking our coffee and attempting to wake up. That's actually our morning routine- coffee and a drive around the neighborhood.

After I tinkered in the garage for a few hours making Aaron's gift, we had breakfast and then went to the thrift store. He wanted to get some pants that he could modify into shorts. He found my present while we were there- a really insanely bright patterned sweater. It's been really cold lately, so I really enjoy my new sweater! It fits me well and I love how bright and cheery it is. I definitely prefer a gift like that over flowers that will just die in a week. Not that getting flowers is unpleasant, I've just never been into flowers for gifts. Also, my cat will just knock them over, so flowers are not practical in my household, haha!

Next, because we are senior citizens at heart, we went home to take a nap. Upon awakening, we tinkered in the garage. I put on my makeup while Aaron tried to modify a scooter he found down the street. While we were minding our own business, two younger guys came up our driveway complimenting Aaron's vehicle. They were being super friendly and just talking to us about the stuff we had (like Aaron's dirt bike). Here's the catch- they were doing one of those scam programs where they "win a trip" to some beautiful location to get hammered for 10 days, and all they have to do is sell magazines. Now, I'm not a gullible asshole, and I've been approached at least five times before with a similar story. The seller always make some bullshit story about a "personality contest," or saying the money goes to charity, and they're in second place and need me to help them win. I was pretty annoyed because they had the audacity to tell us they thought we could help them because we had nice things. I found that pretty rude. Additionally, why would I give my information out to a stranger when I don't know if they're going to try to steal my identity or get into my bank account? Identity theft is a huge deal these days, and I'm not about to go through that agonizing shit for a magazine I don't even want. Sorry for the rant, I just really dislike people that take advantage of others.

I needed to cheer up at that point in the day, so I decided to give my boyfriend his gift. I made him a book made entirely out of a deck of cards. It was called "52 Reasons I Love You." I'm not that creative, I actually got the idea from a YouTube video by GentleWhispering. There's also websites dedicated to the DIY card gift. I gave Aaron his Valentine card first. In his card, I wrote that I'm so lucky to have him in my life and that I'd never be able to list all the reasons I loved him in that card. Of course, that was a hint to what the gift was. I kept teasing him that it was going to be a scavenger hunt or love coupon book. He opened the gift, and he really liked it! I'm really happy he enjoyed it, as I enjoyed making it for him.

The card!


52 Reasons I Love You gift!


We were hungry again by that time, so we went to Applebee's and got the 2 for $20 dinner. He got the three cheese chicken pasta, and I got the southwest shrimp pasta. Both our dinners were insanely good! We don't go out to eat much, so it was a nice little treat.

After dinner, we went to one of the casinos close to us and put in a couple dollars in the machines. Neither of us are gamblers, but we just thought it would be an interesting waste of time. We actually got free show tickets to some percussion show, but neither of us really wanted to go. Our neighbor got free tickets that she didn't want, so she gave them to us; so we actually were at the casino so we didn't hurt her feelings for not going. So basically we lost five dollars and went home, haha.

Then we spent time with our pets, and the day was over. I hope you all had a fabulous day, no matter what you did! I hope this post wasn't too boring for you guys. I'll have another perfume review up soon!

Thanks for reading, and have an outstanding weekend!

~Rachel

Happy Valentines Day! Odette by HoG

It is Valentine's Day! It also happens to be my grandpa's birthday! I wish I could be there- he lives halfway across my country though :(

In my last post, I talked about the stuff from Haus of Gloi that I ordered. It was on hold for a couple extra days because they were out of the whipped soaps I ordered, so I didn't think I'd be able to post about it for Valentine's Day. But it actually arrived a day earlier than scheduled- it got here the 13th!

Last year, when I was still new to indie brands, I ordered some Haus of Gloi goodies from their Valentine selection. One of my favorite scents I tried was Odette. I got it in the whipped soap, and it smells so fresh and dainty and beautiful! This year, I ordered the full size perfume in Odette, two whipped soaps in Odette, and one of their new products: A butterbomb in A Simple Rose.

Odette- Scent Description:
Clean sun dried linens, tuberose, ginger lily and white musk.

Odette by Haus of Gloi

Odette is a simple scent, but very beautiful and feminine. From the bottle, it smells so fresh. I also get the white musk.

Once applied (wet on skin), Odette smells like clean laundry! I LOVE the smell of clean laundry- like the smell of my house when the washing machine is running. I think the "fresh sun-dried linens" is an accurate description of that note- that's exactly what I'm smelling. I think that this note is the main reason I love this scent. I usually opt for darker concoctions, but I love variety too- so having "fresh" scents can be, well, refreshing. Hurr hurr.

Next I smell the tuberose and ginger lily. I was lucky enough to sample one of their Reverie scents that contained ginger lily, so I distinctly know what it smells like now when I smell it. It's hard to describe exactly what ginger lily smells like, but it is absolutely a stunner (in my opinion, of course).

The white musk makes its presence on the drydown, which totally completes this perfume. I think it's cool how the scent description has the correct order of what you smell- the linens, tuberose, ginger lily, and white musk. Once the white musk is detected, the scent "becomes one." All the notes are detectable, and they play so nicely together. Odette is not a complex perfume, but it is VERY pretty; and I am happy I bought it in a 5ml!

Odette perfume oil, A Simple Rose butterbomb, and two Odette whipped soaps


I also purchased two whipped soaps in Odette. I like Haus of Gloi's whipped soaps, though I don't use them daily because I go through them so fast. I usually use them as a shaving creme, though I also use them on a washcloth to lather up in the shower. I've been using Amanda's honeysuckle soap that I mentioned here , and I use it on a pouf. It lathers phenomenally on a pouf! Anyway, I will probably mainly use Odette whipped soap as a shaving creme now that I have a soap I truly enjoy. Or I could always "take turns.". My only complaint about Haus of Gloi's whipped soaps is, like I mentioned earlier, I totally blow through them. That's probably a lot of my fault, as I tend to use a lot of product in the shower. However, Solstice Scents sells whipped soaps in bigger quantities for only one dollar more. So it makes more sense financially to go through SS. I'm not sure if they carry whipped soap all year though- I know that HoG doesn't sell whipped soap in extreme weather conditions (like heat).

Haus of Gloi also carries butterbombs now. I think I already said this in my Lush haul, but I'm not much of a bath person. I definitely believe in the power of a bath and its ability to ease the mind and the muscles. However, I find showers so much more convenient. I do think it's important to take the occasional bath to pamper yourself and relax. Sometimes I find a bath helps when I feel a bit depressed. I purchased the butterbomb in the scent "A Simple Rose." I think rose would be a good bath scent. Since butterbombs are new products for HoG, I will provide their product photo and description:

Haus of Gloi Butterbombs

Image Source- Haus of Gloi

Via Haus of Gloi:
Toss these little scoops in hot bath water for a fizzy, slightly foamy and decadently moisturizing bath. Crumble under running bath water for best results! Please be cautious when moving around or standing in the tub, these little bombs can make things slippery!

I will review this butterbomb if you guys are ever interested (or if I run out of stuff to blog about, hehe).

Hopefully this post isn't too long. Thanks for being here and reading! Let me know if you guys are going to do anything special today. Are you going to spoil yourself with a fancy meal or relaxing bath? Are you going anywhere? Is this just another day that has been corrupted by card and flower companies?! Hopefully I will get a chance to post later on with stuff I do today. Have a day filled with lots of love- especially for yourself- because you are ALL very lovely!

~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. My opinions are always my own and honest. Thank you for reading!