BPAL... mosquitos?

_{Look at those awesome labels!}

Every year bpal has a butterfly collection, and sometimes other critters sneak in. This year, two mosquitos tagged along. Usually no one likes these little ladies, but... they're actually really nice in perfume form. ;) They're supposed to be "sticky" scents (they both have honey notes)- and they are, sort of! They're heady and honey-y, but they're also green and quite refreshing, to my nose, anyway. On to the reviews!

1: AE. ALBOPICTUS. Saffron, pimento, cardamom, beeswax, cajeput, tomato leaf, geranium, and pink pepper honey.

Oh boy. This one is my favorite of the two! The note list is a little scary, but it works so beautifully. All of those weird notes make an awesome green scent with a little pepper in the base. Ugh. I can't even describe this- it's so different! It's the kind of scent that singes your nosehairs but you can't stop huffing it. This is a green and pink scent. I'd call it unisex, too, as it's not sweet at all, but still has a sensual side to it. I think this would smell magical on just about anyone! As it dries, this one gets peppery-er and almost smoky. It's fascinating!

2: AE. AEGYPTI. Five honeys with vanilla orchid, gardenia, dragon's blood resin, gingergrass, and turmeric.

This one has a little more universal appeal, but it's still very green. Wet, something makes this almost minty on me! I'm not as excited by this one, but it's still unique and wearable. Oddly, on me, the honeys still aren't making this sweet. Maybe I don't have very sweet skin? Green with a bit of sticky honey. I don't smell much in the way of florals. I think I need to try this one again in a few weeks. If it becomes magical I'll be sure to make a note of it! ETA: here comes the honey! It just snuck up on me! This one gets way sweeter, whereas the other just gets drier and drier. How interesting! These two perfumes are such a good pair!

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OHWTO!

What does that stand for? One Hand Washes the Other! OHWTO is a fabulous little e-shop with really delightful perfume and some very well regarded soap called black magic that I have yet to try. I had heard such wonderful things about this place, so I decided it was time to give them a try. Today I've got some holiday perfumes to review!

First up, the solid perfumes! I'll just go through these quick and easy. All of the solid perfumes have decent throw and lasting power. Solids are never the best on me, but these hold on better than most I've tried. I'll be mostly focusing on the scents here, because the lasting power of solid perfume is different on everyone. A real plus here is the applicator. It's just like a chapstick tube so it's very easy to reapply on the go.

1: Lost at Sea. You can almost taste the salty sea air as it crashes against the bow of the ship, being cast about amongst the wild green and blue waves. Inhale deeply the tropical bounty of coconuts which could only have been bestowed upon you by Neptune himself, and the bouquet of citrus fruits brought aboard and stowed in the ship's hold for just such an occasion, and have not a care in the world that you are lost at sea.

This one is a GC fragrance, so you can still get ahold of it. On me, this is all citrus. It might as well be called scurvy-fighter! There's just a hint of coconut in this to make it a little sweeter and less tart. I like it quite a bit, but I'm also very much partial to anything with a maritime theme. I also meant to order Mermaid, but I accidentally clicked Mercantile (I've since sent that to a friend, hah!).

2: Visions of Sugarplums. Sweet and fruity, with a little something ethereal thrown in for good measure. Is this real? Are you still asleep? Close your eyes again, and see. Raspberries, Strawberry candies, Sugared Violets, Tuberose, White Musk & damp Moss

This one is my favorite of the three solid perfumes I'm reviewing today. It's not the kind of thing I usually go for, but the sugared fruit and flowers are just doing something for me in this. I don't know what it is! It's actually pretty nondescriptly sweet with just a touch of tartness, so it might work well as a base for some other not-so-sweet perfume. This one was a holiday scent this year, so you might have to wait for it to come back next year (hopefully!) if you want to get it on your wrist.

3: Be Mine. 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.

This one is great. It's really spicy! It actually makes me think more of winter holidays than valentines, honestly! The description I've posted is from last year, so I'm not sure if it's the exact same note listing, but it's nice nonetheless. I'm finding the solids to be a lot less complex than the oils, so I'd be interested to try this in the perfume oil format to try to really sniff out the nuances.

I also got samples of Exhumed and Mayan Gold. They're both nice- Exhumed is very clove-y, and Mayan Gold is an interesting patch blend (that smells nothing like patch on me, hah). I love the little clamshells the samples come in!

Next up are the oils. These are really great blends! I find all three that I bought have nice lasting power and throw and you can sniff out way more detail in these than the solids (though the solids are very nice as well!).

1: Veritas. The notes used are almost too many to list, but include a quartet of sensual musks, church incense, white funerary freesia and lilies, shamrock clover, men's aftershave, bourbon vanilla, gun oil, Irish whiskey, smoke, worn leather, and tobacco absolute.

I'm dying to try the other half of this scent duo from Darling Clandestine. It's on my list of things to buy ASAP! I really love this. It definitely smells like whiskey. It's smokey and peaty and mmmm. It's like huffing some nice Isley whisky. My stepdad is a whisky/ey fanatic, and even he likes this stuff. I've never seen the film it was inspired by, so I can't speak for that aspect of this perfume, I was mostly drawn in by the pretty bottle and scent description!

2: Maura Mae. With her curls of copper, her twinkling eyes, her sweet smile- this is what they mean when they refer to "The luck of the Irish". A sweet and fruity scent, Maura Mae is strongly apricot, with supporting notes of green clover, tea, cut grass, a sprinkling of field flowers- lily of the valley, violet, lavender, as well as a dash of berries, vanilla bean, and the faintest, tiniest, entirely lady-like nip of whiskey.

Apricot! Green! Apricot! Hair! ...hair? This stuff smells like freshly washed hair and apricots, no kidding. I really like it, too. It's not my absolute favorite apricot perfume in my collection, but it's definitely the most charming.

3: Finnegan's Folly. Finnegan's Folly smells of dapper Irish lads and rolling hills of endless green; A clean, masculine scent, with notes of hyacinth, carnation, olive blossoms, violets, rosebuds, musk, and herbs.

I... am obsessed with this stuff. It's amazing. It smells like freshly mown grass and other green things with a little boozy tinge. It dries sweeter, but it's still unisex and really, really delightful. It's hard to describe because it's deceptively simple, but I promise, it's really nice!

You can nab all three of the reviewed perfume oils on OHWTO's etsy! They're all really great and well priced. I say they're worth it! (Also, OHWTO has some of the best packaging- it was a real treat to get this stuff in the mail. Order! You won't regret it.)

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Meow Cosmetics Friday the 13th Eyeshadows

I recently repurchased my foundation from Meow (inquisitive siamese!) and I saw the 13 eyeshadows and nabbed a few. Good news: they're gorgeous! I had to swatch* them right away. I got full sizes of Accident and Skeptic, as well as samples of Paranormal and Spell. But anyway... Words are cheap, so let's just go right to the pictures**! :D

 
First up, Accident. This is described on the website as metallic copper lame with a dark undertone and gleaming metallic iridescent fire-Wetlines:RED! You know when there's a spill of oil on pavement? It looks like that, only red and copper. Very hard to catch on camera, but so gorgeous.

 
Skeptic. Described as this one will make a believer out of you! bright periwinkle with copper and pink iridescent color changing fire. Gorgeous! Just gorgeous. Another one that was hard to capture on camera, but trust me when I say it's really lovely and very cool. That brown smear on the other side of my hand is Accident.

 
Spell. Described as chromatic cerulean blue with green iridescent fire and aqua glow. All I have to say is oooooh.

 
Paranormal. Described as blue green or is it green blue? simply put, its both and it's glistening with iridescent teal fire, too. This only needs one picture to prove just how gorgeous it is. I might have to go back for a full size of this one.




 Bonus: Look how gigantic the foundation jars are!



_{*Of course, it started thunder storming the moment I went to find some natural lighting!
**Swatched heavily over Too Faced Shadow Insurance under a lamp. Colors are unedited!}

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More Solstice Scents!

I'm FINALLY posting this review for Solstice Scents

Ana was the girl in charge of getting me hooked on them. For Christmas, she sent me a parcel of wonders which included a full bottle of Scrying Smoke. It was love at first sniff with that one, and after rubbing my body in it for a few weeks, I decided that I liked it enough to go ahead and try the other scents and products that their site offered.

 

First of all, their packaging is gorgeous - as you can see from the photo above (Finally! My crystal ball and hunk of ammolite came in handy for something other than sitting there and collecting dust!) The full sized bottles and body butter containers are a really nice cobalt blue and I'm a big fan of the roll on applicators for the oils since I have a horrible habit of dumping out way too much when I apply. The labels are uniform for every scent, but printed, cut and meticulously handwritten on at their premises. Even the sample vials warrant the same design aspects and steady hand, which is pretty awesome.

The shipping fees from them (Florida) to me (Western Canada) are pretty decent and the products were well packed in a fancy black/red crimped paper. Each order also comes with a personal thank-you note, a business card, a free sample, and a bookmark (?) At least that's what my boyfriend and I have been using them for.

Although I am painfully new to this world of smelling good and rubbing stuff on my skin, I would have to say that Solstice Scents is my favorite perfume oil company so far and I'm getting a lot of use out of their products. Now for some product reviews:

Scrying Smoke (General Catalog)
A wonderful meditative blend of Frankincense and Myrrh Fragrance with Frankincense Essential Oil.  Reminiscent of smouldering resins.
Something about this reminds me of my Grandmother/Great Aunt's house when I was younger. Very resinous and smokey, with a slight incense note. This has an amazing throw and staying power yet softens down to smell slightly sweet on my skin. Despite having such a sharp edge on it for the most part, I find this scent incredibly calming and I wear it the most often and like to dab it on before bedtime some nights!

Pharaoh (General Catalog)
Egyptian Musk, Honey & Frankincense Essential Oil
On me, this is straight up honey with the faint hint of musk and something floral or flowery underneath. It's a very soft, unobtrusive scent that is super fresh and pretty and hugs close to my skin. I actually bought this thinking that it would be a powerful musky/resin smell, but that couldn't be any farther from the truth. Very "spring time" and "feminine". My boyfriend likes this one a lot.

Old Cedar Magus (General Catalog)
Fresh Cedar & Soft Vanilla Incense
Mmm! I spent my life staying away from vanilla fragrances because they either smelled sickly sweet - like cake frosting, or like Vanilla Fields by Coty (which is such an overpowering perfume to me BLEGH). This one is the perfect mix of non "foody" vanilla and nice dry cedar wood. It all works so well together and has an amazing staying power and throw. It stays pretty consistent from the bottle to my skin, even after hours of the initial application. SO NICE!

Black Leather, Red Lace (General Catalog)
A Stirring Blend of Amber, Vanilla & Leather
The only real way to describe this is SEXY. The Amber note is the most dominant in this blend followed by the vanilla and the faintest hint of a warm leather. It also smells slightly boozy in a good way! This one is really hard to describe exactly, but trust me, it's nice!  I have this in the ganache and the staying power is amazing.

Astral Temple (General Catalog)
Sensual Amber, Ginger, Orange & Clove Will Have You Soaring To View Your Akashic Records
Another winning ganache in my books. On me, it's straight up ginger and clove first, with the amber appearing down the road a long while later. This is a definite pick me up blend and pleasantly spicy. Beautiful for the cooler months.

Jack & The Devil (General Catalog)
Vanilla, Tobacco, Oakmoss, Amber, Patchouli, Sweet Pumpkin & Soft Spice
I bought this one for the boyfriend since he's a fan of spiced pumpkin smelling ANYTHING. Like Astral Temple, it's a nice, warm spice smell and would be great to wear to an event that may or may not include tofurkey and pumpkin pie. It's slightly foody to me, but wears gorgeously on the both of us. Very comforting and a nice pick me up.

I have a lot of the Winter Collection/sample vials as well, but since tonight is their MUCH ANTICIPATED Spring release, and I am way too slow in doing reviews, I've omitted them for the time being. I will say this though, FLINTLOCK FLINTLOCK FLINTLOCK!!!

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Sideshow Soap Co.

Despite the name, I don't have any soap to show you guys! I have tried the soap, and it's very nice, but today I've got some lotion and some scrubs! Are you excited yet? These products are from Sideshow Soap Co., a circus themed line of divinely, differently, scented goodies. All three of these are from holiday collections, so they may or may not be available at the time of this posting. I bought all of these last month, so there's a pretty good chance they're still there! If they are, go go go buy some- these are amazing products and they don't get enough love! (Also, there's a buy 2 get 1 sale on the holiday items!)

First, the lotion.

Sinterklaas lotion. The scent of lingering pipe tobacco.

This stuff smells amazing. I'm very, very fond of the smell of pipe smoke. This is like yummy cherry-woody pipe smoke. The smell lingers for a good while and is just strong enough. The lotion isn't too thick, so you can use it on your hands without having to immediately go wash it off for fear of feeling greasy. My only qualm is with the packaging. Most people love pumps because they're more hygienic and easy to use, but I'm a lotion fiend and I wan't to use a big ole handfull. Using a pump is weird for me! But it's definitely not a negative. In fact, if you buy sample sized lotions, they come in jars. I'm going to have to indulge some day soon.


Moonflower and Full Moon scrubs- from the Halloween collection.

The scrubs are great- they use jojoba beads instead of sugar or salt, which feels reaaaally nice. They also come in sample jars if you're curious but not wanting to commit to a big jar. I've actually tried a few other scents in sample packs, and my favorite is the Strongman (tobacco flower!). None of them have been too strongly scented, and the scent doesn't linger outside of the shower- that can be a good or a bad thing, depending on how you feel about scented shower products.


Moonflower: The maiden meets the beast in a swirl of cold alpine air, fresh linen, moonlight and white Edelweiss blossoms.


Full Moon: Deep, smoky swirls of moonlight illuminate a rich blend of vetiver, patchouli, resins and myrrh resting softly on a bed of ferns, magic herbs and wild grasses


Just one last little thought: The owner of the shop wrote the nicest little note thanking me for buying and a wish for me to enjoy the products. I did! I'll be back for more, too. :D

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Sephora + Pantone Universe

If you're into makeup, there's a good chance you know about Sephora and Pantone's color of the year collection. I immediately went and bought the fancy box of pretty, pretty makeup, and now I've got pictures and swatches for my lovely readers (all two of you)! :D I'll try to post a more intensive review (and maybe a face of the day!) later, once I've had more time to try everything out!


The outside! Sorry for the picture, I had a bit of a photoshop emergency so here's one from my phone!


The box is opened!


Blush duo! Aren't they both just gorgeous?


Eye quad!


Apricot Brandy blush! Look how neat the patterns are. It's very much multi-dimensional and very, very cool.


I thought this was lipliner, but it's actually eyeliner! I'm pretty excited to try this out with different shadow combinations.


Lipstick and gloss. The lipstick is embossed with a neat pattern, and the top is magnetic and really heavy!

And now for swatches:

1. Eyeliner: Tangerine Tango Twist
2. Lip Gloss: Tangerine Tango Luminous
3. Créme Lipstick: Tangerine Tango Cream
4. Prisma Chrome Blush: Apricot Brandy
5. Blush Duo: Desert Flower
6. Blush Duo: Coral (I'm wearing this today and it's lovely!)
7. Eyeshadow Quad: Scallop Shell
8. Eyeshadow Quad: Sparrow
9. Eyeshadow Quad: Pavement
10. Eyeshadow Quad: Carnelian

The packaging is really above and beyond. It's gorgeous and magnetic and....ah! It's just very impressive. I'm not very articulate today!


Also, here's a preview of my next post!

Shiny!

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Solstice Scents Blood Bathory Bath Salts

Elizabeth Báthory, the Blood Countess... She was renowned for her beauty, but it came at a price. Allegedly, she bathed in the blood of virgins...from anywhere between 80 and 650! Fortunately, there's no blood in Solstice Scents' bath salt, just a blend of Palmarosa, Geranium, Jasmine, Chamomile, Rosewood, and Pink Grapefruit. When inhaling the delicate scent of the bath salts I get grapefruit, grapefruit, and more grapefruit*! It's pretty intoxicating.

Why is it called Blood Bathory, you ask? Well... in this instance, pictures** speak louder than words.


Look at the gorgeous label!


Dumping it in....


The water turns red! Like... blood! Get the name now? :D The little floaty bits are rose petals!

After the bath, my skin is lightly moisturized and mostly unscented. There's no greasy film and I'm not itchy like I usually am after using most bath-additives. Bathory is part of SS's revolving general catalog, so keep a lookout for her- you might be able to learn her beauty secrets again.

*it smelled so good I had to eat grapefruit after my bath!
**behold, the power of instagram!

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Paintbox Soapworks

I love Paintbox Soapworks! Their soap is lovely and isn't drying at all, and their slip lotion is nice and lightweight (perfect for warm weather!)... and it's all divinely scented. One of my very favorites is called the Queen is Dead- Blackened honey, glossy leather & a glittering swirl of smoke rising from the earth. It's a beautiful honey and leather scent. I've got about half a bottle of the slip lotion left, and it's amazing! The scent lingers for hours and it's a great compliment to other leather perfumes- and I imagine it's going to be a great compliment to the solid scent balm I just bought! I snapped up the Queen is Dead solid balm/perfume, and I'm here to tell you all about how wonderful it is!


The slip lotion and the solid scent balm in the Queen is Dead

Oh, wow. On first sniff, this is really true to the soap/slip. It's not quite as strong, but that makes sense- the balm isn't just a perfume, it's touted as an all purpose balm. You wouldn't want your cuticle oil to make the whole house smell, I suppose! But...Ah! This smells so divine! The leather and honey are just so wonderful together. I got about five hours of wear from this- that's great for my skin that loves to eat up scents! I'm going to try using this as a base for other leather perfumes- I have a feeling magic's going to happen. ;) Seriously, this stuff gets a 10/10 and is going directly into my bag so I'm never without it. Included with my order was a sample of gingermilk (which is something I'd never have chosen for myself) and... a sample of her new hot-process soap! I'm so very excited to try it out! I'll chime in with my soapy thoughts some day soon. :D

To be honest, I've been really into leather scents lately- next on my list to try is Paintbox's The Englishman and the Black Bart soap! I'll definitely be back for more of this stuff. :D ...I may or may not have a tab open right now!

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Everyday Minerals

Makeup is this huge uncharted frontier for me when it comes to general application, colours that work, and other tips and tricks to make such and such bigger/smaller/whatever. Finding certain brands that work for my plethora of facial needs can get pretty tedious and expensive. I'm also slightly worried about all the chemicals/crap that comes in your standard run-of-the-mill makeup because I AM A HYPOCHONDRIAC – HA!

I'm getting older, and although I don't like to admit it, I am closer to 30 now than I am 20 and should rework the daily regime I give my face on a daily basis and lead myself away from the techniques that I've been using since I was a grease ball teen. While I still get the occasional acne, PORES OF DOOM, and the oily t-zone combination skin hoopla, things feel much more delicate than they did 10 years ago and A-HOY, WRINKLES!

The beauty department at my previous job showcased a brand of mineral makeup that promised results, but was pretty expensive for my budget at that time and lacked a shade variation, so I decided to see what I could find that would fit my criteria online and stumbled upon Everyday Minerals.

First of all, how cute is their site right? I love good web design, so they had points with me off the bat, but this is a cosmetic review post so that has no merit on if the products were viable or not... if this was a design blog though OH LET ME TELL YOU!

After staring at all the different products for longer than I'd like to mention (I'm awfully indecisive) I finally bought Fair-IT base, Light Pink powder, Aussie Perk Me Up concealer, Snuggle blush, Freedom eyeshadow, and an eye Illuminator-X. I also purchased a sample pack of 5 fair bases in to test out for my truest colour match. Shipping to me was incredibly cheap (!!!) and everything arrived in about a week and a half, which is pretty standard when ordering American products.

Overall, I'm pretty happy. The Fair-IT base was the exact shade I needed for my face (guess I didn't need to worry about those samples after all) Sadly, the Snuggle blush I purchased was a tad too peachy-orange for my skin tone, but the rest was pretty neutral on the skin and problem free.

Here's a picture of half of my face wearing Everyday Minerals, while the other half is bare (mascara, brow filler and liner not from this company). It's a pretty natural coverage, but that's what I like about it.

I'm pleased with how bright the Illuminator made certain areas of my eyes and that the concealer took away the slight darkness I have under my eye. I'm also pretty happy that it made my pores a bit less noticeable instead of caking them full of powder and scaring the neighborhood children. I always use a primer under my makeup, so fading or smudging wasn't really a problem with any of it either.

Would I purchase again? Yes. I can see this brand becoming my best friend this Summer when things get too hot and sticky and I don't want anything liquid or heavy touching my face. They also ALWAYS have a great deal for something going on, so keep your eye on this place if you like BARGAINS.

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Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

I wrote this about a month (AND SOME) ago and posted it on another site, but I'd like to showcase it here since this perfumery is ABSOLUTE GOLD.

The other day, I got an AMAZING Christmas parcel in the mail from Jo containing small vials of erotic and exotic scents/essential oils from the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) thus finally popping my proverbial cherry on this matter! Oh man, everything smells even better than I thought it would and I am SO CRAZY EXCITED ABOUT IT/DYING OF HAPPINESS.

I first heard about BPAL from Jo of course, WHO IS THEIR AMBASSADOR TO THE EAST, but I wasn't exactly sure what was going on or why it was so magical. Visiting the website for the first time left me even more confused about what all the hubbub was about as well. I've had other hand mixed essential oils before (from local head-shops and whatnot) but the quality and overall mystique of the BPAL-made-fragrances reigns far superior than what I've had before and I can see why they have the almost cultist fan base that they do.

The rest of this entry is going to be a review of the 10 IMP'S I've received! Long story short, Jo is the romantic and enigmatic boyfriend I've never had!

"Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab specializes in formulating intriguing, compelling body and household blends with a dark, romantic, and sexual tone. Our scents run the aesthetic gamut of romance era, Renaissance, Medieval and Victorian formulas, pagan and mythological blends, and horror / Gothic-themed scents. By utilizing our knowledge of homeopathy and aromatherapy, the conceptual theories of hermetic alchemy, and the aesthetic artistry of perfumery, we have mastered the art of encapsulating allegorical ideas into singular olfactory experiences.

Inspired by a vast range of influences, from the passion and decadence of the Fin de Siècle movement to the ghastliest of Lovecraftian monstrosities, we specialize in eliciting emotional responses through perfume and creating unique, masterfully molded scent environments that capture legends and folklore, poetry, and the stuff of dreams and nightmares.

Though we are at times campy, and sometimes very tongue-in-cheek, we never lose sight of our one true goal: moving the soul and spirit through the unbridled artistry of scent, and remaining unbound by conventional fashion."

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