Bath Sabbath Spring Sampler!

My most recent perfume oil haul from Bath Sabbath proved to be wonderful as usual. Virginia's descriptions were enticing and hilarious, and the scents ended up amazing. I love the theme of these new Spring Sampler scents. Combining spring and Valentine's Day is a perfect idea. I need a little cheering up, as it's still wicked cold and snowy out. The packaging was great again-- a delicate black sachet and two tiny plastic Ziploc-type bags to hold the tiny vials.

 

 

Love Bites

 

"Love Bites. And it smells like the empty bottle of Raspberry Lambic that you had to drink yourself because you got stood up. You don't typically buy Raspberry flavored beer but you thought it was festive and you thought they would enjoy it. And no one said you had to finish it, but you're not a quitter. Like your date.

"Notes of spicy ale with a touch of Lemon on a base of ripe Raspberries, all rounded out by the sharp sting of loneliness."
 

Fruit snacks morphing into raspberry with a fizzy "zing." Works well in the bottle and on my skin. Winner and new Holy Grail! I want a full size of this and hope it never gets discontinued. Ever. ♡♡♡ 

 

 

Sweet Cherry Pie

 

"Sweet Cherry Pie. Okay. Firstly, I thought that song was just about a guy that enjoyed cherry pastries and staying hydrated. I apologize for my naivete, but it just smells like Cherries okay? Stop asking me about it.

"Notes of tart cherries on a base of vanilla and sugared almond. Smells exactly like those heart shaped lollipops you pass out on Valentine's Day!"
 

Strong cherry candy with some almond and a bit of vanilla thrown in there. It smells so darn close to a Wild Cherry Luden's cough drop on first application. I do like those drops (no menthol, just candy and pectin). The drydown gets better. The almond makes me think of yummy Italian desserts, so it makes a nice pie/lollipop scent. I like this better than Auric Blends' One Love (cherry vanilla) because there is no powdery drydown. This is pretty darn great, though I'm not sure if this tops Love Bites. ;) Edit 3/11/15: I tried it again and this is also a holy grail. It is too much like cherry pie on the drydown not to love it. ♡♡♡

 

 

I Was Made for Loving You

 

"I was made for loving you, baby. You were made for loving me. And I can't get enough of you baby, can you get enough of me? That's what this soap is whispering softly in your ear.

"The refreshing scent of 100% pure Lavender. Without the bitter scent of denial when you refuse to admit disco KISS is wonderful."

 

(It was listed as lavender-vanilla in the perfume section, not sure if the soap is different. I just put the soap description because it's great. xD)
 

Awww yes. Take natural lavender, but add enough vanilla to turn it from soapy and astringent to soothing. It's not really foody, though. It's a perfect spa scent. Sadly, my skin brings out the herbaceous lavender and overwhelms the vanilla at first application. The drydown the becomes pleasant like in the bottle, and the vanilla comes out. Phew! This would be excellent in a candle.

 

 

Love Stinks

 

"Love Stinks. And it smells like the empty box of chocolates you just inhaled, that you bought for yourself because no one else did because they're jerks and who needs them? No one, that's who. It's just you and chocolate and you're okay with that.

"Hints of rich Vanilla on a base of pure cocoa. And it's black, like your disposition and your rotting heart. <3"
 

In the bottle, I immediately smelled brownies. Not the kind from the box, but the ones from my mom's family recipe. The trick is to go heavy on the vanilla. ;) I'm very impressed that this doesn't smell like a tootsie roll or fake chocolate-scented crayon. This is real!! On my skin however, it was bad. :( It smelled like artificial chocolate crayons and burning plastic or something. I had to wash it off. This is another scent that would be perfect for a candle, but my skin literally makes it stink.

 

 

 

Heart of the Unicorn:

 

"Heart of the Unicorn! There's no shame in sitting on the sidelines of love, it just means you're more likely to encounter a Unicorn. And no, it has nothing to do with being a virgin, Unicorns have never cared for outdated social constructs intent on shaming people. In fact, THEY HATE THEM.

"Notes of Lily of the Valley and fresh Gardenia blend with sweet citrus on an aquatic base. Basically, you're at a babbling brook with fresh flowers and orange trees when you're approached by a majestic Unicorn. That's what I was going for."
 

Very complex to my newb nose. Orange and gardenia are always winning notes for me. It smells like an orange fruit snack plus an aquatic/floral twist. Like I Was Made for Loving You, it smells way better on my skin than in the bottle. I'd say it's a clean, inoffensive scent perfect for getting out of the shower or a spring day out. It's very happy, unique, and interesting to me. Plus, LOOK AT THE SOAP VERSION. The studded design and pastel colors were enough to make me want it at first sight. XD

 

 

 

Sacred Heart:

 

"Sacred Heart. Yeah, your heart is sacred. And woe be to any mortal that tampers with it. If they do, just show them new levels of pain that inspire glimpses into Hell and when you're done you can use this soap to wash the blood off!<3

"The sweet scent of Jasmine paired with classic Rose, and livened up with Bergamot and Lemon. A fresh, clean scent, definitely not your grandma's Rose. Not that's there's anything wrong with your Grandma or the way she smells. I'm so sorry please calm down."
 

This one sounded so cool, but the jasmine and rose make it come off as a grandma scent to me. :( I didn't even try it on my skin because it just smelled unappealing to me. I guess I just really don't like jasmine for the most part. The only rose-centric scent I like is Rock'n Rose by Valentino. I gave it away to a friend (a major fan of florals) and she loved it, so yay.

 

Did anyone else think of Don Henley's "Everybody Knows?"

"Everybody knows it's coming apart/Take one last look at this sacred heart/Before it blows/And everybody knows"

 

 

Free Samples:

 

Wizards in Winter: I already got this one and gave it to a friend because she really liked it. Sniffing it again, I'm reminded of an icy grasshopper drink, heavy on the mint. ;) Delicious, but I'm not sure how much I'd wear it. You can tell it has real peppermint essential oil, so it's soothing for headaches and whatnot.

 

Hellbound for Leather: Noooope. Definitely a dude scent. It's really strong, to the point that it lightly scented the plastic zippy bag it came in. It's not a delicate leather seat in a sports car-type of scent. It is an "I am medieval leather armor, hear me roar" scent. If you love strong leather, this smells just like it.

 

TL;DR: Buy this spring sampler if you like sweet, fruity scents and a bit of florals. Bath Sabbath is one of my favorite perfume companies of all time.

New to Alchimia Apothecary? Try These First (List of Best Scents)

In no particular order, here are the best scents from Alchimia Apothecary! This list will be updated periodically as I try new things from them.

1. Layer Cake: Everyone loves this scent. I had a bunch of friends cold sniff it, and the majority loved it. Nobody really disliked it. 

2. Jungle Juice: Tropical paradise, cocktail-style. Coconut, pineapple and citrus make a bold blend similar to a fruity frozen drink.

3. ...And Candy Bar Dreams: Chocolate, almond, and black ambrosia (black cherry-like) combine to make a decadent chocolate shop scent.

4. Geisha: The ultimate harmony between sweet, clean, and green.

5. Tsunami: I have also gotten positive feedback on this. It's a great marine unisex smell with seaweed and driftwood!

6. Dragon's Blood: Both the note and the scent are great. The scent is deeper, and I love it. It's a sweeter take on typical Dragon's Blood incense. It's similar to oriental perfumes of the past.

7. Toasted Marshmallow: This is a note, but it is so amazing. Order it and you will see what I mean.

8. Ocean: Another note, but a clean, unisex ocean scent reminiscent of an ocean-scented Calgon body spray.

LUSH Karma

LUSH Karma soap was part of a Christmas gift from a friend, and this smell makes me really happy. It's definitely a hippie patchouli scent, but it's softened a bit with orange. LUSH recently pared its perfume line down to the classics, and now I understand why. The soap bar is so fragrant that the whole shelf where I put my unused soaps smells like Karma.

I have tried LUSH scents before (Vanillary and Dirty), but they have reached their expiration dates (can I still use them?). Dirty is good, but it's definitely more of a masculine scent. I have gotten compliments on Dirty from women! Haha. I loved Vanillary at first, but then the fragrance had something in it that made me feel turned off/nauseous. I think it was the jasmine? I'm not a huge fan of jasmine because it kind of has a "stink" to it (for lack of a better term). Maybe the solid perfume of Vanillary would be alright.

Edit: I tried Karma in the shower. It smelled fine there, but I was told I smell like a grandma's closet afterward. 😨 It smells powdery and doesn't have so much of the orange/orange flower notes that I like. Oh well, I tried. This is a no for me. 

Heiress by Paris Hilton

Although I never watched Paris Hilton's shows, I loved this scent when I was 18 and thought they discontinued it. Surprise-- they still sell it at K-Mart and Target! Hooray! It's a light, fresh and flirty fruit fragrance that is kind of bubblegum-like. It's a synthetic guilty pleasure. ;)

Two Orders, Major Haul! Alchimia Apothecary ♡

Okay, I should definitely stop buying perfumes for a while (though I totally want to try Pink Kadu from Alchimia!). I am in perfume heaven. I finally tried a CYOA, along with nine sampler scents, five sample notes, an empty vial, and two free 1/5 dram scent samples.

Review Time!

 

CYOA: I named mine Celestial Orange. I asked Erin for advice (fresh-squeezed orange or regular orange for a note?) and she was very helpful. She described each note and said either would work. I decided on a blend of white chocolate, mandarin orange, orange flower, creme brulee, and vanilla bean.

 

Cold Sniff: It smells heavenly from the bottle. The synergy of the ingredients makes it smell kind of like Hershey's milk chocolate at the first sniff! LOL. I'm okay with that. ;)

 

On My Skin: Oh, my. It smells like an orange tootsie roll pop. It is so sweet with a tiny hint of orange. Think 95% gourmand with 5% floral from the orange flower. It dries down to a classic vanilla bean (maybe the creme brulee too) after a number of hours, so this blend is good if you want to end up with an earthier vanilla ice cream-type of scent at the end of the day. Given the strong gourmand nature of the fragrance, I might rename it to "Orange Tootsie Pop" or "Orange-Choco Lollipop" or something. My extreme sweet tooth of a nose says Alchimia did an amazing job.

 

Sample Scents (descriptions quoted from Alchimia-Apothecary.com):

 

I am not opening Dutchess (Archer reference) or Jersey Devil because they are gag gifts for my brother. His birthday is very far away, but I like buying gifts in advance, haha. Hopefully he likes them. I will sniff and review when he opens them, though!

 

Escape

"Ever wish you could escape your life for a moment, to find yourself laying on a secluded beach, surrounded by bright Hawaiian flowers and sweet fruits? Juicy peaches, mouth watering red plums, dewfruit, and acacia surrounded by puakenikeni, plumaria, gardenia, hawthorn, and purple flowers mixed with nuances of saffrin, wine, and just a touch of sweet tobacco. This is as much for the busy professional woman, as it is for the carefree young girl."

I took a risk on this one, because I'm not sure if I'd like tobacco leaf. The other notes sounded so good that I had to try it.

 

Cold Sniff: I really like the top notes a lot. I hope I don't smell like cigarettes when I put it on, haha. 

On My Skin: This scent is strong and will be noticed. I adore the top fruit notes, and it seems like the florals blend nicely, but something in one of the bottom notes is "meh" for me. It doesn't smell like cigarettes, but it's still not for me.

 

Devil Dew 

 

"This fruity refreshing scent hits your senses surrounded by a hint spice. The sharp aroma of green lemons and juicy dark bing cherries combine with spicy Madagascar black peppercorn, geranium, a touch of blueberries, and the perfect drops of honey. The watery morning dew you’re used to has nothing on this."

I wanted this one for a while. Cherries and blueberries are some of my favorites.

 

Cold Sniff: I can't smell it that well from the bottle, but I definitely smell fruit. There's nothing wrong with a subtle scent.

On My Skin: It's still way subtle. I like it, but it's more of a room freshener fragrance for me than a skin fragrance.

 

Hue Bris

 

"The body of this blend is filled with the sweet and intoxicating bouquet of ambrosia. The sweet trickles of honey and champagne top this elixir, with the sweet essence of orange blossoms to bridge through this grandiose brew."

Cold Sniff: This smells very much like the powdery nectar and honey notes I described before. Not bad, but not my favorite.

 

On My Skin: The nectar and honey notes still dominate like crazy, but some of the fruity notes peek out. I'm not a big fan, unfortunately. I'm definitely glad I tried this, or else I would have been kept wondering.

 

Tugboat

"The bright and sunny salt and kelp filled air surround the tugboat’s marina along with warm waters and friendly white billowy clouds."

Cold Sniff: Fresh marine! It is kind of like a less intense Tsunami, but I can imagine this drying down into a lovely, cuddly fresh-out-of-the-dryer scent.

 

On My Skin: This is still marine, but more of a room-freshener fresh/laundry fresh type of scent with a pinch of salt. It's definitely less intense than Tsunami, but you can always apply more. It's also fresher. The subtlety is a strength of this "neutral" scent because it won't interfere with your hair product scents. So, if you want a very fresh oceanic scent with a cuddly fresh linen element, this is your perfect scent. Like Tsunami, I consider this a unisex fragrance.

 

Geisha

 

"This is a wonderful combination of crispy green bamboo, fragrant green tea and an overall feeling of clean fresh air."

Cold Sniff: Fresh, green, clean. I understand why most reviewers rave about this.

On My Skin: It's a little bit sweeter on my skin (yes!) and medium to delicate in intensity. The green tea and fresh air notes really shine. Simple, understated, and beautiful. This is a must-try-- I love it. 

 

Jungle Juice

 

"Hints of citrus and pineapples breeze around the rich and milky aroma of coconuts."

Cold Sniff: Tropical heaven! I was so excited for this one, and I can definitely say I love it as much as I hoped. Think of a delicious Malibu Baybreeze or other other coconutty cocktail (minus the cranberry) with citrus, in a fun blue or green color, that you want to dive in as well as drink.

On My Skin: Oh my goodness, amazing. I might like this better than Born in Paradise by Escada. This is not gourmand-macaroon coconut or earthy coconut-- it is pure cocktail coconut with pinapple and citrus. It's strong enough to be noticed but not overwhelming. Re-application is necessary every few hours to keep the strong fragrance around.

 

Dragon's Blood

 

"This is a complex scent and has hints of frankincense, red sandalwood, cedarwood, orange and patchouli. The scent combines sweet and spicy notes that form a sophisticated and complex aroma."

I like the note version of this so far. This is a more complex version with other notes to make it more resinous, according to Erin when I emailed her asking about the difference. 

 

Cold sniff: It smells a lot like the Dragon's Blood note.

 

On My Skin: Again, it smells incredibly similar to the Dragon's Blood note, but a little less powdery and darker. It's still a sweet, resinous blend. The extra notes blend in very well. I breathe this in deeply and I can smell the different "layers" of the scent. I should mention that Alchimia's Dragon's Blood blend is sweeter than that of, say, Wild Berry incense, so this will not be a replica of said scent. This is a win for me! My mom says it smells like Jean Nate or some other fragrance of the 80s, which is pretty cool. 

 

Sample Notes:

 

I am going to cover these in detail in another post. I was not disappointed! 

The Free Scent Samples (!):

 

Love Drops: The cold sniff is interesting. It's clean and sweet like a shower gel. I wonder what's in it? I smell floral, citrus, and maybe musk on my skin. Maybe a bit too grown-up for my tastes, but nice. It smells familiar but I can't put my finger on it.

"Pink lotus and hawthorn roses burst with the brightness of Mandarin oranges and fresh green bamboo. Transparent hints of amber work to ground this blend."

Violet Me: I'm not a big fan of violet, but the top notes on this are nice and candy-like. On my skin, the violet comes out more with a Smarties overtone. It's not bad, and would probably make a good body wash scent like Love Drops. I could tolerate violet in this blend for sure, but I still don't like Herbal Essence's Tousle Me Softly collection (very violet-y, blech). Was this supposed to be like a candy heart?

"Fruity blue African violets mingle with the tart aroma of fresh red apples and dewy green willow leaves. Sweet juicy plums meld in incredible harmony to lighten the heavenly trail of fresh baked sugar cookies."

Edit: I found the notes on Alchimia after I sniffed the above fragrances. They are limited edition for the Valentine's Day season.

 

I hope you enjoyed this post. The customer service and products from Alchimia Apothecary have been absolutely top-notch for me. All of their scents and sample notes have helped me develop a more "refined" sense of smell. As you can see, I am obsessed with this company for good reason. Yay Alchimia! ♡

Escada Born in Paradise

I adore the concept of Escada perfumes (fruity, light tropical scents) but Cherry in the Air and a few others didn't smell that great on me. However, I had a mini size of Born in Paradise since last summer, and I love it. Born in Paradise is perfect for me because it's light, inoffensive, tropical, and sweet (but not too sweet!). I wore it for a fancy summer wedding and got no complaints. :)

 

Notes (from Fragrantica): "...an enchanting blend of pineapple and coconut milk, shaken with the aqueous and acidulous notes of watermelon, green apple and guava and enhanced with woody, musky and creamlike undertones."

 

Escada fragrances are limited edition (boo). Their new scent, Turquoise Summer (available to test at Ulta) is good as well, but it's extremely sweet and a bit too body spray-ish (cheap-smelling?) for me. I would wear it if I had nothing else, though.

LUSH Yog Nog Soap

I got LUSH's Yog Nog soap as part of a Christmas gift and I love it! You need a lot to make your washcloth sudsy in the shower, but it smells wonderful. It's eggnog with a touch of maple, and it's not super spicy. The soap has Christmas designs on it and is dusted with a nice coat of spice. I like that it makes the shower fragrant before and after bathing, and lingers on your skin for about an hour (so it doesn't interfere too much with your fragrance of choice). You can get the soap here.

Yog Nog was based on this vegan egg nog recipe!