A Dip of the Toe: Blooddrop

Oh man, I've been sitting on this order for quite a while. Why do I let these things happen? I'll never know. But here I am! Ready to party review!

Hanging out on IMAM is a real stress on the wallet - the more I saw people talking about Blooddrop's perfumes, the more I needed to try them. So I did. I jumped in a bit recklessly and purchased two of the Horses of the Carousel perfumes which are only available in full sizes and tacked on a few samples for good measure. I missed the fact that the shop owner was going to be on vacation for a week starting the day I placed my order but that was, of course, my bad. What I thought was a bit odd is that I never received any sort of shipping notification. Surprise packages are never a bad thing but it would have saved me a bit of stress to know there'd be no such email. Do your research, kids! Shipping on it's own was quite quick! Everything was packaged very nicely and I'm absolutely in love with these business-type cards. They're fabulous.

On to the perfumes!

The Giant Horse: The Giant Horse should not fit in the carousel given how massive it is, but it does. It is nearly impossible to mount up to its saddle that is covered with tassels, gilt accents, and ornate scrollwork and tooling that tells the tale of the giant horse that once roamed Persia centuries ago. Its rider sits atop the softly breathing steed and can see across sands, skies, and seas. Its scent is of a bold, mocha cupcake with mocha frosting that is delicately drawn to appear like the horizon with tiny tree tops, roof tops, mountain tops and the ocean.

It's a tad lengthy but I left the whole description because it's just lovely. The whole idea of some sort of enchanted carousel with all these horses that smell like cupcakes has me entirely enthralled. There's no way I was going to get away without trying any of these. The Giant Horse was a "by the seat of my pants" kind of decision. I'm not a big coffee/mocha sort of gal but I read a few favorable reviews that piqued my interest. From the bottle I get pure mocha - a bit like Haus of Gloi's Vice. There's a touch of sweet frosting underneath but the mocha is incredibly strong and I could already tell it was going to end up bitter. Oh boy, and I was right. On my skin I lose the small bit of sweetness that was in the bottle and I end up with pure bitter mocha. It must be my skin chemistry, coffee scents always end up a bit burnt smelling. After a few hours it did sweeten up just a tad but by then the entire thing was much too faint to matter. I may try layering this over something sweeter in the future but there's a good chance I'll be passing it off to someone else at some point.

The Velvet Horse: The Velvet Horse is like a plush, luxurious, regal steed. Its coat is the same softness of silk velvet and bears a damask pattern in Bordeaux red and aubergine purple. There is no heavy tack on the Velvet Horse, only layered blankets and a ribbon bridle. The gaits of this horse are as smooth as its coat like a horse from Andalusia. Its scent is that of a chocolate and coconut cupcake with chocolate cream cheese filling and chocolate frosting decorated with red and purple sugar rose petals.

I wanna ride that horse and I wanna eat that cupcake. So obviously I'm going to buy the perfume. Out of the bottle it smells exactly like Barney & Co's Cocoa + Coconut Almond Butter. (Which you should probably try because it's delicious but I have to restrain myself because I'll just eat half the jar in a sitting. ;_;) Applied and dried down it goes powdery on me, unfortunately. The coconut is the boss note here so it imparts a bit of a dry coconut flour quality to the whole scent. I few more hours into it and it's alright, not the worst but not the greatest. I'll probably try layering with this one as well.

A tad disappointing but I should have known better than to jump into anything. Luckily the samples I got worked out fairly well for me!

Dixie Elouise Adelaide Deschamps' Perfectly Legal and Innocuous Kissing Cake: Some of the finest, ripest strawberries, the fluffiest and sweetest angel cake, the creamiest butter cream frosting and some davana to make the experience unique.

From Blooddrop's collection "The Possibly Not So Accurate Historical Liquids for An Assortment of Dis-Eases." The names are a doozy but I personally love ridiculously long names for things. (I was a huge Fallout Boy fan back in the day.) The notes in the perfume just scream "eat me" so this was tossed in my cart no questions asked. Out of the (super cute and tiny) sample bottle this perfume smells extremely sweet - strawberries and a hint of liqueur perhaps? On my skin I get a lot more of the cake and frosting notes. In fact, it smells exactly like those strawberry jelly roll snack cake things. Delicious but obviously artificial. The scent is a nice one and my sample will get it's share of wear but I think I'm good without a full size.

Bûche de Noël: A traditional French dessert for le Reveillon de Noel. Insanely decadent and delicious! Hazelnuts, Grand Marnier, genoise, vanille and chocolat.

More dessert! Not knowing exactly what Grand Marnier was, I was taken aback when I first gave this a sniff. Apparently, it's an orange liqueur and damn, does it show. The Grand Marnier is first out of the bottle followed by soft, sweet cake. (The genoise.) The Grand Marnier doesn't back down when I first apply it. It's a bit bitter and I think the chocolate in the background kind of throws everything off. I never seem to have much luck with chocolate it seems. As it dries down it gets much sweeter and the hazelnut peeks out while the bitter orange sticks around. It's unique, if odd. Once again, another sample that I'll use but it needs further testing to see if I'd ever want the full size. 

Yellow Kimono: Bright and fresh. Tea, yuzu, pink grapefruit, lemon and a wee bit of pineapple.

Lastly, a little fresh to cut the sweet! I was afraid of the tea note but look at alll the fruiiitt. I had to try it. In the bottle it smells like citrus with a touch of what seems like green tea. Fruity and fresh! Applied I catch a lot of lemon first which makes me super happy. The tea sits in the background being a team player and keeps the perfume from being pure fruit. As time goes on each fruit pops out then melds back in to the citrus collective. It's super clean and fresh and it'll be perfect for hot summer days. I'll probably pop it out on occasion this winter though. I do what I want.

Also look at how cute these sample bottles are:

The tiny sample bottles are so cute!!

One thing about the perfumes: the labels, as lovely as they are, are also a bit annoying. They're very thick and sturdy but the adhesive doesn't seems to be strong enough for how stiff the labels are and most of the corners are lifting up. You can especially see it in the first shot of The Velvet Horse.

The owner Astrid was running a bit of a special around the time I ordered so along with my perfumes I also received two very generous samples of a couple of Blooddrop's skincare products.

Facial Masque No. 1:

I don't believe this is listed as of yet on Blooddrop's website. I'm absolutely terrible at using masks regularly so I can't attest to it's effectiveness BUT I did use it once and suffered no adverse effects. It has a strong scent - cucumber if I remember correctly and a tad herbal. It felt nice and cool on my face but other than a refreshing feeling I didn't get much out of it.

Eau Douce Floral and Herbal Facial Mist: Eau Douce (translation: soft water) is a floral and herbal facial mist. It contains a natural and beneficial blend of organic hydrosols aimed to refresh, sooth, heal and pamper your skin! Eau Douce is a blend of rose, calendula, chamomile and rose geranium hydrosols. It has been tested on a variety of skin types with lovely results. Psoriasis and rosacea test bunnies reported quieter skin. Also, wonderful for soothing break-out prone skin and preempting further breakouts. Equally suited for a simple refreshing treat to the face on hot days or during travel where the skin tends to dehydrate.
Honestly, I've been too scared to actually put this on my face. My skin isn't super sensitive but it does have it's days. The scent is just sooo strong - very floral. It puts me off just a bit. Maybe one of these days I'll give it a try (the description makes it seem lovely enough) but I suppose it'd better be sooner than later as it doesn't contain any preservatives. (Something to take note of.)


Anyway, my first taste of Blooddrop didn't go quite how I'd like it to scent-wise but there's still so much to try! I'm actually currently awaiting my decants of some of their fall releases that I got through Ajevie's Circles. (My first decant circle, guys! I'm so excited!) This'll be a bit better for me - I need to learn not to jump head first into those full sizes!

xxx

Haus of Gloi Fall Haul

It's faaaaalllll time! Of course, here in Iowa that means we jump between hot as shit to cold as shit weather-wise every few days. (The other night it was 30-some degrees and I was pretty much ready to end it all.) But it also means fall perfumes. This, my bubs, is my first fall with indie perfumes in my life and I'm pumped. Though I do have to control my spending, I definitely plan on dabbling here and there. I just want to smell like a pumpkin pie. I don't think that's too much to ask for.

Everybody and their various mothers were chomping at the bit when Haus of Gloi was getting ready for their fall collection to go live. Myself included. It was wild. Shit was emptying out of carts, listings were going out of stock pretty much instantly and it was just an all around madhouse. I was hoping to grab a Ghost Puffs Pumpkin Butter but alas, it wasn't meant to be. I did manage to get a sample of all of the perfumes (even if it did involve placing several panicked orders). I did skip out on Samhain and Queen Mother though being as they were limited/full size only/what have you.

Let's get on to these sceeeeennnnttts~

Ghost Puffs: Buttery popcorn and marshmallow goo orbs, presented on a wooden stick.

I was sooo excited for Ghost Puffs! There was a lot of hype building it up before this season's release and by god, if it sounds like something I wanna eat then I'm going to want to smell like it. Out of the vial it's sweet, sweet butter. Perhaps a touch of marshmallow. I want to bathe in it. On my skin the butter lightens up a bit and the marshmallow comes out a bit more. Underneath it all I swear I pick up some sort of wood note for the stick. Or maybe I'm just imagining things. The butter and marshmallow fade out quick however and I'm left with a lingering, quiet sweetness. It's a bit generic after all that and it sits really close to my skin. I'm really hoping that I'll be able to pick this scent up in a pumpkin butter. I feel it'll be more enjoyable as a body care product than an all-day type of perfume.

Olde Cider Haus: Old oak, sweet drying hay fields, crushed apple pulp and vanilla bean husks.

This was another super hyped scent! The notes sound lovely and I almost considered just blind buying a full bottle but I made the responsible, adult decision to stick with a sample first. The cold sniff is pure apples and vanilla. Red, cider, autumn apples. I can't necessarily pick out the oak and hay but all together there's something really soft in the background keeping Olde Cider Haus from being too foody. At this point it's nice as a 'home' scent but I was looking forward to how it transformed on my skin. Applied the oak really comes out and the apples stay pretty strong. Then the hay comes out. It's very well done - almost too much so. It's not an in your face hay scent but rather an afterscent that sits in the back of your throat. I feel like I just smelled hay and it makes my nose tickle. It's really the oddest sensation. Further dry down yields a warm, woody, slightly sweet scent with a good touch of apple left behind. I'd say it leans unisex. Personally, I'm not into it. It's very well done and I think it'd make a great candle but I don't care to smell this way myself. Good job on not getting this in a full size, me. Thinkin' ahead.

Persephone's Descent: Pomegranate, pale musk, narcissus blossom and black amber. 

I friggin' love mythology. And I love products with built in narratives. I wasn't sold on the list of notes but I was gonna give it a go either way. Out of the bottle I get tart fruits with a touch of musk. To me it's definitely a more mature, grown up fruit scent. And surprisingly pleasant as I've always assumed I disliked pomegranate as a perfume note. Applied, the pomegranate loses it's tartness and the musk and narcissus come out but it all blends really, really well. It could easily be something you'd find in a Sephora. At first I was worried it'd turn a bit 'old lady' on me which may have been a touch of the black amber (which always scares me off a bit) but in the end it's just so seamless. The first time I wore it started fairly 'eh' but by the end of the day I knew I was gettin' this puppy in a full size. And I totally diiiid.

Pumpkin Eater: Cream, glowing pumpkin, rich vanilla bean and the tiniest touch of nutmeg butter.

That's a pretty list of notes! I was lookin' forward to some sweet pumpkin goodness with this one. Out of the vial is all sweet cream and very little pumpkin though. It's good! But not what I'd been hoping for. Applied, it smells very fresh and sweet. The pumpkin comes across as a bit peachy to me, oddly enough. In fact, it reminds me of Solstice Scent's Chantilly Cream. A LOT. Except slightly less peachy and more pumpkiny. It's nice but not a must have for me.

Pumpkin Queen: Gentle hay pillows, pumpkin, ripe peaches dusted with clove and nutmeg, dried summer herbs, and lastly, a lovely crown of amber.

Cold sniff is sweet, pumpkin pie-esque pumpkin. Fuckin' delish. A touch of clove and nutmeg. Applied it is much less foodie. All herbs and hay - no pumpkin. :( The cloves come out pretty strong for a bit and then it's literally all herbs - like a kitchen. It's okay. But it's not quite for me. I may have to let it age a bit and try it then because there's so much potential here. More likely than not it's just my poop skin chemistry though.

Spider Silk: Procured from a dream: delicate water mint, wispy grey musk, crystalline webs of amber, oakmoss, torchwood, copaiba resin, and a touch of withered violet leaf.

I love the description of this one. It's otherworldly. Straight from the bottle I'm not a huge fan, however. It reminds me of Selkie/Driftwood. I'm guessing that's due to the musk but I'm no expert. There's a slight touch of mint there also. So far, no good. On my skin the mint comes out more and it's kind of nice. There's a woody/resinous background but it's not obnoxious. It's also just a tad mentholy. Further into the wear time it turns more floral - it reminds me of the violet note in Splendiferous. It's quite nice and the sillage is decent. I could catch wafts of it as I went about my day. I'm still not sure if I need this in a full size but I'll for sure be giving it some more wear time.

The Horseman: Autumnal forest and wood, distant fire, smooth saddle leather, brown musk and the lingering scent of a dark gentleman's cologne on a black woolen coat.

Ahhhh, super musky and masculine! I'm having a hard time picking out individual notes though. I'm not one for wearing super dudely scents on the regular but I figured it wouldn't be fair to not give this one a go. Once on it's a touch smoky, very musky and I can pick out the leather. It's alright but I wouldn't be into my man smelling this way; it's just a bit much. The dry down is a bit more calm. I catch something like wool and can definitely see what they're saying with the last part of the description. It's very colonial - if that makes sense.

Tobac: Pipe tobacco, a wisp of smoke, Bourbon vanilla and two cedarwoods.

Oh god. In the vial Tobac is bourbon vanilla exactly - so sweet and rich. This is exactly what I was hoping to get from Solstice Scent's Cenobite. There's a barely there touch of cedar sitting in the background but at this point it's leaving well enough alone. My skin chemistry was designed by assholes however. Applied, everything that I've ever loved disappears and my skin decides the only thing I need is cedar. Cedar for years. The tobacco comes out pretty strong too and I end up smelling like a cigar box/tobacco outlet/grandpa. Only hours later it does it calm down and sweeten up a tad but it can never be what I thought it was. I know some people have better luck with Tobac than I did. I may try to convince Wiener Boyfriend to give it a go. If not, I will literally swab this shit on strangers until I find the one for me. 

The one pumpkin butter I managed to grab:

Pumpkin Eater: Cream, glowing pumpkin, rich vanilla bean and the tiniest touch of nutmeg butter.

I mostly picked this pumpkin butter in defiance since I was unable to get the one I actually wanted. Plus I needed more pumpkin butter in my life. It's not bad at all though. Just like the perfume, it's a bit short on pumpkin but the sweet creaminess is still very pleasant. A+

Finally, lip balms! (Always good.)

Pumpkin: Yummy sweet pumpkin!

Finally, pumpkin! Sweet with a touch of spice - it's perfect.

Hazelnut Mocha Latte: Nutty, chocolatey, coffee.

Oh god, this one's so nice. It is fairly strong on the coffee for those of you who're weenies.

Pumpkin Lavender: Sweet pumpkin and our beautiful Bulgarian lavender.

Pumpkiny but the lavender wins out on this one. There's a bit of spice but otherwise it's nice and mellow. I like to wear this one to bed.


And that's everything! I was thinking I'd absolutely need a full size of everything. Thankfully/disappointingly that is not the case. But that leaves me open for the part 2 release coming on the 28th, I believe! I'm so pumped. I've heard that the candy bowl is coming back and flipping through a few of the scents they seem a bit more up my alley. Fingers crossed!

xxx

Haus of Gloi - Summer Collection Review

FYI: There's spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 1 ahead! Venture forth with caution.

I THREW IT ON THE GROUND.

It's summertime! If there's one thing I'm learning about Haus of Gloi it's that they're really on top of their seasonal releases. So, taking a page from HoG's book, I made sure I was ready at the gate for their summer collection to go live. Happily, it paid off and I was able to grab up everything from my list! (Yeah, I make lists. Wanna fight about it?) I was able to get samples of every perfume other than the two full sizes I (somewhat rashly) decided on. I also managed to snag a few lip balms and a couple samples of their pumpkin butters - both products are firsts for me so I was pretty pumped about it!

Now, on to the reviews!

Beguiled and Zazz

Beguiled: Lemon cake made with the tang of fresh buttermilk and raspberry coulis - an otherwise innocent cake corrupted by cardamom and deceptive pink peppercorns.

Just call me Sansa - if there's anything that'll help me get over witnessing the horrific beheading of my father it'll be lemon cake. Beguiled was a guaranteed full sized buy for me with all the right notes - lemon cake, raspberry, pink peppercorns and even though I really have no idea what cardamom smells like, it only added to the intrigue. Cold sniff is pure lemons and raspberries. It's sweet and creamy which gives it that "cake" feel. Application on me brought out the cake scent even more but the lemon and raspberries are still quite easy to pick out. The lemon note actually reminds me a lot of Solstice Scent's Lemon Ginger Cremes but where LGC is warm with it's ginger and vanilla notes, Beguiled has the fruity raspberry note which makes it feel much brighter. As it dries down the fruit fades out a bit (but never all the way) and the pink peppercorn gives it a bit of zing without overpowering the overall sweetness. I honestly have know clue what I'm looking for when trying to pick out cardamom but it may have been blending in nicely with the peppercorn (which I'm not 100% knowledgeable about anyway.) The perfume itself lasts a fair amount of time for me and the sillage is decent enough that I can occasionally smell it on myself without having to bury my nose in my wrists. I was hoping for just a touch more tart lemon but I'm fairly happy with the scent overall.

Zazz: When something feels a bit lackluster, dull and boring, it obviously is lacking, zazz. To fix this we recommend something definitely zazzy and not overly complicated: Tart cranberry, pink grapefruit, sparkling champagne all shook up with crushed ginger root.

Look at that list of notes! How could I not get a full size? How could anyone not want a bit of zazz in their life? The first descriptor that popped into my noggin upon cracking the bottle was 'fizzy'. This stuff smells straight up effervescent. The ginger note is very strong which makes you feel as though you've just cracked open a bottle of ginger ale. There's a touch of something a bit soapy underneath however and I'm not entirely sure which note is the culprit. Sadly, on my skin at least, all traces of bubbly ginger ale is lost and that soapy note amps like crazy. It almost smells medicinal and ended up a bit headache inducing. Not zazzy at all. I may try layering it with something that I know stays tart and fruity and wonderful and see if I can't at least impart that lovely fizziness on a scent more worthwhile. Otherwise this bottle will go the way of Blossom Jam Tea Cakes and end up in a box on my shelf just waiting for the day I trade/sell/pawn it off.

Driftwood, Komodo, Narcosa, Sanctum, Sol, The Brier Path

On to samples! I was able to get a sample of each this time, luckily enough. Though my free sample ended up being Beguiled which I thought was... odd. Anyway, let's get to it!

Driftwood: Sun bleached driftwood, dry black musk, warm sand, dune grasses and a damp oceanic breeze.

Out of the vial Driftwood reminds me a lot of Selkie from their spring line which I assume comes mostly from the driftwood note. All together I don't really find the scent all that pleasant. The black musk smells a bit dirty to me. Once applied I'm even less of a fan. Where Selkie was an old lady's beach house, Driftwood is an old man's basement - warm, musky and damp. I can almost smell the mildew. If Selkie was your jam and you enjoy a bit of musk Driftwood might be right up your alley. But I just can't, you guys. It's a bit too much for me.

Komodo: Mangosteen, Tahitian vanilla bean, dragon blood resin and faded tropical blooms.

I was a bit tempted to pick this scent up in a full size but that dragon blood resin had me feeling a bit apprehensive. I did the responsible thing and stuck with a sample. Out of the little vial I get tart yet sweet tropical candies. Very luscious, very tasty but I still wasn't getting ahead of myself. To me dragon's blood means incense and incense means bad news. Applied the mangosteen is top dog with the floral notes keeping everything grounded in the background. There's something a bit resinous in the background also (obviously the dragon's blood) but it's not unpleasant. As Komodo dries down the tropical florals come to the surface a bit more and the scent is overall quite pleasant. The dragon's blood does it's job in the background and never comes out to bother me at all. The vanilla peaks out at the end in a last ditch effort to be an important team player but it's too little too late as the perfume has faded mostly away at that point. I'm really digging Komodo but I'll probably go through the sample vial before I decide on whether or not I'll be needing the full bottle.

Narcosa: A thick haze of tonka and black vanilla, three jasmines, tuberose and ylang ylang.

The notes in Narcosa don't really speak to me but there's something about the description that just makes it sound sexy as hell. I was excited to give it a try. Out of the vial the scent instantly reminded me of a Lush shop which was really odd. I think it may be the abundance of jasmine and the ylang ylang - it reminds me of Lush's "Lovely Jubblies." (TMI Time: I tried a sample of Lovely Jubblies and it smelt wonderful, made everything extra soft and lovely but it left certain parts of my... mammary anatomy... painfully sensitive. FYI.)  Anyway, Narcosa is definitely pure white florals from the vial. It's a bit much for me but I held out hope that the vanilla would swoop in and save the day. Application only brought out the powdery florals to almost diaper levels and I was not impressed. However, as it dries down, Narcosa eventually looses that super powdery, somewhat musky vibe and sweetens a bit. The tuberose note (much like in Solstice Scent's Nightgown) cools the perfume and makes it feel breezy, almost minty at times. It ends up being really nice even without the vanilla (which shows up right at the end much like the vanilla in Komodo) but I don't think it's nice enough to warrant a full bottle. The sample size is good enough for me.

Sanctum: A welcome respite: Muskmelon, coconut water infused with bergamot flower, kaffir lime, polished ho wood and sticky benzoin.

Another delicious scent straight out of the vial. The melon and lime notes are really refreshing and make a fantastic summer fragrance. Applied, the melon and lime are still pretty prominent (along with a touch of the coconut water) but lose a bit of their brightness as the base notes start to come out. The benzoin goes right over my head as I have no clue what that shit's supposed to be but I can pick out the ho wood beneath everything and as strange as it is I'm really diggin' it. It reminds me of that shitty balsam wood we did projects with in middle school which, honestly, seems like it might be gross but actually blends really well with the rest of the notes. Other than that, this perfume doesn't morph too much - it just warms a bit over time. I'll probably give this a few more good go's before deciding to grab a full bottle but it's definitely a possibility!

Sol: The sun, at its apex: Dry gingergrass, litsea cubeba, neroli, frankincense tears, saffron infused honey, rosemary and the faint touch of true cinnamon bark.

I honestly don't know what half those notes are but a perfume described as "the sun at it's apex" is going to pique a bit of interest. I cracked the vial and instantly hated it. After wafting it about however, I could see the appeal. It's very warm and sunny - as dumb as that sounds. Too much incense for me though. I applied it anyway and honestly I loved it. It's really citrusy which left me fairly surprised! A quick round of Google later taught me that if I'd known what most of those notes were I wouldn't have been. It's also spicy but not hot pepper spicy. It's desert spice market spicy. I can also pick out the honey which gives Sol a golden, syrupy sweetness. And then there's that touch of cinnamon~ I honestly was extremely surprised at how much I was enjoying this perfume! Then my skin chemistry decided to not play nice and amped up the frankincense so much it literally drowned out all other notes. Can you say emotional roller coaster? Anyway, this scent left me feeling depressed so I'mma go with no on this one. >:(

The Brier Path: Sun drenched trail leading to a day dream of ripe berries and wood rose, rich forest loam, ozone, dark amber and cream.

I really like that this perfume tells a little story. That plus the excitement buzzing around reddit for it's imminent return had me pretty excited for The Brier Path. Alas, it was not meant to be. From the vial I get a lot of rose. Too much rose and the barest hint of mayyybee berries. Lurking in the background is that musky dark amber. On my skin everything just turns to "old lady." The ozone note pops out for a second and the whole scent takes on an almost Christmasy feel. That rose note is still queen bee though, just sittin' at the top. I think I catch a bit of loam underneath it all which is a bit woodsy and dirty and just not for me. Overall, an easily determined disappointment.

Sanctum and Beguiled - Duhhhh.

Next up are my first ever pumpkin butters in Sanctum and Beguiled! I only picked up a couple of the sample sizes and luckily both were scents that I ended up really enjoying. The texture of these are amazing and they're not greasy at all. I love 'em. I'll for sure be picking up a few full sizes in the near future. I haven't tried layering them with perfumes so I'm not sure what sort of effect they'll have on their lasting power but it's something I'll be needing to try soon!

Lehp Behlms

Finally we have lip balms! Haus of Gloi's lip balms always sell out quick so they were the first things I threw into my basket. I only grabbed up three (as tempting as they all were) and each ended up being nicer than the last! The flavors I chose:

Beguiled: Lemon cake, raspberry, cardamom and peppercorn.

Mango Cream: Fresh mango and rich cream.

Rootbeer Float: Fizzy rootbeer with lush vanilla ice cream.

When I first opened them I found the scents/flavors to be surprisingly weak but as I used them they strengthened up and were extremely true to their descriptions. Just took a bit of breaking in. As for the formula itself: these aren't overly slick and oily. They have a smooth, thick texture that has lasting power on the lips. I didn't find them super hydrating however which was a bit disappointing but they smell and feel lovely so they'll still get lots of use!


To lump it all up, I found Haus of Gloi's summer release to have a lot of ups and downs. A few more downs than ups really and there's nothing here that I'd cut a bitch for. But the things I like are definitely things I'm happy with. Summer has been my second season shopping with HoG so here's looking forward to autumn and winter!

xxx

Springtime with Solstice Scents

Oh yeah.

Solstice Scents recently released their Spring Collection and I took the opportunity to give some of their spring stuff a try, pick up a few things that have been recommended to me and finally grab full sizes of a few scents I loved from my last order. Okay, I did jump the gun a bit and may have grabbed a lot of these full sizes un-sniffed. Okay, almost all of my order. I'm not ashamed. I'm owning it. Okay? Okay.

Let's start out with what I picked up from the Spring release! I considered getting a sample of each but thought I'd shop responsibly and just get what sounded most appealing to me. This approach only kind of worked.

Blossom Jam Tea Cakes, Chantilly Cream, Chiffon, Cameo

Blossom Jam Tea Cakes: Southern Tea Cakes, Petit Fours, Floral Infused Jams & Preserves and a Delicate Aroma of Tea.

Ehhh. Ehhhhh. Cold sniff is really strange. I can pick out what I assume is little cakes and something floral but the combination is not terribly pleasant. There's something a bit soapy about it. Applied it's still sweet and floral. As it dries down the tea note peaks out. It reminds me of the tea note in Haus of Gloi's Elevenses but not nearly as overwhelming. Happily, it quickly fades down to a light cake scent. It's so faint however that it hardly seems worth it at that point. This was probably a scent that I did not need in a full size at all but you live and learn. It does layer decently over Chantilly Cream so that's a small redeeming factor.

Chantilly Cream: Whipped Cream, Peach Nectar, Vanilla & Yellow Mandarin EO.

From the bottle I get a lot of cream with a touch of peach. Very soft and fresh yet decadent. The cream smells thick and dare I say creamy. On my skin the peach takes over but doesn't overwhelm the cream. It's a very deliciously sweet scent. It sits very close to the skin and isn't so much peach fruit as it is fuzzy peach skin. After a while it dries down and vanilla takes the lead with a bit of peach lingering in the background. Just a touch powdery but not unpleasant. The only disappointing thing about this perfume is it's lasting power. I'd say it lasted only a handful of hours on me. (I'll learn to keep track from now on.) Unlike Blossom Jam Tea Cakes, I'm very happy with this full size purchase.

Chiffon: Vanilla, White Amber, White Musk & Lemon Myrtle EO.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love lemon. I love lemon so much, you guys. Sweet lemon especially. So, of course, Chiffon was stuck immediately into my shopping cart. The cold sniff doesn't start out very lemony. It's very cool which I assume is a combination of the white amber and musk. It's pleasantly sweet and breezy. Once applied the lemon comes out very strongly. As it dries the lemon calms down a bit and what I assume is the white amber starts to come out. Now, I don't really know anything about amber scents so I can only guess. It smells cold and lemony and I dig it. After a while that dies down and it's mostly vanilla left. Sweet with, again, a touch of lemon. It sits very close to the skin and isn't terrible strong but I'd say it's definitely a wrist sniffer. Another happy full size buy! P.S. Chiffon + Chantilly Cream = Fuck yeah.

Cameo: Almond, Rose, Yellow Cake, Tonka Bean, Coconut, Ginger and Green Orange.

So I love lemon. But I hate rose. I cannot stand it. I once bought a drugstore mascara, popped it on my eye curtains and almost died. It had been scented. With rose. Who the hell decides that mascara needs to be rose scented? Anyway, when I saw that rose note listed in Cameo I instantly noped past it. But the almond, cake, and coconut notes pulled me right on back. I decided a small sample wouldn't kill me. Out of the sample vial I get sweet cake and a good bit of rose which put me off. Beneath that I can pick up almond and what I assume is tonka bean. I was really very pleasantly surprised once I applied it. The coconut comes out on top followed by yellow cake. The rose is there but it's very subtle and works surprising well with the other notes. This is also a very sweet scent. Eventually the green orange peeks out followed by the ginger. At this point Cameo takes on a floral but spicy tone but also stays sweet. I really love how complex it is. At times I almost catch something like cinnamon. It's the strangest thing. I'll probably be needing this in a full size and definitely would've preferred it over Blossom Jam Tea Cakes.

Next up I've got a couple general catalog goodies along with my first try at the Foxcroft Collection.

Blackburn's Parlor, Blueberry Muffin Batter, Vanilla Pipe Tobacco

Blackburn's Parlor: Vanilla Waffle Bowl, Vanilla & Chocolate Ice Creams, Slice Bananas Smothered in Caramel Sauce & Topped With Whipped Cream.

Blackburn's Parlor has been talked up all over the place and it sounded divine so I figured I may as well just full size the sucker. Out of the bottle: Bananas! Like banana Laffy Taffies. It's different but nice. It's quirky. There's also a touch of chocolate but banana's definitely the boss. Applied I get even more bananas! The chocolate's there too with a bit of the vanilla and caramel. Very, very sweet. (There's a theme here, obs.) It does have a cold ice cream quality that I've heard people make mention of. There's something about it that on my skin comes across as a tad artificial but not entirely unenjoyable. Almost like a perfumey vanilla but I think it's just the caramel note playing games with my skin chemistry. Blackburn's Parlor is for sure a fun perfume but I could have lived without it.

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

This perfume is almost straight blueberries upon cold sniff. There seems to be a touch of brown sugar and it does give off a very muffiny vibe. Applied the blueberries are still very dominant and stay that way for quite a while. It's very sweet! After a while it warms up and the vanilla takes over. It's very simple but in a comforting sort of way. I was compared to a candle however. So there's that.

Vanilla Pipe Tobacco: Vanilla Absolute, Tobacco Absolute, Tonka Bean Absolute & Sweet Clover Absolute.

This one was my free sample and I was super pumped to give it a try. Tobacco without the cancer, amiright? Cold sniff gives me fresh, somewhat sweet tobacco with no smokiness in sight. It's all tobacco on application but very subtle and still a touch sweet. I think I start to pick out the clover after a bit - there's something in there that's a bit floral. It's a nice scent but it fades very quickly. I'll probably get a few uses from the sample vial but I don't think a full size is in order.

And finally:

Lemon Ginger Creams, Snowmint Mallow

I picked up full sizes of Lemon Ginger Creams and Snowmint Mallow which I reviewed here. I love these so much, oh yesyesyes.

Overall, another mostly successful order from Solstice Scents! Even the scents that I didn't particularly like weren't anything that I ended up hating. Also, these being my first full sizes from them I will say I'm loving the bottles. Nice, sturdy and visually appealing. And no leaking! The shipping was super fast and I was even refunded the shipping overcharge which I wasn't expecting so yeah~ Also, check the fancy green drawstring bag my bottles came in. Pure class. Keep on keepin' on, Solstice Scents. You got me in your pocket.

xxx

P.S. I have a huge (Three Part!) post on Femme Fatale coming soon so keep those peepers peeled!

Solstice Scents - Winter Collection

Because I smell how I want when I want.

I know that it's spring already (although, in Iowa you can never be sure what the season is) so the fact that I'm reviewing Solstice Scents' winter collection may seem a bit off. However, this is my first foray into Solstice Scents territory and I figured I'd give their winter collection a try while it was still available. Everything sounded so delicious I just had to. I also picked up a few samples from their general catalog just to round out my order a bit.

My order arrived in a nice and timely manner. The packaging was extremely secure - no leaks in site. As for branding? These folks have it down. Just look! It's obvious that there is so much time and effort put into everything they do. There seems to be a bigger sprawling story that encompasses all their products and if that doesn't get the nerd in me all sorts of excited than nothing ever will.

The swag. Yeah, I said swag - wanna fight about it?

Before I get on to the winter collection I'll go over the few samples I picked up from the general catalog along with my free sample. I grabbed the perfume sampler 3 pack and chose Cenobite, Nightgown and Smoky Mountain Mallow. For my free sample I went with what seemed to be a foodie favorite: Kitchen.

Cenobite, Nightgown, Smoky Mountain Mallow, Kitchen

Cenobite: A Deep and Rich Vanilla for Vanilla Lovers.

Hey, I'm a vanilla lover so pickin' up a sample of this was a no-brainer. Plus, it seems to be a popular Solstice Scents choice. Out of the vial, Cenobite smells just like vanilla extract. Very warm and boozy which is so very pleasant. Sadly, it did not play nice with my skin. The vanilla kind of disappeared leaving behind a slightly vanilla tinged alcohol tone. I thought perhaps it would work for layering but after giving it some time to settle and dry down I only got an artificial, plastic scent. Cenobite was fairly disappointing.

Nightgown: Vanilla, White Chocolate, Tuberose & Tiare Flowers.

I'd heard almost all good things about Nightgown so I made it my second pick in my sample set. From the vial it is sweet and slightly floral. A very nice delicate, feminine type of perfume. On my skin it became more floral than sweet which isn't really something that lights my fires. The white chocolate does peek out eventually but overall I found it to be fairly dull. Nice and demure but boring.

Smoky Mountain Mallow: Wood Smoke, Fossilized Amber Resin, Lapsang Souchong CO2, Guaiacwood, Labdanum, Nutmeg EO, Marshmallow.

This is another fairly popular recommendation so I figured I couldn't really pass it up. With the cold sniff I definitely get the smokiness with just a touch of nutmeg. I didn't get any sweetness from it though. Once I applied it I could only think of BBQ. I smelled like meat, you guys. Delicious smoked meats, of course, but meat nonetheless. I kept waiting for the marshmallow to show and it finally did (very faintly) much later. It may end up being something nice to layer with a fall type scent but on it's own - I'll have to pass.

Kitchen: Pumpkin, Sugar Cookies, Peach Preserves, Spice Breads, Danishes, Caramel, Vanilla & Sweet Wood Smoke.

Kitchen is from Solstice Scents' Manor collection which was released alongside their fall collection. It was recommended to me so I had to pick up a sample. I immediately get pumpkin sugar cookies from this one. Very sweet! The caramel and vanilla are fairly easy to pick out as well. The spice breads linger somewhere in the background but come out very nicely on the skin. It does remind me a bit of a Bath and Body Works candle I have stashed away somewhere though. After a bit I catch the peach preserves - warm and a bit spicy. The sweet wood smoke comes out as it dries down. It's a much more pleasant, less meaty smoke than the note from Smoky Mountain Mallow. I count Kitchen as the first success.

I suppose it's safe to say that I wasn't terribly impressed with the first few Solstice Scent perfumes that I tried. As much as I liked Kitchen, I can't really say that I loved it. So, moving on to the Winter Collection, I was hoping to find something that worked a bit better for me. (Heads up - I did.)

The Winter Collection!

Buttered Rum Mallow, Dark Ginger Spicecake, Flintlock, Lemon Ginger Creams

Buttered Rum Mallow: Rum, Marshmallow, Nutmeg, Cardamom, Clove, Butter, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Brown Sugar & All Spice.

I was super pumped to try Buttered Rum Mallow - I mean, just look at that list of notes. I imagined it as some sort of wonderful butterbeer concoction. And that was pretty close to what I got. From the vial I got mostly butter and the spices. Delicious but almost too food-like. Once applied, the clove amped up pretty hard. It's a very Christmasy scent but also reminded me of sitting around with friends at the local hookah bar as we smoked clove cigarettes. A very silly sort of nostalgia. After a few hours I was left with vanilla, butter and a touch of the marshmallow. It's very subtle but warm, wintery and comforting. I love it!

Dark Ginger Spicecake: Gingerbread, Woodsy Musk, Patchouli EO and Vetiver EO.

This is another scent I was looking forward to! I was hoping for something warm, sweet and spicy. But with that patchouli lingering around in there I should have known better. From the vial, patchouli manages to overpower what little gingerbread there may have been. I was a bit apprehensive to give this one a go at this point and I was right to be. On my skin the only thing I could smell was the patchouli. Disappointing but it is what it is. At the very least I've learned that patchouli and I are not friends.

Flintlock: Tobacco, Saddle Leather, Virginia Cedar, Black Pepper, Woods, Bayberry and Evergreens.

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from this one. Out of the vial it is very woodsy - the evergreens and cedar stand out the most and there's the slightest touch of tobacco. Applied, the cedar really takes charge. It's a very masculine scent! As it dries down the leather starts to surface. There's something terribly familiar about it, like those old fashioned shops that have rock candy in jars and barrels everywhere. After a while the tobacco comes out to shine. The cedar does continue to come on a little strong at times though. It's definitely different from anything else I've tried but I think I like it. It makes me think of a sexy tobacco trader leading his ware-laden reindeer through a cold, bright coniferous forest. Or maybe I tested this scent right after I watched Frozen for the first time.

Lemon Ginger Creams: Gingersnap Sandwich Cookies Filled With Vanilla-Lemon Cream.

I want to eat this perfume based on the description alone. Straight from the vial I get sweet, sweet gingersnap cookies. There's also a bit of cream with a touch of lemon. So tasty, you guys. So tasty. Surprisingly, the lemon was what stood out strongest when first applied. I didn't hate it but it wasn't what I was expecting. It just overpowered the cookie a bit. The lemon eventually dries down and the ginger comes back out and we end up with a perfume that is soft, sweet and warm. It's really lovely. I will definitely be grabbing up a full size of Lemon Ginger Creams with my next purchase.

Side note: I tested Flintlock and Lemon Ginger Creams together (but on different wrists!) and they pair quite well together! Imagine that sexy tobacco trader feeding you delicious cookies. Yeah, it's like that.

Nightstar, Outpost, Russian Caravan, Shadows in the Night

Nightstar: Nutmeg, Patchouli, Frankincense, Myrrh, Woods and Lemon.

The description of Nightstar didn't particularly pique my interest so I was not very disappointed when all I got from the cold sniff was woods and patchouli. It's a very, very strong incense scent. So I didn't even give this one a test wear. #sorrynotsorry 

Outpost: Sugar Crystals, Spruce, Fir, Soft Woods, Bayberry, Mistletoe, Amber.

On first sniff Outpost is very similar to Flintlock but much sweeter and without the masculinity that came from Flintlock's tobacco/leather notes. It's very wintery. Applied, I feel like I smell like a Christmas tree. It's a decent enough scent but doesn't do much for me perfume-wise. It eventually mellows out but never loses that 'Christmas Eve at your Great Aunt's' quality. It's definitely safe to say that this is not a perfume for me.

Russian Caravan: Smoked Black Tea, Leather, Pomegranate, Black Currant, Amber & Pink Peppercorn.

Russian Caravan is very nice right out of the vial. It leans a bit masculine with the leather and smoked tea but the pomegranate and currant keep it sweet. It definitely gives you the idea of a caravan/camp type of situation. Once applied the leather takes over for a bit. Then eventually, as it dries, the tea starts to peek out again.  It's pretty interesting and my sample will get occasional use but it's not any sort of everyday perfume.

Shadows In The Night: White Amber, White Musk, Somalian Frankincense, Elemi, Bayberry, Spruce, Amber, Peppermint, A Puff of Incense, Edge of the Night Base.

Out of the vial Shadows In The Night is sweet. It's a very "Christmas" smell, if that makes any sense. Almost too much like a Christmas candle, however. The peppermint sits at the top and beneath that I can pick out the spruce/fir. That puff of incense is there. And it's definitely just a puff - which I find hilariously accurate. It went a bit soapy on application. Then became very soapy. Like the super old bottle of orange colored dial my grandma had in her camper. Sadly, this perfume went downhill fast. No thanks.

Snowmint Mallow, Snowshoe Pass, Sugarvale, Winslow's

Snowmint Mallow: Peppermint, Vanilla Cake, Flaked Coconut, Sugar Cookies & Marshmallow Creme.

So minty! I can pick out the sweet cake and coconut right away. Very delicious. There's not much change initially from vial to skin which I really appreciate. The peppermint is the strongest note starting off but it sweetens and warms up as it dries down. The marshmallow comes out later and then the coconut returns. It's really just all around amazing. I definitely want a full size of this tasty little masterpiece!

Snowshoe Pass: White Amber, White Musk, Vanilla Accord, Peppermint Cream, Cold Winds.

This one manages to come across as cold and creamy from the vial. Very slightly minty. The amber and musk make it a bit more of a mature scent than Snowmint Mallow. There's something almost piney about it but I'm not sure which note that might be. I'd say the scent  is fairly unisex. Applied it has a clean, fresh out of the shower scent with a touch of musk but remains fairly sweet. It dries down a tad bland after that but give it a few hours and the vanilla comes out. It's very subtle, sweet and clean. Not a full size buy for me but I'll for sure use the sample from time to time.

Sugarvale: Candied Pecans, Butterscotch, Buttered Rum, Brown Sugar, Maple Syrup, Hot Pralines & Milk Chocolate Cocoa.

From the vial? BUTTERSCOTCH. It's so strong and so sweet! Under that is the somewhat boozy buttered rum and hot pralines. It's very much a sugar overload sort of perfume. Once applied I can pick out the candied pecans and then just a touch of the cocoa. Finally, after all that, the maple syrup shows it's face. At this point it's almost too sweet. Eventually either the syrup or cocoa goes rogue on me and the whole assortment turns a bit plasticy. Disappointing for sure but the perfume may find some success in my oil warmer.

Winslow's: Rows of Christmas Trees, Clove Studded Oranges, Bayberry Tapers, Handcrafted Wreaths & Mistletoe.

This perfume smells just like Christmas Trees! A lot of the other ones had a Christmas Tree quality to them but Winslow's is the real deal. I can catch the clove studded oranges a bit underneath. It's quite nice but I'm not really sold on it being a grand idea as a perfume. On the skin it is very piney but the clove makes it a dark, spicy pine as opposed to a bright pine along the lines of Outpost. The orange seems to come out now and then but it's so faint I can't decide if it's actually there or if I'm only imagining it. There's something about it that I like but I can't see myself actually wearing it. Maybe only around Christmas time. (Perhaps I'm not as contrary as I like to think I am.)

To conclude - I wasn't as impressed as I was hoping to be with my first Solstice Scents order. Granted, there were definitely some winners in there (Lemon Ginger Creams and Snowmallow Mint for sure!) and a few that deserve some good commendations. Only a couple turned out to be real flops - at least, to my tastes. I was impressed with the order in general however! A very quick and problem free ordering process/delivery. I will be making another order for sure. Maybe I'll have more luck with items that are a bit more seasonally appropriate, haha.

xxx

P.S. - I hope to be posting more regularly in the near future! I've been down and out with a wicked cold (I couldn't smell anything for a while.) and wrote half of this post while doped up on Nyquil Cold & Flu. But I've got a Shiro Mega Haul that's just itchin' to be photographed and posted about. (I may have to split it into a couple posts just for the ease of it.) Just some things to look for in the near future!

Haus of Gloi Spring Haul

This last winter in Iowa had been absolute hell. Just awful. But spring is just around the corner! Just the other day it was almost 70 degrees! It was marvelous. And there's no better way to celebrate this warm weather than to stock up on delicious smelling oils to smear all over your pudgy pale winter body! At least, that's my take on it.

As a fairly new Haus of Gloi customer, I had no idea what to expect with their spring releases. So, of course, I did what I could to pick up a little bit of everything. I also grabbed a few bits from their general catalog because I have no self control.

Da Loot

I'll start with my general catalog goodies. I picked up a full size of Satyr and Imp and two samples: Litchi Milk Tea and Insalata Nocturna.

Litchi Milk Tea , Satyr, Imp, Insalata Nocturna

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

I've already reviewed this particular scent here. My views were mixed about it but were leaning pretty favorably last we left off. But damn, this scent keeps growing on me. It's so warm and delicious. I cracked open the full sized bottle to give it a whiff and it hits you 10x harder than the sample vial. It's perfect.

Imp: Passion fruit, sun cured apricots, pink grapefruit juice and innocent mimosa blossoms.
I bought this in a full size without sampling first because I have poor impulse control. (Get it - IMPulse control, hurr durr.) I'd read some great things about Imp and I have a weakness for tart citrusy fruit scents. This scent definitely delivers on tart citrus! Out of the vial I instantly get grapefruit and passion fruit. Tart and sweet and delicious! Applied, the grapefruit seemed to amp a bit. The citrus eventually quiets down and the mimosa comes out and softens it. It's a nice, sweet, slightly floral scent that lasted me most of the day. I really do enjoy it but I wish the tartness lasted a bit longer.

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

Everybody loves Litchi Milk Tea. I don't believe I've seen a negative review of it yet! So of course I had to get a sample! The first sniff I picked up what is probably lychees. (I have no idea what lychees smell/taste like.) It's definitely citrus but I can pick out the sweet creamy coconut milk. I love coconut milk so this makes me very happy~ Application brings out the black tea but it's no where near as bad as Elevenses. At this point there was something somewhat strange about this perfume - I think it smells a bit like a face product I've once used but I can't put my finger on it. That's not a bad thing but it is a little off putting. Over the course of the day, however, it dries down to be very soft and feminine. It's just lovely. I'll probably pick this one up in a full size at some point.

Insalata Nocturna: Italian lemon, rubbed tomato leaf, olive leaf, black fig syrup and basil.
This is a weird one. This is a weird one and I'm alllll about it. Out of the vial the tomato leaf is most obvious - it reminds me of my grandma's house in the summertime. She always has fresh tomatoes everywhere. There's a bit of the lemon in there as well but it's very understated. On my skin the tomato leaf sticks around for a while but eventually gives way to something very sweet which was unexpected as I'd heard this scent described as 'fresh and green'. (Though I don't know enough about perfumes to say those descriptions are totally inaccurate.) The lemon comes forward over time and the black fig syrup grounds it and makes the scent very sweet. I can see how some people may think it cloying but I found myself to really be enjoying it.


Next we've got the main reason I placed my order - Spring samples! I'd already received a sample of Splendiferous and ended up missing out on Honeybelle (I've got one on the way though!) and Maedwe (Which is sadly no longer available this season.). Selkie was sold out at the time I placed my order but I was lucky enough to recieve it as my free sample! But enough of my rambling! Let's take a closer look at tha booty~

Lassi, Milkmaid, Ploughman, Ruth, Selkie, Tonic #4

Lassi: Cool, fresh mango cream, Tunisian orange blossom absolute, black ginger to ground, splash of green tea and a soft squeeze of lime juice.

I read a review somewhere that describes Lassi as 'green gushers'. I was surprised to find this was 100% true. This is a really delicious candy scent. Some people might think it a bit juvenile but I absolutely love it. The lime and mango cream are what hit you first. On the skin the green tea softens the scent and the ginger comes out and adds some warmth taking it from 'candy' to something that smells a bit more mature. Honestly, my favorite bit is the scent straight from the vial but it's still very nice. Definitely my favorite of the spring perfumes.

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

The cold sniff brings you the milk and linens. It's the oddest thing! A milk scented perfume is something I would never even imagine but there's something about Milkmaid that's very appealing. Yet, also very familiar? After practically killing myself trying to get at what it could possibly be reminding me of it hit me - Milkmaid smells almost exactly like almond extract! Love it! Application didn't seem to change it much but over time it did get a bit powdery for my tastes. It's a lovely, dainty feminine perfume but the powdery thing really has me waffling over whether or not I'd like it in a full size. I will for sure be doing more testing with this one!

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

In the vial this smells like dirt. And I mean dirt - it captures that fresh soil smell so accurately! I applied it and the next scent that cropped up was dandelions. Nice and fresh. The dirt continued to stick around as the main note for quiet a while. After a spell the leather and musk show their faces. This is definitely a masculine scent but it is quite lovely. There's a lot of noticeable depth to it. The tobacco peaks out every now and again and give Ploughman a nice spicy warmth. I couldn't see myself wearing this one regularly. Though I'm sure I will on occasion find myself layering it with Insalata Nocturna. It's like rubbing up against a sexy gardener. (Try that combo and say you don't love it - I dare you.)

Ruth: Fresh strawberry, green patchouli, rose geranium and crushed violet leaf.

The first thing listed is fresh strawberries which had me all sorts of excited. Who doesn't love strawberries? I'm not a huge fan of super floral scents and patchouli is not something you'd find on my list of favorites. But I figured the rest of the notes were there to add depth and keep Ruth from smelling like a pink starburst. (I'm not even ashamed - pink starburst perfume sounds marvelous.) Buuuut patchouli. I opened the sample vial and that's all I got. It was not pleasant. I figured, however, what it's like in the vial is almost never how it ends up on my skin. So I gave it a go. This was a mistake. The strawberry peaks out but it was a sad, sickly floral strawberry. And the patchouli just would not go away. I had to wash this one off. Ruth was a no go for me, folks.

Selkie: The break of waves, gurgling sea foam, kelp, rain tinged air, sand smooth driftwood and wild sage.
When Haus of Gloi announced Selkie as one of their spring scents people just seemed to go crazy. Everyone was chomping at the bit for it and I had never tried any sort of ocean/aquatic perfume before so I had to get myself a sample. Sadly it was sold out by the time I got around to putting in my order. But! The indie gods looked down upon me with pity and I received it as my free sample. I guess I wasn't sure what to expect but when I cracked the vial the only thing I could think of were those "seascape" candles. It's not a terrible scent but it's not really something I want to smell like. It warms up on my skin with what I assume is the driftwood which seems to add a tiny bit of spice. After a while though, all I could smell was potpourri. The type of potpourri you find in an old ladies beach house. The type of old lady who decorates in beige and pastel blues and hangs up watercolor paintings of seashells. You know the type. It turned a bit powdery towards the end of the day and never shook that candle/potpourri feeling. While it's not awful, Selkie just isn't for me.

Tonic #4: Yuzu, basil, cilantro, lemongrass and raw sugar cane accord.
The description for Tonic #4 is rather intriguing. It's a very odd combination of notes but I figured they must work together somehow with the help of some frangrance-y black magic. I was wrong. Out of the vial all I could smell was cilantro. I caught a tiny whiff of the lemongrass but it was almost entirely cilantro. On my skin the lemongrass and what I believe to be the yuzu come out a bit but the cilantro was just so bitter and overwhelming. I couldn't take it. I tried to wash it off. I tried. This stuff is potent and I spent the rest of the night smelling like it. So, you kiddos be careful with this one!


Overall Haus of Gloi's Spring collecton was definitely a mixed bag. Lassi and Splediferous were obvious favorites as I have a full bottle of each on the way! Milkmaid and Ploughman were each wonderful in their own weird ways and though they don't really warrant full sized purchases (at least not with my budget) they'll still get airtime here and there. Selkie I may try a few more times but in all honesty I'll probably end up gifting it to my mom. As for Tonic #4 and Ruth, they will most likely spend the rest of their days hidden away in my stash gathering dust. Forever.

xxx