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. :)
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
More treats from Lipglossina!
I met up with her about a month ago and she gave me a big bag full of goodies to try, mostly Coconut Hut.
I received Polynesian Poi-Fection shea cream in the following scents:
Almond Coconut Milk - Oooh, this is lovely. I got addicted to Laura Mercier's Almond Coconut perfume over the summer when I bought her body bronzing makeup that is scented with it. Lena's version is a dead-on dupe (I dare say it's a little better than the original!) and better quality than Laura Mercier's moisturizers.
Honey I Shunk the Kids - I think this is meant to be a dupe of Lush's Honey I Washed the Kids. I never smelled the original so I can't compare, but so far it smells clean and fruity at the same time. I think I want to try Lush's version before I decide whether I like this or not!
Pink Almond Stardust - This is similar to Almond Coconut Milk, but with a hint of sweetness. Normally I steer clear of any scent that has "pink" in it, as it's too sweet for me, but this is amazing. It goes well with the Laura Mercier Almond Coconut perfume, but I'd like to layer it with the CH perfume in this scent too!
Pink Vanilla Mist - This is nice in the jar - fresh and sweet - but on my skin it turned to this weird herbally scent, with a little bit of spice (?). Strange. Oh well.
Lipglossina also bestowed a full-size Bobbi Brown Beach body spray, which I will no doubt use all of next summer, as well as a full-size bottle of Bliss Lid and Lash wash - this is an excellent makeup remover for my sensitive eyes, and it works equally well as a brush cleaner. Oh, and a small jar of Kate Somerville peptide moisturizing cream, which I have yet to try.
I received Polynesian Poi-Fection shea cream in the following scents:
Almond Coconut Milk - Oooh, this is lovely. I got addicted to Laura Mercier's Almond Coconut perfume over the summer when I bought her body bronzing makeup that is scented with it. Lena's version is a dead-on dupe (I dare say it's a little better than the original!) and better quality than Laura Mercier's moisturizers.
Honey I Shunk the Kids - I think this is meant to be a dupe of Lush's Honey I Washed the Kids. I never smelled the original so I can't compare, but so far it smells clean and fruity at the same time. I think I want to try Lush's version before I decide whether I like this or not!
Pink Almond Stardust - This is similar to Almond Coconut Milk, but with a hint of sweetness. Normally I steer clear of any scent that has "pink" in it, as it's too sweet for me, but this is amazing. It goes well with the Laura Mercier Almond Coconut perfume, but I'd like to layer it with the CH perfume in this scent too!
Pink Vanilla Mist - This is nice in the jar - fresh and sweet - but on my skin it turned to this weird herbally scent, with a little bit of spice (?). Strange. Oh well.
Lipglossina also bestowed a full-size Bobbi Brown Beach body spray, which I will no doubt use all of next summer, as well as a full-size bottle of Bliss Lid and Lash wash - this is an excellent makeup remover for my sensitive eyes, and it works equally well as a brush cleaner. Oh, and a small jar of Kate Somerville peptide moisturizing cream, which I have yet to try.
Monday, June 08, 2009
CH order
Been a long time since I've ordered e-tailer goodies - I just have so much I needed to slow down! But I couldn't resist a small sample order from Coconut Hut, plus I was out of my beloved Island Coconut shea creme. Here's what I got, all in the Polynesian Poi-fection shea creme:
Banana Mango Smoothie - I've been wanting a good banana scent for a while. Previously I had no interest in it, but for some reason last summer I decided I wanted to smell like a delicious banana coconut drink. This is delicious in the jar, but I seem to have misplaced the sample and can't try it on! If I find it I'll update this entry.
Coconut Goddess - This is a blend of Beach Goddess and Coconut Milk. Unfortunately this just went musty on me. I also didn't think it was that great in the container - other coconut scents like Diamond Coconut, Virgin Coconut and Island Coconut are superior.
Frozen Pineapple Crush - I smell a nice combination of pineapple and lime, heavier on the lime. While it wasn't great on my skin in this formula, I could definitely see this working better in a perfume.
Mango Colada - I was hoping for a pina colada scent with a touch of mango. Instead I got a generic fruity scent with a very faint touch of coconut. It was even worse on my skin.
On Cloud Lime - Love this! Delicious blend of coconut and very tart lime. The coconut really balances it out nicely. I'd love this in a perfume in addition to a moisturizer.
Tangerine Coco Smoothie - I didn't like this in the jar or on me. Sickly sweet and generally just off.
I also went digging around my closet in an effort to declutter and came across some random CH samples that had accumulated.
Cabana Boy (souffle) - I'd describe this as barely there banana. In the jar it's like it can't decide whether it wants to be fruity or a regular banana scent - the notes are fighting rather than harmonizing. On my skin it was a very faint, not-so-exciting banana scent. If you want a good yummy tropical banana scent check out the aforementioned Banana Mango Smoothie.
Fuzzy Blue Bunny (shea creme) - This was just way too juvenile for me, and this is coming from someone who loves to smell like chocolate or strawberries or some other equally child-like scent! It smells exactly like Bubblicious gum, very fake and artificial. Just not for me. I do think that if you have little ones they would love this.
Hawaiian Luau (souffle) - In the jar this is a nice basic fruity scent. It didn't really wow me though. Oddly enough it didn't turn on my skin. It's one of those scents that may be better layered with the perfume as well as the moisturizer.
Kauai Splash Cooler (shea creme) - Eh. Not great in the jar and certainly not good on my skin. Another generic fruity scent.
Mango White Grapefruit (shea creme) - I wanted to love this but on my skin it went musty! In the jar it's a lovely mix of mango and grapefruit. The grapefruit is nice and tart but muted by the sweetness of the mango.
Banana Mango Smoothie - I've been wanting a good banana scent for a while. Previously I had no interest in it, but for some reason last summer I decided I wanted to smell like a delicious banana coconut drink. This is delicious in the jar, but I seem to have misplaced the sample and can't try it on! If I find it I'll update this entry.
Coconut Goddess - This is a blend of Beach Goddess and Coconut Milk. Unfortunately this just went musty on me. I also didn't think it was that great in the container - other coconut scents like Diamond Coconut, Virgin Coconut and Island Coconut are superior.
Frozen Pineapple Crush - I smell a nice combination of pineapple and lime, heavier on the lime. While it wasn't great on my skin in this formula, I could definitely see this working better in a perfume.
Mango Colada - I was hoping for a pina colada scent with a touch of mango. Instead I got a generic fruity scent with a very faint touch of coconut. It was even worse on my skin.
On Cloud Lime - Love this! Delicious blend of coconut and very tart lime. The coconut really balances it out nicely. I'd love this in a perfume in addition to a moisturizer.
Tangerine Coco Smoothie - I didn't like this in the jar or on me. Sickly sweet and generally just off.
I also went digging around my closet in an effort to declutter and came across some random CH samples that had accumulated.
Cabana Boy (souffle) - I'd describe this as barely there banana. In the jar it's like it can't decide whether it wants to be fruity or a regular banana scent - the notes are fighting rather than harmonizing. On my skin it was a very faint, not-so-exciting banana scent. If you want a good yummy tropical banana scent check out the aforementioned Banana Mango Smoothie.
Fuzzy Blue Bunny (shea creme) - This was just way too juvenile for me, and this is coming from someone who loves to smell like chocolate or strawberries or some other equally child-like scent! It smells exactly like Bubblicious gum, very fake and artificial. Just not for me. I do think that if you have little ones they would love this.
Hawaiian Luau (souffle) - In the jar this is a nice basic fruity scent. It didn't really wow me though. Oddly enough it didn't turn on my skin. It's one of those scents that may be better layered with the perfume as well as the moisturizer.
Kauai Splash Cooler (shea creme) - Eh. Not great in the jar and certainly not good on my skin. Another generic fruity scent.
Mango White Grapefruit (shea creme) - I wanted to love this but on my skin it went musty! In the jar it's a lovely mix of mango and grapefruit. The grapefruit is nice and tart but muted by the sweetness of the mango.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
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.
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.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
IoE sale order
I can't remember which sale this was but it was a good one! Either 30 or 40% off and $2 shipping. IoE's turnaround time has greatly improved, I actually got this less than a month after I ordered (would have posted sooner but wanted to wait for things to cure.)
A Night to Remember - Wow, my first IoE scrub! The texture is perfect for me - very scrubby and not oily at all. However, I was disappointed with the scent. It didn't smell very peachy, just kind of a vague champagne scent (it was supposed to be a blend of peach and champagne.)
Blackberry Buttercream - Note to self: as with the raspberry, IoE's blackberry note is totally off. Very fake and weird. I tried letting it cure for about a month but to no avail.
Butterscotch Buttercream - Got this in the Baby Kisses body glaze. It's heavier on the buttercream than the butterscotch, but it's a really nice blend. Too bad it turned on me.
Butterscotch Daquiri - I got this in a roll-on. It's absolutely divine in the container - a delicious but not overly sweet butterscotch candy, like a Lifesaver - but on my skin it just went musty. Sigh.
Frosted Blackberry Marshmallows - See the Blackberry Buttercream entry above. I will say that the marshmallow component was really nice.
Frosted Strawberry Snowshake Cocktail - I was so upset I only got a body butter in this - it's divine!!! I managed to swap for a dream cream but I would love to have a body mist or perfume in it. It's a lovely strawberry with just a hint of sweetness - similar to BBW Frozen Strawberry Dacquiri (which I love and the IoE butter layers so nicely with the body splash) but not as sweet. Must order more strawberry scents!
A Night to Remember - Wow, my first IoE scrub! The texture is perfect for me - very scrubby and not oily at all. However, I was disappointed with the scent. It didn't smell very peachy, just kind of a vague champagne scent (it was supposed to be a blend of peach and champagne.)
Blackberry Buttercream - Note to self: as with the raspberry, IoE's blackberry note is totally off. Very fake and weird. I tried letting it cure for about a month but to no avail.
Butterscotch Buttercream - Got this in the Baby Kisses body glaze. It's heavier on the buttercream than the butterscotch, but it's a really nice blend. Too bad it turned on me.
Butterscotch Daquiri - I got this in a roll-on. It's absolutely divine in the container - a delicious but not overly sweet butterscotch candy, like a Lifesaver - but on my skin it just went musty. Sigh.
Frosted Blackberry Marshmallows - See the Blackberry Buttercream entry above. I will say that the marshmallow component was really nice.
Frosted Strawberry Snowshake Cocktail - I was so upset I only got a body butter in this - it's divine!!! I managed to swap for a dream cream but I would love to have a body mist or perfume in it. It's a lovely strawberry with just a hint of sweetness - similar to BBW Frozen Strawberry Dacquiri (which I love and the IoE butter layers so nicely with the body splash) but not as sweet. Must order more strawberry scents!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
small CH order
I felt like I needed a little pick-me-up in February so I got a body butter sample pack from Coconut Hut.
Caramel Chews - I was so excited to try this in the butter after seeing how great the scrub was, but it didn't agree with me. I don't know why all caramel scents turn on me! It just smelled like overly sweet syrup.
Citrus Berry Mimosa- Ick. Just a generic, artificial fruit scent both in the container and on my skin.
Cupcake Icing - Totally yummy in the container. On my skin it wasn't as good but not bad either, so I'm still on the fence.
Lena also threw in a sample of Chocolate Seashell Beach. All I smell is chocolate, and on my skin it smells just like BI's Hot Cocoa. It's good scent to keep in mind for next winter if I just want a plain chocolate scent and run out of my BI fluff, but overall it's not a unique scent.
Caramel Chews - I was so excited to try this in the butter after seeing how great the scrub was, but it didn't agree with me. I don't know why all caramel scents turn on me! It just smelled like overly sweet syrup.
Citrus Berry Mimosa- Ick. Just a generic, artificial fruit scent both in the container and on my skin.
Cupcake Icing - Totally yummy in the container. On my skin it wasn't as good but not bad either, so I'm still on the fence.
Lena also threw in a sample of Chocolate Seashell Beach. All I smell is chocolate, and on my skin it smells just like BI's Hot Cocoa. It's good scent to keep in mind for next winter if I just want a plain chocolate scent and run out of my BI fluff, but overall it's not a unique scent.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
IoE holiday scents, part 2
I placed another IoE order in December and was happy to see my order arrive within a month, so Alexa's TAT has really improved.
Butterscotch Eggnog - So disappointed, as this is totally scrumptious in both a dream cream and perfume. Alas it went funny on my skin. It's definitely heavier on the butterscotch than the eggnog, which is fine by me.
Key Lime Baby - From what I remember when I smelled it on cold sniff, this is a great lime. It's got a touch of sweetness to it that isn't cloying - sort of smells like lime candy. Unfortunately it seems to have vanished into the black hole that is my closet. I guess with all the various e-tailer products I have lying around it got lost in the shuffle...hopefully I'll find it soon and see if it works on me.
Peppermint Bark - I got this in a roll-on. This is yummy but not so much on my skin. It's heavy on the chocolate and very sweet.
Raspberry Kisses - Note to self: never order anything from IoE with a raspberry note in it ever again. The chocolate was fine but the raspberry was really artificial and gross. I got this in a body mist but I doubt it would make a difference in another formula.
Sunny Mango'ed Coconut Bliss- This is great! The mango actually smells pretty true and it's mixed with a hint of coconut. Really delicious. I can't wait to wear this in the summer. Too bad it was LE and I only have the body mist...I'd love to get my hands on a moisturizer!
I also got a couple backups of my favorite IoE scent, the Green Coconut. I was so pleased to see Alexa bring it back to the scent list for a little while.
Butterscotch Eggnog - So disappointed, as this is totally scrumptious in both a dream cream and perfume. Alas it went funny on my skin. It's definitely heavier on the butterscotch than the eggnog, which is fine by me.
Key Lime Baby - From what I remember when I smelled it on cold sniff, this is a great lime. It's got a touch of sweetness to it that isn't cloying - sort of smells like lime candy. Unfortunately it seems to have vanished into the black hole that is my closet. I guess with all the various e-tailer products I have lying around it got lost in the shuffle...hopefully I'll find it soon and see if it works on me.
Peppermint Bark - I got this in a roll-on. This is yummy but not so much on my skin. It's heavy on the chocolate and very sweet.
Raspberry Kisses - Note to self: never order anything from IoE with a raspberry note in it ever again. The chocolate was fine but the raspberry was really artificial and gross. I got this in a body mist but I doubt it would make a difference in another formula.
Sunny Mango'ed Coconut Bliss- This is great! The mango actually smells pretty true and it's mixed with a hint of coconut. Really delicious. I can't wait to wear this in the summer. Too bad it was LE and I only have the body mist...I'd love to get my hands on a moisturizer!
I also got a couple backups of my favorite IoE scent, the Green Coconut. I was so pleased to see Alexa bring it back to the scent list for a little while.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
TBDS order
I had been meaning to order from The Body Dessert Shop for a while so I finally took the plunge on December 1. I got my order within 3 weeks, which is pretty good considering the last few times I ordered it took twice that amount of time. Unfortunately most of the scents really didn't work for me. Plus I'm not sure how crazy I am about the formulas of either the lotion or butter, so this may have been my last order from TBDS.
Caramel Candies - This didn't smell anything like caramel, just kind of a vague bakery scent. On my skin it wasn't bad but not great either, and since it's not the caramel I'm looking for, up for swap it goes.
Caramel Crunch - Not crazy about this. I swear it has some kind of weird perfumey note to it, not caramel to my nose at all. Oh well.
Creed Virgin Island Water dupe - I was so excited to try this as TBDS is the only e-tailer who offers a dupe of this scent, but it was way off. Not even remotely close to the original. Oh well.
Rich Caramel Creme Icing - I didn't even try this on. It smells really weird, just a strange sweet scent without any caramel or icing.
The World's Greatest Marshmallow - I have to say I don't agree with this scent's name. While it's not bad, CH's Who Likes Marshmallow is a tiny bit truer and lasts longer.
Vanilla Nog - This is actually pretty good in the container. It's heavier on the vanilla so the spice in the eggnog is very mild. On my skin it smelled like spicy pumpkin pie. It's not bad but it wasn't the nice creamy eggnog I was hoping for.
Caramel Candies - This didn't smell anything like caramel, just kind of a vague bakery scent. On my skin it wasn't bad but not great either, and since it's not the caramel I'm looking for, up for swap it goes.
Caramel Crunch - Not crazy about this. I swear it has some kind of weird perfumey note to it, not caramel to my nose at all. Oh well.
Creed Virgin Island Water dupe - I was so excited to try this as TBDS is the only e-tailer who offers a dupe of this scent, but it was way off. Not even remotely close to the original. Oh well.
Rich Caramel Creme Icing - I didn't even try this on. It smells really weird, just a strange sweet scent without any caramel or icing.
The World's Greatest Marshmallow - I have to say I don't agree with this scent's name. While it's not bad, CH's Who Likes Marshmallow is a tiny bit truer and lasts longer.
Vanilla Nog - This is actually pretty good in the container. It's heavier on the vanilla so the spice in the eggnog is very mild. On my skin it smelled like spicy pumpkin pie. It's not bad but it wasn't the nice creamy eggnog I was hoping for.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
IoE holiday order
I couldn't resist IoE's holiday scents. The TAT was cut in half - I got my order within a month! Too bad none of the scents agreed with me.
Roll-ons:
Christmas Java - I'm not quite sure what I was thinking when I ordered this. For some reason a combination of coffee, orange and mint appealed to me, but the blend was horrific to my nose. All the notes clashed and frankly, I found it nauseating.
Eggnog Latte - I had such high hopes for this but it was just a plain coffee scent. I smell no eggnog whatsoever. While it's a decent coffee scent it was absolutely gross on my skin.
Gingerbread Milkshake - Yikes, I didn't even try this on. It wasn't the nice creamy gingerbread I was hoping for, just a weird, sour, weak spicy scent.
Pumpkin Marshmallow Frap - this is okay in the container, a nice blend of pumpkin and coffee, although I don't get any marshmallow. On my skin it was all spice. Sigh.
I also got dream creams in Eggnog Latte and Pumpkin Marshmallow Frap. Sadly on my skin they were no better in that form than they were in the roll-on.
This order was a bust but I'm hoping my next IoE order that I'm currently waiting on (with different holiday scents) will be better!
Roll-ons:
Christmas Java - I'm not quite sure what I was thinking when I ordered this. For some reason a combination of coffee, orange and mint appealed to me, but the blend was horrific to my nose. All the notes clashed and frankly, I found it nauseating.
Eggnog Latte - I had such high hopes for this but it was just a plain coffee scent. I smell no eggnog whatsoever. While it's a decent coffee scent it was absolutely gross on my skin.
Gingerbread Milkshake - Yikes, I didn't even try this on. It wasn't the nice creamy gingerbread I was hoping for, just a weird, sour, weak spicy scent.
Pumpkin Marshmallow Frap - this is okay in the container, a nice blend of pumpkin and coffee, although I don't get any marshmallow. On my skin it was all spice. Sigh.
I also got dream creams in Eggnog Latte and Pumpkin Marshmallow Frap. Sadly on my skin they were no better in that form than they were in the roll-on.
This order was a bust but I'm hoping my next IoE order that I'm currently waiting on (with different holiday scents) will be better!
Friday, December 28, 2007
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. :)
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. :)
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!
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