Some small orders

I can't believe how many things I finished up! I needed to restock so I placed an order at Coconut Hut and one at Bathed and Infused. I got my beloved Dole Whip creme and Pineapple Buttercream Cupcake scrub from CH, along with some samples of body butter:

Cake Batter - This was just eh both in the jar and on my skin. It was a nice cake scent on cold sniff, but very subtle - I really had to stick my nose in to get any scent! On my skin it was nice but faded to nothing within minutes. Oh well.

Pink Fairy Frosting - Ohhh this is amazing. It's actually very similar to Pink Almond Stardust (both in the jar and on my skin) but foody with a hint of strawberry. I feel a little ridiculous wearing something named this - it sounds more appropriate for a five-year-old - but the scent isn't too juvenile.

Pumpkin Caramel Swirl Cupcake - So delicious in the jar but not great on me. On cold sniff it's slightly spicy pumpkin pie but the caramel/cupcake notes make it nice and sweet. On me though it was sort of like spicy cake. I'm still on the fence and I keep trying it, but ultimately I think this is a scent that will only work in a scrub for me.

I also got a scrub in Pumpkin Pie a la Mode, which is so yummy I think I might be out of it before the holidays are over! I don't really smell the vanilla ice cream, just pumpkin pie, but it is fabulous.

Then I got a few things from Bathed and Infused, including a scrub in their delicious, dead-on, not-too-spicy Cinnamon Buns since I discovered I had used up the last of my Cinnamon Buns scrub last year. I was also completely out of a pumpkin pie moisturizer so I decided to try their in-between cream in it, and I'm in love! Texturewise it's very similar to CH's Polynesian Poi-Fection shea creme but a tad thicker. It moisturizes nicely but doesn't feel greasy, so I think this will definitely work year-round. I really like it a lot better than the lotion (too light and doesn't hold scent well) and the fluff (too thick), so I think all the moisturizers I get from BI from now on will be in this. I also got a couple of lotion samples. Even though I'm not crazy about the lotions, it's the best and cheapest way to really try out a scent.

Cake Batter - I liked this a lot better than CH's version, but it didn't agree with my skin. Overall I think I prefer sweeter birthday cake scents as opposed to plain cake batter (love the sweet frosting notes!)

Peppermint Patty - Mmmm, yummy! Nice even mix of peppermint and chocolate. Unfortunately this didn't work on me either. The mint went funny on me. It's odd since Cool Beans works on me, but this didn't. Oh well.

BI threw in a perfume paddle in Purple Pumpkin, which was...odd. It was like a fruity (grape? maybe berry?) pumpkin. I didn't care for it but if you like pumpkin it's an unusual twist. They also added a little rubber ducky with a 20% off code, which was an amazing surprise!

I'm in the process of ordering more scrumptious scents now that CH has its annual holiday gift bag deals going on, and I'm going to use my BI discount too, so more foody goodness is on its way. :)

small CH and BI orders

Ack, so long since I've updated! I haven't been doing that much e-tailer shopping though. In any case here are some reviews on small orders I placed in the past couple months.

Coconut Hut (shea cremes)

Coconut Tsunami - Totally delicious in the jar, but it goes both plastic and musty on my skin. I may try it in a scrub eventually though. It's a very light, fresh coconut with a touch of sweetness.

Dole Whip - Mmmm! This is a lighter, more summery version of CH's Pineapple Buttercream Cupcake, which I love. It doesn't have the heavier, sweet notes and is perfect for summer.

Hawaiian Tropics Tanning Oil dupe - Oof. I had such high hopes for this but it's all plastic to my nose both in the jar and on me. :(

Lemonade Twister (scrub) - I thought I'd like this more in a scrub rather than the perfume (I tried it in an unsuccessful attempt to find something that smells like Philosophy's Pink Lemonade), but no luck. Still too sweet and cloying for me.

BB Beach dupe (salt scrub) - Dead-on dupe of my beloved Bobbi Brown Beach. I'll probably order the shea creme in this soon as I'm totally out of a moisturizer in this scent.

Bathed and Infused
I actually made 2 small orders with them in the past few months but for the sake of this post I'll combine the reviews into one.

Beach Sandals - This gets a lot of raves at MUA's bath and body board, but I'm not really getting the hype. Maybe it's beacause I only got this in the perfume paddle, but all I smell is a slightly floral note. The coconut is there but it's pretty much buried underneath the other notes. Perhaps it's better in a scrub or lotion.

Orange Cream Daquiri - Totally in love with this! For some reason this year smelling like an orange creamsicle is really appealing to me, so I gave this a shot. It's just like an orange creamsicle but with the added addition of a delicious, ever so slightly boozy coconut. It really does smell like an orange creamsicle cocktail. I don't see it on the scent list anymore so I think it was LE, but I ordered it during their summer sale and they still had some in stock.

Raspberry Lime Rickey - This was much heavier on the lime than the raspberry. As a matter of fact, I couldn't really smell the raspberry at all, just a very tart lime. If you like lime though give this a shot - it's very crisp and tart without smelling like a house cleaner.

Summer Lovin' - I have to admit that I got this partly because of the name and the fact that it's part of a very cute Grease-themed collection, but it's not the fruity goodness I was hoping for. I couldn't pick out any individual notes - it was just a generic sweet scent to me.

Small CH and BI orders

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. :)

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!

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!

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!

BI and Suds

So much to catch up on! Wow, now that I think about it I haven't been having great luck with scents lately. I'm hoping my upcoming CH and MMU orders will turn things around!

First, Bathed and Infused.

Clementine body spray - Totally delicious when I first sprayed it, but then turned to a clean smell. It wasn't bad by any means, but not citrusy and orangey like I wanted. Definitely worth checking out though if you love true fresh orange scents - not cleaner-ish at all.

Mango Lime Fiesta wash - This smelled mostly like a margarita lime to me, I couldn't really smell the mango. It's a nice lime but nothing that unusual.

I also got body lotions in Gidget and Island Oasis (they were out of the fluffs!) Gidget is a nice fresh fruity scent. I'll use up the container but overall I think I still prefer BBW Tahiti Sweetie. Gidget isn't as sharp as Tahiti Sweetie, it's more sweet. Very nice fun scent for summer. Island Oasis I'm still debating. It's a great fruity coconut in the bottle but I think it turned slightly on me. I'll have to test it out again but for now I think I'll stick to other coconut scents. The body lotion itself is really nice, thick but not greasy and great for summer.

Now onto Suds. I got all of these in the featherlite souffle.

Black Coconut and Coconut Bubble - Ugh. These were truly awful even after I let them cure. I don't know if I got a bad batch of each one or what but they were totally off. Rotten, plasticky coconut was all I got.

Lethal Kiss - I was so excited to try this after hearing all the raves at the b and b board, but I really didn't care for the scent at all. I didn't smell pineapple, just an off strawberry scent. It was even worse on my skin.

Pineapple Salad - To me this smells just like plain pineapple. I like it but for the ultimate fresh pineapple scent CH Pineapple Slices is still the best.

Summer Berries - Another total miss. It smelled like bad potpourri. I didn't even bother trying it on.

Michelle kindly included samples of Pink Lime and Cleopatra. Pink Lime is really tart and sharp, I didn't get much of a "pink" note from it, but on me it was a very strong cleaner smell. Still worth trying out though if you like lime. I can't really describe Cleopatra but I will try - kind of a powdery floral. I liked it but it's not my type of scent.

Tons of new goodies!

As of now my latest obsession is pineapple. I discovered Comptoir Sud Pacifique Vanille Pineapple and ever since then I've been trying to find great vanilla-pineapple scents to layer with it. Of course, my love for more fruity, less sweet pineapple has not faded, but has only gotten stronger now that the weather is warmer. Will be breaking out the L'Artisan Ananas Fizz soon!

BI
I got all of the following scents in the fluff.

Blue Hawaiian - Generic fruit scent to my nose, couldn't pick up any individual notes. The drydown on me was surprisingly nice and not plastic, but it still was somewhat artificial.

Fresh Strawberries - Not quite the strawberry scent I was looking for, very sweet. It smelled very close to SDE's Strawberries & Cream, which, while a very nice scent, I was looking for something more fruity and fresh rather than sweet.

Pina Colada - At first I got a strong amaretto note, but after I let it sit for a week it was a very true pina colada scent, rivaling CH's. Too bad it turned on me. :(

Junebug - Nice combination of fresh fruit, sweet banana and the tiniest hint of coconut. However, on me it was all banana. While I love eating bananas I'm not big into smelling like them. :P

I also swapped for Orange Neroli and I'm so glad I did - it's divine! Similar to Bobbi Brown's beach fragrance, but with a touch of citrus to make it fresher and a tiny bit less sweet. Nicole was kind enough to include sample jars of Green and Foule et Furie. Foule et Furie was way too floral and strong for my nose, but if you're into those types of scents it might be nice for you. The same thing with Green - not my type of scent (not into green, herbal, spa scents) but if that's what you're after it's great.

Okay, onto SDE! Love the quality of all of Marliss' products but these scents just didn't work for me. :( I got all of these in the Satin Scentations body butter.

Blackberry Bliss - Sadly this smelled like potpourri to my nose, and it got even more floral, almost spicy when I tried it on. It doesn't smell anything like blackberry or any berry for that matter, at least to me.

Key Lime - Was so excited about this since not many e-tailers carry a plain lime scent (not margarita, lime sherbert, etc., just a straight lime) but this didn't work. In the jar it's a nice tart fruity scent (a tiny bit off of a true lime) but on me it smelled like bathroom cleaner. As it faded it definitely got better, it developed into more of a soapy scent, but still not lime. My search for a lime that smells just like L'Atelier du Savon Citron Vert continues.

Strawberry Fields - Still on the fence about this. At first it smelled like burnt sugar to me, but I let it sit for a week and I got more of a strawberry scent out of it. Still, it smells very sweet and not really a fresh true strawberry, more of a sugary fruit scent.

Tangerine Sensation - So sad about this! Smells delicious in the container, a sharp citrusy scent, but on me it was almost vomit-like. I have no idea why my body chemistry torments me so. If you like citrusy scents and don't have a weird chemistry like mine, I highly recommend this.

Lipglossina gave me big samples of Coconut Frosting Oasis, which is totally scrumptious, and Raspberry Sorbet Bermuda Beach Smoother, also delicious. I'm debating to order both of those in body creams!

Coconut Hut
I ordered my beloved Pineapple Slices body butter and scrub, as well as scrubs in Pina Colada and Coconut Milk. Love all of these in scrubs! For samples, I ordered the following scents in the Big Kahuna body butter.

Blackberry - I was amazed at how much this grew on me. I sniffed it, didn't like it, and let it sit for a week. I tried it on again and it smelled much better. Then I tried it on after using Philosophy's Blackberry 3 in 1, and it smelled even better. So I think next time I may order the full size of butter and a scrub! It smells like a very true blackberry to my nose, very sharp and tart but not overpowering. Great fruity scent for summer!

Pina Colada - This works for me in a scrub but alas, not in a butter. It turned to plastic. While I tried this on last year in the souffle, I figured I might have a better chance with it not turning if I got it in a butter. No such luck. Still, it's definitely the truest Pina Colada scent I've sniffed.

Waikiki Coconut - Similar to Pina Colada, but much more plasticky to me.

Coconut Kanantik - This just smelled like a slightly sweet coconut. Nothing earth-shattering in my opinion, and it was total plastic when I put it on. If you're going to go with a slightly sweet coconut from CH, try Beached Coconut instead.

Coconut Gelato - Nice in the container, but horrible on me. The coconut is very light and it smelled mostly like sweet cake to me, but when I put it on it was sweet plastic.

Tropical Paradise - This was nothing special to me. I couldn't pick out any of the individual notes listed in the scent description, it was just an off fruity smell. I didn't even bother trying it on.

Lena also included samples of Honolulu Hot Pants and Polynesian Ruby Pomegranate. Honolulu Hot Pants smelled almost identical to Sea Foam Slushie to me (which I'm not a huge fan of), just stronger. Polynesian Ruby Pomegranate is a nice fruity scent and you can definitely get a good pomegranate note from it, but I think the scent would work best in a scrub. Still, it's not awful on me so I'll use up the jar.

Suds and Light
This was my first order from Suds and overall I was really pleased! Michelle's blends are really nice and for the most part they didn't turn on me, which is very important! I got all of the following scents in the Featherlite souffle. The Featherlite texture is nice for summer, but I think in winter I'm going to need a heavier cream - these are much lighter than CH's body butters or BI fluffs.

Caribbean - Nice blend of coconut and pineapple. I think it turns slightly plastic on me, but like Coconut Milk (see review below), it seems to be different every time I wear it.

Coconut Milk - Argh, I keep going back and forth on this one. One day is smells like the most perfect coconut (like my beloved Bumble and Bumble creme de coco shampoo) but the next it's plastic. I'll have to keep trying it and see what happens. In the jar though it's definitely a very nice true coconut, so if you like coconut definitely get this, it's one of the best ones I've come across.

Island Pineapple - This was just okay for me as far as pineapple scents go. I found it to be a little sweet and artificial, so I think I may try her Pineapple Slices and Pineapple Salad next time to see if those are better on me. If you like pineapple scents though it's worth trying out.

Speckled Strawberry - Alas, this smelled just like SDE's Strawberries 'n' Cream on me. Nice scent but not what I was looking for.

Tropicana - Lovely blend of Vanilla Bean Noel and pineapple. I asked Michelle to go heavier on the pineapple, but I think if I ordered it in equal parts like she normally blends it, it's going to be a great dupe of the CSP Vanille Pineapple. Definitely my fave scent from this order!

Cleanse Your Soul
I also ventured into CYS recently. While I can't say the scents I ordered worked for me, the quality of the emollients is fantastic!

Full of Grace - Really nice blend, but too heavy on the vanilla for me. On me all I could smell was vanilla with just the tiniest hint of raspberry. Great scent but not what I was looking for.

Pineapple Blossom - I couldn't smell any pineapple in this, just a stuffy floral scent. Oh well.

Pineapple Supreme - Was so looking forward to this, pineapple fiend that I am, and was so disappointed. It was an overly sweet cloying pineapple, and so artificial it only barely resembled a pineapple scent.

Summer Strawberries - This smelled so sugary to me in the container, and on me it turned so horribly sweet I couldn't even smell the strawberry. Still, if you're looking for a sweet but not creamy strawberry scent give it a try.

Tequila Lime - Disappointed in this, thought it would be much more tart. It smelled like sugared lime to me, not like jello, but more like lime candy. On me, as with Summer Strawberries, it was super sweet and I couldn't smell any lime. But if you like lime scents in general it might be nice.

I also procured samples of Joyful Heart, Veil of Grace, and State of Grace! Veil of Grace is lemon and Vanilla Bean Noel. It's a nice scent but it didn't knock my socks off. I think with lemon scents I prefer a nice tart lemon as opposed to one mixed with something sweet. State of Grace is really nice, orange and VBN mixed. I'm still trying to decide on whether to order it in an emollient. Joyful Heart is a lovely blend of coconut and VBN, I'm also debating whether to order it.

All over the place...

I can't believe how long it's been since we've written! These are mostly reviews of scents I ordered for the holiday/winter season, but there are some regular ones in there too. I'm already looking forward to spring! The quest for 1. a body cream that smells exactly like Bumble and Bumble's Creme de Coco shampoo and conditioner, 2. a fresh true strawberry scent and 3. a fresh true pineapple scent are my biggest challenges, so I'm already looking around. :)

My very first order from The Body Dessert Shop (http://www.thebodydessertshop.com) finally came! I have to say turnaround time was really slow so I'd be hesitant to order again, but the products were very good quality and I found a scent I loved. :) The texture of the shea body butter seems identical to B&I's body fluff, which I adore.

Birthday Cake: Very true cake scent complete with icing, not overly sweet. It does go a little too sweet on me so I'm not sure if I'd get a full size, but it's really a nice scent.

Black Raspberry Vanilla: I'm in love with this scent and I didn't even order it! Colleen threw in a tiny sample and I'm so glad she did. I can't smell vanilla at all which is perfect for me, since no vanilla scents have worked on me. This sounds very strange but it's kind of an artificial raspberry but still fresh and clean, I can almost smell soap in it. Just a lovely tart fresh raspberry scent. I have to buy the full size now!

Eggnog Cream: Finally a true eggnog scent, a little spicier than I would have liked and not as creamy as Philosophy's 3 in 1, but nice. I'm not sure I'd order it again though and I may not even use it this season as I'm overloaded with winter scents!

Fresh Vanilla (BBW dupe): I'm not sure how close this is to the BBW version but this is a great vanilla scent. I'm not really into vanilla since every one I've tried has turned on me, but this is excellent as far as vanillas go - not too sweet, not too creamy and not too much like extract.

Peppermint Cocoa: Nice blend but smells very similar to Bissy's Boutique's version. I'm pretty sure it's going to turn on me.

Pink Buttercream Frosting: This was also a sample Colleen threw in, very nice foody scent, but not for me. A little too sweet.

Pumpkin Blizzard: I'm not sure what to think about this. Right now on cold sniff it's a very sour pumpkin. But the gals at the bath and body board told me to let it sit for a week or two and it'll get better. So we'll see what happens.

Warm Vanilla Gingerbread: Really delicious and true gingerbread scent. I think it was a little too spicy on me but you can smell both the vanilla and the gingerbread.

Coconut Hut (all are souffles or butters unless noted)
Apple Torta Sabiosa: Lena was kind enough to include a small sample of this but it wasn't for me. I guess if you like foody scents it may be nice, but there was something really off about it.

Blue Ribbon Pumpkin Pie: Nice pumpkin pie scent but mostly I could only smell pie crust. If you like your pumpkin pie scent to be heavy on the pie crust, go for it. I prefer CH's Pumpkin Pie a la Mode.

Frosted Hawaiian Mimosa: Sadly this was very artificial and slightly plastic-y. I couldn't smell any of the individual notes, just an overly sweet candy smell.

Kissing on the Beach: This is great if you love coconut and vanilla. Not overly sweet or coconutty. Unfortunately it turned on me. Sigh.

Mai Tai: This had promise in the jar, a nice fun fruity scent. On me it was truly awful though.

Mango Lassi: This did not smell remotely like mango to me, it was very generic with a really odd base. Just smelled totally off.

Melting Marshmallow Hot Chocolate: Totally delicious blend of chocolate and marshmallow. It's much heavier on the chocolate but it's not overly sweet or strong. Best of all it doesn't turn on me!

Polynesian Ruby Pomegranate: Another gift from my gal pal! Still on the fence with this. Lovely tropical fruity scent but I can't tell if it's too candy-ish or not.

Summer Lemonade: I love this in the scrub but not in a butter. It was a strong floral lemon scent, not a fresh slightly sweet lemonade at all. Looks like I'll be sticking with SDE's Fresh Lemonade.

Tropical Fruit Slices: Not one of the best CH scents - very artificial, like fruit candy, and has a strange drydown. Overly sweet and not all that fruity.

Bathed & Infused (all fluffs/lotions unless noted)
Bali: I was disappointed in this, couldn't pick out any individual scents, just a really generic slightly fruity scent. Not one of B&I's best.

Cocomania (Lush Trichomania dupe): I can't compare this to the Lush original but this didn't smell all that coconutty to me. It was more of a plain nut, almost like TBS nut body butter.

Coconut Beach: I thought I was crazy for a while, but there is indeed a very strong amaretto note. Not coconutty at all to my nose.

Eggnog Poundcake: Too foody for me, I don't like sweet cakey scents and couldn't smell much eggnog in this. If you love poundcake with a twist though, go for it.

Gingerbread Creme: Truly amazing and true gingerbread scent, not too sweet and not too spicy. Will definitely repurchase next holiday season. :)

Ivory Rose: Such a lovely blend, you could smell both the Ivory and a soft rose. But it turned on me, it was like a musty old rose. :(

MacIntosh Apple: very fresh and true but turned on me. :(

Mint Chocolate Marshmallows: Admittedly I don't get much mint and no marshmallow from this, I mostly smell a sweet chocolate. It's a nice chocolate with just a touch of mint.

St. Lucia: This is a great blend, it's a creamy but clean coconut. Really fresh and pretty. Unfortunately it turned on me.

Sunset Beach: Lovely but smelled like air freshener on me. It's like Bobbi Brown's Beach but just a tad creamier.

There was also a sample of Luv Luv (dupe of the Moschino fragrance) which was way too strong and floral. I'm not sure how close it is to the original but it definitely wasn't for me.

Some other random things that didn't work for me (these are just some notes to myself!): SDA Lime Margarita, Pineapple Jasmine, Blackberry Bubbles, Pumpkins on Parade and Summer Lovin'; Auntie Rhubarb Coconut Creme Pie; Bissy's Boutique Gingerbread Applesauce, Pina Colada, Hawaiian Hula and Pumpkin Pie Filling.

As for retailer bath and body items, I've found some great stuff recently: 100% Pure Blood Orange shea butter, Philosophy Cinnamon Buns and BBW Gingerbread 3 in 1.

Another CH order, also my B&I order

I got my CH order and it's one of the best ones I've ever gotten. Super-fast turnaround and shipping too - I ordered on a Thursday and received my package Monday. Go Lena! Ditto for Bathed and Infused (http://www.bathedandinfused.com) I ordered on a Monday, it shipped that same day and I got it Thursday.

Okay, here's CH (all are souffles unless otherwise noted):

Gingerbread Man: Loving this. In the container it's a lovely sweet gingerbread. On me most of the sweetness disappears, but for some reason it's not overly spicy. It smells just like when I take the gingerbread cookies out of the oven, before I add the icing. I'm pretty sure I'm getting a gift pack of this that includes a scrub and souffle.

Lemon Pumpkin Jelly Roll: I didn't care very much for this one, just too much going on.

Mocha-licious: If you like coffee scents I'd give this a try. Nice mix of chocolate and coffee. But it just smelled like dirt on me! I didn't get any coffee notes at all.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Ice Cream: Lena included a sample of this in the body butter, it's really nice on cold sniff. Great mix of gingerbread and vanilla. Unfortunately on me it was all spice.

Pumpkin Pie a la Mode: This is delicious, plain and simple. On me it's a little spicier than it is in the container, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to order a full size of either this or the Sweet Pumpkin Chai Latte. You can really smell the vanilla and pumpkin pie on cold sniff.

Raspberry Truffle Chocolate Cake: I sniffed this side by side with Raspberry Zinger, they smell almost identical. I didn't get any chocolate notes from this, it was just a little sweeter than the Raspberry Zinger, but not much different.

Sticky Peppermint Snowball: Nice sweet minty scent. Too bad it turned sour on me. But if you're looking for a unique mint scent for the winter, try this.

Sweet Pumpkin Chai Latte: I think this one was my favorite from this order, at least on cold sniff. It smells just like a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice latte. On me it smells very similar to Pumpkin Pie a la mode, but as it dries down a bit more I get the coffee notes. It seems to take a while for them to show up on my skin. Who knows, maybe I'll get both this and the Pumpkin Pie a la Mode!

Winter Wonderland Cake: This was so sad. It smells great in the container and lousy on me. It's mint mixed with a fresh baked cake, crisp but also sweet. But it was truly nauseating on me. Damn body chemistry.

BI
Pumpkin Pie: Delicious! Perfect pumpkin pie. On my skin the pie crust note comes out more but it's still lovely and not overly spicy. Will definitely reorder.

Pizzelle Cookies: This killed me - smelled very close to pizzelles, but on me, as I had feared, it was all anise. I don't particularly care for that scent so I'm getting rid of this.

Samples of lotions in Pumpkin Pancakes and Sweet and Nutty were included with my order. Pumpkin Pancakes is excellent in the container but had the worst drydown on me. Sweet and Nutty just didn't appeal to me at all so I didn't even try it on, not a big nut scent fan.