I was so pleased with Lena's new holiday scents I got myself a couple of gift packs, including an EdP in Who Likes Marshmallow, butters in Pineapple Buttercream Cupcake, Gingerbread Marshmallow Man, Lemon Meringue (gift for one of my mom's friends who loves lemon scents), Santa's Sugar Mug, and a scrub in Caramel Chews. I also ordered some gifts from Bathed and Infused for the lovely Lipglossina as part of her Christmas present, but of course needed to throw in a few goodies for myself! So here are some reviews.
CH:
Caramel Chews - This is so divine in the scrub I'm tempted to throw caution to the wind and get full sizes in a butter and EdP. It reminds me a bit of caramel popcorn (it has just the tiniest hint of saltiness) but not artificial or off, and no weird maple syrup notes that I get with so many caramel scents. Loving this.
Santa's Sugar Mug - very heavy on the rum but yummy. You can definitely smell the coconut-vanilla cream, but not the caramel so much. On me it was just musty rum so I ended up smelling like a very old alcoholic. :P
Bathed and Infused:
Caramel - Sadly this isn't working for me. It sort of resembles caramel, but definitely has that weird maple thing going on, and not as rich or sweet as I would expect a caramel scent to be. It's awful on me so I will not be ordering this again, even in a scrub, especially now that I've found CH's Caramel Chews.
Cinnamon Buns - This is lovely in the body mist. Finally, a not-too-spicy Cinnamon Buns scent! I think Philosophy's Cinnamon Buns 3 in 1/souffle is the best cinnamon bun scent I've ever tried, but the souffle really isn't all that moisturizing. So next year I will get BI's in the fluff and a perfume. :)
Friday, December 28, 2007
Saturday, December 01, 2007
CH Holiday scents!
I was so excited to see all of Lena's new scents for the holidays! I ordered in mid-November and got a couple sample packs in the body butters and a perfume sample pack, all of which arrived less than a week after I placed my order. Most of them are really excellent, not to mention unique. Lena has outdone herself!
Butters:
Caramel Gingerbread Cupcake - Mmmm! I don't really get much of a cupcake note from this, but the caramel balances out the spiciness of the gingerbread perfectly. It's so sweet and yummy! On my skin though it dried down to a vague sweet scent, so I won't be purchasing in a full size, but I still highly recommend it.
Eggnog Marshmallow Fluff - Again, an equal blend of eggnog and marshmallow, but the eggnog seemed a bit off to me as it did with Eggnog Float and Eggnog Cupcake (from last season's holiday scents.) I smell mostly spicy and no creamy notes. Even though the marshmallow component is terrific, it's not enough to salvage the weird eggnog. On my skin, as with Caramel Gingerbread Cupcake, it just turned to a generic sweet scent.
Gingerbread Caramello Latte - Really yummy. I love how you can smell all three notes with none overpowering another. Unfortunately my chemistry only picked up the gingerbread, not the caramel or coffee. Oh well.
Gingerbread Marshmallow Man - My fave of the new holiday scents. It's equal parts gingerbread and marshmallow and amazingly, it doesn't turn on me. I would prefer more marshmallow but I'm planning on layering it with Who Likes Marshmallow? EdP so that'll take care of my craving.
Gingerbread Sugar Cookie - This was a little too spicy for me in the container - I didn't really get any sugar cookie - and on my skin it was all spice. Oh well. I think CH's Gingerbread Man is the best gingerbread cookie scent on the menu.
Pineapple Buttercream Cupcake - Not a holiday scent but I've been wanting to try this for a while. Totally delicious. On my skin it's identical to my beloved CSP Vanille Pineapple perfume, so now I've found the perfect scent to layer with it!
Perfumes:
House of Gingerbread - I think this is surpassing Gingerbread Man as my go-to gingerbread scent on CH's scent list. It really is like soft gingerbread and not a gingerbread cookie. It's spicy but definitely tempered with something else - maybe the honey note? In any case, it's an amazing gingerbread scent and not overly spicy, which is always an issue with me and my chemistry!
Marshmallow Stuffing - To my nose this was very similar to Gingerbread Marshmallow Man, so I don't think anyone would need both. On my skin this was actually more gingerbread than marshmallow. Overall it's not a remarkable scent - good, but not all that unique.
Who Likes Marshmallow? - A delicious and true marshmallow scent without the toasted note. It's very light on my skin but so good. I've already ordered a full size!
A word about all the scents with gingerbread notes - these need time to cure! I sniffed everything the day my order arrived and everything just smelled like gingerbread. Within a few days, however, all of the other notes appeared, and a few weeks later I think the scents were fully developed. So don't be upset if you get your order and all you smell is gingerbread. ;)
Butters:
Caramel Gingerbread Cupcake - Mmmm! I don't really get much of a cupcake note from this, but the caramel balances out the spiciness of the gingerbread perfectly. It's so sweet and yummy! On my skin though it dried down to a vague sweet scent, so I won't be purchasing in a full size, but I still highly recommend it.
Eggnog Marshmallow Fluff - Again, an equal blend of eggnog and marshmallow, but the eggnog seemed a bit off to me as it did with Eggnog Float and Eggnog Cupcake (from last season's holiday scents.) I smell mostly spicy and no creamy notes. Even though the marshmallow component is terrific, it's not enough to salvage the weird eggnog. On my skin, as with Caramel Gingerbread Cupcake, it just turned to a generic sweet scent.
Gingerbread Caramello Latte - Really yummy. I love how you can smell all three notes with none overpowering another. Unfortunately my chemistry only picked up the gingerbread, not the caramel or coffee. Oh well.
Gingerbread Marshmallow Man - My fave of the new holiday scents. It's equal parts gingerbread and marshmallow and amazingly, it doesn't turn on me. I would prefer more marshmallow but I'm planning on layering it with Who Likes Marshmallow? EdP so that'll take care of my craving.
Gingerbread Sugar Cookie - This was a little too spicy for me in the container - I didn't really get any sugar cookie - and on my skin it was all spice. Oh well. I think CH's Gingerbread Man is the best gingerbread cookie scent on the menu.
Pineapple Buttercream Cupcake - Not a holiday scent but I've been wanting to try this for a while. Totally delicious. On my skin it's identical to my beloved CSP Vanille Pineapple perfume, so now I've found the perfect scent to layer with it!
Perfumes:
House of Gingerbread - I think this is surpassing Gingerbread Man as my go-to gingerbread scent on CH's scent list. It really is like soft gingerbread and not a gingerbread cookie. It's spicy but definitely tempered with something else - maybe the honey note? In any case, it's an amazing gingerbread scent and not overly spicy, which is always an issue with me and my chemistry!
Marshmallow Stuffing - To my nose this was very similar to Gingerbread Marshmallow Man, so I don't think anyone would need both. On my skin this was actually more gingerbread than marshmallow. Overall it's not a remarkable scent - good, but not all that unique.
Who Likes Marshmallow? - A delicious and true marshmallow scent without the toasted note. It's very light on my skin but so good. I've already ordered a full size!
A word about all the scents with gingerbread notes - these need time to cure! I sniffed everything the day my order arrived and everything just smelled like gingerbread. Within a few days, however, all of the other notes appeared, and a few weeks later I think the scents were fully developed. So don't be upset if you get your order and all you smell is gingerbread. ;)
Monday, November 19, 2007
Another small IoE order
I ordered 3 roll-ons from IoE back in early September. TAT was under 2 months, but just barely. :P I finally got around to reviewing these:
Caramel Beach - Still on the fence with this. It's definitely more on the summery than foody side, but there's something a little musty about it. On my skin it just smells like musty maple syrup. Oh well.
Grand Staircase Apparition - for some reason pineapple and chocolate really appealed to me when I ordered, but it's not such a great blend. I mean neither note is off, it's just that together they're nothing special.
Tan Lines - very generic floral/marine/coconut scent, like an air freshener. It reminded me a tiny bit of BBW Bombshell perfume from this past summer but not as good.
Alexa also kindly included a 5 oz. scrub in Red Satin Buttercream. Since I don't like cherry scents this didn't do anything for me, but it's a nice blend of cherry and buttercream.
Caramel Beach - Still on the fence with this. It's definitely more on the summery than foody side, but there's something a little musty about it. On my skin it just smells like musty maple syrup. Oh well.
Grand Staircase Apparition - for some reason pineapple and chocolate really appealed to me when I ordered, but it's not such a great blend. I mean neither note is off, it's just that together they're nothing special.
Tan Lines - very generic floral/marine/coconut scent, like an air freshener. It reminded me a tiny bit of BBW Bombshell perfume from this past summer but not as good.
Alexa also kindly included a 5 oz. scrub in Red Satin Buttercream. Since I don't like cherry scents this didn't do anything for me, but it's a nice blend of cherry and buttercream.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
CYS and some miscellaneous scents
Whew, it's been a while! I just haven't been placing many orders. But now that new fall and holiday scents are here I will be ordering more! (I'm plotting TBDS and CH orders as I write this post!)
CYS
Buttery Caramel (roll-on) - This didn't smell like caramel to me, more like maple syrup. On my skin it was awful, the same sort of medicinal scent that CYS Eggnog produced. Oh well.
Harvest Sugar (soy cream) - Judy was kind enough to include this as a sample. It's a very nice scent but not for me. I can't really describe the notes - I think it's mostly pumpkin and vanilla, but I'm not entirely sure and there's no scent description for it at the web site.
Key Lime Marshmallow Cream (body cream) - Mmm, I think this is my favorite of all the fruit/marshmallow cream combinations. I was amazed to find that the lime actually comes out on my skin whereas with the Lemon Marshmallow it was mostly marshmallow. I think I'm going to get an EDP in this!
Pineapple Caramel Buttercream (roll-on) - Still on the fence for this one. In the container it's a lovely pineapple caramel scent (don't get much buttercream) without being overly sweet. On my skin it's not great...sort of smells more like maple syrup. I'll have to test it a few more times and maybe try layering it with CH Pineapple Slices.
Pink Lemonade - Eek, way too sweet. To my nose it's identical to SDE's Pink Lemonade.
Toasted Marshmallow (scrub) - This is totally delicious and true, I think I'm going to order it in the body cream and EDP!
Wedding Cake (scrub) - Another sample from Judy and it's wonderful. I may have to get full sizes of everything in it!
I just realized Judy has a wedding cake/marshmallow scent. I'm adding CYS to my growing list of plotted orders!
On to some other miscellaneous scents. Lipglossina sent me another enormous RAOK which I'm very excited about! She included a full size scrub from Soap and Glory (a new line from the creator of Bliss) which is pretty good. It's a bit too strongly scented and not scrubby enough for me, but I'll definitely finish it. She also remembered that I'm on a caramel kick and included AR Caramel Vanilla body cream, which sadly goes a bit musty on me. Although that might be a good thing, as lipglossina has alerted me to the fact that AR has closed. :(
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Small IoE order
Another really horrific turnaround time (over 2 months) so if I order again I'm going to do an Express order. :P That said, so far I'm liking what I got:
A Clockwork Tangerine (roll-on) - Ooh, this is good. It's actually a very fresh orange/tangerine scent with a bit of vanilla. Unfortunately it goes sour on my skin.
Kiwi Midori Sparkler (dream cream and roll-on) - I'm liking this better than Aquamarine Dream. It's a bit more alcohol-y and sweeter, whereas Aquamarine Dream is a simpler melon scent. Too bad it's dc'ed.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Latest CH order
I'm still obsessed with getting the perfect pink lemonade scent in a perfume thanks to Philosophy's delicious new 3 in 1 and body butter, so that was really the catalyst for another CH order.
Shea creme samples:
Boy Crush - This was just eh for me. Another generic fruit scent.
Boy Crush - This was just eh for me. Another generic fruit scent.
Tropical Sno Cone - This is so yummy in the container - very fruity and icy, it really does smell like a water ice! Unfortunately on me it went to plastic candy. Ick.
Turtle Island Breezer - So delicious! It's a lovely blend of lime and coconut and something else that I can't put my finger on, but it's a nice tropical fruity scent.
Souffle samples (note: I normally don't get anything in the souffle but Paypal screwed up and my message to Lena didn't go through in the "notes" section, so I ended up with souffles. Bah.)
Lava Flow - I'm liking this so far, it's a nice mix of sweet banana and some other kind of tart fruit. I'll have to get it in either the creme or the butter to see if it works on my skin.
Melon Ball Fruit Cup - Very plastic-y and fake to my nose. I didn't even try it on.
Perfume samples:
Fuzzy Peach - Way too sweet and artificial. It was very candy-ish on my skin.
Lemonade Twister - Had such high hopes for this but it didn't work. It's definitely less sweet and more lemony than CH's Pink Lemonade, but on my skin it was all sugar. Still, if you're looking for a lemonade scent that's somewhere between a pink lemonade and a regular lemonade, this is perfect.
Ruby Red Grapefruit - This wasn't so great. Almost identical to CH Pink Grapefruit. On my skin it was awful.
Since mists were on sale I got one in Turtle Island Breezer and Pink Lemonade. Pink Lemonade wasn't as sickly sweet as SDE's version, but still too sweet for me. On my skin it was entirely too sweet and sugary.
RAOK!!
Lipglossina sent me a huge RAOK just because! How sweet of her! :D While some of the scents didn't work out for me I always love trying new scents, and she picked out ones that were right up my alley! And some autumn-ish scents so I can start planning my fall scent wardrobe!
CH
Almond Coconut - shea creme sample. To be honest I didn't smell any coconut, just almond, so I wasn't crazy about this. On my skin it was pure amaretto. Oh well.
Mojito - samples in the shea creme and perfume. This is a dead-on mojito scent, I was reminded of slurping these down at a Cuban restaurant in Miami. Unfortunately it went to powdery lime on me. Not a bad smell but not what it was in the container.
MMU
Frozen Strawberry Daquiri - To my nose this smells like fresh strawberry ice cream. Too bad it went to creamy plastic on me.
Coco Pearfection - This is so nice in the container, true coconut and pear. My skin, however, didn't like one of the notes (not sure which was the culprit, the pear or the coconut) and turned the scent to rancid coconut. :(
BI (lotion samples)
Cremasse - I can see why this is one of BI's best-selling scents. It's nice and creamy but not overly sweet, and there's something very comforting about it. On me though it smelled like sour milk, blech!
Halo-Halo - This was really nice, reminded me a little of CH's Cocolotus - creamy, sweet and tropical. Too bad it had a weird nutty undertone on my skin.
Vanilla Pumpkin - This smelled a bit off to me. I could smell the vanilla and the pumpkin but there was that weird nutty undertone again. So strange.
Wedding Cake - I've actually tried this before and couldn't smell anything. It was a tiny bit more noticeable this time around but still very faint. It's a nice cakey scent, but since it's so faint I wouldn't order full sizes.
There was also a sample of CYS Pomegranate Lime bath whip. I think the pomegranate made it go a bit sour. Oh well. And lipglossina included a nice-sized bottle of CYS Vanilla Marshmallow Cream. Alas, it didn't work in EdP form on me either (she had previously given me this scent in an emollient). All in all it was a lovely and generous RAOK, and the fact that some scents didn't work in no way diminishes the thoughtfulness of the package! I've already sent my retaliation, haha! ;)
CH
Almond Coconut - shea creme sample. To be honest I didn't smell any coconut, just almond, so I wasn't crazy about this. On my skin it was pure amaretto. Oh well.
Mojito - samples in the shea creme and perfume. This is a dead-on mojito scent, I was reminded of slurping these down at a Cuban restaurant in Miami. Unfortunately it went to powdery lime on me. Not a bad smell but not what it was in the container.
MMU
Frozen Strawberry Daquiri - To my nose this smells like fresh strawberry ice cream. Too bad it went to creamy plastic on me.
Coco Pearfection - This is so nice in the container, true coconut and pear. My skin, however, didn't like one of the notes (not sure which was the culprit, the pear or the coconut) and turned the scent to rancid coconut. :(
BI (lotion samples)
Cremasse - I can see why this is one of BI's best-selling scents. It's nice and creamy but not overly sweet, and there's something very comforting about it. On me though it smelled like sour milk, blech!
Halo-Halo - This was really nice, reminded me a little of CH's Cocolotus - creamy, sweet and tropical. Too bad it had a weird nutty undertone on my skin.
Vanilla Pumpkin - This smelled a bit off to me. I could smell the vanilla and the pumpkin but there was that weird nutty undertone again. So strange.
Wedding Cake - I've actually tried this before and couldn't smell anything. It was a tiny bit more noticeable this time around but still very faint. It's a nice cakey scent, but since it's so faint I wouldn't order full sizes.
There was also a sample of CYS Pomegranate Lime bath whip. I think the pomegranate made it go a bit sour. Oh well. And lipglossina included a nice-sized bottle of CYS Vanilla Marshmallow Cream. Alas, it didn't work in EdP form on me either (she had previously given me this scent in an emollient). All in all it was a lovely and generous RAOK, and the fact that some scents didn't work in no way diminishes the thoughtfulness of the package! I've already sent my retaliation, haha! ;)
Friday, June 15, 2007
First IoE order
IT FINALLY CAME! I'm pleased with my order but I must admit that TAT was truly awful. It took 2 months to get my package. Plus I had no idea if it even shipped and found out it was arriving via FedEx only after I e-mailed Alexa to find out where it was. I have to say though that the scents are FABULOUS. I loved everything I got even though some turned on me. So I think it was worth the wait. Sadly most of these scents are now dc'ed but I wanted to post some reviews anyway. :)
Roll-ons
Ain't Misbehavin': (dc'ed, from the Bubbles and Baubles collection) Still on the fence with this. It smells delicious in the container, like sugary strawberries and champagne. It didn't totally turn on me but I'm not sure how crazy I am about it on my skin. Don't feel bad if you missed this one - I think Strawberry and Pink Sugar (which is on the regular scent list) is very similar.
Flirtini: (This will make an appearance in the "back by popular demand" scents at some point but is currently unavailable.) Lovely blend of pineapple and champagne. It turned to a very strange bubblegum/floral on my skin though so I wouldn't reorder, but in the container it's great. Definitely a must-try if you like pineapple.
Pink Pina Colada Punch: (dc'ed, from the Bubbles and Baubles collection) This was a true pina colada scent with some added sweetness. Normally I don't like anything "pink" but this was great - the sweet part didn't overpower the pina colada. It wasn't great on my skin but I'll use it up. I think it'll layer nicely over BBW Tropical Colada.
Dream Creams
I'm not crazy about the formula of these, I wish they were a bit thicker and not so chemical (texturewise they remind me a bit of Suds Featherlite souffles), but if the scents are good I'd definitely get them again.
Afterburn: (dc'ed, from the South of the Tropics collection) Sooooo sad Alexa dc'ed this one!! It's an amazing caramel scent with just a hint of sweet coconut. I bet this would be great layered with CSP's Caramel Sunset. Best of all it doesn't turn on me. I love that it's a rich caramel but not too sweet or candy-ish. Just perfect!
Aquamarine Dream: (dc'ed, from the South of the Tropics collection) I had high hopes for this and it didn't disappoint! It's a true melon scent with a light candy note, very similar to a Midori sour. Actually it is a bit sour in the container and on my skin, but I'm guessing after it cures it'll be even better. Definitely one of the best melon scents I've come across.
Tangerine Hotpants: On cold sniff this smells almost identical to CYS's State of Grace - tangy orange with sweet creamy vanilla.
Finally, I got a body mist in The Green Coconut (this is also temporarily dc'ed but will be in the "back by popular demand" collection at some point.) It is truly fabulous. When I first spray it on I get a very sharp lime, but then the coconut comes through and it dries down to a clean but still tropical scent. I'm curious to see if CH's Da Lime in Da Coconut is similar. It's a good excuse to make another CH order!
Roll-ons
Ain't Misbehavin': (dc'ed, from the Bubbles and Baubles collection) Still on the fence with this. It smells delicious in the container, like sugary strawberries and champagne. It didn't totally turn on me but I'm not sure how crazy I am about it on my skin. Don't feel bad if you missed this one - I think Strawberry and Pink Sugar (which is on the regular scent list) is very similar.
Flirtini: (This will make an appearance in the "back by popular demand" scents at some point but is currently unavailable.) Lovely blend of pineapple and champagne. It turned to a very strange bubblegum/floral on my skin though so I wouldn't reorder, but in the container it's great. Definitely a must-try if you like pineapple.
Pink Pina Colada Punch: (dc'ed, from the Bubbles and Baubles collection) This was a true pina colada scent with some added sweetness. Normally I don't like anything "pink" but this was great - the sweet part didn't overpower the pina colada. It wasn't great on my skin but I'll use it up. I think it'll layer nicely over BBW Tropical Colada.
Dream Creams
I'm not crazy about the formula of these, I wish they were a bit thicker and not so chemical (texturewise they remind me a bit of Suds Featherlite souffles), but if the scents are good I'd definitely get them again.
Afterburn: (dc'ed, from the South of the Tropics collection) Sooooo sad Alexa dc'ed this one!! It's an amazing caramel scent with just a hint of sweet coconut. I bet this would be great layered with CSP's Caramel Sunset. Best of all it doesn't turn on me. I love that it's a rich caramel but not too sweet or candy-ish. Just perfect!
Aquamarine Dream: (dc'ed, from the South of the Tropics collection) I had high hopes for this and it didn't disappoint! It's a true melon scent with a light candy note, very similar to a Midori sour. Actually it is a bit sour in the container and on my skin, but I'm guessing after it cures it'll be even better. Definitely one of the best melon scents I've come across.
Tangerine Hotpants: On cold sniff this smells almost identical to CYS's State of Grace - tangy orange with sweet creamy vanilla.
Finally, I got a body mist in The Green Coconut (this is also temporarily dc'ed but will be in the "back by popular demand" collection at some point.) It is truly fabulous. When I first spray it on I get a very sharp lime, but then the coconut comes through and it dries down to a clean but still tropical scent. I'm curious to see if CH's Da Lime in Da Coconut is similar. It's a good excuse to make another CH order!
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Small BI order
BI was having a free shipping sale a while back so I took advantage! These were mostly misses but I still love trying new scents. :)
Banana Colada - This is lovely in the container, a nice mix of banana and coconut, but on me I'm pretty sure it's just banana bubblegum. I need to test it a few more times.
Nectarine - Smells very similar to Summer Peaches, which I wasn't thrilled with. On my skin all I can smell is the base.
Passiontini Punch - Ick. I was hoping if I let this cure it would turn to a nice fruity scent, but all I got was Sweet Tarts and a strong amaretto note. I didn't even bother trying it on.
Thai Coconut - I got this in a scrub. It's not a tropical coconut like I was hoping for - it's a heavier coconut and actually smells almost identical to AR's Rum Coco Nilla to my nose. I get a lot of rum, not so much coconut. I'll use it up in the winter months but I won't reorder.
BI included lotion samples of Agent Provacateur and Blue Sugar. I haven't sniffed either of the originals so I don't know how they compare, but I'm really liking the Agent Provacateur. It's fresh but a little musky at the same time, and not overly floral. It sort of reminds me of my beloved Tocca Florence lotion (when is an e-tailer going to make a dupe of that??) in terms of sexiness. ;) Blue Sugar is okay but not for me - too masculine which I guess makes sense since it's a men's scent!
Banana Colada - This is lovely in the container, a nice mix of banana and coconut, but on me I'm pretty sure it's just banana bubblegum. I need to test it a few more times.
Nectarine - Smells very similar to Summer Peaches, which I wasn't thrilled with. On my skin all I can smell is the base.
Passiontini Punch - Ick. I was hoping if I let this cure it would turn to a nice fruity scent, but all I got was Sweet Tarts and a strong amaretto note. I didn't even bother trying it on.
Thai Coconut - I got this in a scrub. It's not a tropical coconut like I was hoping for - it's a heavier coconut and actually smells almost identical to AR's Rum Coco Nilla to my nose. I get a lot of rum, not so much coconut. I'll use it up in the winter months but I won't reorder.
BI included lotion samples of Agent Provacateur and Blue Sugar. I haven't sniffed either of the originals so I don't know how they compare, but I'm really liking the Agent Provacateur. It's fresh but a little musky at the same time, and not overly floral. It sort of reminds me of my beloved Tocca Florence lotion (when is an e-tailer going to make a dupe of that??) in terms of sexiness. ;) Blue Sugar is okay but not for me - too masculine which I guess makes sense since it's a men's scent!
Friday, May 18, 2007
CH order - grand reopening!
I was so happy to see CH reopening back in April. Lena put all perfumes on sale for $9 so there was a feeding frenzy which caused a very long turnaround time - I waited a month to get my order, which is much longer than I've ever had to wait for CH. Still, I didn't mind as the quality is great and I was just so thrilled to see one of my favorite e-tailers open again after such a long hibernation!
I got all of these samples in the butter:
Calypso Crush - To my nose this smelled just like Tropical Fruit Slices, which I'm not fond of. Just a generic candy fruit scent, like Smarties candies. It was even worse on my skin.
Diamond Coconut - This is divine in the container - a perfect mix of a beachy, sandy coconut and a slightly more fresh one. Too bad it turned to Play-doh on me. :(
Strawberry Blonde - I smelled a nice mix of lime and strawberry in this, but on me it was strawberry-lime plastic. Oh well.
Surf Bunny - I've been letting this cure for a while now and it's still an off-chocolate scent to my nose. I'll hang onto it for a few more weeks but if it doesn't magically turn into a suntan lotion scent by then, up for swap it goes.
Tahitian Honeymoon - Eh, wasn't thrilled with this. Just a generic fruit scent with a weird banana undertone. On my skin it smelled like sour tea. :P
Tidal Wave Cooler - Disappointed in this too. On my skin it was fruity plastic.
I got a perfume sample pack:
Banana Jungle Daquiri - Really fresh and delicious in the vial and terrible on me, as usual. :P It was like old banana bread on me, LOL. It's what I would imagine a banana daquiri to smell like (I've never had one so I can't say so for sure), a mix of banana and coconut with a fruity background.
Butt Naked - Lipglossina kindly bestowed a full-size scrub in this scent and I wanted to try it in the perfume. I can't pick out any individual notes but it's sweet and fruity and tropical. I'm trying to hold off ordering this in full size creme and EdP!
Lime Freeze - Disappointed in this. It was a cleaner-ish scent with a bit of creamy fizz.
Lena kindly included samples of Hawaiian Melon Fizz (perfume) and Mango Mimosa Slushie (shea creme.) Hawaiian Melon Fizz killed me - it was a lovely fruity melony drink scent without being too sweet, but on me it turned to a weird candy scent. Definitely try this out thought if you like fruity melon scents that aren't TOO melony (I'm talking to you, BBW Melon Cooler.) Mango Mimosa Slushie was also great and it actually worked on me, so I'm debating whether to get a full size of the creme and an EdP. I smell mango but there are some other fruity/drink notes in there that make it fresher and prevent it from being plain old mango. I was also pleasantly surprised to see that it didn't resemble Sea Foam Slushie in the slightest.
Then there are some other random CH things I had lying around and finally got a chance to test out, LOL. Lipglossina had given me a sample of Cocolotus in the shea body creme a while back and it's really good! Much better than the original H2O, plus it doesn't turn on me. I don't get a lot of coconut but more of a sweet, desserty type scent with some floral. I think it may be too heavy for me though, at least in the summer, so I'll probably hold off on ordering full size. Turtle Island Breezer is sooooo good - I smell a creamy coconut with some sharp lime. Unfortunately it turned on me but I suspect it's because the sample I had is in the souffle formula, which never works on me. I'm willing to take a chance on this in the shea creme or body butter.
I got all of these samples in the butter:
Calypso Crush - To my nose this smelled just like Tropical Fruit Slices, which I'm not fond of. Just a generic candy fruit scent, like Smarties candies. It was even worse on my skin.
Diamond Coconut - This is divine in the container - a perfect mix of a beachy, sandy coconut and a slightly more fresh one. Too bad it turned to Play-doh on me. :(
Strawberry Blonde - I smelled a nice mix of lime and strawberry in this, but on me it was strawberry-lime plastic. Oh well.
Surf Bunny - I've been letting this cure for a while now and it's still an off-chocolate scent to my nose. I'll hang onto it for a few more weeks but if it doesn't magically turn into a suntan lotion scent by then, up for swap it goes.
Tahitian Honeymoon - Eh, wasn't thrilled with this. Just a generic fruit scent with a weird banana undertone. On my skin it smelled like sour tea. :P
Tidal Wave Cooler - Disappointed in this too. On my skin it was fruity plastic.
I got a perfume sample pack:
Banana Jungle Daquiri - Really fresh and delicious in the vial and terrible on me, as usual. :P It was like old banana bread on me, LOL. It's what I would imagine a banana daquiri to smell like (I've never had one so I can't say so for sure), a mix of banana and coconut with a fruity background.
Butt Naked - Lipglossina kindly bestowed a full-size scrub in this scent and I wanted to try it in the perfume. I can't pick out any individual notes but it's sweet and fruity and tropical. I'm trying to hold off ordering this in full size creme and EdP!
Lime Freeze - Disappointed in this. It was a cleaner-ish scent with a bit of creamy fizz.
Lena kindly included samples of Hawaiian Melon Fizz (perfume) and Mango Mimosa Slushie (shea creme.) Hawaiian Melon Fizz killed me - it was a lovely fruity melony drink scent without being too sweet, but on me it turned to a weird candy scent. Definitely try this out thought if you like fruity melon scents that aren't TOO melony (I'm talking to you, BBW Melon Cooler.) Mango Mimosa Slushie was also great and it actually worked on me, so I'm debating whether to get a full size of the creme and an EdP. I smell mango but there are some other fruity/drink notes in there that make it fresher and prevent it from being plain old mango. I was also pleasantly surprised to see that it didn't resemble Sea Foam Slushie in the slightest.
Then there are some other random CH things I had lying around and finally got a chance to test out, LOL. Lipglossina had given me a sample of Cocolotus in the shea body creme a while back and it's really good! Much better than the original H2O, plus it doesn't turn on me. I don't get a lot of coconut but more of a sweet, desserty type scent with some floral. I think it may be too heavy for me though, at least in the summer, so I'll probably hold off on ordering full size. Turtle Island Breezer is sooooo good - I smell a creamy coconut with some sharp lime. Unfortunately it turned on me but I suspect it's because the sample I had is in the souffle formula, which never works on me. I'm willing to take a chance on this in the shea creme or body butter.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Another swap!
So here's the latest from my swap with lipglossina. :) It was another hugely generous swap so it took me a while to test out everything, but I think I got it all!
CYS
Carina (emollient) This is such a nice true buttercream frosting scent but on me it went musty. Definitely way better than other buttercreams I've tried (BBW, Philosophy) so give this a try if you're looking for a buttercream scent.
Lemon Marshmallow Cream (cream) - This scent makes me smile - it reminds me of Easter and going on egg hunts when I was little. You can really smell both the marshmallow and the lemon, and one doesn't overpower the other. Best of all it doesn't turn on me. I'll probably order a full size of this in the cream next year as well as an EdP! It's perfect for transitioning from winter to spring.
Coconut Marshmallow Cream (cream) Lipglossina was right - this is way better in the cream than in the emollient. It's a nice toasted coconut scent. I wouldn't get a full size though because it just went straight to marshmallow on me, and I want to try CYS's Toasted Marshmallow to see how it compares.
Coconut Marshmallow Cream (emollient) I smell the coconut more in this one, it's definitely musty and not a nice sweet coconut like it is in the cream. I can't smell the marshmallow at all so I wouldn't recommend this in the emollient.
Grapefruit Fresa (emollient) Blech. I didn't smell grapefruit or strawberry, just an off sour smell. Maybe it's better in the cream formula but in the emollient it was awful.
Vanilla Marshmallow Cream (emollient) This is lovely. I thought it was going to be too sweet (vanilla AND marshmallow!) but it's very nice. Unfortunately the vanilla turned on me and it was just an off, sickly sweet scent. :P
Lipglossina was kind enough to part with her Auntie Rhubarb Lemon Cake body cream since she knows how much I love the texture of the body creams. Oddly enough it smells very similar to CYS's Lemon Marshmallow Cream, but it has a generic sweet note instead of marshmallow. It's a lovely sweet dessert-y lemon scent. It's not as nice on my skin as the CYS but I'll definitely use it up. She also passed along a sample of IoE Can't Sleep, Clowns Will Eat Me! scrub. It was just meh for me, since it smelled like strawberry shortcake and the strawberry was very artificial to my nose. Overall it just smelled very juvenile to me - I see this as a scent for kids. Still, I'm not worried about my upcoming IoE order, I'm sure I'll like it more than that scrub. Finally, I got samples of MMU Pineapple Slices in both the Babe Cakes body icing and Body Custard formulas. I think it's a bit fresher in the body custard but there wasn't a huge difference. Also, the scent is pretty much identical to CH's Pineapple Slices, which is good to know in case, heaven forbid, CH closes!
CYS
Carina (emollient) This is such a nice true buttercream frosting scent but on me it went musty. Definitely way better than other buttercreams I've tried (BBW, Philosophy) so give this a try if you're looking for a buttercream scent.
Lemon Marshmallow Cream (cream) - This scent makes me smile - it reminds me of Easter and going on egg hunts when I was little. You can really smell both the marshmallow and the lemon, and one doesn't overpower the other. Best of all it doesn't turn on me. I'll probably order a full size of this in the cream next year as well as an EdP! It's perfect for transitioning from winter to spring.
Coconut Marshmallow Cream (cream) Lipglossina was right - this is way better in the cream than in the emollient. It's a nice toasted coconut scent. I wouldn't get a full size though because it just went straight to marshmallow on me, and I want to try CYS's Toasted Marshmallow to see how it compares.
Coconut Marshmallow Cream (emollient) I smell the coconut more in this one, it's definitely musty and not a nice sweet coconut like it is in the cream. I can't smell the marshmallow at all so I wouldn't recommend this in the emollient.
Grapefruit Fresa (emollient) Blech. I didn't smell grapefruit or strawberry, just an off sour smell. Maybe it's better in the cream formula but in the emollient it was awful.
Vanilla Marshmallow Cream (emollient) This is lovely. I thought it was going to be too sweet (vanilla AND marshmallow!) but it's very nice. Unfortunately the vanilla turned on me and it was just an off, sickly sweet scent. :P
Lipglossina was kind enough to part with her Auntie Rhubarb Lemon Cake body cream since she knows how much I love the texture of the body creams. Oddly enough it smells very similar to CYS's Lemon Marshmallow Cream, but it has a generic sweet note instead of marshmallow. It's a lovely sweet dessert-y lemon scent. It's not as nice on my skin as the CYS but I'll definitely use it up. She also passed along a sample of IoE Can't Sleep, Clowns Will Eat Me! scrub. It was just meh for me, since it smelled like strawberry shortcake and the strawberry was very artificial to my nose. Overall it just smelled very juvenile to me - I see this as a scent for kids. Still, I'm not worried about my upcoming IoE order, I'm sure I'll like it more than that scrub. Finally, I got samples of MMU Pineapple Slices in both the Babe Cakes body icing and Body Custard formulas. I think it's a bit fresher in the body custard but there wasn't a huge difference. Also, the scent is pretty much identical to CH's Pineapple Slices, which is good to know in case, heaven forbid, CH closes!
Monday, April 16, 2007
BI swap
I was able to swap for some BI goodies. I tried a body mist in Limeade, which was okay but not great. On my skin it went straight to a cleaner scent, and in the container was pretty similar to CH's Wild Lime. Nowhere near as good as my beloved MMU Key Lime, so I wouldn't recommend this. The swapper threw in some nice samples too - body lotions of the Playwright and Pistachio Lime. Neither of these are my type of scent, but I think if you like woodsy scents you'd be disappointed in the Playwright - I got none of the teak or cedar notes listed in the scent description, just a generic musk with the tiniest bit of smokiness. Pistachio Lime is very strange. It's not nutty at all but rather has a weird amaretto note with a tiny bit of lime.
Anyway, another swapper gave me some more BI samples as extras. Comfort smells off to me, almost like a licorice (?!) version of Cremasse with some laundry detergent thrown in. I have no idea what it's supposed to be as I can't seem to find it on the scent menu. :P Seattle isn't great either, I was expecting a nice green scent but it smelled just like a car air freshener, a very generic floral. Finally, a while ago I swapped for Summer Peaches in the body wash. This just smelled really off to me, I don't think it was old or anything, but it just wasn't the peach I was looking for - kind of fake and overly tart. Philosophy's Peach 3 in 1 is much better.
All in all I've had quite a few misses with BI recently, but I'm planning on ordering Banana Colada, Passiontini Punch and Thai Coconut so we'll see what happens with those!
Anyway, another swapper gave me some more BI samples as extras. Comfort smells off to me, almost like a licorice (?!) version of Cremasse with some laundry detergent thrown in. I have no idea what it's supposed to be as I can't seem to find it on the scent menu. :P Seattle isn't great either, I was expecting a nice green scent but it smelled just like a car air freshener, a very generic floral. Finally, a while ago I swapped for Summer Peaches in the body wash. This just smelled really off to me, I don't think it was old or anything, but it just wasn't the peach I was looking for - kind of fake and overly tart. Philosophy's Peach 3 in 1 is much better.
All in all I've had quite a few misses with BI recently, but I'm planning on ordering Banana Colada, Passiontini Punch and Thai Coconut so we'll see what happens with those!
Saturday, February 10, 2007
CYS, BI and miscellaneous
I definitely didn't order as much e-tailer stuff for the winter as I did last season! I did place two big orders with BI and CYS though since they were having such good sales. And my dear friend lipglossina also gave me an amazingly generous birthday gift of mostly bath and body stuff and tons of samples here and there, so lots to review! I've decided that any e-tailers that are listed in MUA's brand list in productville will not be reviewed here - I'll do reviews of them on MUA instead. :)
Bathed and Infused (all fluffs)
Cool Beans - LOVE this! At first the coffee was really strong, but once I let it cure it was great. And it doesn't turn on my skin - it actually smells like a Peppermint Mocha latte from Starbucks on me. Yummy!
Mint Chocolate Marshmallows - I like layering it with Philosophy's Mint Chocolate chip ice cream 3 in 1, but for some reason I can't really smell the chocolate. I get a creamy mint scent. Which isn't bad but I wanted something more mint-chocolatey.
Snowflake Cocktail - This was just eh for me in the container. I smelled mostly amaretto at first, then for some odd reason, graham crackers. On my skin it smelled like unflavored oatmeal, yuck! Up for swap it went.
I also got body mists in Hot Cocoa, Pumpkin Pie and Gingerbread Creme and a body scrub in Gingerbread Creme. Since I love the Pumpkin Pie and Gingerbread Creme in the fluffs I was pretty sure they'd work in the mists, and they do! So yummy. I had never tried Hot Cocoa in any form but I really love it. It's more chocolatey and less creamy than CH's Melting Marshmallow Hot Chocolate, and it layers well with both that and the Wickedly Hot Chocolate lotion from BBW. Next year I may get it in a fluff rather than my usual CH! My only complaint about the body mists is that they don't last too long, I literally can't smell them after about half an hour. Oh well, guess that's what the perfumes are for! The new whipped sugar scrub is great too, nice and scrubby and not oily, just how I like my scrubs. :D
I also tried lotion samples of Wedding Cake and Hayride. Hayride is a nice green woodsy scent and no, it doesn't smell like hay! Just an outdoorsy kind of scent without being too masculine. It's nice but I'm not into those types of scents. Wedding Cake was non-existent. I mean I had my nose in the container and couldn't smell anything! I think after sniffing it a few times I did get a faint sweet smell, but that was it. There are plenty of e-tailers who do great wedding cake scents so I'd skip BI's version.
CYS (emollients)
Birthday Cake - smells delicious in the container. It's not great on me but it's not bad either so I'm hanging onto it until I find something better.
Cioccolato e Cocco - I had such high hopes for this but I didn't even try it on - it's just a weird spicy chocolate scent.
Coffee Mocha - Basic coffee scent, I didn't smell any chocolate. It wasn't horrid on me but not good enough for me to hang onto since I have and love SDE's Caramel Latte. I wouldn't recommend getting it though since while it was okay, it was nothing outstanding.
Frangelico Streusel - I thought this would be more of a hazelnut blend, but all I get is straight hazelnut.
One Accord - This was a LE holiday blend of chocolate and mint. I didn't even bother to try it on as the mint seemed really off to me.
Then I got all of these in the perfumes:
Eggnog - yikes! I don't know if it's my nose or what, but this isn't good. In the bottle it sort of resembles eggnog but smells more like spicy pancakes - I got a weird, very off, maple note in it. On my skin it was positively gross, it went medicinal/plastic on me. Ugh.
Joyful Heart - Still on the fence with this. I think the coconut goes a bit musty on me - it's not nearly as nice on me as it is on lipglossina! Sigh. I'll have to try it a few more times though.
State of Grace - so wonderful in the bottle and not great on me. The orange is just too sweet or something. I had the same problem with CYS's plain Blood Orange scent so I should have known better, but I was so hoping this would work on me.
Vanilla Bean Noel - This is great. It's one of the only vanilla scents that works on me and so much better than BBW's version. However, I mistakenly thought I could layer this over all foody scents. I put it on over BI's Cool Beans and it was truly disgusting. So take note: don't mix this with coffee scents!
I also got a white sugar scrub in Yellow Cake. I have no idea why it's so plastic-y but it is. :( I swapped for the emollient in it too, which I have yet to try on, but I'm betting that won't be great either. Oh well. Lipglossina gave me a sample of the Behomoth scrub in Cafe Dacquoise, which I really liked. I may have to try that in an emollient/cream next year. She also passed along a sample of the emollient in Toasted Marshmallow, which is really yummy and I most likely will order that next year too.
So those were my two big winter orders thus far. But my fellow bath and body fiend passed along so many goodies my way and I finally got around to trying some of them! I was so happy to get Wylde Ivy's Sugar Cake in both lotion and EDP form as part of my Christmas present. It smells like a nice vanilla cake in the container. On me it smells almost identical to CYS's VBN, like a clean vanilla. While I'm still hunting for the perfect foody cake scent, this is great to layer with Philosophy's Vanilla Birthday Cake 3 in 1. For my b-day she got me Chocolate Fatale scrub to go with Phil. Double Rich Hot Cocoa and my various hot chocolate moisturizers, which I love. Next year I may try BI's scrub in Hot Cocoa, but this one is really delicious! It's a different texture too, it's like a paste rather than sugar, but it exfoliates well and isn't greasy. She also got me Chocolate Mint Creme scrub. This does smell like mint chocolate but there seems to be some kind of strange nutty undertone that I don't get with the Chocolate Fatale. Still, it's pretty good and I want to try this in a moisturizer. More birthday presents were Auntie Rhubarb Rum Coco-Nilla scrub and full size (!) jar of lotion. I'm in love with both and was so sad when one morning, due to extreme lack of sleep, I managed to knock the entire container of scrub from my bathroom shelf into the toilet. Now there was nothing in the toilet at the time, mind you, and the container was shut tight, but that just grossed me out so much I immediately tossed the whole thing. I was sooooo sad. :( Fortunately I keep my moisturizers in the master closet so there's no chance I'll drop those into the toilet. Anyway, in the scrub Rum Coco-Nilla smells like vanilla extract with a hint of coconut, totally delicious. In the lotion it smells the same in the container, but on my skin the coconut really comes out and it smells just like CH's Coconut Milk/Vanilla Cream blend or CSP's Coco Extreme perfume, both of which I love. The lotion itself is amazing - lightweight but incredibly moisturizing and not greasy. I must try more Auntie Rhubarb scents in the lotion since I love the formula so much!
Bathed and Infused (all fluffs)
Cool Beans - LOVE this! At first the coffee was really strong, but once I let it cure it was great. And it doesn't turn on my skin - it actually smells like a Peppermint Mocha latte from Starbucks on me. Yummy!
Mint Chocolate Marshmallows - I like layering it with Philosophy's Mint Chocolate chip ice cream 3 in 1, but for some reason I can't really smell the chocolate. I get a creamy mint scent. Which isn't bad but I wanted something more mint-chocolatey.
Snowflake Cocktail - This was just eh for me in the container. I smelled mostly amaretto at first, then for some odd reason, graham crackers. On my skin it smelled like unflavored oatmeal, yuck! Up for swap it went.
I also got body mists in Hot Cocoa, Pumpkin Pie and Gingerbread Creme and a body scrub in Gingerbread Creme. Since I love the Pumpkin Pie and Gingerbread Creme in the fluffs I was pretty sure they'd work in the mists, and they do! So yummy. I had never tried Hot Cocoa in any form but I really love it. It's more chocolatey and less creamy than CH's Melting Marshmallow Hot Chocolate, and it layers well with both that and the Wickedly Hot Chocolate lotion from BBW. Next year I may get it in a fluff rather than my usual CH! My only complaint about the body mists is that they don't last too long, I literally can't smell them after about half an hour. Oh well, guess that's what the perfumes are for! The new whipped sugar scrub is great too, nice and scrubby and not oily, just how I like my scrubs. :D
I also tried lotion samples of Wedding Cake and Hayride. Hayride is a nice green woodsy scent and no, it doesn't smell like hay! Just an outdoorsy kind of scent without being too masculine. It's nice but I'm not into those types of scents. Wedding Cake was non-existent. I mean I had my nose in the container and couldn't smell anything! I think after sniffing it a few times I did get a faint sweet smell, but that was it. There are plenty of e-tailers who do great wedding cake scents so I'd skip BI's version.
CYS (emollients)
Birthday Cake - smells delicious in the container. It's not great on me but it's not bad either so I'm hanging onto it until I find something better.
Cioccolato e Cocco - I had such high hopes for this but I didn't even try it on - it's just a weird spicy chocolate scent.
Coffee Mocha - Basic coffee scent, I didn't smell any chocolate. It wasn't horrid on me but not good enough for me to hang onto since I have and love SDE's Caramel Latte. I wouldn't recommend getting it though since while it was okay, it was nothing outstanding.
Frangelico Streusel - I thought this would be more of a hazelnut blend, but all I get is straight hazelnut.
One Accord - This was a LE holiday blend of chocolate and mint. I didn't even bother to try it on as the mint seemed really off to me.
Then I got all of these in the perfumes:
Eggnog - yikes! I don't know if it's my nose or what, but this isn't good. In the bottle it sort of resembles eggnog but smells more like spicy pancakes - I got a weird, very off, maple note in it. On my skin it was positively gross, it went medicinal/plastic on me. Ugh.
Joyful Heart - Still on the fence with this. I think the coconut goes a bit musty on me - it's not nearly as nice on me as it is on lipglossina! Sigh. I'll have to try it a few more times though.
State of Grace - so wonderful in the bottle and not great on me. The orange is just too sweet or something. I had the same problem with CYS's plain Blood Orange scent so I should have known better, but I was so hoping this would work on me.
Vanilla Bean Noel - This is great. It's one of the only vanilla scents that works on me and so much better than BBW's version. However, I mistakenly thought I could layer this over all foody scents. I put it on over BI's Cool Beans and it was truly disgusting. So take note: don't mix this with coffee scents!
I also got a white sugar scrub in Yellow Cake. I have no idea why it's so plastic-y but it is. :( I swapped for the emollient in it too, which I have yet to try on, but I'm betting that won't be great either. Oh well. Lipglossina gave me a sample of the Behomoth scrub in Cafe Dacquoise, which I really liked. I may have to try that in an emollient/cream next year. She also passed along a sample of the emollient in Toasted Marshmallow, which is really yummy and I most likely will order that next year too.
So those were my two big winter orders thus far. But my fellow bath and body fiend passed along so many goodies my way and I finally got around to trying some of them! I was so happy to get Wylde Ivy's Sugar Cake in both lotion and EDP form as part of my Christmas present. It smells like a nice vanilla cake in the container. On me it smells almost identical to CYS's VBN, like a clean vanilla. While I'm still hunting for the perfect foody cake scent, this is great to layer with Philosophy's Vanilla Birthday Cake 3 in 1. For my b-day she got me Chocolate Fatale scrub to go with Phil. Double Rich Hot Cocoa and my various hot chocolate moisturizers, which I love. Next year I may try BI's scrub in Hot Cocoa, but this one is really delicious! It's a different texture too, it's like a paste rather than sugar, but it exfoliates well and isn't greasy. She also got me Chocolate Mint Creme scrub. This does smell like mint chocolate but there seems to be some kind of strange nutty undertone that I don't get with the Chocolate Fatale. Still, it's pretty good and I want to try this in a moisturizer. More birthday presents were Auntie Rhubarb Rum Coco-Nilla scrub and full size (!) jar of lotion. I'm in love with both and was so sad when one morning, due to extreme lack of sleep, I managed to knock the entire container of scrub from my bathroom shelf into the toilet. Now there was nothing in the toilet at the time, mind you, and the container was shut tight, but that just grossed me out so much I immediately tossed the whole thing. I was sooooo sad. :( Fortunately I keep my moisturizers in the master closet so there's no chance I'll drop those into the toilet. Anyway, in the scrub Rum Coco-Nilla smells like vanilla extract with a hint of coconut, totally delicious. In the lotion it smells the same in the container, but on my skin the coconut really comes out and it smells just like CH's Coconut Milk/Vanilla Cream blend or CSP's Coco Extreme perfume, both of which I love. The lotion itself is amazing - lightweight but incredibly moisturizing and not greasy. I must try more Auntie Rhubarb scents in the lotion since I love the formula so much!
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