Chocolate Cherries Allamanda

Haus of Gloi's Boreal perfume oil review

2012-02-08T01:29:00.000-08:00

I'm extremely late for this post (as usual), but I'm loving the heck out of this perfume and I just had to share it.

I've placed orders for some favourite things from the Valentine's Day collection of HOG and SS & I will try to review everything before their Spring Collections come out. xD

Boreal
Pale lily, South African eucalyptus, white champa, petitgrain, white grapefruit, rosemary and a bit of white cocoa co2 to take off the bite.

The very first ingredient on the list got me. I love lilies. I'm powerless against lilies. Help me.

(Pretty much also pourquoi I ordered a full bottle of Odette, unsniffed. I read the words GINGER LILY and I went OOOOOH. Help me seriously.)

But anyway, Boreal.

It starts off extremely sharp, bright and citrusy. I'm not going to hide it, I was slightly taken aback. Forgive me, I was expecting lilies.

It's an interesting citrus though, very heavy on the grapefruit and petitgrain but there's a certain herbaceous twist to it. The rosemary and eucalyptus medley.

However, they come out of hiding behind the citrus in a while and give this gorgeously lush green tapestry, that slowly, the lily creeps onto.

The lily startled me well. I was sorta scoffing at the description 'pale lily' but that's exactly what it is.

This silvery, ghostly light lily that floats swiftly but surely over the herbs and fading citrus, barely untangling itself from the white champa. I don't really pick up the cocoa until the very end, a light sweet end to a gorgeous perfume.

I won't lie, it's not a perfume that catches you from first whiff, the green citrus might be mildly unsettling. But somehow, I've felt more from this perfume than the Litchi Milk Tea/Honeysuckle Lemon Curd/White Raspberry sweet juices from HOG.

Don't get me wrong, they're lovely but I don't wear them as much as I've been wearing Boreal. It's apparently a lovely forest somewhere in Canada and it certainly smells like it.

Fresh and sunny with a refreshing splash of citrus fading into an evening of rosemary and eucalyptus. At night, silvery lilies and champa come out, making the cold air, fragrant with remnants of petitgrain and rosemary, even more surreal.

It really smells like a realistic forest; the day breaking with a sweetness strangely welcome after a long night.

~~~

I don't know when this fragrance is going to come back. But I really hope that somehow it sticks around. It's definitely not a scent that everyone would fall for instantly or otherwise, but that's probably why I did.

Discussion: Hair Care (Part 1)

2012-01-21T23:55:00.000-08:00

This probably won't come as a surprise to you all but I'm the kinda girl who sprays perfume in her hair almost everyday.

I don't swim that often now, though I spend quite a bit of time in the sun but I don't really need anything else to justify why taking care of my hair is so important, the perfume fact screams it already. x)

To me, I see nothing wrong with spraying perfume in my hair since it's a lovely way to make scents last longer and gives you wonderful little whiffs every now and then.

But yes, the alcohol is rather drying, so I make it up by using a type of shampoo and conditioner that suits me well (I love Herbal Essences, the hydration and silky straight ones), along with a plethora of almost paranoid hair care products, which I shall share today. \^^/

Oshima Tsubaki Camellia Hair Care oil

One of my newest favourites; 100% camellia oil.

It's rather scentless and super rich + silky. It can be pretty much used for anything hair related. You can;

~Rub a few drops (and I really mean a few. Like 2 or 3. Or even just 1, if you have short hair) into dry hair, for instant taming of stray strands and silky smooth texture.

~Use it as a hair mask (I haven't tried this but I so totally plan to). You could heat it up gently or just use it straight by applying a generous amount and wrapping your hair with a hot towel. Then you wait and shampoo it off, I guess.

~It's also awesome as a heat shield, when you want to blow dry your hair. I would apply a few drops to wet hair before blow drying it for extra protection.

**I try not to blow dry my hair too often, but sometimes, coming home late after karate training, does not really leave much choice xD This is a really nice way to get your hair dry quickly without frying anything.

~The tiny booklet it came with also mentioned that it's awesome for hair styling and using it as scalp nourishment (though I've never tried this. Might, someday.)

And since the only ingredient in here is camellia oil, it can also be used on skin (mix it with your favourite moisturizer) or do what I would, pour some into a delicious steaming bath.

Silicone serums

One thing all these serums have in common? Their main ingredient is silicone and they all smell freaking awesome. xD These are my 3 favourites.

The Herbal Essences Smooth Lovin' serum has a yummy tropical fruit scent and really works at smoothening hair and getting rid of frizz.

The Essential Nuance Airy one is my second bottle of this. It has a generic girly fragrance that I really like and a super light texture but lasting properties. I definitely prefer it to its orange counterpart (that one was a lot thicker.)

The last one, Frizz Be Gone anti frizz hair serum from Giovanni was kind of an impulse buy but the scent's extremely nice and it works well too. I think this one contains the most amount of plant extracts though with all the natural-ness, it should be used up quickly.

***

However, when all is said and done, silicone serums don't do much but provide temporary manageability, which to be honest, sometimes that's just what I need, but to get further conditioning properties, hair masks and proper serums should be used. (ANOTHER POST! ^^)

And, bear in mind when using silicone based hair serums, repeated usage can cause build up of gunk in your hair (which is why I use them so slowly and in small amounts) and hence, a clarifying shampoo should be used to get it all out.

I don't know if it was meant to be a clarifying shampoo or not, but I really love LUSH's Cynthia Sylvia Stout shampoo for this purpose, it works like one. =D

It has a really nice, distinct scent (like beer?) and it doesn't lather much but you can really feel it cleaning your hair.

I received it as a gift, along with the American Cream, which makes my hair super super soft, BUT not silky, shiny or smooth. I think it works best as a hair mask (ie. slather loads on and leave for a bit), as opposed to a rinse off conditioner but the softness it imparts really makes using it worth it. ^^

I wouldn't exactly run out to buy either product myself (hmm...maybe just the shampoo) but I think that these are lovely for use once in a while.

~~~

So there you have it. ^^ Hair care post part 1. Maybe a skin care/fragrance one next? ;)

All love,
Alethea

Penhaligon's Lily and Spice perfume

2012-01-18T00:26:00.000-08:00

Greetings world. x)

I stopped by Penhaligon's at ION Orchard a while back, which opened an even longer time ago.

It's an extremely quaint and British store. I've been to a few of the ones in London and I would think they all possess the same vibe. But the one at Orchard is definitely the largest I've seen xD

It was an extreme coincidence that the perfume I wanted most (LILY AND SPICE) was on sale at a 75% discount. I bought my bottle at SGD$45 (\^^/) I think the larger one is $62.

I initially chose the smaller bottle because I wasn't supposed to be buying perfume until I promised myself I finished a bottle in my collection (but in all defence that said bottle's nearly done now, I've been wearing it everyday) and now I'm thinking maybe I should've gotten the large instead. It's. So. Good.

It came in this pretty box. Those long stalks swirling around the crest are lilies (Madonna or casablanca ones?) and they're gorgeously done.

The scent itself is so realistically beautiful; like you've just put your nose into a pristine glass vase of white lilies.

The other notes/spices (ie. saffron, patchouli, pepper and clove) aren't as obvious as the lilies. They're aren't so much spicy as they are earthy and they just enhance the realistic edge to this scent, like these blossoms were freshly plucked and bottled immediately.

They really ground the beautiful blooms and sometimes, when I catch a whiff of it whilst wearing it, it can smell like rain and wet lilies and I adore it.

Coming home with my purchase I went online and was pretty much heartbroken to read this scent is being discontinued (though I suspected something like it, what with the 75% sale) and now I'm seriously thinking about the large bottle.

It's a gorgeous ethereal yet heady perfume that paints such a vivid and real picture of the beautiful flowers, it's such a shame to let go.

I LOVE spraying this on my jeans the night before and once again the morning I'm wearing them. I did that this morning (at around 8am) and now, at 6.30pm, I'm still smelling like I've secretly concealed a big lush bouquet of lilies somewhere on me.

It also gives the same lovely effect when sprayed in my hair (like I do with most of my perfumes). Hidden lilies somewhere.

This is my first purchase from Penhaligon's but it's definitely not the last I want to try. I'm absolutely lusting for a bottle of Amaranthine (sniffed it London and fell in love xD)

The sales girl kindly gave me 2 new samples (AND THEY ARE LARGE ONES XD) but she said they didn't have any of Amaranthine. T.T

All in all it's a wonderful scent, tears for the discontinuation but hopes for a lot more nicer ones. ^^

All love,
Alethea

Christmas Wish List

2011-11-27T22:22:00.000-08:00

Heyy all. x) My tests are coming in a week and so I thought I'd blog to relieve some stress. And throw some hints as subtle as a few blazing cannon balls.

I thought I'd show some of the things I think would be pretty freaking awesome presents this Christmas.

Many different things from my favourite brands. Perfect for this girl called Alethea*. ;)

Solstice Scents Roasted Chestnuts and Marshmallow Home Fragrance oil

I adore this fragrance. It's sweet, nutty and creamy in all the right ways and it dries down into this warm cinnamon reminiscent scent.

Needless to say, even though I know that it's going to make me endlessly hungry, I want this because...becauseee....well. xD

Haus of Gloi Sweet Potato Treat Pumpkin Butter

"For me, this is the epitome of holiday comfort food: Sweet potatoes with mild spices, butter and brown sugar baked off with marshmallows"

I made the mistake of reading the description when I was hungry and ordered a full bottle of the oil not long after. I haven't received it but it sounds wonderful, sweet, spicy and creamy, just perfect for the holidays.

It's always risky buying full size perfumes online blind but sweet potatoes and marshmallows, what could go wrong?

And for the pumpkin butter, maybe I shouldn't actually get it. Fighting the urge to eat everything isn't very pleasant.

OKOK NO MORE FOOD STUFF.

I'm going to distract you all with this beautiful picture of a Jo Malone environment.

~~Of a table that's going to serve FOOOOD x(~~

Isn't it lovely? ^^ Which brings me to;

JO MALONE CHRISTMAS COLLECTION

They don't have any limited edition scents but lots of wonderful collections instead.

I'm really thinking about the Pampering Collection containing the

~Pomegranate Noir candle
~Red Roses bath oil
~English Pear and Freesia body cream

Imagine all those, a cold night and a bath tub + chocolates and a good book. AHHHH xD

Diptyque Baies candle

I'm really into the perfumes from Diptyque (have reviewed them too) and I really want to try the candles, they're so famous for.

Baies would probably be the one I'd like to start with as I really liked L'ombre dans L'eau and it would make my room smell awesome without making me hungry. Score.

Ormonde Jayne Frangipani bath oil

I adore the scent of frangipani and I especially like Ormonde Jayne's rendition.

Imagining sinking into a warm creamy bath emanating the scent of a thousand frangipani petals would be more lovely than I could ever say. Ormonde Jayne's version gives a sparkling lime top note before yielding a creamy soft floral scent I LOVE.

I just got the EDP and I think the bathing oil would match perfectly. x)

Frederic Malle L'eau d'hiver

Smelled it at Liberty. Fell in love.

Probably the perfume I would love most to own but not to buy (It's Frederic Malle, look at the price) but it's a gorgeous, ethereally floating scent of honey, milk and florals, I would totally adore in the winter.

It needs it's own review seriously, I'm not doing it justice.

*Okay, even though I've been hinting like there's no tomorrow and I hope you already know this, I just have to say that I don't actually expect anyone to send me any of these (unless I actually know you) because it would just probably freak me out.

No, really it actually will.

Soo lots of love for you guys and have wonderful daydreams of Christmas while I jump back into my pile of notes. You know how it seems like I'm forever having tests? Yeah, it does to me too. xD

Lovee
Alethea

Solstice Scents Autumn + Gourmand Collection reviews

2011-11-08T05:28:00.000-08:00

Solstice Scents Autumn + Gourmand Collection

Hey everyone, I know I'm so late on the scene for these scents but Angela still has them up, if you want to grab things the last minute (like I probably will) ^^ x)

I'll be reviewing

~Manor
~Thornwood Thicket
~Foxcroft
~Witch's Cottage
~Black Mallow
~Blueberry Muffin Batter
~Blackburn Farmstead

Thornwood Thicket

Sugared Blackberries, Black Agarwood, Aloeswood, Sweet and Smokey Guaiacwood & Amber

An impenetrable entanglement of thick brambles and dangerously sharp thorny branches housing large sweet blackberries that are practically to the bursting point of ripeness. The scent is that of a sweet blackberry paired with exotic incensey woods. The dry down smells like a wonderful dark berry incense!

It was one of the scents I was most apprehensive for; blackberries and woods aren't the usual notes I'd pick for a usual scent but I definitely wanted to try Angela's version so well.

From the vial and wet on the skin, it's berry. Heaps and piles of juicy blackberries with a few crushed due to transportation from bush to basket. It's mildly sweet but undeniably tart and there's a hint of woods, perhaps a faraway forest, a small indication of where these berries came from.

Once the scent dries and settles on my skin, the forest is more apparent, still hidden by the blackberries but you know it's there definitely. I find that the agarwood and amber give of a mildly musky skin scent that would be absolutely delicious on a guy.

It's definitely unisex but it would be one of the most interesting scents for men I've come across, it's deep and gorgeous;

Smelling just like one returning at dusky sunset, when the sky has nuances of pink and orange but is predominantly purple, after spending a day in a bramble forest, carefully maneuvering through thorns and branches and swallowing ripe blackberries as you find them, juice staining clothes and fingers, taste still on your tongue.

Foxcroft

Ozone, Rustling Leaves, Rich Black Soil, Chimney Smoke & Woods

If you've ever wished to literally bathe in the essence of a late-afternoon Autumn day, Foxcroft is for you. An incredible blend of ozone, rich black soil, rustling leaves and chimney smoke.

Foxcroft was inspired by a beautiful quaint small town in Maine. All notes in this blend are brand new to the shop.

If someone told me I was going to use the word 'FRESH' to describe a scent that encapsulates autumn, I'd ask how it's possible. Fall is supposed to smell like pumpkins, sweetness and spices. Duh.

But Foxcroft doesn't. And I haven't came across any other scent that's an autumn afternoon in a vial. I stand corrected.

Because IT IS FRESH. Like autumn winds as crisp as biting into an apple. Like a drizzle light enough to ignore, walking through a grove of scarlets, ambers, canary yellows, bronze and crimson with a real cottage (the sort out of storybooks) ahead in the distance, puffing sweet smoke.

It's also beautiful, we don't get autumn here in Singapore but with this scent I can't complain about missing out much. It has the greeness of unripe pumpkins yet the warmth of a smoke of a chimney. So different but it works so well.

The scent morphs beautifully and soon, it's like daydreaming in a pumpkin patch next to a cottage after the avenue of multicoloured leaves, fresh earth and smokey nuances with traces of wood lingering from the beautiful fire coloured trees around.

Manor

Woody-Vanilla Musk, Vanilla Accord, Glorious Black Agarwood & Exquisite Aloeswood

Manor is the scent of a once grand estate, now disheveled, forgotten and left exposed to the elements. The faint scent of previous owners and their esteemed guests - exquisitely perfumed ladies mingling with the intense rich and musky scent of smartly dressed gentlemen - meets rich wood floors and heavy wooden doors long since opened, decaying beadboard and Wainscot topped off with a thin layer of dust. It is very sophisticated and absolutely intoxicating.

The scent is sweet, woody and incensey. The black agarwood is literally to die for. On initial application and coldsniff, the agar and aloeswood are a little stronger than they are on the dry down. Manor settles down wonderfully. After hours on the skin it does smell much sweeter due to the vanillas, though the woody/incense element is still detectable.

I've always wanted to know how agarwood smells like. It's rare and it's gorgeous was pretty much what I've been told besides the fact that extremely pure and true oils are hard to come by.

Imagine my delight when I saw this scent description. I'm not into woody scents per se but Manor I had to try just to smell the agarwood/oudh.

It smells strongly like fragrant wood and incense in the opening. It's deep and as beautiful as a forgotten antebellum home.

It's rather hard for me to describe as it's really one of those scents you need firsthand sensory experience for and my laptop doesn't transmit smells (booo invent something already) because even though it takes the linear woody-vanilla path, there's something about it, maybe the trees lining that route, rendering the scent extra haunting and strangely comforting.

Another stunning scent; darkly ethereal like donning a gossamer light shawl in a blacker shade of dark.

Witch Cottage

Warm Baked Goods, Dried Herbs, Sweet Annie, Soft Woods & Fragrant Hearth Smoke

NOT TO BE USED BY WOMEN WHO ARE PREGNANT OR NURSING OR THOSE PRONE TO HAYFEVER (CONTAINS CHAMOMILE EO).

Upon entering the Witch's Cottage you are greeted with fresh and dried herbs, chamomile flowers, rosemary sprigs, Sweet Annie, Davana and a hint of crisp apples. A warm undercurrent of luscious baked goods, sweet buns and candied pralines emerges and is followed by mild fragrant woods and sweet hearth smoke. Witch's Cottage fragrance is a true journey with loads of atmosphere.

Straight out of the vial, this scent reminded me so much of Rice Pudding and Rum Soaked Raisins (the same saltiness, not that they smell similar in any way) and just like the description promises, it morphs so much.

Wet after application (there should be a rule that all bakeries smell like this; rich, buttery pastries; dough-y and mouth-watering), it conjures up a cottage kitchen with the occupant baking; the dough-y scent of salty fresh bread with piles of davana and artemisia spilled about the rolling pan and board, lending their green and sweetly spicy scent to the medley.

It then fades into a much sweeter scent, mildly fruity and reminding me a lot of those flaky pastries baked with brown sugar, butter and caramel, served with apple jam. And someone forgetting to clean up the spilled herbs. Mild smokey nuances, perhaps from the flames consuming the wood of the fireplace but nothing has caught fire, don't worry.

Just wait until the golden goodness comes out of the oven.

It's such a comforting and deliciously warm scent I would love to smell like but would love even more to flood my house with it (won't people think I'm such a hardworking baking fairy) but then again it's a scent that would make me hungry all the time and consume a lot more pastries than I'd permit myself to, so well.

Blueberry Muffin Batter

Plump Blueberries, Sweet Brown Sugar Crumb Topping, a Touch of Vanilla Bean, Liquid Cane Sugar & Batter

Blueberry Muffin Batter smells very sweet, with a clear brown sugar note and blueberry scent; it's a very warm fragrance. It starts off pretty strong with a sweet blueberry note combined with liquid cane sugar and a little brown sugar crumb on cold sniff and initial application. Give it a few minutes and the blueberry smooths out and the brown sugar begins to rise. The longer it is on the skin, the more delectable it becomes. The dry down is primarily a warm, sweet brown sugared batter with a touch of plump berries hovering in the background. It loves to be warmed up by your body heat. Yum! Contains vanilla absolute.

The description alone made me want to get a whole bottle (~~and drink it~~) but I kinda held off because a lot of blueberry scents I've tried smells like fake blueberry syrup though I really should've learnt to trust Angela by now, shouldn't I.

Either way this is a bottle of yumminess. Straight out of the vial, the blueberry note is strong and sweet, smelling like Tesco's blueberry muffins, I ate a lot of which in Oxford. xD

It could be a fake blueberry scent to some but it's perfectly fine to me (yes, I've tried many and this is definitely one of the better ones) and besides, it doesn't stay that distinct for long and it melts into a golden batter of brown sugar and vanilla essence.

This scent is another one that truly changes on skin. I find it smells sweeter with more emphasis on the vanilla/sugar when I apply it on my pulse points but either way, after the burst of blueberry fades, the sugary goodness of batter, sugar and vanilla is heavenly.

It wears like this for quite some time, (the brown sugar and vanilla mix is GORGEOUSSSS) and when it finally starts to fade after hours, a maple syrup reminiscent note ends this wonderful scent.

It's definitely one of my favourites of this collection (full bottle worthy for me), I don't exactly like discriminating scents between the masculine/feminine categories but unless a guy desires to smell like an extremely realistic rendition of licking a fingertip dipped in blueberry muffin batter, I'd recommend this for the girls.

Black Mallow

Marshmallow Infused With Star Anise Essence & Vanilla

Our beloved marshmallow infused with star anise essence and vanilla. Black licorice has a very distinct, dark, slightly spicy and very unique taste. The aroma of anise essential oil mirrors the taste experience of sinking your teeth into black licorice candies!

Exactly like a big fat juicy licorice jellybean. ^^

I never liked the taste of licorice but for some strange reason, I'm totally fine with the smell. Unfortunately since you can barely smell the jellybean without biting into it, anise wasn't something I sniffed a whole lot. x)

This perfume is scarily close to the scent of those black jellybeans from the vial and wet on skin, but the dry down is sweeter, creamier and wears quite closely to the skin.

However, as Angela's description states, the black anise oil's volatility doesn't make the perfume last for ages and indeed, it disappears from my skin a lot faster than other SS perfumes so you might want to take your bottle with you for touch ups if you wear this scent out.

It's a deep and dangerous scent, surprisingly so for something that, when all is said and done, smells like candy and while it's a scent I appreciate greatly, I don't see myself wearing it as much as the others.

Blackburn Farmstead

Blackberry Jam, Boysenberry Preserves, Vanilla Bean Accord, Creamy Vanilla & a Touch of Vanilla Musk

It is a blend heavy on rich vanilla (new to the shop, blended with a touch of the vanilla bean accord featured in some of our other offerings this season). The berries are primarily detected on cold sniff and initial application.

The perfume starts out with the delicious combination of berries laying on top of the gorgeous vanillas. The dry down is sweet and creamy vanillas in the foreground with a cool-toned blend of berries in the background, rounding out the vanilla.

Straight out of the vial, it's all juicy berries with a hint of cream. It stays like that wet on the skin, before developing into a richer, muskier kinda fruity sweet scent.

The vanilla is more apparent now but sadly, combined with the musk, it just doesn't seem to work on my skin. It goes into a more dusty sweet scent that's all dandy but barely anything like the start of the scent which I adore.

It could be backwards for some as a few friends liked the ending better than the start but I find it so hard to say goodbye to the cheerful burst of berries, splashing juice all over cold sweet cream.

A delicious scent in it's own right, I just wish it worked better on my skin.

~~~

And if you're still reading this, goody for you. ^^

This was written over a span of 3 days so I didn't even read it all at once. xD I'm signing off so as to not make an already long post even longer but will be back to squeal about the Winter collections (SS! HOG!) and a bunch of other random perfumes.

Til next time.

All love,
Alethea

Ormonde Jayne Champaca review

2011-10-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

A "tiny pale orange flower from India" is what this gorgeous golden stuff is based on and quite honestly, you don't get a perfume more fusion than this.

The champaca blossom is closely related to magnolias and while it doesn't have the intoxicatingly waxy white-floral scent of magnolias, it's blessed with a lighter and equally pretty one instead.

This Ormonde Jayne perfume contains notes of:

Top:Neroli, pink pepper and bamboo
Heart:Champaca and freesia absolutes, basmati notes
Base:Myrrh, green tea notes and musk

Which pretty much explains why on my first sniff of this, I vaguely recalled Bath and Body Work's Sheer Freesia but Champaca being a warmer, sweeter and definitely more complex version of it.

(I loved B&B's Sheer Freesia body mist in my younger days by the way, which perhaps explains why I'm so thrilled to be using Champaca now. I've grown up and so has my perfume. Awesomesauce.)

&I thought I'd show pictures unboxing the perfume, since it's my first (BUT DEFINITELY NOT LAST) from Ormonde Jayne.

The bottle's seriously safe in it's box, if you're wondering. (Not to mention gorgeous.)

I've brought it back to Singapore in my luggage with no worries whatsoever.

Champaca is definitely not an easy scent for me to describe.

I find it gorgeously girly with its light floral heart yet the greenness lent from the bamboo and green tea would make it beautiful on a man as well.

I think it’s cheerfully casual (considering how I’ve been wearing this scent to school these past few days) but I firmly believe you could dress it up and make it your secret weapon to a terribly posh wedding dinner.

It’s confusing in the most wonderful way possible.

It dances out of the bottle like liquefied sunshine, smelling like a field of lush champaca trees with their golden orange blossoms in full bloom. Take that and add a dust of pink pepper and a dribbling of freshly brewed fragrant green tea and you pretty much have the opening of this beautiful fragrance.

The dry down occurs in 2 stages (at least for me) and the first being a stunning floral heart of champaca absolute (yes, someone took those aforementioned blossoms and concentrated them, bless that person’s heart) and a mingling friendly freesia note, the kind of best friend that complements the scent without ever stealing the show.

The 2nd stage occurs after a few hours on me and it’s a rather milky sweet base of basmati rice; very creamy, mildly nutty (such an interesting combination in perfumery) and almost disturbingly delicious. It’s sweet, yes, but not the kinda saccharine one derives from hard boiled sugar candy but rather a glass of golden nectar.

This perfume is definitely unusual and it’s pretty much no wonder that I’ve been reaching for it every morning before school. It blooms as gorgeously as real champaca flowers would in Singapore’s heat and I find its lasting power pretty impressive (6-7 hours) in this kind of weather.

I love how it fuses both western perfumery and eastern/Asian ingredients creating a lovechild that is a rare polished gem in the perfume market. It’s definitely an immensely creative scent that wears so wonderfully and I definitely can see it as a permanent addition to my collection.

I adore this perfume so much and would definitely love to try more from the Ormonde Jayne line. (Psst I’ve just ordered Ormonde Woman online. You have no idea how much I want to try Frangipani and Ta’if. Argh temptations.)

You could visit the website if you promise not to yell at me for all your new lemmings.

http://www.ormondejayne.com/

All love,
Alethea

Perfume Haul from Oxford

2011-10-21T20:32:00.001-07:00

Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom and Honey

Ormonde Jayne Champaca

Frederic Malle En Passant

D&G L'imperatrice

Diptyque Ofresia

I absolutely adore all of these and will be reviewing them soon (with the exception of Ofresia which I already have xD)

Tell me which you'd like first? &What are you new favourites? ^^

All love,
Alethea

Ormonde Jayne London Perfumery (Part 1) -The Discovery Set

2011-10-11T10:43:00.001-07:00

Hello World.

I thought I'd blog about a recent jaunt I had to London and how it was complusory to stop by the Ormonde Jayne boutique.

I chose the one at the Royal Arcade since it was the original store (and the closest to Oxford Circus, my next stop (for more gorgeous perfumes at Liberty)

The area really wasn't hard to find (I got off the Underground at Green Park and took a 5-7 minute walk there).

After you turn onto Old Bond Street and into the Royal Arcade, you're sorta greeted by a lovely sight (such a pretty interior) and filled with the anticipation of NEW PERFUME. x)

I don't have a picture of the frontal view of the shop (cause I wasn't sure if I was allowed to take one xD) but I just wanted to capture the gorgeous black and orange interior.

The entire place is a sleek shiny black with splashes of orange, with beautifully scented creams, candles and tiny jars lining the walls and the pretty bottles sitting in front of you.

~~~

The shop assistant was one of the sweetest (and most cheerful) I've met (FREAK WHY DIDN'T I GET HER NAME?) and she recommended to me the very same scents I wanted to try (reading off the website based on the description alone.)

She sprayed Frangipani on one arm and Champaca on the other and I fell in love with both on the spot. (They got better throughout the day but they were pretty perfect to start with so...)

I got the Discovery Set (something I was already scheming to buy) and walked out of the shop smelling lovely and so happy. x)

I'll probably give every scent its own post or try to group them together as best as I can so stay tuned for the future reviews of the perfumes themselves. ^^

The Discovery Set however, gives you 12 2mL vials of scent that are so different yet distinctive Ormonde Jayne.

I adore them. I don't want to spoil future reviews so I shall refrain from gushing about my favourites. For now. x)

I highly recommend this set though as it's a wonderful way of trying new fragrances without buying full bottles and the free worldwide shipping is another nice attribute.

These are gorgeous perfumes that I can't rave about enough.

You also get a tiny booklet about the scents themselves and the history of Ormonde Jayne. It's incredibly interesting; especially when you take into consideration how rare some of these notes are, in modern perfumery.

Ormonde Jayne is definitely one of my new favourite perfumeries and I went back to purchase a full bottle of one of these scents (and ordered another one online).

I'm lemming for another 2 though so this brand might not be particularly healthy for your bank account but your perfume collection?

Yesyesyes.

Til next time.

Diptyque

2011-10-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

Diptyque is a French brand, founded by 3 good friends with a passion for scents.

It originally started out as home fragrance line (if I’m not mistaken), that’s why their candles are sublime but over the years, they’ve expanded and generally included body products and fragrances to their lineup.

I’m drawn to the clean minimalist packaging and the equally simple but wonderful scents.

Often, most of their perfumes have only two or three notes but are crafted in such a masterful way that they are never boring nor straightforward and I think that’s what’s so lovely and delightful about these fragrances.

I’ve got full bottles of 2 of their scents and with generous sales assistants, have samples of a few others.
I shall be reviewing all of these today, in no particular order of favourites.

Scents

Philosykos (50mL bottle)
fig leaves, fig tree wood, white cedar

My first Diptyque scent, the famous fig tree by Olivia Giacobetti.

We're under this fig tree with the distinct, velvet green leaves, complete and unbitten. They're figs on the tips of the branches, ripe from sunshine and the deepest blackberry purple you've ever seen, splitting to reveal their yellow&crimson hearts.

The air is more fragrant than it's been in a long time, the greenness of the vegetation, the woody notes from the bark, the royal aroma of the fruits themselves, almost floral, making up for the lack of blossoms thereof and enhancing the milky sweet scent of the sap.

The golden sun pierces through the leaves and warms the fruit, they're sweet and they taste like fruity honey with thousands of crunchy bits.

The scent then moves towards a coconut milk direction, representing the sweet white sap running through the veins of the tree, finishing with a mildly dry, woody base; the bark and the branches.

It’s a wonderful scent that sits exactly on the line between feminine and masculine, such a rare feat for perfumes nowadays, and it’s my favourite perfume to wear whenever I pull out my olive green tops or dresses from my closet, it’s extremely earthly and gorgeous.

If I ever finish my bottle (doubt it, not for a while anyway, as wonderful as it is, it’s not an everyday scent for me) I’d definitely pick up another.

Oléne (sample vial),
narcissus, wisteria, jasmine

I got it with my purchase of Philosykos and I had really wanted to try it.

It smells exactly like narcissus during the opening and I love it most then, because it’s all sweet and floral, just like the pots of narcissus I cultivate during the New Year. I adore the scent of narcissus and the creamy white blossoms equally much so I thought I’d really love this fragrance.

Unfortunately, this perfume smells of withering narcissus after a while (I suspect the indole added for a more realistic jasmine) and after a bit longer, it’s just a mess of dead flowers I can barely stand. (At this point I usually wash it off.)

It’s such a pity a scent with a darling opening could end so horribly. Mais c’est la vie.

Do Son (sample vial)
tuberose, rose berries, musk, orange rind

Just heavy, heady jasmine scent that I guess supposedly tries to pass as a tuberose scent. And since I adore white florals that don’t have the weight of jasmine (you’ll see later), this doesn’t really appeal to me.

I don’t smell any rose berries whatever, they smell like. It’s just this heavy white floral blend that dries down to a slightly lighter and mildly musky scent.

This jasmine/tuberose is a rather good one with no harsh edges or anything like that but its weight is what turns me away from this.

If a few drops from the vial was enough to feel like a thick cloud of perfume, what’s a full size spray from a bottle (Diptyque’s bottles spray generously by the way) gonna be like?

Ofrésia (sample vial, 50mL bottle, going for the 100mL soon),
white freesia, black pepper

My favourite Diptyque scent, hands down.

It’s so floating and ethereal, a white floral but without the weight of one if that makes any sense whatsoever. It should. Picture beautiful white silk sun dresses and compare them to intricately luxurious wedding gowns.

The black pepper opens the fragrance, sharp and mildly spicy but often it comes across as very green, making the scent extremely realistic.

The freesia then comes in, beautiful as can be, and so pure and angelic and it complements the pepper so well, strangely. The pepper renders the freesia almost edible but it’s still a floral scent through and through, and one of the most gorgeous ones I’ve come across at that.

It wears so well on me, like an invisible and iridescent cloud and I especially like to wear it with white clothes, to give simplicity an extra spice.

I purchased the 50mL bottle from Liberty London a few weeks ago and since then I’ve been regretting not getting the 100mL one. I will someday.

L’ombre dans l’eau (sample vial),
blackcurrant leaves, roses

I truly expected my 2 favourite Diptyque scents to be Philosykos and L’ombre.
L’ombre starts off with a crisp green fruity splash of blackcurrant leaves; it has an almost herbal nuance to it.

It slowly gives way to the roses, sweet and also slightly fruity and this mix of floral, green and fruit pretty much lasts throughout the entire wear of the scent.

It’s an ultra pretty scent but (I think) more suited for a candle (which exists already, it’s called Baies) than on a person itself.

I personally would wear this fragrance when I want a slightly flirty and non-generic fruity floral perfume (It’s probably one of the best examples of the fruity-floral category that doesn’t smell like a synthetic mess of aroma chemicals, trend disturbingly more common in most celebrity scents) but a full bottle, I’m not sure about that.

I’ll definitely continue to use my sample (I got it at Liberty, with Ofrésia) and maybe when it’s all gone, I’ll change my mind and get a 50mL but for now, I don’t think so.

Eau de Lierre (sample vial),
ivy leaves, cyclamen, rosewood

One word. Green. There’s nothing else really, nothing but crisp lush ivy leaves that (in this scent) are remarkably controlled.

Maybe it’s symbolic because as far as I know, ivy leaves don’t really have any distinct, powerful scent so maybe that’s why this perfume is extremely light and soft.

Once the sharpness of the ethanol goes away, all that’s left is an extremely delicate scent of greenness, I can smell a faint trace of cyclamen which didn’t have a strong scent to start out with either and it complements the green leaves nicely.

The scent lasts surprisingly long (a few hours) given the strength of it in the first place and the fresh, clean, greenness is rather enjoyable albeit nondescript.

Although it’s an extremely pleasant scent that encapsulates the moment during spring, when tiny leaves sprout from the earth, I doubt I’d ever get a full bottle of this perfume.

Ivy leaves are a lovely concept but I feel that it could’ve been better composed.

Price

If I can help it, I’ll be buying all Diptyque perfumes from the UK.
They are £48 for the 50mL and £68 for the 100mL as compared to Singapore’s S$144 for the 50mL and S$199 for the 100mL. Craziness.

Availability

Not so widely, since it’s a niche French perfume brand but you can find it quite easily in the UK (I love Liberty but I think it’s also available at a variety of other places eg. Space NK, if I’m not wrong) and in Singapore, you can only find it at TANGS Orchard or the Essentials boutique at Paragon.

Quality

Wonderful. Everything’s extremely well blended and made and the only qualms I had about their scents were due to personal preferences and not inferior standard.

In conclusion, I highly recommend you to try Diptyque. I haven’t tried all of their scents or products but I would definitely love to.

It’s my first review of Diptyque but it definitely won’t be my last.

All love,
Alethea

Soap and Glory's Flake Away & The Righteous Butter

2011-09-30T23:22:00.000-07:00

Hey all ^^

I picked up a couple of Soap and Glory miniatures in plans of purchasing the larger ones at the end of my trip and here they are =D

Flake Away body polish
The Righteous Butter body butter

Both were 2.35 pounds (I think they sell for SGD$7) and they're just a few of all the Soap and Glory products I got/am going to buy. xD

I find them really handy, the perfect thing to carry along with you while travelling (as opposed to the large 300mL tub) and if you wanted to give these products a try before committing to the full size (like I did), then go with these.

1) Flake Away body polish

I don't think I'm the only one who adores this.

We could start off with the awesome Miss Dior Cherie-ish scent that permeates the entire bathroom everytime it's used or the fact that it's so freaking moisturizing and exfoliating that besides getting super smooth skin, you barely need moisturizer once you're through with this.

*I use the word barely because if you want to continue with the Righteous Butter, go ahead.

It could be potentially harsh for some since the sugar grains are rather large and the grounded peach stones (??) also give this a nice kick but personally, it's fine for me and at the most one could just be gentle with it.

The only potential con here is that it's slightly harder to wash off (as compared to my other scrubs) for some strange reason but it's not impossible either, nowhere close. You'll just need to pay special attention to make sure you're clean before stepping out. x)

It's worth it though. I'm definitely getting a full size because this is just one of the loveliest scrubs I've ever used.

2) The Righteous Butter

It. Smells. Wonderful.

Rather similar to Flake Away (almost exactly like Miss Dior Cherie, for lovers of that scent) and it moisturizes awesomely well for something so light.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mean LIGHT as in RUNNY but the fact that it doesn't sit on top of your skin, taking ages to sink in and it doesn't drip everywhere (it's a lot more viscous more than that xD)

It's light because it sinks in quickly, is very spreadable and smelling lovely. It's definitely one of my favourite moisturizers and I'll also definitely get the full-size tub to bring back with me (oh my poor luggage xD)

All in all, two very lovely products from Soap and Glory (I love everything I've tried so far) and I'll be reviewing the rest to come.

All love,
Alethea

Oxford Internship

2011-09-28T02:08:00.000-07:00

Hey world I know I've been letting this blog die but a few weeks ago, I flew out of Singapore to do my internship at Oxford University and I've been seriously busy ever since (but having loads of fun at the same time) ^^

I've finally got the chance to blog about my experiences here (in my other blog) and you could read them if you like. xD

Part 1
Flying in and settling down to a new life. ^^

Part 2
Going to London for a weekend to shop. =D

Part 3
What I do almost everyday xD

Part 4.0
Part 4.5
Some of the most beautiful gardens in the world. \^^/

I've been here for about 3 weeks and will stay for another 3 more so I'll definitely be blogging more (on my other blog) and will do reviews for the (many) perfumes I bought when I get more time. ^^

Til then xoxo

New Perfumes =D

2011-08-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone ^^

My birthday was last month and guess what I got heaps of?

Hehehehe oui. xD

I got

1) Light Blue by Dolce and Gabanna
My second bottle; a gift from my parents when we went to Pavillion in KL ^^ It came with a body cream and a shower gel which I absolutely adore because so far I haven't found another perfume that smells as wonderful and works with my body chemistry so perfectly. x)

A full review will come soon but I just wanted to throw out the fact I absolutely love this scent. =D

2) The Brier Path and Feausi from Haus of Gloi
Full review coming too. x) They're both absolutely lovely; the Brier Path smells like earth and berries and Feausi of intoxicating frangipani oil.

3) Mary Kate and Ashley Coast to Coast LA Beach Honeysuckle
This brings back memories. x) A rich and sultry (I know right, who'd have guessed) honeysuckle inspired scent. ^^

I say inspired because though it smells like honeysuckle on a whole, I can break it down and detect some bergamot and jasmine inside, it's slightly spicy and heavily floral. I shall stop mentioning the fact that I'll be giving all of these full reviews now. xD

Just shout and let me know which you want first. ^^

4) Britney Spears Circus Fantasy
This one's just a tester & you shouldn't judge the brand; it smells freaking awesome.

I first smelled it when I was packing a bunch of perfumes for my course project and this was one of those that caught my attention. I've tried Fantasy and Midnight Fanatsy and they didn't wow me (too syrupy) and Hidden Fantasy wasn't for me either but I think this is easily my favourite of the 4.

It's very fruity and sweet. I think it's the first candy-sweet scent I actually like because no matter how delicious and yummy it gets, it's not cloying and sickly.

I've been spraying this everywhere. It smells like apricots and raspberry candy. Lovees. xD

5) Harajuku Lovers Love
Super cute bottle. It's another sweet scent that has more of a powdery floral tinge to it (a lot of people say it's their favourite of the line) but you might want to wait for a full review on this before rushing out to buy it.

Some days I love it and some days I just want to wash it off. x(

Anddddd another perfume bottle from my parents; Diptyque Philosykos =D

The sales lady was soo nice and she threw in so many samples. ^^ Besides the body milk, travel sample spray and shower gel in Philosykos, she gave me sample sprays in Ofresia, Do Son and Olene.

She read my mind I swear. x)

So hang about til the reviews. My exams start in 6 days. I shouldn't be here. xD

All love,
Alethea

Solstice Scents Collection

2011-08-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

Wheeee ^^ For the contest. xD

I'm not sure if we're allowed to split the perfumes and the stuff but I couldn't find a way to dump them altogether (I've still got more soaps and such in my bathroom. And samples. OOOH MY FREAK I FORGOT THE SAMPLES. O.O)

Okay, I just counted them; I have 25 in all. Imagine them okay? xoxo

Sorry I would stop to write more but I've got enough presentations and tests this week to keeel a small butterfly so I'm going to have to sign off now. x(

But I'm making a few changes (adding a coupla pages or two) to this site, once I get a chance to breathe again (I survived keeler week! ^^ The week where all the deadlines for projects and reports happen to occur, alongside tests thrown in for good measure, because 6 hours of sleep is just wayyyy too much.)

However, I should stop using this blog as a means of complaining about my busy life huh? xD Okok, I'll post some pictures of a nice perfume haul soon ^^ =D

(Guess which ones I got? ^^)

All love,
Alethea

Solstice Scents Summer Collection Perfume Reviews

2011-07-02T07:36:00.001-07:00

Heyy everyone ^^

Sorry to keep you waiting. x) My tests are just over so I have this short sachet of time to PLAYYY and do as I choose before more come up so Imma make good use of it. ^^

Here are the reviews for

~Sinopia
~Honeysuckle Green Tea
~Savannah
~Tenebrous Mist
~Gulf Breeze

since I've reviewed Kumquat and Green Mango here. x)

I don't know if there're any changes in the formulation of it but I think this year's should still smell about the same as last's; at least from the description. ^^

Sooo...without further babbling, here they are. xD

Sinopia

Papaya, Tropical Fruits, Plumeria Blossoms, Ginger

Sweet papaya, a mélange of tropical fruits, a touch of plump strawberries, plumeria blossoms and a subtle undercurrent of ginger root. Sinopia starts out with a bright burst of a sweet fruity medley with a slight tarty citrus note. The longer this scent is on the skin, the more it softens around the edges and becomes creamier. Sweet and tropical with just a hint of plumeria and effervescent ginger, Sinopia evokes the sensation of enjoying a fruity daiquiri on a remote stretch of beach while watching the sun descend from a sky splashed in vibrant fiery red, orange, pink, yellow and purple.

Wet

FRUITY. SUPER FRUITY. Kinda like smashing your face into a bowl containing a salad of papaya, mangoes, pineapples and strawberries, among other things, sweet and citrus-y. It's both mouthwateringly delicious yet almost slightly overwhelming, those who dig fruity scents will probably be all over this.

Dry on skin

It dries quite nicely and even though it's still as fruity, I can sorta smell the plumeria blossoms (which actually, if those plumeria trees that grow near my house are anything to go by, are rather fruity in their own right. I love them nonetheless. They smell like sweet melons and sunshine.)

The plumeria adds a lovely touch to the scent, but maybe I'm just biased because I love plumeria so much.

Dry on skin (after time)

The fruitiness is softer now. The ginger comes out and balances out the plumeria so well, it's almost like someone poured plumeria-spiked ginger ale all over the fruit salad. And somehow, it works freaking well.

The scent is less fruity, more sweet, creamy in a coconut reminiscent way and rather ginger-ish and it stays like this until it fades off, which isn't anytime soon because SS's scents have AWESOME lasting power, at least on me. Violet Truffle lasts 8 hours easily. x)

Verdict

This is a full on summer scent. It's strongly fruity with a sprinkling of florals, citrus and spice to balance it out and keep it from being anywhere near cloying, though if you aren't really into vibrant, fruity scents, maybe you should try the others but if you are, jump in. ^^

Definitely one of my favourites from this collection, I've got it in the scrub which I adore and shall be giving a separate review. x) Brownie points for the awesome description; strangely it does kinda invoke an image of a beach with sunset, probably cause it's so tropical, and for the beautiful name. ^^

Honeysuckle Green Tea

Sweet Honeysuckle Blooms, Green Tea, Lemon Myrtle EO

Thick honeysuckle vines completely cover your garden fence and their cream-colored blooms cascade in layers upon gorgeous layers. Their sweet, soft and delicate fragrance is carried on the light breeze of a balmy summer night. You languish on your back porch while listening to Billie Holiday, splayed under a fan that is simply not powerful enough for the heat. A refreshing glass of iced tea sits just within your grasp, beads of cold sweat slowly rolling down its side. Time has blurred and the days are long and lazy. This perfume captures the experience of humid southern summers.

Honeysuckle Green Tea features the same great honeysuckle blend offered in the Summer 2010 collection. This year it is paired with a delicate and refreshing green tea and a few drops of lemon myrtle essential oil. The result is a very delicate floral with a hint of fresh tea. The lemon is very subtle and adds to the light and elevating scent of this ethereal combination.

Wet

Sweet, gentle and floral. I can definitely smell last year's honeysuckle in this blend and it's as gorgeous as it was.

Think lush, golden honeysuckle blossoms with a handful of freshly brewed sweet green tea splashed all over them.

The honeysuckles weren't heavy nor thick in the first place; just very soft and pretty but the green tea ensures that they don't even think about going anywhere near there.

Dry on skin

The scent doesn't change that much, just perhaps the fact the green tea is slightly stronger now.

I do smell some lemon but it's very faint, but rather refreshing when I do get a whiff of it.

Dry on skin (after time)

Yep, the scent is pretty much the same but as lovely as ever. It's rather light, green and floral and it's a wonderful take on last year's Honeysuckle perfume, which actually, I still adore and wear.

The green tea balances the honeysuckle perfectly and the faint lemony touch finishes the gossamer light and silky scent.

Verdict

One of the easiest scents to wear from this collection. Any young girl would feel beautiful in this calm and pretty scent.

Admittedly, it's not as complex as Sinopia but there's so much beauty in its simplicity, I find myself reaching for this scent really often.

Savannah

Violet, Moss, Tuberose, Hyacinth, Lily of the Valley & Pear

Elegant, timeless, sophisticated and genteel, Savannah is a glorious combination of purple violet flowers, moss, tuberose, hyacinth, lily of the valley and a hint of crisp and cool Bartlett pear. A scent that is at once classic and mysterious, Savannah will have you recalling Victorian architecture, Spanish moss-draped live oaks, private brick courtyard gardens and strolls along impeccably manicured city squares. You may even be transported to Bonaventure cemetery for a late night martini with a certain voodoo priestess.

Savannah opens with a burst of fresh violet, mellow moss and delicate tuberose with the faintest suggestion of rain in the background. The other floral notes and pear are subtle. This is a very cool-toned, fresh and deep scent, perfect to take the edge off the sweltering summer days.

Wet

We saw violets in Violet Truffle when they were sweet and delicious and here's a more powdery and floral facet to them.

The scent opens up really floral and almost slightly powdery, very similar with the florals of the Spring Collection, I swear Savannah could fit right in with them.

I smell a lot of Wisteria and violets with a slight spray of hyacinths, tuberose and lily of the valley. It's floral. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Dry on skin

The wisteria is still the most obvious scent and the violets, giving this rather powdery and heady fragrance. The pear is not as upfront, though I wish it was, and underneath all those purple blossoms you may smell a hint of greeness, probably from the moss.

The tuberose also grows stronger as the scent dries but I still smell mostly wisteria, rich and strong.

Dry on skin (after time)

It's slightly softer but besides that, I don't think this scent changes much on me. The two purple flowers are still in the lead, even until the scent fades to an almost lilac-reminiscent nuance.

Verdict
I didn't exactly fall in love with this scent at first, which is strange, since I adore florals but I thought it too heavy and deep.

However, I let my bottle of scent sit around for a few days and a few days later, I was really intrigued by how intricately woven this scent was and how wonderfully blended the florals were. One thing about Solstice Scents is that their fragrances never smell synthetic, this one offers a crisp bouquet of fresh blossoms.

It's exactly what the description states. "Classic and mysterious, Savannah will have you recalling Victorian architecture, Spanish moss-draped live oaks, private brick courtyard gardens and strolls along impeccably manicured city squares."

I do think it's a scent that took me slightly more time to appreciate but once I did, it truly transported me to wonderful places. If you really liked the florals from the Spring collection, add this one to your collection, it's so quietly gorgeous, I really love how it snuck up on me. ^^

Tenebrous Mist

Soft Musks, White Amber, Sea Spray, Sandalwood, Bay Rum, Tea Leaves & Wood Smoke

This is the ominous foreshadowing of tumultuous weather to come. Wild seas, terror-tinged skin musk, soft spices, faint wood smoke and a mocking pleasurable sweetness. Tenebrous Mist is a complex blend featuring 16 components, each acting like crew members forming a strong cohesive unit. It is sweet, salty, delicately spiced with a soft warm smokiness and gentle blend of mild wearable musks.

These 3 mild musks blend with white amber, sea spray, sandalwood, Bay Rum EO, tea leaves and the smoke of a fire smoldering unchecked to create an incredibly unique fragrance. Tenebrous Mist is a unisex scent that wears like a second skin.

I swear. I've NEVER smelled anything like this before.

Freak, it's so complex I'm not even sure I know how to describe it. x)

It starts off salty, spicy and musky (not in the sweet or generic way, in a super personal and intimate sense), I think I smell the rum and sandalwood, giving one an impression of sea breeze mixed with smoke.

The closest thing I can think of is someone setting fire to driftwood (you know, wood that has been washed onto a shore from salty seas?) but a hundred times better. Okay add the fact that it was dark, gloomy and grey so the sky smells like foreshadowing rain which smells awesome by the way. I've always loved the smell of pre-rain, during the rain and after it stops cause everything is wet and earthy.

Anyway. x) This scent isn't exactly something I would wear but I'd definitely pull it out and smell it often. It's slightly too unisex for me but I freaking want to smell this on a guy. ^^

It smells so wonderful. Like driftwood fires. Like the beach before the rains. It's definitely a unique scent you should really give a try.

Gulf Breeze

Aquatic Scent of Ocean, Salt & Stormy Skies

Gulf Breeze smells like sand, salt, wind and ocean. It is crisp, clean and refreshing and is a wonderful unisex fragrance. Imagine standing on a dock as a storm is about to roll in...the air is thick with energy and as the sky turns grey you are splashed with salty spray from the gulf. This is the scent of Gulf Breeze. It is a very fresh and oceany fragrance with a slight hint of rain and a dominant note of seaspray.

I LOVE this. Angela is discontinuing Salty Mariner which I also like a lot but I guess I'm fine because I've got this.

They're rather similar actually; Gulf Breeze even has the flowers on the beach effect Salty Mariner had. I adore both a lot; but Gulf Breeze has a more salty, oceanic undertone which I prefer (Salty Mariner was more of an ocean/beach inspired scent.) This one bottles it.

I've only got a sample of this and Tenebrous Mist but I'm looking into getting a Glace/perfume of Gulf Breeze because I always enjoy smelling like a mermaid.

~~~

Well I hope this review has helped you make your choices. ^^ If you'd like to purchase anything, please visit

www.solsticescents.com

I can't wait to review everything else. ^^ =D

All love,
Alethea

Solstice Scents Summer Collection 2011

2011-06-17T00:39:00.000-07:00

Whee the Solstice Scents Summer Collection is finally here. ^^ =D

Have you placed any orders already? x) I have. ^^ Here's what I got. =D

Sinopia perfume

I think it's SUCH a beautiful name. It's a scent of Papaya, Tropical Fruits, Plumeria Blossoms and Ginger.

Freak, Angela got me at Plumeria blossoms. x) I really can't wait for this one. ^^

Savannah perfume

Violet, Moss, Tuberose, Hyacinth, Lily of the Valley & Pear; doesn't it sound so wonderful? x) Floral, green & fruity. I've yet to have a scent like this in my collection so I hope this will fill it in. ^^

If I end up falling in love with it, I might just get the bath salts because they're just so freaking pretty. Topped off with homegrown wisteria and hydrangea petals no less. ^^

Honeysuckle Green Tea

I've reviewed the original Honeysuckle perfume here & I LOVE it so I'm really excited for this new variation. ^^

Wow time flies. Was it really last year? x)

Sweet Honeysuckle Blooms, Green Tea, Lemon Myrtle EO; I think I love it already. xD

Sinopia Sugared Amber Scrub

I got this because I really wanted to try out one of Angela's scrubs. I know, this is my first time. Yes. x)

I'm also really excited about this since if it's anything like her other products it's gonna be great ^^ =D

Summer Garden whipped soap

I think this is gonna be cool. x) I've reviewed the perfume oil here and while I don't think they're exactly the same, I really wanted to try it in soap form.

Rubbed tomato leaf, grass and lettuce with a splash of petitgrain, essential oils of carrot seed, katrafay, rare lantana oil and a touch of Egyptian musk and jasmine.

Window Box bar soap

Especially for after karate/dance training. Need I say more? x)

I've always needed something like this to replenish energy and give that extra ZING after a workout and it's like Angela created this especially for me. xD

~~~

I also thought I should give the bath salts a try so I got a tub in Tea Rose but it sold out before I could save a picture. x)

Another item sold out is the Florida Fruit Stand whipped soap. I've also reviewed it here and wouldn't have minded picking up another tub but alas. x)

And besides the aforementioned bath salts and everything I've ordered, there're still so many other items I want to try. =D

It's another wonderful collection; one of the largest ones too. I know I keep saying this almost everytime Angela puts out another new collection but this could be one of my favourites yet ^^

Did you get anything? What are you planning on getting? ^^

Check it out at

http://www.solsticescents.com/

All love,
Alethea

Haus of Gloi (White Raspberry, Litchi Milk Tea, Honeysuckle Lemon Curd)

2011-06-14T00:35:00.001-07:00

Hey all. ^^

My White Raspberry perfume arrived in the mail today and so I'm doing the promised review on the full bottle perfumes I have from Haus of Gloi. =D

I took these pictures myself with my dSLR I never seem to be using enough. Hope you like them ^^

The scents I'll be reviewing this time are;

Litchi Milk Tea
Tart lychee fruit and black tea met with a splash of coconut milk.

White Raspberry
Tart raspberry and a clean cream accord.

Honeysuckle Lemon Curd
Rich and lemony with a touch of fresh honeysuckle.

I do feel that the descriptions for these are slightly less flowery than some of the others but nonetheless, they sum up the scent perfectly. x)

Litchi Milk Tea

This one's lovely.

It smells a lot like Epically Epic Soap's I Love Lychee perfume oil but it's slightly less floral and more fruity; with hints of tea and coconut.

It's the same gorgeous fruit but I find Haus of Gloi's version is more tropical; like a frothy exotic drink you'll sip next to a gorgeous beach.

It starts off sweet and pretty, all fruity with a very tame note of coconut and it dries down to a more tea-like sweetness. A very pretty interpretation of lychees/litchis.

White Raspberry
In the bottle it smelled all medicinal and I was all "What on earth did I get?" But I went ahead and dabbed it on my skin.

It blossoms into a fruity scent with sweetness backing it. I wouldn't say it smells like those fresh pretty raspberries exactly but it's a juicy berry note that reminds me of cherries and almonds.

The cream accord is very mild and only comes in during the dry down, providing a tinge of sweetness to the whole blend.

It's not bad or anything like that, but on me, it smells more like a dry cherry note with slight dusting of almonds than raspberries and cream.

And while I enjoy the scent quite a bit, just be forwarned if you were expecting a smooth creamy raspberry scent that this isn't it, exactly.

Honeysuckle Lemon Curd

It smells A LOT like Longbourn by Latherati.

That being said, I love it dearly. It starts off with a sharp splash of lemon with some heady and intoxicating honeysuckle complementing it and giving it body and warmth.

It's not a heavy and cloying honeysuckle though; it's rather fresh (thanks to the lemon) and very beautiful.

After the initial burst of citrus and honeysuckle, it settles down to a nice fruity-floral scent..

This could be my favourite scent out of the 3. Even though the similarity to Longbourn needs to be pointed out. I think the mild difference is that Honeysuckle Lemon Curd is more sparkling, with a brighter smelling lemon. The lemon in Longbourn is more muted.

~~~

I hope you liked the review on three very lovely scents. ^^

If you'd like to buy some, you can visit

http://www.hausofgloi.com/

All love,
Alethea

Haus of Gloi perfume reviews (samples)

2011-06-10T21:02:00.000-07:00

Hello world.

Heehee, I'm updating regularly aren't I. ^^

I thought I'd do a long overdue post on my perfume samples from Haus of Gloi. x) I chose

~Honey Tree
~Satyr
~Elevenses
~Madcap Garden

And hopefully, I'll do a review on the full bottles of perfume I have of HoG and another one on the summer scents. ^^ Let me know which you want first. x)

Elevenses

Elevenses - Not quite breakfast and not quite lunch, its the little sip and nibble in between! Bring out the old cracked china! Tiny, little, fluffy orange cakes, sugar coated toasty almonds and a wee steaming cup of black tea.

It's possibly my favourite of the four.

On skin, wet, it's this strong scent of bitter almonds and oranges. After it dries down, tea and something delicious and sweet comes into the picture.

It conjures up pictures of grand rosebud tea sets with petit fours and pots of hot black tea, just like the description says.

The almond in this scent is very different from Almond Milk by Flourish (Elevenses' almond is slightly stronger, raw and a wee more bitter) but I also enjoy this one a lot.

The scent dries down to an orange/tea/muted almond medley I really adore.

Honey Tree
Quite rich! Right from the bee hive - honey amplified by seductive essence of resinous vanilla, darkened by a passing waft of mild rare wood smoke.

This, on the other hand, I can't really stand. I've probably reviewed this scent before, and my feelings haven't changed.

The honey is cloying and thick, there's hardly any sweetness in the honey, just a resinous/leather-like nuance that I don't like. It is quite smokey and deep and for those who likes these kinda scents, you might want to give this a try; (it's not bad per se) it's just not me.

My sample vial is still full. x)

Satyr

Absolutely fiendish creature! And quite frolicsome: Italian blood orange drizzled with blackened vanilla.

Now Satyr. x) I don't like it any more than Elevenses but I definitely prefer it to Honey Tree.

When it's first applied on skin, it's this really creamy and sticky orange which dries down to reveal a dark and deep vanilla.

It's interesting in the sense that instead of the orange being sharp and the vanilla creamy, it's the other way around here. ^^

I can't say I'm wildly in love with it and that I'll wear it often but it's a nice scent for those craving something unique and different.

Madcap Garden

A lively blend, pure black tea chilled with peppermint and the tiniest spike of sweet honey. Very unisex, stimulating, addictive, and bright.

I actually like this one a lot.

It's a rather simple scent, black tea with mint and a certain sweet tinge to it. I find it the brightest and friendliest scent of the lot (and possibly of the Haus of Gloi range) and it'sa good start for people new to the HoG scent list and are overwhelmed with all the possibilities. x)

It's very pretty, but the description's right; it's unisex too and I'll definitely wear this out (unlike HT and Satyr).

Great for those days you just want a simple and lovely scent, with a little zinggg from the mint for extra energy. ^^ x)

~~~

Hope you find something you like. ^^ You can check out the entire range here.

http://www.hausofgloi.com

More HoG reviews coming soon. =D Have you tried any that you particularly like? ^^

All love,
Alethea

L'Occitane en Provence solid perfumes (Thé Vert & Rose 4 Reines)

2011-06-09T21:11:00.000-07:00

I picked these up in also on my trip to HK. ^^

I don't know how much they retail in Singapore but they were around SGD$16 there. x)

Rose 4 Reines
A perfume of legend...The delicate freshness of a bouquet of roses, the velvety softness of petals kissed with dew.

Thé Vert
Subtle complex of fresh aromas uplifts your mood--transporting you to green fields laced with the transporting you to green fields laced with the fragrances of bitter orange, jasmine, cedar and thyme. Appreciated equally by men and women the tonic green aroma creates sensations of well-being and freshness.

These are gorgeous. ^^ I love the packaging for one.

I know some might complain about the germs and all, having to dip your fingers in for fragrance but I'm quite alright with it actually;

Firstly, I always try to ensure my hands are clean and secondly, these are solid fragrances, not lip balm anyway. They *shouldn't* be going anywhere near your mouth, and there isn't any water inside it.

You can make the lack of water and lack of bacteria correlation yourself. ^^

Rose 4 Reines

It's a very pretty and synthetic smelling rose.

It's more fresh than powdery and I don't feel it develops much; just a lovely rose scent from the start to the dry down.

And I'm pretty sure you'd have smelled this before somewhere as it's not shockingly original.

But to say it's a bad scent, I can't, because it's so pretty and innocent. I could imagine it on a little girl and a dainty Victorian lady; anyone who'd like to smell of fresh spring roses.

It isn't my favourite rose scent (I like Imogen Rose by LUSH xD) but it's definitely a lovely one to try.

Thé Vert

This, on the other hand, I adore. It's fresh and crisp, almost reminiscent of Elizabeth Arden's Green Tea.

It starts out fresh and citrusy, with lots of greeness and dries down to something similar to Jo Malone's Fresh Mint Leaf.

If you were interested in the aforementioned perfume, I'd definitely recommend trying Thé Vert out. ^^

I find it absolutely energizing and yes, males can wear it too. It seriously lasts quite some time as once, I dabbed it on and went to bed and I could still smell whiffs of it the next day.

~~~

I'm very pleased with the price and quality of these. Should I try the Cherry Blossom one now? x) ^^

All love,
Alethea

LUSH Shower Gels (Grass, It's Raining Men & Happy Hippy)

2011-06-01T18:50:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone ^^

I came back from a trip to HK not long ago and I pretty much went crazy with the LUSH stores there. x)

You can view my Day 1 shopping post (with all the LUSH stuff I bought) here, my Day 1 'What-I-did' post with my visit to the LUSH store here and my Day 2 post with more shopping+food here. ^^
Fun times. =D

I'll probably do a review of everything I bought there but for now, here are the shower gels. ^^

Grass

I LOVE THIS.

I didn't go to HK expecting to get this (heehee I didn't even notice it on the website) but in the first store I went to, I gave it a sniff and I immediately had to get a bottle. ^^

It smells so gorgeous; green and grassy with a slightly herbal undertone (which isn't too obvious) and it makes my bathroom (after usage) smell utterly wonderful. =D

It feels like I'm bathing in a field of grass (but even better ^^) which to some may not sound rather desirable but they probably just haven't smelled this yet. x)

Yep, I would think it's rather unisex, so it's a nice thing to hook your guy friends onto the LUSH bandwagon with, but I think it's also perfect for girls like me and I want another bottle as soon as it's gone.

*Oh interesting fact: Lush UK now ships worldwide, even the perfumes ^^ I may be a little slow to this but YAYYYY.*

It's Raining Men

I got a 100g bottle of this free because I spent over a certain amount of money. x)

This one is so yummy and literally feels like you're bathing in sweet golden honey (and honey is even on the ingredients list so maybe that isn't too far from the truth.)

It's Raining Men has the same scent as Honey I Washed the Kids soap (which I also bought there) and to me, it's this rich and sweet honey scent with a slight floral tinge once used with water.

That's the thing about LUSH gels, they grow and develop in the shower and smell different from how they do, in the bottle. ^^

This one's another repurchase. Like the Grass shower gel, it's uber moisturizing and doesn't dry out my skin, plus it smells heavenly. What more could you ask for? ^^

Happy Hippy

Another freebie from Day 1. x)

It smells like fresh squeezed grapefruits and it's also made with fresh grapefruit juice but it isn't really one of my favourites.

There's nothing wrong with it (and I adore using this after karate to wash clean) and it is rather moisturizing as well, it's just personal preference that I prefer grass and honey smells to this. xD

~~~

I can't wait to try more LUSH products. ^^ On my list are (shower gels/scrubs); The Olive Branch, Rub Rub Rub and a giant bottle of Grass. =D

Don't even get me started on perfumes. x)

All love,
Alethea

Jo Malone Tea Collection and Sakura Cherry Blossoms

2011-05-15T00:14:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone ^^

I've just reviewed the Tea Collection by Jo Malone here. =D

Guess which two I ended up getting? xD

Plus, while we're on the Jo Malone topic, here's a mini review I did of her Sakura Cherry Blossom's scent.

I think it was absolutely lovely. ^^

I so can't wait to get more of her creations. Which should be next? =D

All love,
Alethea

Haus of Gloi's Spring Collection

2011-05-05T23:26:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: Haus of Gloi

Haus of Gloi Spring Collection

I ordered the sampler pack not too long ago and I do realize that this review is quite late but you'll still have time to grab some Spring stuff, if you'd like. =D

I also bought full size bottles of Litchi Milk Tea and Honeysuckle Lemon Curd, plus received a sample of Picaroon; shout at me if you want reviews. ^^

Okok, now to the scents. x)

Lassi
Fresh mango cream, orange blossom water, black ginger to ground, splash of green tea and a soft squeeze of lime juice.

I thought that the description sounded wonderful. And I do like drinking Lassi, the real thing, not the perfume oil; just to clarify.

All I can say about this perfume is that it might take some getting used to. I thought mango and orange blossom would be wonderful but there's the cream which is this slightly sour note that doesn't help the sharp smelling almost terpene lime.

The black ground ginger is extremely faint and I can barely detect the green tea so once this scent dries down it's this tartly creamy mango-lime scent.

I can't say it's horrible yet I can't say I'm utterly in love with it; you'll have to smell it yourself.

Milkmaid

Flushed, but demure. Fresh milk, clean linens, pale musk and pink sweet pea blossom.

Whee, I adore this one.

It starts off really soft and clean; very Troika reminiscent, but Milkmaid has a creamy and almost almond like quality to it, which is funny since almonds are no where in the description.

However, it settles down to reveal gorgeous sweet pea blossoms (my favourite part of the scent) and I really do like this. I'm thinking about getting it in a few other products, it's such an innocent and girly scent.

Selkie

The break of waves, gurgling sea foam, kelp, rain tinged air, sand smoothed driftwood and wild sage.

Okay, another gorgeous description but it smells almost exactly like Latherati's Isle of Skye perfume oil.It's not even just a slight resemblance because the only difference is that Isle of Skye has a fruiter/sweet tinge to it that Selkie lacks, I think it's pear.

That being said I loved Isle of Skye so I can't say Selkie's bad but I think I really like the pear tainted version more.

Ploughman

Well worn leather, dirt n' dandelions, carrot, a pinch of tobacco and a light sheen of feral skin musk.

Put plainly, this smells like dirt but that's not exactly a bad thing. It REALLY smells like freshly turned earth and I love it.

It's crisp, lush and rather green, with a teensy hint of carrots which I'm pretty sure what you'll smell like after mucking around in the garden for a bit. It's very unisex but it's something I'd actually wear because it's so unusual and I've always wanted to smell like earth.

It's a very well done scent, and I'm almost thinking about getting a soap in it, amIcrazy? x)

You can pick up any of these in various products from

www.hausofgloi.com

I so can't wait for their Summer scents. ^^ =D

All love,
Alethea

Solstice Scents Spring Collection

2011-04-05T03:16:00.000-07:00

Dellamorte

Oak, White Carnation, Oakmoss, Egyptian Musk & Vanilla

NOT TO BE USED BY WOMEN WHO ARE PREGNANT OR NURSING.

White carnations placed upon winter's tomb, sheltered in an oak hammock in which the first signs of spring's new growth has begun to emerge.

A complex blend of fragrance and essential oils, Dellamorte features dominant notes of oak and white carnation with supporting notes of sandalwood, oakmoss, Egyptian musk, vanilla, hyacinth and a small amount of violet absolute, vetiver and bergamot.

On initial application, Dellamorte starts out with a bright burst of fresh green notes, dew kissed carnations, delicate creamy woods and a sweet element from the Egyptian musk and vanilla combination. It stays relatively strong for about 15 minutes then smooths out into a sweet, woodsy and velvety scent with the carnation still present, though more gentle, with a subtle green note and a tiny hint of spice.

Wet

It smells woody, heady and rather sweet. (Almost reminiscent of Jack and the Devil, not surprising since both of them contain oakmoss.)

The notes that are most clearly detected are the oak + oakmoss, musk and sweet vanilla with a hint of carnations. It's rather enchanting.

Dry on skin

The carnations are much bolder now, almost sorta spicy, and the oakmoss takes the back seat. The vanilla is as sweet as ever and with the musk and a slight woody scent, it's a really gorgeous perfume.

Dry on skin (after time)

The scent is now tamed and gorgeous. The florals are at the right amount and the vanilla is pretty and sweet. The oak is still there, in the background, and the musk perfectly rounds up the scent.

Verdict

This is a magnificent fragrance. I didn't think much of it when I first smelled it from the vial but on my skin, it develops into something wonderful.

Full size?

Yes.

Linen and Ivy

Fresh Sun-washed Linen & English Ivy

Fresh sun-washed linens hanging on the clothesline in the spring breeze meets crisp green top notes of English ivy and a touch of new green spring leaves. A perfect choice for those looking for a very fresh and clean scent that is not your typical "clean cotton" fragrance.

On cold sniff and initial application, a beautiful green top note emerges. The dry down is crisp, cool-toned and very fresh. Would make an excellent year round scent!

Wet

Smells a bit like fabric softener, all fresh and downy with a sharp spring of green ivy.

Dry on skin

The clean cotton scent gets stronger and so does the ivy. Everything's so crisp and clean, it's endearing.

Dry on skin (after time)

Now it's a rather soft, powdery and comforting smell. The ivy is still there, to ensure that the whole thing doesn't become overwhelming and it's working.

Verdict

I think this is my favourite of all the Spring Scents. It's so simple yet unusual and I've never smelled these scents in a perfume combined; usually I smell freshly washed fabric if I fall asleep on the drying rack. And ivy is rare in these places.

I would even go so far to call this scent unisex and it's strange because I never usually like unisex scents. I want them undeniably feminine. But I love how this one can work both ways.

Full size?

Yes. I want the ganache (and probably the glace) too. ^^

Devil's Millhopper

Heather, Oakmoss, Fern & Delicate Wood Notes

NOT TO BE USED BY WOMEN WHO ARE PREGNANT OR NURSING.

Devil's Millhopper is a unique geological formation that is 120 ft. deep and 500 ft. across at the rim. It has over 230 steps descending into its heart. The sinkhole's name comes from its funnel-like shape which resembles a grist mill's hopper in which grain was held. Early settlers found fossilized animal remains and shark's teeth at the bottom and along the craggy walls leading them to believe that this was the place where bodies were fed to the Devil.

Devil's Millhopper has a lush primitive environment with fern, moss, lichen, rare plants and a variety of trees. There are several small caves and waterfalls which flow into the basin below. The water then travels to an underground river which leads to the Florida aquifer.This scent contains notes of heather, oakmoss and an assortment of woods used to interpret the atmosphere of Devil's Millhopper.

On cold sniff it smells of fern, new spring leaves, moss and grass with heather and soft woods lurking just below. On initial application, the green top notes quickly subside and the fresh cool-toned floral note of heather and delicate woods emerge.

Dry down is soft, fresh and hugs close to the skin. A very unisex scent.A blend of heather, African bluegrass EO, hinoki wood EO, oakmoss absolute, ho wood EO, sandalwood, rosewood EO, Virginia cedarwood EO & muhuhu EO.

Wet

First thought: GORGEOUS. It's insanely floral and I love it. I can smell the heather distinctly but there are so many other scents I've never smelled (eg. muhuhu EO) so I can't really give a deep commentary about which notes are more distinct.

But let's just say that the entire thing blended together kinda reminds me of freshly squeezed starfruits.

Dry on skin

Yep. Startfruits definitely. Though I know that it's just the heather. It's so freaking beautiful. There's also this slightly smokey wisp in the background, that I can't define. But the scent works well, a lovely floral medley.

Dry on skin (after time)

The scent is less floral and more woody. I can't say I like it as much as when the heather had full lead but it's pretty enough. There are more notes coming out that I can't really put names to. But the suspects are African Bluegrass, Hinoki Wood and Muhuhu.

Verdict

Another gorgeous scent. It's just as lovely on the skin as it is in the bottle and it's one of the most beautiful heather scents around (since some heather perfumes can get really cloying.)

It really isn't a scent I'd typically wear, it's quite grown up, especially on the dry down, but I'd be more than happy to give it a try. ^^

Full size?

Most probably yes. Oh the $$$

Garden Gate

Lilac, Wisteria & Grass Notes

Voluptuous Lilac blossoms in the foreground combine with faint traces of cascading wisteria and subtle, fresh, green grass notes. Contains a blend of fragrance oils and African Bluegrass EO to create a sweet, creamy and gorgeous floral. The dry down is an intensely beautiful and very wearable floral that smells true to the light purple flowers that inspired it.

Wet

Strong lush lilacs. Not the powdery kind and they're absolutely gorgeous though possibly overwhelming to those non-floral lovers. Very pretty and purple.

Dry on skin

Lilac scent deepens nicely. A hint of wisteria is present, enhancing the floral faect. A VERY VERY floral scent with a hint of a slightly green undertone.

Dry on skin (after time)

It's now lighter and more delicate, still exceedingly pretty and conjures up images of wisteria laden gardens with lilac bushes emanating fragrance.

Verdict

Wow. I do think it's one of the most floral scents from Solstice Scents (the other being Whispers of Lilies, a favourite of mine) and though I like lilacs as much as the next girl, I do think this scent can be slightly overwhelming at first.

It does dry down nicely so if you're into floral scents, this one's for you. ^^

Full size?

Perhaps, though I'm thinking about the ganache or whipped soap. x)

Spirit Tree

Delicate White Flowers, Soft Vanilla & Sandalwood

Spirit Trees, more commonly known as Bottle Trees, are believed to be able to capture evil spirits and are commonly placed outside of the home in an effort to dissuade the evil spirits from entering the home. They're commonly thought to originate in Africa but similar lore has been found in other countries around the world. Bottle Trees are popular in the south, especially in the low country, where they adorn home gardens as folk art pieces and perhaps serve a greater purpose for the superstitious.

Delicate white flowers, soft vanilla and sandalwood. Fans of Spellbound Woods and gentle florals will enjoy this scent as the smooth and subtle woodsy base is comprised of Spellbound, Sandalwood EO, Sandalwood FO and Amyris EO which marries beautifully to the sweet jasmine blooms and elegant lily of the valley that lay in an intoxicating blanket on top.

Wet

Very strong scent of jasmine and lily of the valley. It's rich, floral and almost slightly exotic. The innocence of lily of the valley contrasts with the sensuality of the jasmine nicely.

Dry on skin

The sandalwood is more obvious now, adding depth to the white blossoms and the entire medley is sweetened with hints of vanilla.

Dry on skin (after time)

The scent doesn't change much, (at least on me), except the white blossoms become less obvious and the sandalwood takes over, a teensy bit more.

Verdict

It's a gorgeous scent but as much as I love the smell of jasmine, I don't feel like it's right for me. As Angela says, fans of Spellbound Woods would love this and so would girls who love jasmine or thinks that, tainted with lily of the valley and vanilla+sandalwood sounds awesome. Because it is.

Full size?

Not right now.

~~~

All in all, the Solstice Scents Spring Collection is lovely. ^^ There isn't a single scent that I can't stand and I can't wait to get new SS items. =D

You can get them at their new website

http://www.solsticescents.com/

Have fun. ^^ Will post up a large Lush review soon. =D

2011-03-13T05:04:00.001-07:00

Heyyy ^^

My Benefit order came in the mail today. =D Plus I also managed to get the Urban Decay Naked Palette and I wrote about it briefly here . ^^

I think I'll also be reviewing the Benefit stuff on my other blog (http://www.aletheaborealis.blogspot.com) because I think it'll be easier to update one blog more regularly.

I think I'll still try to write here as much as possible (especially since I still have loads of beauty products to review) but you'll probably find a few review there too.

Sorry for making you guys check two blogs. x) But I don't want to merge them nor delete this blog (argh, all the reviews gone) so....yes.

Thanks so much for reading all this while. ^^

All love,
Alethea

Epically Epic Soap's Almond Blossoms perfume oil

2011-03-06T23:32:00.001-08:00

Hello world.

A few months ago, I asked if Allison would make me a few fragrance vials to play around with.

She, the sweet lady she is, readily agreed and even said that maybe she would like to sell some of the scents I'd come up with.

This made the 17 year old girl crazily excited and she came up with a few combinations which she sent over to Allison and today, let me introduce to you Almond Blossom. ^^

Allison describes it as

"The lovely light spring scent of apple blossoms and sweet almond. It's my fantasy of what the orchard of almond trees in Van Gogh's famous "Almond Blossom" painting would smell like in real life."

To be honest, when I came up with the scent, I had no idea such a painting existed. (This should be proof enough that I'm no where near artistic as Allison is.)

I just wanted a scent that was fruity and floral (and this is when you turn to fruit blossoms for help, this case being apple blossoms) and to prevent it from getting too cloying and sticky-sweet, I decided to spike it with the sharp and elegant scent of almonds.

I sent the combination of scents to Allison with meager instructions and to be honest, I haven't smelled how she's blended the fragrance but I trust her more than I trust myself when it comes to these kinda things, so I wouldn't be surprised if she's made it smell 999999x better than I did. x)

If you'd like a bottle, you can get one here. ^^

Hope you guys like it ^^ xoxo

And if you've already tried it, pretty please let me know what you think. ;)

All love,
Alethea

Solstice Scents Valentine's Day collection

2011-03-01T00:28:00.000-08:00

Hey everyoneee. ^^

I know I haven't updated in forever (terribly sorry) x( But I've had loads of things to do (and finish actually, my last final year paper's tomorrow xD) and I just wanted to take a breather actually.

But I'm back and I hope you haven't forgotten about me. x)

So anyway, today I bring you the ~~super late~~ Solstice Scents Valentine's Day Collection.

(And I'm using Angela's photos once again because besides the fact her pictures are just GORGEOUS (and getting more and more so actually) I just haven't had time to take/edit mine. xD)

It was a small one so I was able to pick up (almost) everything and if I understand correctly, Angela said that they'll still be available once they new website is open so you guys will still have a chance to grab them ^^

Yay right? =D

Violet Truffle perfume oil

Dark chocolate violet ganache truffles topped with a violet-vanilla infused sugar. On cold sniff and initial application, rich chocolate with a hint of wet and Earthy violet absolute draws you in. The soft powdery note of violet fragrance emerges then rises to hover just beneath the chocolate note. This is definitely a morpher and the vanilla-violet sugar sweet notes become more evident the longer this one is on the skin as the soft powdery violet note slowly retreats to the background. Contains cocoa and vanilla absolute, violet leaf absolute and fragrance.

The one I was most excited for and it certainly didn't let me down. ^^

On first sniff (from the bottle) it's all sweet and pretty but when it's on your skin, the violets come out.

They still sweet and lovely as ever (and I can actually smell sugar and dark chocolate) but they have this earthy hold on them (almost like a tea-like undertone but that could just be me being crazy.)

After they dry for a bit, they come into this perfect balance of sweetness and earthy-ness with a hint of floral and powder. (The good kinda powder, that reminds you of soft sweet comfort, not generic old ladies' perfume.)

Surprisingly, it's not a FLORAL FLORAL perfume (since violets naturally smell rather sweet anyway) but it's a delicious and changing scent* that Angela did beautifully. ^^

*From sugar to dark chocolate and violets to a sweet earthy vanilla. Love.

Cherry Vanilla Amberosia perfume oil

This perfume is a blend of 2 different ambers, black cherries, maraschino cherries, vanilla fragrance and absolute and a tiny hint of sweet mandarin orange slices. A burst of cherry followed by a deep vanilla greets you on initial application. A subtle orange note emerges shortly thereafter. The dry down is a very soft incensey amber-cherry combo with a subtle sweetness from the vanilla. Contains vanilla absolute, sweet orange essential oil, tangerine essential oil and fragrance oils.

*Citrus oils are phototoxic so do not apply liberally prior to an extended day in the sun.

I LOVE THIS I LOVE THIS I LOVE THIS.

I could even love it more than Violet Truffle (even though Violet Truffle is a divine scent, how are you supposed to choose between the two, Alethea?)

Okay so forget I said anything.

It starts off sparkling and bright with a vanilla-cherry note and lots of citrus (but don't worry, it's controlled so it's not sharp and sour).

The pretty top notes last for quite a bit and then a muted amber, still with some vanilla and cherry takes place.

It's absolutely playful and teasing yet, there's something undeniably elegant about the whole scent.

GRAH PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE BETWEEN THE TWO. O.O

German Chocolate Cake perfume oil

Moist layers of rich chocolate cake filled with mouth watering coconut and pecan icing. Starts out with a strong burst of chocolate followed closely by coconut. This scent is a morphing journey! After about 10 - 15 minutes the scent is soft German chocolate cake which lasts for some time. The longer this oil is on the skin, the sweeter and more vanilla it will lean. This fragrance eventually turns into a delicious sweet vanilla cake. The vanilla fragrance comes from the all natural mouth-watering vanilla absolute. Contains cocoa and vanilla absolute and fragrance oils.

On initial application I get chocolate and coconut. Yes, coconut, not a sunscreen coconut scent nor a cloying one. It's slightly creamy and quite harmless. ^^

After it wears on, I get this nutty scent (the pecan icing?) and a teensy bit of vanilla.

To be totally honest, it smells like something we (me and my group) mixed up in the lab the other time. (Something with benzaldehyde, dihydrocoumarin, ethyl vanillin, vanillin and gamma-nonalactone among other chemicals.)

Not exactly alike but close.

German Chocolate Cake isn't a bad scent at all but I can't like it as much as the other two because after that practical, we went home smelling like coconut (plus the scent lasted for 2 days) and this scent just reminds me of those days. x)

It wears down into a lovely vanilla-smelling scent which is quite a nice finish to a yummy scent but it's just not one of my favourites. (BAD MEMORIES URGH) x(

But I'm pretty sure foodie-scent lovers who haven't messed around with gamma-nonalactone would love it a lot more than I did. xD

German Chocolate Cake Whipped Soap

Moist layers of rich chocolate cake filled with mouth watering coconut and pecan icing. This whipped soap contains Virgin Coconut Oil which imparts a little extra moisture and subtly enhances the coconut fragrance. A generous amount of Fair-Trade Organic cocoa is whipped in throughout the soap. Contains cocoa and vanilla absolute and fragrance oils.

Okay THIS I love. This I love a lot. ^^

It smells a lot more chocolatey (to me), than the perfume oil. The coconut is present too but all this coconut does is make me hungry.

It looks like chocolate mousse. It feels like chocolate mousse. It smells like chocolate mousse.

BUT IT DOESN'T TASTE LIKE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE SO PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT TRY.

But seriously, bathing in chocolate mousse is an experience you really need under your belt. It starts off chocolate-y and then the pecan nutty-ness and coconutty-ness come in.

I found that it leaves your skin super soft (all SS Whipped soaps do but for this one, slightly more so actually. I didn't have to put on any moisturizer once I stepped out of the bath) and it lathers awesomely.

Chocolate bubbles ^^

~~~

All in all, Solstice Scent's Valentine's collection is just leaving me anticipating the Spring release ^^

I cannot say there's a bad scent among these and I can NOT wait to wear Violet Truffle and Cherry Vanilla Amberosia out. xD

I'll be updating soon xoxo

All love,
Alethea

Solstice Scents Jack and the Devil perfume oil

2010-12-22T01:57:00.000-08:00

Jack and the Devil

Jack & The Devil is part trick, part treat and all Autumn Delight! A blend of sweet Vanilla Absolute, dried brown Tobacco Leaf (absolute), green and delightful Oakmoss Absolute, Warm Amber, 2 different kinds of Patchouli Essential Oil, Sugared Golden Pumpkin and subtle Spices.

On cold sniff and initial application, the Earthy Patchouli is completely smoothed out by a generous heap of sweet and delicious Vanilla and Pumpkin. A sharp green refreshing note of the most gorgeous Oakmoss absolute wraps these notes up tight and mingles perfectly with the softest Autumn spice blend. Tobacco leaf serves to enrich the dank earthiness of the Patchouli.

After a little while on the skin, the Patchouli, Tobacco Leaf and Oakmoss receed as the Golden Amber Resin emerges through the Pumpkin Flesh to dance intimately with the Vanilla Absolute.

This fragrance is a true journey that morphs until it reaches its zenith, the long term and true dry down. The dry down is that of the most decadent, sweet, pure and enticing Vanilla that is subtly enriched by the other notes, with Amber being its most detectable partner. The other components of the blend receed almost entirely yet are present enough to lend an incredibly subdued incensey (dry incense, not incense smoke) component to the vanilla and amber combo and enrich it in a way not possible if Amber and Vanilla alone were blended. This blend does tend to lean towards a relatively sweet end of the spectrum, though it starts off with more Earthy components. Fans of Conjure and Spellbound Woods will most likely enjoy the drydown of Jack & The Devil.

Definitely one of Solstice Scents' best scents ever. It's downright amazing.

It starts off with earthy patchouli which I normally hate but somehow, Angela has surrounded it with subtle vanilla and pumpkin and Alethea thinks "Hmm, it's not bad."

The vanilla and pumpkin have it under control and instead of a heavy and horrible scent, it's actually pretty sweet.

As the scent grows, the vanilla becomes bolder, the oakmoss comes in. I'm not 100% sure it's oakmoss because I've never smelled it on it's own, but there's this green and slightly cautious smell, coming into the scent.

(Hmm, reading the description, I'm forced to conceed it could also be the tobacco leaf, since there's a slight wisp of smoke.) Either way, it's lovely.

After a while, the patchouli is completely gone (it takes leave rather quickly) and the vanilla just keeps getting more powerful. I smell a bit of amber at this point, and coupled with the pumpkin and the vanilla, it's absolutely delightful.

I'm so surprised I like this scent so much. I usually turn away anything deep & dark and jump for florals but Jack and the Devil is just too good to hate. In fact, it doesn't deserve anything short of unadulterated love. x)

You might think it'd be a strict Autumn scent, because of the pumpkin but I think it's easily worn in the cold winter days (which are also flying away rather quickly).

Patchouli isn't something easily blended, and I'm really picky about scents containing it since it is far from one of my favourite scents but Angela has handled it so well. Vanilla + Pumpkin + Patchouli. Who would've guessed. ^^

Jack and the Devil is an incredibly complex scent and it's definitely something you should try. For me, it definitely lived up to all my expectations (just read the feedback left on Etsy) and even more.

The vanilla in this scent is priceless (I love it I love it I loveee it). The patchouli well-managed and earthy. The pumpkin is delicious. The oakmoss & tobacco leaf are exquisite, green and slightly smokey. The amber is so pretty.

Another winner from SS. x)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/solsticescents

All love,
Alethea

Flourish Bath and Body perfume oils (Moroccan Fig & Woodsmoke and Vanilla)

2010-12-03T20:49:00.000-08:00

Woodsmoke and Vanilla

Spicy, smoky, resinous, warm and sweet- with notes of frankincense and myrrh, fir needles, balsam and cedar, on a soft base of vanilla and honey. Brings to mind firewood, incense, cold winter nights.

A gorgeous unisex scent, perfect for winter. ^^

It's rich, spicy and smokey (in the nicest way possible.)

It smells of awesome campfire smoke but not the kind that makes you cough, choke and sneeze. x) It's warmer and more comforting, like a nice hug. ^^

The scent moves on to something woody and sweet (the honey and cedar maybe) and it ends with a mix of the two-heavenly vanilla.

It's seriously a wonderful scent encapsulating smoke and sweetness and I love it, even though it's slightly on the masculine side.

I don't really see myself wearing it but I think it's one of the unisex Flourish scents that would be awesome to smear on your boyfriend. xD

Moroccan Fig

Honeyed figs, the spicy green scent of their leaves, soft florals and a faint wisp of smokiness in the background. The overall effect is a little sweet, a little fresh, and a little bit mysterious. Picture a fig tree in the middle of an exotic courtyard garden. The fruit is hanging low on the branches, ripe, permeating the air with scent. Flowers bloom all around, and the warm breeze carries a faint scent of smoke and exotic spices from the nearby market.

I LOVE this scent (it's my favourite of the two).

It's fresh and green (not a forest kinda green, more like the kinda crisp green scent you get from crushing fig leaves?) and slightly sweet. ^^

I don't really smell any smoke in this scent, unless I sniff REALLY REALLY REALLY hard because it's mainly sweetness and green leaves but that's fine, this scent is lovely enough without it.

I love the freshness that kicks start this scent and the sweet fruity-ness that follows. (Not your typical fruity either. It's not an annoying citrus or a cloying berry but something exotic and different.)

If you're looking for a nice and special Flourish scent, give this one a try. ^^

You can get these here. =D

http://www.etsy.com/shop/FlourishBathBody

All love,
Alethea

2010-12-03T07:45:00.001-08:00

Heyyy everyone.

I do feel bad for not updating regularly. I do.

I'm also kinda blogging at another blog right now. x)

www.aletheaborealis.blogspot.com

It's sorta my personal blog and where all my non-beauty related entries go. They're mostly just ramblings about flowers, sunshine, lyrics and life so I wouldn't go there unless you're really really bored.

I'm still studying as hard as I possibly can but hopefully I'll have a new Flourish review up by tomorrow. x)

All love,
Alethea

Solstice Scents Holiday/Yule fragrances

2010-11-25T18:52:00.000-08:00

Okay, apologies, I know I haven't been updating in forever but I've had better excuses that I could type.

(I've been getting home at 10/11 p.m. this whole week, my first karate competition in 2 days, French test next week and all the other tests the week after next.)

However, that's then, so now I'll be doing a review on Solstice Scents Yule/Holiday fragrances which are still up and current (unlike how late I did the Halloween one *blushes*) xD

Today I'll be reviewing

Fragrance oils
~Gingerbread and Vanilla Cream
~Roasted Chestnuts and Marshmallow
~Rice Pudding and Rum Soaked Raisins
~Bayberry

And Angela's dreamy whipped soap in Spiced Cranberry and Spruce. ^^

So let's begin shall we.

Gingerbread and Vanilla Cream

The scent of gingerbread cookies with bakery notes of molasses, ginger, caraway seed, cardamom, cinnamon blended with 3 different vanillas. Smells like gingerbread with a subtle edge of creamy vanilla icing. The vanilla notes are more obvious after a little time on the skin and during the long-term dry down. A delicious scent to warm your spirit and senses through the cold winter nights.

This was the scent I bought the full sized of because the description just begged me to. x)

If you must know, it kinda smells a lot like Pumpkin Spice Latte but without the pumpkin, with a slight twist of ginger. And we all know how much I adore that scent. ^^

Gingerbread and Vanilla cream is a delightful blend that captures the scent of freshly baked gingerbread smothered with sweet cream perfectly well.

It's super spicy, with cardamom and cinnamon woven with ginger on first application, but it dries down to something softer, sweeter and creamier.

A delicious scent for the holidays. ^^

Roasted Chestnuts and Marshmallow

This one is for my foodie scent lovers. This is seriously one of those that you want to take a taste of. The scent is soft, nutty golden roasted chestnuts and a very faint wisp of sweet spice coupled with creamy fluffy marshmallows.

Very very true to description. ^^

You get this yummy creamy marshmallow scent laced with something sweet and nutty. I do smell the "very faint wisp of sweet spice" which gives more flavor and dimension to this scent.

It's absolutely LOVELY. Very festive but it's also something awesome to wear anytime you want to smell delicious. I only got a sample of this but I have a feeling it's gonna morph into a full size sometime soon. x)

I just adore the mix of creamy, nutty and spicy. Angela just gets more and more brilliant. x)

Rice Pudding and Rum Soaked Raisins

Warm rice pudding with a toasty slightly buttery scent coupled with soft spices, a little brown sugar, a pinch of vanilla and just a tiny hint of spiced rum soaked raisins. A comforting dish for cozying up next to hearth.

It's an interesting scent, I must say. ^^

At one whiff, you can really smell the buttery note, complemented with spices and a hint of rice pudding.

There's supposedly some brown sugar in it, which keeps the scent slightly sweet and more balanced though it could actually lean towards the savory side.

(That's what I meant about this scent being interesting.)

The rum soaked raisins, I hardly smell at all, mostly because I'm drooling over the rice pudding but I do catch a bit of it, after the scent wears for a while.

It's a verryyyy unique scent to get for the holidays. ^^ I can honestly say I haven't smelled/owned anything like it. It's perfect if you want something nice and special. =D

Bayberry

In Colonial times, candles were made from the wax of Bayberries as a favorably scented alternative to tallow. It was tiresome work as it took pounds of berries to yield just one pound of wax. Bayberry is a traditional element of the Yule and Christmas celebrations. It is not a coniferous plant, yet it smells of pine alongside subtle sweet berry notes, without the sharp top notes of pine oil. Bayberry smells of winter and is a wonderful fragrance to have in your home for the holidays. Light a Yule log, huddle near the hearth and use your Bayberry perfume on Solstice Night!

The scent I was most looking forward to.

It's surprisingly green and herbal, slightly minty and sweet. ^^ However, there's an underlying fruity note as all berries are bound to have. x)

It wasn't what I expected but I like it a lot. It's so rare to find a scent that's fresh and green yet fruity and sweet but this is it. ^^

Bayberry is also another awesome choice for someone looking for an undeniably Yule scent yet something special and not a typical generic scent. =D

Spiced Cranberry and Spruce Creme de la Creme Whipped Soap

Tart plump sugared cranberrys with a whimsical wisp of spice in the background and a soft and subtle Spruce Essential Oil combine to bring a very wintery holiday blend to you this year. I wanted to soften and enrich the sweet and tart cranberry fragrance and I think the spruce really adds a nice depth to the fragrance. A unique fragrance to enhance your Winter Season. Smells like a coniferous cranberry juice!

Hi. I don't mean to keep buying fruity scented Solstice Scents whipped soaps, they just happen. x)

Well I've already reviewed how awesome the texture/formula of the whipped soap here so it'll just be about the scent this time. ^^

In the jar, it pretty much smells like sweet cranberries with a hint of something more. The scent only comes alive when used.

The cranberry scent gets tarter and sweeter and the Spruce comes out. They go together soo well and it's unmistakably wonderful.

The spruce is what gives it an unusual holiday touch but I somehow feel the cranberry makes it a scent I'll enjoy bathing in throughout the year.

(Though I'm not saying I'm going to restrain myself when it comes to SS soaps. xD I'm kinda already saving for the Spring Collection (FlORALS! LOVELY SCENTS AHHHH LOVE!)

~~~

All in all, I'm reallyyy impressed with the Yule/Holiday collection. I just love how Angela was able to make such unique scents that are so festive and yet lovely enough to wear anytime you please.

As usual, shipping was fast and customer service so sweet and lovely. ^^ Solstice Scents is definitely an awesome place for Christmas presents. =D

(And oooh, they're launching their new website soon. EXCITED MUCH ^^)

However, meanwhile, check out their Etsy store. x)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/solsticescents

Have fun ^^

All love,
Alethea

Passion Moon Potions Wild Red Berries Lip tint

2010-11-21T02:30:00.000-08:00

Passion Moon Potions Wild Red Berries Lip tint

Heyy all.

Wanna know something? ^^

I've been seeing lots and lots of berry lip tints (pretty much lip tints with a berry flavor that would supposedly give girls a sweet sense of natural-ness and nature-loving) on Etsy.

Well, yeahhh, I've tried a few. (Hahaha a few?)

And this one, from Passion Moon Potions, happens to be my favourite, thus far. ^^

Yeah one thing I don't really get about these Etsy berry lip tints is that they usually offer a purple-ish red colour.

Which is all nice and all, except, I don't really want to wear purple. x( I want a nice understated red that is undeniably red yet doesn't cross into the 'CLOWN' territory.

Is that so hard really? x)

Well, apparently not, since this lip tint is exactly all that and more. ^^

It's rather pigmented but because of it's texture (which I will go into shortly) it's kinda sheer. So sure, you get a good wash of colour but don't expect anything lipstick-thick.

It's more of an ultra pigmented gloss because it gives a slight sheen (not shimmer though) which is sooo pretty.

And the red, well it might look scary in the tube, but on my lips, I honestly feel it's the best red I own. It's warm and very very very red, without any hints of purple or pink. Soo lovely. ^^

It also stains slightly. Nothing scary (like if you swatch it, it'll be removed fine), but it tints your lips just a tad so it'll last long, no worries. ^^

It's also made with very simple ingredients (as shown above), however, they're REALLY moisturizing.

Because of the colour, I like to dab the product on to the center of my lips and then let it spread throughout, slowly. (Like you know, to get a slight blushing gradient? ^^)

However, even the sides of my lips felt extremely moisturized, (especially in an air conditioned room) so I barely have to mention how awesomely taken care of was the middle of my lips. x)

The closest thing I have to a qualm about this lip tint, is the texture.

It's very similar to Ella Dean lip conditioners, that means, it's extra smooth and silky but this lip tint can get almost slippery.

It doesn't affect the staying power because rest assured, this lip tint lasts, but it can get slightly messy, especially if you don't take good care of your Etsy things, which you really should be doing anyway. x)

(And sorry that there's no swatch, I thought I had a picture of it swatched but apparently not -.-)

However, besides the part about the texture (which also means it can kinda melt easily so be careful with it), I'm seriously in love with this lip tint.

It has just the right amount of the RIGHT colour and it wears so well. x) What's not to love? ^^

You can get yours here or visit the Etsy shop. ^^

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PassionMoonPotions

All love,
Alethea

Enchanted Leaves Delicate Pink and Pearl Owl Necklace

2010-11-18T23:56:00.000-08:00

Enchanted Leaves Delicate Pink and Pearl Owl Necklace

Remember that lovely Etsy shop I blogged about wayy too long ago?

You can read it here here and well, I did say that I couldn't stay away. x)

This time, I have a gorgeous pink owl necklace to love. ^^

I've been wanting it for a while but I kinda decided to wait til I had built up an order before getting it.

Well it arrived yesterday and I've had so much fun playing around with it. (Taking pictures, matching it with outfits, kissing the pink glass owl...you know, the usual. xD)

It's utterly exquisite and I love the matching pink glass flowers and the tiny pearls which make the necklace so girly and sweet. x)

It comes with the same leaf-clasp that my hedgehog necklace did (you can read the last post to see it) and it's so lovely, I'm ultra thrilled I got it. ^^

You can get it here (http://www.etsy.com/listing/62042746/delicate-pink-and-pearl-owl-necklace) or visit the main store.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/EnchantedLeaves

Nedda's the sweetest to work with and she ships ultra quickly. ^^

Hope you find something you'll adore. xD

All love,
Alethea

Ella Dean (Beautiful Twists) Body mists Part 1

2010-11-16T19:34:00.000-08:00

Ella Dean (Beautiful Twists) Body mists
~Winter's Snow Cherry Slushie
~Mia the Lifeguard's Summer Fling
~Smooching at the Carwash)

Winter's Snow Cherry Slushie

Remember how I reviewed Winter's Snowflake Kisses dinosaur years ago?

Well here's it counterpart which I love equally so, maybe even more. x) (I just didn't want to review it sooner because it wasn't listed on Ella's Etsy yet but since now it is, go run and grab. ^^)

This is a gorgeous scent that doesn't really have a lot of the original Snowflake Kisses smell in it. Sure, it starts of with that as a base but then you get this lovely burst of cherry. ^^

I LOVE this cherry. Haven't you heard, Ella does a really good cherry? This cherry scent is light and pretty with lots of red and juicy in it but it smells no where near to a cough drop.

Plus, with the original clean and snowy base, it brings this body mist to new heights. x)

All in all, I highly recommend this.

If you were thinking about trying to original Winter's Snowflake Kisses and this, I'd say go with the original if you want a clean, pure and white snow scent that is dreamy.

But choose this one if you want a fruity twist to a lovely holiday scent. ^^

Mia the Lifeguard's Summer Fling

Gotta hand it to Ella.

Once again, she's managed to capture a moment in a bottle. This one is a golden summer afternoon, playing by the pool.

I'd say this smells of swimming pools, not because it smells like chlorine or anything like that. It kinda smells light and fruity, yet very aquatic (hard to describe?)

It's an awesome spray to wear to a pool party that's for sure. ^^

Another scent of Ella's I'd recommend if you're looking for a fun summer scent.

But since it's kinda late for summer, it'd be great for those missing that sunny season already. x)

Smooching at the Carwash

Sweet. Girly. Pretty. Yummy. Also awesome fun to wear in hair.

Yeah, this is one of the scents that I prefer to wear in my hair (since it lasts soo long).

The bubblegum scent gives it a sweet and delicious touch and the bubbles keep it from becoming to cloying. The soapy-ness really gives it more oomph. ^^

I wore it to karate once. Everyone was asking where the nice jelly scent was coming from. x)

I think it's a lovely gift for young girls and teenagers alike. It's so fun and bubbly to wear. ^^

I'm pretty sure if you like sweet but not sickly scents, this would be an awesome option to consider.

You can get them all here ^^

http://www.etsy.com/shop/elladean

Have fun x)

All love,
Alethea

Escapade 2010

2010-11-11T22:42:00.000-08:00

Sincere apologies.

But I've been REALLY REALLY busy.

Well this thing I've been busy with starts tomorrow.

And ends on Sunday.

So yeah.

Til then. xoxo

I love you all who actually bother coming back and checking for updates. ^^ I'm soo sorry I haven't been updating regularly. I just kinda had no idea that this thingy would take up so much time.

But I know it's worth it. =D Maybe I'll actually see some of you all there?

Say hi okay. ^^

Lovee. A

Liese Juicy Shower Moisturizing Hair Mist

2010-11-08T21:49:00.000-08:00

Liese Juicy Shower Moisturizing Hair Mist

Haha another long overdue post but better late than never right? ^^

Anyway, this is something very very pretty smelling (and looking) and it in turn would make your hair very very pretty smelling (and looking).

It was something I had my eye on for a while because well (it's pretty) plus I've been hearing from all my lovely friends how awesome it smells and works so I thought, try it. Why not.

As far as scent goes, yes, it SCORES.

It's pretty much a beautiful medley of berries, all tart and lovely. There's this slight whiff of something like ethanol but it fades quickly, rest assured.

But the thing about the scent is that it doesn't last long. (At least on me). I get around an hour tops, which is kinda a pity since it's rather awesome.

However, it does do it's job.

It's a nice thing to spritz on on a hot summer day when you can practically feel your hair drying in the heat. It's nice and really refreshing. ^^

It's also pretty great for getting your hair smooth to get rid of troublesome tangles and keeping it that way. However, it's not serum/leave on conditioner standard so yeah...you shouldn't expect that much staying power.

But still, it's a pretty awesome for breathing some life into your hair, giving it a nice scent and keeping it nice a smooth. For a while anyway. x)

All in all, I really do like this.

True, I would probably like it more, if it lasted longer but it's still pretty awesome nonetheless. I wouldn't buy another bottle technically since there are pretty refills (yes someone here is freaking superficial xD) which are kinda already on my list. ^^

You can get it from Watson's or Guardian and I do recommend it. =D

All love,
Alethea

Epically Epic Soap I Love Lychee perfume oil

2010-11-04T22:17:00.000-07:00

Epically Epic Soap I Love Lychee perfume oil

I do like eating lychees. They're pretty abundant at where I live and they make a lovely afternoon snack.

They're mostly sweet and juicy with a tinge of floral scent when eaten fresh. No idea why I was never intrigued enough to want to try this perfume though.

That is, not until I read Grey's blog and decided to give this perfume a shot. I got it a while back and have pretty much spent all this time wondering how on earth did I live for so long without a scent like this.

I LOVE LYCHEE ~ This has been one of my most popular scents in soaps and lotions. I’m told it smells like lychee and fresh flowers. It is difficult to describe the scent of the South Asian lychee fruit, but once you try it you will never forget its delicate, dewy fragrance. It's my favorite fruit scent ever!

It's true to the description.

It's absolutely fruity with slight floral nuances thrown into the mixture. It could just be my nose but I feel like there's a slight bitterness from a spice (?) that kinda makes it more realistic (since lychee peels aren't exactly as sweet as the fruit).

It has an added pretty-ness with some tart undertones that make this scent more lively and this, coupled with the spice note, first keeps the scent from going into cloying sweet territory.

It also makes this scent more complex and layered and finally, keeps it smelling real. (It is not synthetic at all. ^^)

I really adore this scent. It's really versatile (like it matches with most of my moods and outfits) and it is absolutely fun to wear.

(I've been using it really regularly and will probably go back for another bottle (or 3) when it's finished. I love it thatttt much. ^^)

It lasts well and long (like the other Epically Epic Soap fragrance that I own) and it's definitely a scent you should try. ^^

You can purchase it here or check out the Etsy shop. ^^

http://www.etsy.com/shop/EpicallyEpicSoap

All love,
Alethea

Petite Threla Loofa Foot Scrub (Tuberose Palmarosa & Honeysuckle Lemon)

2010-11-03T23:05:00.001-07:00

Petite Threla Loofa Foot Scrub (Tuberose Palmarosa & Honeysuckle Lemon)

Heyy all. Let me introduce to you one of my best friends. ^^

It's not exactly new, since I've had it for a long time now, I just kinda never got around to writing a review for it. x)

Be refreshed and callus-free with this loofah foot scrub. And indulge in the fresh and delicately sweet floral scent of honeysuckle as you go about your exfoliating duties. This loofah soap works as an invigorating scrub for the body too.

* Scent
Exquisite, sweet floral scent of tuberose and palmarosa AND Fresh, sweet scent of honeysuckle with a hint of lemon

* Lather
Rich combo of bubbly and creamy lather

* Exfoliation
Thorough

* Conditioning
Medium; supplemental emollients include avocado oil and evening primrose oil to keep the skin soft.

Awesome, good for your ingredients like all Petite Threla items but you already knew that didn't you? ^^

And yes siree, this is lovely.

It's extremely strong in exfoliating so I just mainly use it on my feet. (it's even kinda strong for my knees/elbows so I avoid using it for those areas.)

However, it's incredibly moisturizing so no worries about this drying your skin out. Karate trainings are done barefoot so yeah, it's a pretty essential item for me. x)

As for the scents, I've used up my Tuberose Palmarosa soap a long time ago but I still remember it smells slight floral-y mixed with a typical oil scent (like the kind you get in spas xD) It's nice;

However, my FAVOURITE would have to be Honeysuckle Lemon which when it all comes down to, smells like gorgeous lime blossoms. Lovee it. ^^

Finally, it's price pretty much completes the whole picture. For USD$2.95 (if I recall correctly) you get an approximately 2 oz bar which lasts (at least for me), a LONG time.

The last one lasted about 3 weeks, even with almost daily usage. It's ultra great. ^^

Okay, I would end with my "GO RUN OFF AND GET IT NOWWW" which I bestow on great products that I feel you would love too but TH (the seller) will only be back in her Etsy shop on the 8th of Nov.

So that would be: GO RUN AND GET IT ON 8TH NOV. ^^

You can do so here

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PetiteThrela

http://threla.com

Have fun ^^. I'll be doing loads of posts over the weekend (hopefully) because well, if I finish my homework by today, I'm freeeee. =D

All love,
Alethea

Solstice Scents Autumn/Halloween fragrances (Lace Draped Spectre & Pumpkin Spice Latte)

2010-11-02T06:55:00.000-07:00

Solstice Scents Autumn/Halloween fragrances in
Lace Draped Spectre & Pumpkin Spice Latte

My apologies. x)

I knowww this post is horribly backdated since, well, Halloween's over and Fall almost so, plus the Halloween items on Solstice Scents could get taken down anytime hence yeah.

I would highly suggest grabbing some stuff right after you read this. ^^

You probably wouldn't believe it, seeing how late this entry is, but I actually stalked the Solstice Scents blog to the release of the Autumn/Fall items.

I chose Pumpkin Spice Latte & Lace Draped Spectre as my favourites on the site, ordered them once they were released and pretty much fell in love with them at first sniff. x)

A nice love story ain't it. ^^

Lace Draped Spectre

A hauntingly feminine blend of Madagascar Vanilla, Baby's Breath, Pink Carnation and a hint of Green Pepper Essential Oil. The scent of an elegantly perfumed ivory lace shroud adorning the fleeting image of a mysterious visitor. Soft vanilla accentuated with a hint of spice and creamy floral.

Can you read that?

Isn't it the loveliest description ever? x)

This scent does not disappoint in the slightest. I should probably throw out that Whispers of Lilies is my favourite SS scent ever;

But Lace Draped Spectre is an ultra close second.

It's downright beautiful and starts off innocent with the gorgeous florals (baby's breath + carnation = lovee) but its not a sweetly naive spring floral scent either, the exquisite green pepper oil takes care of that (Try Spring Rain and Cyclamen instead if you'd like one).

I lovee this scent as its so complex.

With the combination of florals, you couldn't imagine a prettier scent and as mentioned, you might assume it'd be something for spring but it's undeniably Fall. Maybe Winter.

Or something for a cozy night in, it's just so comforting and sweet like that.

Such a lovely grown up floral scent that I wholeheartedly adore. ^^

Pumpkin Spice Latte

When I was in college, I worked for several years at an Independent local coffee shop. One cold fall morning, I created the Pumpkin Spice Latte, which ended up being a best-seller and highly anticipated drink each year. This caffeinated concoction started with fresh roasted pumpkin spice coffee ground and brewed as an espresso. Monin Gingerbread syrup, frothy steamed milk and fresh made gingerbread whipped cream dusted with cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg completed it.

The perfume is a blend of coffee essential and fragrance oils, sweet pumpkin, gingerbread whipped cream, cinnamon and a drop of nutmeg essential oil. Upon application, coffee is the first note to emerge, immediately followed by a spicy cinnamon. After just a few minutes a sweet syrupy scent emerges. The true dry down scent rises after about 15 - 20 minutes on the skin at which point the spice mellows and the coffee, pumpkin and cream all perfectly swim together in a pleasingly balanced brew. This is a very warm scent that is going to be awesome to have on hand first cool day of fall!

Okay, just reading the description kinda made me want to reach through the computer screen and conjure a cup of the aforementioned beverage so...

Take a good guess how it felt like sniffing this scent for the first time?

Think a cross between "OHH YUMMYYYYY I LOVEEE, I WANT" and "GRAH ANGELA DOES THIS ON PURPOSE I SWEAR."

If you're new to SS, let me ~~tell you~~ warn you that Angela makes freaking yummy scents.

This one is a flavorful, spicy and utterly delicious blend of pumpkin, coffee, cinnamon, nutmeg and a teensy bit of cream. I smell a hint of ginger too, at times.

It is SERIOUSLY the most tasty Fall scent I've tried/owned.

I swear, Pumpkin Spice Latte pretty much defines "Delicious Autumn". ^^

I've never tried an Autumn scent that makes me want to dance in leaves, eat sweet pumpkins, drink warm creamy coffee filled with some spices, wash my face with nippy autumn wind and embrace the gorgeous season.

It's rich, decadent, sweet & spicy and exceedingly wonderful blend. Once again, by Angela. =D Love it. Truly.

~~~

So to stop rambling, and sum up, these are two scents that you REALLY like REALLY need.

The good news is that Lace Draped Spectre might (I think might, I read it somewhere) be a permanent scent so yayyy, but Pumpkin Spiced Latte is another scent you need to try before it disappears (hopefully just for the year...Me wants more. xD)

Get yours here. ^^

http://www.etsy.com/shop/solsticescents

All love,
Alethea

Flourish Bath and Body perfume oils (Honey & Ginger Tea)

2010-10-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

Flourish doesn't have 'Limited Edition' full sized perfumes, usually inspired by a particular season, and are only available at certain times of the year and then you kiss it goodbye for the rest.

Props seriously. I'm always scared to fall in love with such scents because what am I going to do without it until I see it again? And if I see it again.

So. I've always loved Flourish's reliability when it comes to scents. All of them can actually be worn year round (though some better suited to a particular season than others) and they are always of high quality and smell so freaking lovely.

I've yet to meet a Flourish scent that I disliked. x) And I don't think I will anytime soon.

But with the awesome selection of scents from Flourish, there are some that are simply perfect for a certain season.

Today, I'll be reviewing Ginger Tea and Honey (scents that just capture gorgeous Autumn) and I might look into doing other seasons in the future. ^^

Honey

Golden honey, candied fruits, sweet pipe tobacco, baking spices. Smooth, rich, and warm. Sweet but not too sweet. Autumn in a bottle.

Sweeeeet. ^^

It's a rather light scent for Autumn yet something about it is unmistakably Fall.

It's very golden and yes, sweet but it's not cloying and the honey contrasts nicely with the spices (I can barely smell the tobacco smoke but maybe that's what gives it the 'Fall' touch.)

If you're looking for a nice simple scent to wear for the Autumn/Winter period this is a lovely choice. Yet somehow, I can still picture myself wearing this on warm summer nights out. x)

Ginger Tea

A spicy, woodsy blend with notes of black tea, charred cedar, ginger, cardamom, pipe tobacco and a drizzle of vanilla-infused honey. A unique and memorable fall fragrance, well suited to kicking leaf-piles in the crisp evening air, bundling up in layers of knits and flannel, sipping from steaming mugs redolent of spices, and other autumn indulgences.

Yessss, this is what I'm talking about. ^^

I swear, it's AMAZING.

Seriously, so many Fall scents need a pumpkin note to invoke pictures of Autumn with orange and yellow leaves falling from the sky filled with spicy cold air but this one doesn't.

The black tea and ginger start the show with cardamom and a little smoke sneaking in slightly. However the honey vanilla is there, sorta in the background to keep things pretty and ensures that this scent smells like playing fallen leaves, not burning ones.

I was really surprised how much I liked Ginger Tea seeing how these type of scents aren't exactly my cup of tea.

(Hahahaha tea. I'm soo lame. xD)

But nonetheless, it's an awesome scent that I'm really thinking about getting a full sized of. Or at least a larger bottle. I'm thinking about

http://www.etsy.com/listing/60378001/tea-time-mini-perfume-set

Isn't it gorgeous? ^^

So are these. =D

http://www.etsy.com/shop/FlourishBathBody

All love,
Alethea

Doctor Sweet Tooth Perfume Roll On Set (Grass, Waffle Cone, Vanilla Bean & Underwater Fantasy)

2010-10-28T21:03:00.000-07:00

Doctor Sweet Tooth Perfume Roll On Set
(Grass, Waffle Cone, Vanilla Bean & Underwater Fantasy)

I placed an order with Doctor Sweet Tooth on Etsy a while ago. ^^

I chose to try the 4 roll ons sampler set plus a full size bottle of Daisies (MJ type), which I'll review separately.

Basically, the scents I chose were Grass, Vanilla Bean, Underwater Fantasy (L de Lolita Lempicka Type) and I received a sample of dry shampoo along with my order and some cards/notes and a bookmark. x)

I received the order in about a week or so and it was shipped out within 4 days. I didn't send any messages so I can't comment on the customer service, though I was very pleased with the over transaction.

The perfumes come in 1/6oz bottles and are very cute. ^^ I think they'll last quite a while, despite the smaller size and they're a great way to try out scents (not to mention carry around to use.)

However, I found that these perfumes weren't very heavily scented. Their scents were very very light compared to other Etsy perfumes I've tried.

They weren't as strong as Solstice Scents, Flourish or Epically Epic Soap but they had a surprisingly long staying power for perfumes as lightly scented as they were.

They lasted a few hours on me, which on my skin and in the kind of weather I live in, is long enough. They go on stronger on your skin, thankfully.

I still love them a lot though, as they are of a reasonable price and Doctor Sweet Tooth has an awesome selection of scents. I'd really love to try more. ^^

Waffle Cone

Waffle Cone- brings to life the nostalgic scent of old-fashioned waffle cones baked to perfection, nestling your favorite scoop of ice cream. The aroma of warm vanilla wafting through the air, seamlessly blended with the scent of creamy butter batter is highlighted by a faint whiff of anise.

I really like this one a lot and I'm not one for sweet-foody scents. (Mainly because I don't have extraordinarily high levels of self control when it comes to things like these.)

This scent smells EXACTLY like a waffle cone, all sweet and creamy with some hints of vanilla and some splotches of butter. The anise is faintly present to ensure that there's no sugar overload and it keeps the scent realistic and even more delicious.

Waffle Cone is the strongest scent of the 4 and it's frankly YUMMY. I'm always so tempted to take a lick or two. x)

Vanilla Bean

As you all know, I'm still searching for my perfect Vanilla scent that truly captures the slightly floral and downright beautiful scent of vanilla beans.

This one doesn't but it's still freaking awesome.

It's rather faint in the bottle and it's slightly stronger on your skin. It really reminds me of Solstice Scent's Cenobite perfume oil but without as much alcohol and complexity. It's a more simple and pure Vanilla Bean scent.

It's pretty and slightly dry, very sweet but not creamy (GREAT THING!) and it's altogether a gorgeous vanilla scent that I'm glad to have in my collection. It's just not IT. x)

I'll keep looking. ^^

Grass

Oh my oh my is this scent GORGEOUS.

It smells EXACTLY like fresh green grass in a lush field. I'm totally in love with this scent.

It's so green and energizing yet slightly sweet and calming. I can't say much more about this scent since anyway we all know how freshly mowed grass smells like don't we? That gorgeous crisp green scent that makes you inhale deeply and love it so much.

Definitely a scent for all nature lovers and people who just want to smell like grass. x) (I fall into both categories whee.)

Underwater Fantasy (L de Lolita Lempicka Type)

Underwater Fantasy (L de Lolita Lempicka Type)- Blend of Lemon, Orange, Cashmere, Sandalwood.

I haven't smelled the original so I can't comment on the likeness but I can definitely rave about this scent.

At first whiff, It reminded me a lot of Flourish Bath and Body's Saltwater perfume oil because it's one of those perfumes that are unmistakably inspired by oceans and seas yet have no oceanic notes present.

Here, I mainly smell the citrus, the lemon and orange starting the show fresh and pretty with the cashmere and sandalwood somehow bringing the citrus fruits to another level, making the person smelling it, imagine oceans and mermaids.

It's utterly original, refreshing and a really creative scent to wear to your next beach party. It's slightly more feminine than Saltwater too so yeah, wear a dress. ^^

All in all, I'm really happy with my order. It arrived timely and the shipping charges to Singapore was just USD$4.95. x)

If you'd like to order some stuff, you can do so here.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/doctorsweettooth

The shop has loads of other stuff like scrubs, butters, perfume sprays and such. I'm thinking about trying a bunch of stuff too. x)

Hope you like them. ^^

All love,
Alethea

Haus of Gloi Body Emulsion (Honey Tree & Troika)

2010-10-26T06:48:00.000-07:00

Haus of Gloi Body Emulsion (Honey Tree & Troika)

Everyone who has tried Haus of Gloi would know that their lotions are The. Best. Ever.

So far they're THE BEST ETSY LOTIONS I've tried (even though they're no longer on Etsy and 'Lotion' so doesn't count Solstice Scent's Body Ganache. That's body butter. xD)

But seriously.

Haus of Gloi makes lotions that are smooth, slightly creamy and nice & silky which just glideee on to your skin and sink in soo quickly, leaving it nice and smooth.

Moisturizing power, texture and absorption, SCORE. It really has everything you'd ever want a lotion to have.

See? It has ultra awesome VEGAN ingredients.

I adore how it doesn't contain any parabens which makes it soo much better than store bought gunk of the same price range.

Hmm it's already conquered it's Etsy competition and has pretty much won all the non-Etsy brands I've tried as well (due to the no-parabens factor). Wouldn't that pretty much make it the best lotion ever? ^^

Here's a picture of the texture.

Like I said, it's silky smooth but it's not thick and heavy like a body butter. So it makes the perfect thing to use when I don't want to use a body butter but I still want something with strong moisturizing properties.

Haus of Gloi lotions are scented with Proprietary fragrance blends and the scents in these lotions last LONG. Like HOURS kinda long, even on my skin and even in Singaporean weather.

This is a GREAT thing if you like the scent but if you don't....*cues haunting but annoying music.* x)

So here I am, going to tell you about Haus of Gloi scents (that I've tried in lotions). ^^

Quite rich! Right from the bee hive - honey amplified by seductive essence of resinous vanilla, darkened by a passing waft of mild rare wood smoke.

I'm not too wild about this scent.

The honey's too smoke-y, the vanilla's too cloying and there isn't much I can say about it except it's a very grown up scent that's not my type at all. There's wayy too much resin/smoke and overpowering notes for me to like it.

(I'm not saying it's a bad scent though. Lots of people say it's awesome and the best Haus of Gloi blend but I'm just pointing out that it's not for me.)

Okay, see, this was what I was referring to. If you dislike a scent such as this, you're stuck with it for a long time, even if you're just using the lotion for it's awesome-ness.

So I use this on my legs (well they're the furthest body part I have from my nose) and it kinda works better.

A trinity of soft milks, almond, oat and coconut, lashed with sweet agave nectar and the ethereal scent of clean white.

Troika on the other hand, I LOVE.

It's so lovely and light and it's the PERFECT blend of milk and almond (which is very faint) with coconut and something slightly sweet (the agave nectar maybe?) thrown into the bargain.

It is very very very beautiful.

The coconut DOESN'T smell like sunblock and it's hardly the exotic coconut scent that's rampant either. It's kinda sweet and very pretty, almost dabbling into a sorta cherry scent (with the almond's help.)

It's a very simple blend yet it's intricately complex too. J'adore.

I'm getting a full size as soon as it's back in stock. ^^

(Oh and if you're wondering why I used the stock photo, it's because I'm kinda typing this in school. I uploaded the pictures last night and accidentally didn't upload the Troika picture and I thought that I haven't been doing enough reviews and shouldn't wait to get home to post this because I have karate tonight and I'll reach home at say...10/11 and I would most probably want to do something else, like say...sleep so yeah. I'm here rambling and Matt & Britton I really hope you don't mind. O.O)

~~~

Soo after everything, I think I can just sum up saying: Haus of Gloi's lotions are FREAKING awesome.

You can get them (along with other awesome stuff they have), here.

http://www.hausofgloi.com/

I'm kinda wanting to get moreee stuff from them but I'm not going to let myself do so until I've finished reviewing everythinggg I have. Plus, I'm saving up for their Spring collection (I decided to give their Halloween stuff a miss because I'm the type of girl who'd choose flowers over pumpkins.)

Coming up shall be: Whoo more Flourish, Solstice Scents, Epically Epic Soap, Shiro Cosmetics, Dr. Sweet Tooth, Petite Threla and A LOT more. ^^

(Let me know which you guys want first okay? xD)

Have an awesomeee day. ^^

All love,
Alethea

Epically Epic Soap lip balm/tint (Cherry Blossom & Epic Berry)

2010-10-23T23:48:00.000-07:00

Epically Epic Soap lip balm/tint (Cherry Blossom & Epic Berry)

I've openly declared my love for Epically Epic Soap's Cherry Blossom lip balm a long time ago (you can read it here but today I'll pretty much testify how my love has lasted all this while. ^^

Today, you'll see the darling lip balm in a new tube with a waterproof label. x) And instead of being a yellowish colour like the last time, Cherry Blossom is now tinted pink. =D

I loveee the new look of this lip balm. It's so sweet, pretty, girly and the flavor's fabulous.

I mean do you actually know how hard it is to find a floral flavored lip balm that is not overwhelmingly floral and still freaking delicious?

It's still moisturizing and lovely to use as ever.

This is my second tube and a third wouldn't really be out of the question. ^^

And Allison was sweet enough to send me this lip tint. ^^

(My first thought when I swatched it was: "Lip tint? It has just as much (or maybe even more) colour and pigmentation than some lip sticks I've tried.")

I'm not naming names but you know how some lip sticks give a sheer wash of colour and a whole lot of glitter/shimmer?

This doesn't. It's a deep berry purple (a reddish purple) with a slight sheen and it's very very gorgeous. ^^

Yes, it's as moisturizing as the lip balms, yes, it has a lovely berry scent, yes, it tastes slightly sweet and very yummy and yes, it has me longing to try more. ^^ (Particularly the Passionfruit Rose xD)

It'll happen soon, I'm sure. Once I finish up reviewing the heaps of stuff I have to review. x)

Hi. ^^ This was just one swipe. (And even so, it's slightly more pigmented than the picture shows as reason being swatches on lips and swatches on hands most always have differences.)

And you can wear it like this or build it up if you want more colour.

Personally, I find the colour very beautiful but not really wearable because I usually stick to reddish pinks and hardly any purples. However, I do wear it out if it matches my outfit and I lovee the way it looks really. x)

If you'd like to get some Epically Epic lip balms, visit

http://www.etsy.com/shop/EpicallyEpicSoap

Hope you find something you like. ^^ They're also pretty awesome stuff you soo have to check out. =D

All love,

Alethea

New Flourish

2010-10-22T07:14:00.000-07:00

My latest Flourish purchase came with a bow. ^^

Downright gorgeous. x)

I got full sizes of Almond Milk (reviewed it here) and Peach Tea (AWESOME! AWESOME I TELL YOU! Review (or rave) coming soon.)

Okay, technically you can kinda decipher which samples I bought by enlarging this picture but I'm going to be kind to you.

I chose Moroccan Fig, Honey, Woodsmoke and Vanilla and Brooke sent along Ginger Tea. x)

I'm going to be reviewing everything real soon (urgh I know I keep saying this) and my Shiro Cosmetics order + Dr Sweet Tooth orders are here as well.

I'm a busy busy girl. x)

But I love it. ^^

Soon love soon xoxo

All love,
Alethea

Passion Moon Potions perfume oils (Casablanca Lily, Hawaiian Vanilla & Rose Petals)

2010-10-20T00:20:00.000-07:00

Well hello again. ^^

After wayy too long.

Well just yesterday I received a package from Hawaii. =D It was my order from one of my newly discovered Etsy shops (okay, it's not that they're new, but I'm behind time), Passion Moon Potions.

I picked a few items I thought I would love and I ordered and they shipped (in about 3 days) and here I am, typing this. ^^ (Aren't ya excited? xD)

Ook I basically chose three perfume oils.

I could have chosen more (seriously go look at their collection!) but I wanted to play safe and see my thoughts about a few first. I picked Casablanca Lily, Hawaiian Vanilla and Rose Petals.

Plus the Wild Berries lip tint which shall have it's own post. (I wore it to school today. Aren't ya excited for that too? xD)

Casablanca Lily

Casablanca Lily is a floral creation that blends the beautiful scent of lily with touches of fresh green and citrus notes. A captivatingly fresh scent from the fragrant blossom of the queen of flowers.

My favourite. Hands down.

You know those pretty pink lilies that you sometimes see in floral arrangements? Yep, those are Casablanca lilies and they smell divine.

And this perfume has pretty much managed to capture their gorgeously intoxicating scent.

It starts of heady and heavily floral (oh lovee) and it's slighty green and a tad exotic yet so ultra beautiful.

It makes me feel like I'm carrying a bouquet of Casablanca lilies and wearing more in my hair, while walking through a garden of those aforementioned blossoms. A heavenly imagery if you're wondering.

If you ask me "What's the difference between this and the Solstice Scent one?"

Well, this scent is definitely more exotic than Whispers of Lilies. They're both different and SERIOUSLY nice but you can't compare them as well...different types of lilies smell different don't they? x)

And since they all smell different and because the lily is such a beautiful flower, we (or maybe it's just me) need all the different types of lily scents right? ^^

I also might need another bottle of this.

Hawaiian Vanilla

Sweet tropical vanilla. With real pieces of hawaiian grown vanilla beans in each one.
Escape to the islands.

I was kinda disapointed with this one at first.

It doesn't exactly smell like vanilla to me. (Or at least not any vanilla I've ever smelled/am used to.)

It's hardly sweet and creamy (that's good though) but it's not the usual French or the slightly floral (my favourite) kind either.

It's kinda nutty (?) and there's a slight tinge of something else, slightly sweet.

I'm kinda under the impression that all vanillas should smell roughly the same so if Hawaiian Vanilla smells like this, it's nice to know.

However, whatever it is, it's a rather nice smell. ^^

It's not exactly what I'd call a foody perfume but it's just freaking delicious. I'm been tempted one too many times to take a sip. -.-

This is an unfamiliar vanilla scent but it's really exotic and sweet and I definitely love it a lot.

I was just kinda disappointed because I wanted a different kind of vanilla scent but this is an interesting addition to the collection that I'll wear. ^^

And I think the vanilla bean's cool. x) (It was also one of the reasons that prompted me to buy this.)

Rose Petals

Essence of pure rose oil, with pink rose petals. Like walking into a rose garden.

This on the other hand, I absolutely adore.

It's a true rose scent that is slight sweet, slightly herb-y and slightly spicy. It's absolutely lovely and brings me to rose gardens far away. x)

I don't have many single-note rose perfumes so this is definitely something unique in my collection. Every young lady should have a rose perfume and this is a pretty start.

(PSST it also smells awesome with Hawaiian Vanilla ^^)

It also contains the cool touch of rose petals in a bottle. ^^

Definitely an awesome scent to wear for a sunny morning class, high tea during the afternoon, a quietly relaxing evening in or a luxurious night out...

Yeah you get the picture. x) Versatile scent.

~~~

All in all, I'm ultra happy with this order. x) (Especially Casablanca lily) I'd definitely like to try more scents and products from this shop. ^^

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PassionMoonPotions

Hope you find something you like. =D

All love,
Alethea

Back to School

2010-10-17T16:56:00.000-07:00

HEYY EVERYONE ^^

Sorry for not updating recently, I've just recovered from some fever/sore throat. x(

And guess what. School starts today. x) I'm getting ready to leave for lessons as I type this.

I suppose you can guess what I'm driving at-don't really expect new posts everyday but I promise I'll try to update whenever I can because I still have so many items I want to share with you all.

And still so many new items coming in the mail. x) (WHEE SHIRO COSMETICS)

Really. I'll try my best to review them all quickly and maintain my 4.0 GPA (though with Engineering Math this Sem, it's anyone's guess how that works out)

Okay. I gotta fly for classes now. Talk to you all soon. ^^

Take care and have an awesome week. =D

All love,
Alethea

Ella Dean (Beautiful Twists) Winter's Snowflake Kisses body mist

2010-10-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

Hello world.

Have you always wanted to smell like snow?

Now you can. ^^

This scent is one of my favourites.

I wouldn't really advise you to expect a peppermint/minty kinda scent because that's not what you'll get.

Instead, you'll smell something so ultra pure and clean (fresh kinda clean, like newly washed cotton?). It definitely smells very WHITE and invokes all sorts of images like freshly fallen snow and dancing snowflakes.

It's the kinda feeling you get when you're in a white wonderland but you're not feeling cold at all. ^^ (See? No peppermint here.)

It's so lovely and welcome (especially in a country like Singapore) xD and a really sweet scent to wear all year round but put it to great use during the non-existent Singaporean Winter as comfort for the snowless days. (We get RAIN here. Lots of it.)

It's Ella Dean, so expect a high quality, creative body mist with a gorgeous scent. I can't really describe it more without over using the words, WHITE, CLEAN, PURE, FRESH and BEAUTIFUL so I'll just stop here and leave you with the link. x)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/elladean

If you're totally into Winter and are looking for an accurate scent of snow without all that minty stuff (who ever said snow was minty anyway?), this is definitely something you should try. ^^

It's also a great present for friends in love with the beautiful season we never get here. x)

All love,

Alethea

Petite Threla Jasmine Aluminum-Free Deodorant

2010-10-13T03:29:00.000-07:00

Petite Threla Jasmine Aluminum-Free Deodorant

The scent of this stick is a heavenly floral jasmine. It contains the best-smelling jasmine sambac we have ever had the pleasure of encountering. (FYI this is not a perfume stick so the scent is distinct but not powerful like AXE deodorant – it works by binding odor not masking it. If you like the scent of this jasmine we can make a soliflore roll-on perfume for you.)

Hmm. I might actually take TH (the genius behind Petite Threla) up on that offer of a roll-on perfume in this scent. x)

Don't ask why I bought this. x)

I don't really use deodorant as I usually just dab perfume oils or spray on some Ella Dean if I'm ever in need of some scent.

But I saw this, one fine day, while browsing Threla.com and thought why not, especially since it'd be the perfect thing to take to karate practices. (Read There's no longer a need to carry 489789270 perfumes to training.)

Awesome huh. ^^

Another thing I was soo thrilled for? The scent.

You all know how I'm head over heels with the Jasmine lip balm but now you guys can watch me fall in love all over again with Threla's awesome Jasmine fragrance.

In all honesty, it isn't as pure and as strong as it is in the lip balm but it has never claimed to do so anyway.

And it's not like you can't smell the jasmine at all, you can. It's lightly floral and as lovely as I remembered it to be.

Just don't expect it to double as solid perfume that's why I'm driving at. x)

It comes in a handy travel size container as seen in the picture and I'm kinda tempted to ask TH to make a jasmine lip balm for me using this tube. Imagine how much fun that would be*. ^^

It's oval shaped, just like the Threla lip glaces except that it's wayy larger. It's sorta more flat than round so it's really easy to carry it about and around

*I so can picture the look on my friends' faces when I take out the huge lip balm. x)

I lovee how it's made with such natural and wonderful ingredients.

As from Etsy, it has

~Zinc ricinoleate (zinc salt of a castor bean derivative) to bind and trap odor molecules. This highly effective odor blocker will not interfere with the natural flora on skin but will absorb the smelly stuff.

~Corn starch to wick moisture and for a silky feel.

~Emollients such as jojoba oil and sunflower oil as well as vitamin E to keep the skin smooth.

~Naturally sourced scents for your olfactory pleasure

I also adore the texture and feel of this deodorant. It applies dry (not oily/greasy) but it's also not powdery and it lasts ages, blocking odor wonderfully well. It doesn't emanate a heavy jasmine odor but blocks the ones it's meant to. Lovee. ^^

It's about USD$4.50 each. It's not huge but I know it'll definitely last a while. I'm so glad I could find such an awesome all-natural deodorant that still works so well. I'm definitely rebuying it and as much as I LOVE jasmine, I'm really interested to try the other scents. =D

If you're looking for an all natural aluminium free deodorant, definitely give this a try. ^^

http://threla.com

or

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PetiteThrela

Hope you like it =D

All love,

Alethea

Wars of the Roses

2010-10-10T22:03:00.000-07:00

Hello world.

Here's a totally random and Beauty-unrelated post. It basically contains pictures of the necklace I made for my best friend who just turned 17. ^^

I call it Wars of the Roses.

I've been making jewelry since I was...13 (?) and I love making necklaces and earrings for friends or myself getting inspiration from everything and anything but mostly flowers, leaves, nature and love.

For Riri (my BEST FRIEND), I was thinking about a really Victorian and Tudor-ish piece because she lovesss anything from that era.

(We've had long discussions about Henry the VIII, Catherine of Aragon and Anne Bolelyn on the MRT. xD)

I knew Riri loves long necklaces, had a distant memory of her telling me about the Wars of the Roses and since I found some dark gold chain and a bronze key, I set out to wire it with one of my favourite things. Roses. ^^

I added a few Swaravoski crystals in different shades of green for the leaves. More crystals in blood red to spice up the chain & to signify the wars. And voila.

I'm so glad she liked it. x) AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY RIRI. ^^

All love,
Alethea

All photos and design copyright Alethea Borealis (c)

Flourish Bath and Body Pomegranate Rose perfume oil

2010-10-09T22:16:00.001-07:00

Flourish Bath and Body Pomegranate Rose perfume oil

Comme des Garcons makes a perfume that I adore, called "Rose" (in their Red Series) that is a blend of red rose and raspberry. It sounds simple, but the combination is genius. The berries soften the sharp edges of the rose; the rose cuts the sweetness of the berries. This is my take on that concept, blending pomegranate, red berries, and rose petals- with a little lemon zest thrown in to freshen things up. The result is a nice balance between sweet, tart, fruity, and floral.

Once upon a time, my favourite Flourish perfume oil was Saltwater.

I was head over heels and you can't really blame a girl. Who wouldn't love the scent of spicy sea breeze and mermaids? ^^

But the day that this tube of pomegranates, red berries and rose petals came into my possession, I fell in love all over again and Saltwater was pushed to silver. Sad but totally worth it.

(Psst, if you're feeling slightly insane, go ask my bottle of Saltwater if it's feeling sad or bitter. It isn't, because it's a very nice scent and it knows that Pomegranate Rose is worth the Gold. ^^)

Sooo. As you would have deduced, I LOVE this scent. I ADORE this scent.

This scent leaves me wondering why Brooke doesn't do more fruity florals since she obviously does them so beautifully.

The description is pretty accurate. The rose petals and the berries really work together to bring out the best of each other.

Rose is one of my favourite scents so I may be a tad biased but I really just love the way it's woven with the pomegranates and red fruit to bring about a lush and floral scent that laced with just a slight tartness so it's not overly sweet nor is it sharply sour.

It's extremely feminine. Saltwater may be unisex but definitely not this. It's practically how the colour red smells like.

I like wearing the colour red and have previously found it difficult to match red clothes with scents (to wear out) because they were either too dreamy, too gentle/light, too sweet or too fresh and nothing like this passionate, bold yet girly and slightly flirty perfume.

Now that's over. And Pomegranate Rose rules Queen of all my Flourish perfumes. ^^

If you've been reading this and the sound of sweet pomegranates, red berries and pretty roses allures you well, this is definitely a scent you need to try.

(I'll probably be getting another bottle or two x) once this one runs out. I reallyyyy hope I never have to live without this scent.)

If you'd like to try it, visit

http://www.etsy.com/shop/FlourishBathBody

I hope you girls loveee it as much as I do.

All love,

Alethea

Haus of Gloi Emulsifying Scrub (Imp & Satyr)

2010-10-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

Haus of Gloi Emulsifying Scrub (Imp & Satyr)

A luscious in shower confection designed to both moisturize and buff your skin to incredible softness! Our made from scratch recipe begins with heaps of organic sugar, pure shea butter and coconut oil whipped lightly with a host of a skin loving oils, olive and apricot oils. These emulsifying scrubs are balmy in texture, do not require stirring and never leave you feeling to greasy after use. When combined with water these scrubs emulse into a very light cream and rinse away leaving you perfectly moisturized and divinely scented! 100% Vegan, always.

These are awesome. ^^

Like all Etsy Emulsifying sugar scrubs, they have strong exfoliating power and they leave a film of moisture onto your skin.

This Haus of Gloi variation is pretty much no exception except I personally feel that it is WAY WAY WAY more moisturizing (read thicker film of moisture?) than any others I've tried. x)

Absolutely fiendish creature! And quite frolicsome: Italian blood orange drizzled with blackened vanilla

However, for the scent, frankly, I'm not too keen on Satyr.

The vanilla and orange, while supposedly in theory a lovely combination, comes off kinda sickly sweet to me.

The orange is too sharp and the vanilla too creamy. It lightens up a bit in the shower but it's still not a scent I'm head over heels with.

However one cool thing is that it contains organic vanilla bean powder. ^^

See those black specks? x)

This little fellow longs to be your bath time companion! Peculiar passion fruit mingling with sun cured apricots, perfectly pink grapefruit juice and innocent whispers of wet mimosa blooms.

Imp on the other hand, I totally adore. ^^

It's bright, summery and very fruity. It's pretty, slightly sweet but there's also this mature tinge to it.

It's not exactly what I'd call a kiddie fruity scent. It's more of a gorgeous sophisticated blend of fruits for the playful grown up. x)

Lovee it.

Yes, I highly recommend these scrubs.
They lovely as long as you find one with a scent that you enjoy.

(Even so, the scent doesn't last too long out of the shower so you can still use it for it's awesome exfoliation and moisturizing properties and it shouldn't bother you. Too much. Hold your breath?)

They might be too harsh for some for full body use so they'd work a treat on areas such as heels/elbows/knees.

And I thought I should add that although the sample size is only 1 oz, it can last a while especially if you don't use it for the whole body. (Plus, it's a great way to try out the scents ^^)

If you'd like to get some, you could go to Haus of Gloi's new website.

http://www.hausofgloi.com/

Their customer service was great (they resolved a problem with my order really quickly) although they did take a while to reply to some Etsy convos (but I assume it's because of the huge volume of emails they must receive daily.)

Hope you like these. ^^ Let me know what your fave scents are? x)

All love,

Alethea

September Top Fives ^^

2010-10-05T19:01:00.000-07:00

Hello all. ^^

I know I haven't exactly made any acknowledgement to the fact that SEPTEMBER JUST FLEW BY in a whirlwind of exams and gradings but then again, so do all the other months for me, nowadays. x(
Time moves wayyy too fast.

But anyways, here are my choices for September (I know it's a little late but oohh well) xD

Hope you like them as much as I do.

1) Solstice Scents Cenobite perfume oil

Mmm can someone tell me when I'm going to stop loving this gorgeous scent? Because I don't think it's gonna be anytime soon. x)

The rich boozy note that just melts into a beautiful lovely vanilla makes me fall in love with it, every time.

One of the best vanilla scents, ever.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/solsticescents

2) Epically Epic Soap Lovely Tulip Soap

Gorgeous scent, beautiful colour, lovely lather and is so ultra moisturizing.

I reallyyy don't see how I can ask of anything more. x)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/EpicallyEpicSoap

(It's not in stock now but it should be when the store reopens. ^^)

3) Squeaky Queen Fairy Cake perfume oil

Yep. I'm also still in love with this.

It's so pretty that when I wear it, I half expect some fairies to say hi. ^^ (Read my review on it for my full thoughts on this lovely scent.)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/amandalouise

4) Flourish Bath and Body Grapefruit Ginger perfume oil

Yesssss, no fear, it's still as energizing, sparkly and downright lovely. Fruity and spicy, an unusual but winning combination. ^^

It's my scent of choice for karate practices but I think I've already mentioned that. x)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/FlourishBathBody

5) Solstice Scents Whispers of Lilies body ganache

Wheeee, I saved the best for last. ^^ I've already rambled on one too many times about how much I loveee this scent. The gorgeous white of the lilies with a crisp green note.

But some bad and heartbreaking news would be that Angela will be discontinuing this scent due to supplier problems.

SO. STOCK. UP. NOW.

I already have but there's still a tinge of sadness knowing that there would be a day that'll come when I'd be without my Whispers of Lilies. =( (I'm trying not to think about it.)

Nonetheless, this is an absolutely awesome ganache/body butter so go get some now. Angela still has lovely lovely scents available. ^^

http://www.etsy.com/shop/solsticescents?section_id=6151109

~~~

I hope you guys like these items, my favourites of the all that I've reviewed in September. I promise to write again reeeal soon with some interesting reviews October 2010.

And for all the rest of the months to come. x)

All love,
Alethea

Squeaky Queen Secret Recipe Lip Balm (Coconut Lemongrass)

2010-10-03T18:54:00.000-07:00

Squeaky Queen Secret Recipe Lip Balm in Coconut Lemongrass

Hello. Trivia of the day.

I actually made myself stop using this lip balm for a while until I got around to doing this review.

Simple reason being that I could have actually finished it within a few days (without that ban) and oooh, what's a girl to do then? x)

Psst, this story is a nice foreshadowing device to let you know that I'm so ultra in love with this (as if I hadn't pointed that fact out here and here.)

Formula wise, I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that it's ONE OF THE BEST ON ETSY.

And since Etsy lip balms are WAY WAY WAY better than the icky petroleum ones you find in shops, this makes it even better.

It's smooth and silky but it's still slightly firm. It has a gorgeous glide without turning mushy or oily/greasy (I promised myself I wouldn't name names in this post so you'll have to guess xD).

I said it was slightly firm but it's not rock hard/ultra waxy. It didn't need me to warm it up before it gave a lovely swipe of creamy balm into my lips.

It's not dry and it's not slimy. It's not sticky yet it's not slippery. It's long lasting without being heavy/dry. I have no idea how Amanda did it but it's seriously everything perfect in between.

And it's also one of the most moisturizing lip balms I've ever, ever, ever tried.

A relatively short ingredient list x)

It uses beeswax not candelilla wax so it's obviously not vegan but that might explain the gorgeous texture?

The scent is awesome. Coconut Lemongrass is a lovely exotic scent that is absolutely delicious. It takes me away to tropical islands. Loveee.

It's also very unisex so I would think your boyfriend would probably like to use this flavor more than Pink Sugar Kisses right? ^^

It's a very nice choice of a flavor if you're shopping for lip balms for guys.

Here's a random picture of some Lemongrass that grows in my backyard. x) I just adore their citrus-y, herbal aroma. ^^

Soo all in all, YES, I highly recommend this lip balm.

Another con besides not being vegan is that the flavor list isn't exactly long but I already see a few others I wanna try and quite honestly, with a formula like this, I'd be happy to even (GASP) take it plain.

I know right. x)

The listing for the balm is here but if that's sold out, you can check out Squeaky Queen's Etsy shop. ^^

http://www.etsy.com/shop/amandalouise

She has loadsa other goodies which will also be reviewed as well. =D And at USD$3 a lip balm, you might want to grab them stat. ^^

~~~

Sooo yeah. Happy October. =D

I still have a few weeks of vacation left and a few more announcements but those shall be saved til umm, next time. ^^ Which will be very soon.

Thanks so much for reading. Hope you like the new layout. x) Lemme know what you think of it okay? ^^

All love,

Alethea

Solstice Scents Perfume Samples II (Pharaoh, Salty Mariner & Victorian Tea Room)

2010-09-29T23:08:00.000-07:00

Solstice Scents Perfume Samples II (Pharaoh, Salty Mariner & Victorian Tea Room)

Hiiii. I've reviewed Cenobite so here are more reviews of the samples sweet Angela sent me. She sent me loadsss. After this I think I'll still have 2 more to review. x)

Pharaoh perfume oil

PHARAOH** is a fragrance comprised primarily of the long established popular and neutral scent of Egyptian Musk spiked with just a *few* drops of Frankincense Essential Oil and a splash of honey far in the background. It is a beautiful very soft fragrance that is perfect for wearing when you're looking for something understated and muted but would like to smell clean. This is a low-key scent that can be used alone or in conjunction with compatible fragrances. It is a truly wonderful unisex fragrance. Slight tinge of the exotic, clean, fresh, mild, natural and just the SLIGHTEST hint of a floral in there. The frankincense is very soft and detectable solely upon application. After that, it takes a back seat and really is more of a note adding depth rather than one standing as identifiable. The honey is a very mild natural honey that is not readily detectable, also adds to the blend. It does not smell like almonds or other similarly sickening things that a lot of "honey" blends seem to have trouble with.

Taken from here.

Well let's just say I didn't expect to like it this much. x)

I'm not exactly a musk/amber/*insert exotic spice* kinda girl but this is gold. Seriously. It smells rich and sweet, slightly exotically spicy and yes, you can smell a tinge of florals inside light golden liquid.

It contains Egyptian musk but there's nothing heavy/musky about this scent at all.

It's soo easy to imagine a girl like Cleopatra (one of my favourites) wearing this. The perfect perfume for Egyptian Princesses (didn't I mention it smells golden and royal-like?) or a girl who spends her days playing around with the honey and spices at markets. x)

It's slightly sweet from the honey and the florals add a pretty girlish touch. It's light and not overpowering and a simply lovely scent you should try. ^^

Salty Mariner perfume oil

Salty Mariner smells exactly like walking down the beach and being hit in the face with sea spray from the waves. It smells very salty, seaweedy and oceany. It is a pretty complex scent and you will be surprised how much it smells like the beach! A very clean, salty, ocean breeze fragrance that is perfect for both men and women.

Taken from here.

My FAVOURITE of all the samples she sent. ^^

It's this blast of seaspray over some sand and warm breeze. It's so ultra fresh and pretty.

The more I use it, the more I feel like it's a girlier version of Flourish Bath and Body's Saltwater perfume oil.

Saltwater is crisp and slightly spicy (which gives it a more unisex feel) whereas Salty Mariner has this note that I can't really identify (I'm not sure if it's ozone or something floral) but it conjures up images of Singaporean beaches with those pink flowers that grow along the coast.

It's kinda hard to explain. Flowers along the beach.

But if you've seen them, you'd know exactly what I mean. The pretty scent of the flowers coupled with the salty fragrance of the ozone would make up Salty Mariner. ^^

Victorian Tea Room perfume oil

VICTORIAN TEA ROOM is a lovely blend of Bergamot, Palmarosa and Roman Chamomile Essential Oils with smothered in fresh Kumquats and Orange Marmalade. A wonderful aromatic blend.

Taken from here.

To be honest, I didn't like this one at first.

It was like some Kumquats joined hands with some Citrus (orange and bergamot) and then came over to punch me in the face. x(

Gingerly I dabbed some on because I'm a firm believer in second chances for perfumes.

On my skin, the previously absent Tea decided to wake up.

I rubbed it out a bit to encourage it to wake up more.

After a while, the Tea got the hint.

The Tea came over to kick the Kumquat and Citrus in their solarplexes.

With the bullies in the background the Tea brought out his girlfriend, Ms Chamomile out of hiding.

The scent suddenly became an aromatic medley. It's rich, warm, slightly spicy and tart and very lovely.

We lived happily ever after.

***

So yeah, don't be surprised if you don't like this scent at first. Give it a little time and don't forget to wake the Tea up.

You'll get this lovely, vintage and almost romantic scent when you do. x)

~~~

There. I've listed the links to the perfume oils underneath the descriptions but if they're sold out or you want to browse the GORGEOUS main store, here.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/solsticescents

It's not very kind to wallets but to everything else, oui. ^^

All love,

Alethea

One Hand Washes the Other Whipped Sugar Scrub (Gingerale & Grass Stain)

2010-09-28T23:03:00.000-07:00

One Hand Washes the Other Whipped Sugar Scrub (Gingerale & Grass Stain)

Whipped Sugar Scrub is another new product, a scrubbly, bubbly skin treat for your bathing pleasure. Just the tiniest bit of this stuff, when exposed to water and a bit of agitation, EXPLODES into millions of creamy bubbles to cleanse you and exfoliate you- and then it rinses clean, leaving your skin brighter, and not oily or greasy feeling. I've loaded this with sweet almond oil, shea butter, and vitamin E for extra pampering goodness, along with pure white sugar for its scrubbing properties- not too coarse, not too fine, this scrub will get the job done without making you feel you've rubbed down with some sand paper.

Whoots. No parabens, SLS nor ALS. Scoreeee. ^^

Gingerale smells pretty much like the Flourish Bath and Body Gingerale perfume oil.

Bright, fresh and almost fizzy x) Very ginger-ish, don't you worry. ;) Read my Gingerale perfume review for more thoughts on the scent okay? ^^

The texture of the product is nice and smooth but there are sugar grains present.

I feel like it's literally a mix between the Sweet Cream Emulsifying Sugar Scrub and the whipped cream soap I'll be reviewing next.

While this doesn't make it earth shatteringly original, it's a pretty good choice for those who want some exfoliation but find the Emulsifying scrub too harsh.

HOWEVER, I haveee to rave about the Grass Stain fragrance. x)

The scent is AWESOME. It's fresh, green and slightly sweet. It REALLY REALLY DOES SMELL EXACTLY LIKE FRESH CUT/MOWED GRASS IN A WILD OPEN FIELD.

Okay, infer from the amount of capital letters my enthusiasm about this scent. x)

It's pretty much this wild, nature-ish scent that I love loads and it invokes the imagery of bathing in an open field which although doesn't sound particularly desirable, it's an altogether awesome experience.

(Psst, not that I've tried. The closest I've come to bathing in a grass field is with this soap)

True story.

Anyway, I'm deciding between getting a full size of this soap or getting the scent in a solid perfume form.

But you know, I'm pretty sure both won't hurt. ^^

Want to know more about the formula?

Well, it doesn't dry my skin out. And it sorta leaves a slight sheen of moisture (though that wears off quickly so moisturize after your bath.)

The sugar grains exfoliate well but once again, they're not as strong as the Emulsifying scrub. Go for that if you want a stronger scrub but choose this if you want something nice and gentle. ^^

They are sold in sample pots (like the ones I got) which are an awesome way of trying out some scents and the formula before settling for a full size.

If you'd like one, visit

http://www.etsy.com/shop/1HandWashesTheOther

Hope you guys like them. ^^

All love,

Alethea

GRAHHHH x)

2010-09-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

Sorrryyy. I know, I've been letting this blog die.

Well who'd thought I'd be as busy with holidays. x(

But besides karate and such, I've been going to this Shiseido course and have been getting some samples you guys might like me to review. ^^

Maquillage. It's awesomely pretty. x)

Along with that, I still have to do reviews for

~Haus of Gloi

~Solstice Scents

~Squeaky Queen

~Epically Epic Soap

~One Hand Washes the Other

~Flourish Bath and Body

~EllaDean

~Petite Threla

And it suddenly seems a lot now that I've typed it out. O.O

Let me know which reviews you guys want first okay? ^^

Don't sneer but I think I'll be more free after my Shiseido course ends on Wednesday but hopefully, a review will come up before that x)

All love,

Alethea

Psst: The pictures of the Cherry Blossom mooncakes are to make you feel less angry x)

EpicallyEpicSoap Lovely Tulip soap

2010-09-23T17:03:00.000-07:00

EpicallyEpicSoap Lovely Tulip soap

Remember how long long time ago I placed an order with Epically Epic Soap and reviewed the items Blue Lilacs soap, Hyacinth with Aloe soap and the awesome Cherry Blossom and Rosa lip balms?

Not forgetting the Fresh Cut Flowers Sugar Cube scrub and I think I even did a mini review on the Hyacinth Tulip perfume oil. ^^

Well, let's just say that it should be surprising that the last item that I've been saving to review is kinda (HAHA KINDA?!) floral too. Tu sais moi. ;)

LOVELY TULIP ~ This scent was inspired by my mom's beautiful red and yellow tulips that would sprout every spring after a long Chicago winter. Scented with the crisp, delicate fragrance of tulips, a light floral scent that's not overpowering. This is by far my best-selling scent at craft shows!

My favourite scent of the lot. Seriously.

I've never smelled tulips in real life but after smelling this, I can't imagine them smelling any other way.

They're my new favourite floral scent and in case you're wondering how tulips smell like, they smell like smiles, sunshine and love. ^^

So besides the ultra awesome smell, this soap is also pretty lovely to use. It lathers awesomely well and is NOT drying but uber moisturizing.

(Personally I found it more moisturizing than the other 2 soaps but could be just me.)

The cons about this soap however, is that if you slice it to use in the bath, the layers willl come apart after a while (doesn't bother me but it might to some people).

And the beautiful scent doesn't last long on skin. (But actually none of the soaps have lasting scents too. This is why you (haha read 'I') got the Lovely Tulip Many Purpose Solid lotion which I'll have a review of soon. ^^

Here's a picture of me slicing it to take to karate camp (which was who knows how long ago). It was absolutely lovely to use after a hard long day of training and games, I still remember. x)

It's one of my favourite soaps from Epically Epic (but I'm going to introduce a new favourite sometime soon O.O). But for this Lovely Tulip, I really adore the pretty yet cheerful scent, the gorgeous lather and the wonderful moisturizing properties it possesses.

If you'd like one (though I'm not sure if it's currently listed in the store, you could ask Allison to check), visit

http://www.etsy.com/shop/EpicallyEpicSoap

She has loads more goodies. ^^ I'll be introducing a few rather soon but it's always fun to go wild by oneself isn't it. x)

All love,

Alethea

PetiteThrela Order Number 2 + Juniper Soap Dish review

2010-09-21T22:57:00.001-07:00

I am alwayyyys happy to receive a package in the mail.

But this time, I was soo relieved and ecstatic to see this gorgeous green lovely. ^^

It's from Petite Threla ^^

Petite Threla is the smaller sister shop of Threla (http://threla.com/) that's on Etsy.

I usually order from it because well...I like Etsy and it's easy, but I've come to realize that there are wayyy more stuff on Threla.com so I'll probably do a gander soon. (Eeps, sounds expensive) xD

This time, I got Facial Refill Tubes to try out. I've used a few since they came and I'm amoureux totally.

They come in sets of 8 (and you get to choose 4 scrubs and 4 masks) yet TH (the seller) was sweet enough to send along an extra tube of scrub. ^^
(I've used it today and it's totally yummy. Will review it reaaalll soon.)

These are an awesome way to try out all the scrubs and masks. ^^ I lovee the packaging too. x)

I also chose 2 Honeysuckle Lime foot scrubs (they weren't listed on Etsy) but I stalked them down from Threla.com. J'adore.

Also pictured is the Juniper soap dish I thought I'd review in this post. ^^

I wouldn't ask you to dare me to make a Petite Threla order without buying some lip balms/tints because I'd fail miserably.

I chose Rose, Apple and Lychee lip tints. I wanted to try the Earl Grey lip balm after I LOVEEED the lip tint and of course, I need more Jasmine Lip balms for my sanity. x)

~~~

Juniper Soap Dish

Ok, I've been needing this for a while. x)

I've been going crazy over handmade Etsy soaps and I figured I needed to take better care of them, instead of letting them go all mushy without the proper draining this provides.

Well it's USD$2.75. Pourquoi pas? ^^

I can verily and honestly say it exceeded all my expectations.

It came larger and prettier than I expected. And soo sleek and smooth. The wood it gorgeously polished with a "non-toxic varnish coating" and it's absolutely lovely, so zen and spa like. x)

I've been using it since day 1 and yes, my soap is nice and dry, thanks for asking. It's reaaaallly nice to know that favourite soaps would last longer. (As all soaps would, if they're kept dry and away from water when not in use.)

My new love. ^^

I wish I could get more of it, but alas, my bathroom sink area is only so large and I'm constantly trying to defy that fact but more on that later. x)

If you'd like to pick up one of your own or anything from a super awesome and very natural shop, visit

http://threla.com

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PetiteThrela

I'll be back soon xoxo

All love,
Alethea

Ella Dean (Beautiful Twists) Elina's Greek Dancing Under the Moon body mist

2010-09-20T00:59:00.000-07:00

Ella Dean (Beautiful Twists) Elina's Greek Dancing Under the Moon body mist

Let's start off with me saying I've been to Greece. x)

Really, I have. (In Dec. 2006)

Can't say at 13 years, I was extremely fascinated with the place. Well, to me, if you've seen once preserved rock structure, you've seen them all.

(And that's pretty much all we (me and my family + the tour group) saw there.

But I've carried memories of that place for years. It's not exactly an easy place to forget. (The names of the exact sites we went to, yes/sure/totally, but the general atmosphere there, no way.)

It wasn't the name of that drew me to this body mist but rather the sound of it. Ella's instruction to "Spray after showering for a romantic Greek and moon inspired scent." was pretty convincing. x)

So you're probably wondering how it smells like?

To me, Greece of course.

It reminds me of the lavender that grew by the roads we walked to get to the popular tourist destination of the day.

The roadside lavender I'd gather to throw into a bath in the hotel at the end of the day.

It mainly wild lavender that I haven't seen anywhere else besides Greece (I know, I'm deprived) so it's an aroma that definitely brings me back to that same cold, nippy place.

However, the strange thing about this lavender, is that most lavender scents soothe me to sleep but this doesn't.

There's something weirdly energizing about this scent that practically invokes dancing under the moon.

It's not a sugary lavender scent. It's not a herbal one either.

I've rarely met lavender smells that don't fall into these two categories so go figure what kind of lavender it is.

All I'll add is that it definitely conjures up images of the historical country I spent 2 weeks being dragged around from rock structure to rock structure but along the way, had a wonderfully great time.

It's an interesting lavender scent to add to the collection of lavender lovers and a unique scent for those not keen on lavender to try. x)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/elladean

Ella Dean is awesome. <3

All love,

Alethea

Solstice Scents Cenobite Perfume Oil

2010-09-19T05:28:00.000-07:00

Solstice Scents Cenobite Perfume Oil

I'M BACK! ^^

Missed me? =D

I thought I'd start with one of my new favourites. A sample vial of Cenobite perfume oil Angela generously sent along with my order, as per request.

(She sent me heaps of samples and I shall review allllll.) x)

A deep Vanilla Bean which has the slight boozy liqueur note on application mixed with a pile of fresh vanilla beans and a sultry smooth, rich and creamy French Vanilla. On dry down, the vanilla is a lovely deep almost french vanilla. Lovely for layering as well. This is not a sweet frosting/sugary/buttery vanilla, it is a sophisticated, pure and deeper vanilla scent. It smells absolutely wonderful and is a delicious compliment to my CENOBITE soap (see ANCIENTS COLLECTION section of my shop). An absolute must for vanilla lovers!

It came in the typical gorgeous Solstice Scents packaging. Even though it was just a sample.

I personally love the rich scent of fresh vanilla beans. Not too keen on the buttery ones. So that fact that I'm totally in love with this should probably give you a clue on which side this vanilla scent falls in right? ^^

In the vial, it smells alcoholic. Like a sweet concoction of booze and vanilla? (No idea about this though, since I don't drink.)

However, it already foreshadows that this is not the type of vanilla you wear with a lace-y pink skirt and a peach bow in your hair.

More like the type of vanilla scent you put on to complement a little black dress a night the boyfriend's coming over. ;)

Or if you're going out with friends. Same thing. ^^

Kinda. =D

But on the skin, it's a different fairytale.

The alcohol note fades to the back and the vanilla, flower-y and rich, comes out.

It's pretty, slightly floral and sweet (but not sugary.)

It's also smooth and a teensy bit creamy, with a drop of booze. It's seriously one of the best vanilla perfumes I've smelled.

Of course, it doesn't accurately encapsulate the original scent of freshly chopped vanilla beans (nor has any other perfume oil/vanilla essence I've tried done for that matter) but it offers a pretty awesome interpretation of the beautiful vanilla aroma.

And anyway, it already states in the description that it's FRENCH vanilla that's in this scent, so just expect a gorgeous and elegant vanilla that is nice and grown up, yet slightly playful but very delicious nonetheless and you'll be well pleased. ^^

Overall, it's really one of my favourite scents I got. I'm definitely going full-bottle with my next (and hopefully soon) Solstice Scents order. x)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/solsticescents

Have fun. ^^
Whee it's good to be back. x)

All love,
Alethea

Solstice Scents Part Deux

2010-09-16T01:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I told you I couldn't stay away from Solstice Scents for long.

My order just came a day or so back and I'm practically going crazy with the products, though I have ONE LAST PAPER left tomorrow. x)

After my karate grading on Saturday, I PINKY PROMISE I'll start reviewing more regularly and clear my debt load of products to do. (I'm pretty sure they count up to 20. Heehee.)

And I am sorta sorry about all these random updates with so little reviews but these are less time consuming to do and uhh, they keep my blog more alive and may (like hopefully?) tempt you to come back again to see what I think of the products? Maybeee? ^^

Ok. Ignore zee ramblings.

I've leaving for karate anyway. (There's this tournament after the mass grading and I don't want to be turned into mush. O.O)

Kisses xoxo. I'll be back much sooner than you think. ;)

All love,
Alethea

Squeaky Queen Fairy Cake Perfume Oil

2010-09-13T20:59:00.000-07:00

Squeaky Queen Fairy Cake Perfume Oil

Decadent. Sweet. Flirtatious.

Very sweet with a heavy dose of vanilla, sugar, and dried coconut - yet stays away from being a foody perfume with just enough labdanum, musk, bay, bergamot, and the sharpness of pink pepper.

My new favourite artisian perfume. ^^

Okay, it's also the only one I own but it's just making me question why I don't have more.

The lovely Etsy description sold me (as if the pretty picture hadn't already done so) and it sounded like just the sort of thing a 17 year old girl who still loves fairies would like.

Uh but shh. Don't tell. ^^

It comes in a 8ml amber glass vial with aluminum cap.

It's really cute and pretty (so fantasy-ish and girly =D) but I do wish the applicator stick was slightly longer.

It works, none the less and it applies a nice amount of perfume. The bottle is also really tiny so it's great if you'd want to carry it around.

The perfume lasts well and it's strong enough so you only need a small amount (like a drop?) each time you apply it.

I do believe tiny bottle is going to last a looong time. x)

Now, you're probably wondering about the most important thing about choosing a perfume.

Hmm the scent. x)

It starts really sweet and pretty with vanilla and coconut.

The coconut is the non-sunscreen kinda coconut that adds a touch of exotic-ness but doesn't remind you of a day at a beach slathered with sunblock.

But then, the sweetness (Note, NOT a foody perfume for those hoping for one) fades slightly and new notes come in.

I'm not too sure how labdanum smells like exactly but I think it's there since there's this note I can't really identify amongst the bergamot which adds a mild mature citrus nuance and the bay/pink pepper bring in a hint of spice.

Sugar and spice = L.O.V.E

All in all, it's a very lovely perfume that's pretty magical.

It's not a young-girl girly type of pink sugar concoction nor do the vanilla and coconut notes make it unadulteratedly grown up.

I think it's sort of a alchemical mix between the two and I adore it very much.

You can get it at USD$15 or in a sample pack for USD$12 (which I bought as well. Will review it soon. ^^)

Check out Squeaky Queen's Etsy shop here. I waited to do this review since she just came back to her Etsy shop so you can see the listings now.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/amandalouise

Hope you'll find something you like. =D

~~~

Psst this is the first post with pictures taken by Mel Mlo-clam (Remember him? From my last post here?)

Wheee, he's fun. ^^

But I'm going back to watching Merlin/studying now. x) Talk to you all soon. 2 papers left. =D

All love,

Alethea

Merlin

2010-09-11T21:49:00.000-07:00

Hi. I'm sorry I'm not updating very regularly.
It's just that with what little free time I have I'd rather be watching Merlin than posting reviews. x)

Last paper: This Friday.

Karate grading: This Saturday.

After that, things would be back to normal I promise. (Uhh, I'll try not to watch so much Merlin but go blame my best friend Riri for getting me hooked on it.)

Take care y'all. Hope you guys are having a less study-filled (read HECTIC) week than I am. x)

All love,
Alethea