Arcana Strawberries Crave Review

I never thought I'd purchase a strawberry perfume. Not because I dislike strawberries, but because my boyfriend is allergic and dislikes everything strawberry. However, I've come to learn he actually does not hate strawberries, but dislikes the fact "they hate him". Poor guy ;-;

Recently, he has been sniffing around my new Arcana collection. Surprisingly, he has really taken to Strawberry Craves! Woo hoo!

Strawberries Crave Summer:  Tropical blossoms of tiare, tuberose petals, star jasmine, and neroli over melty pistachio and strawberry sherbets.

Out of the bottle, I get a burst of green floral bouquet mixed with a strawberry note that is sweet and jammy. The pistachio note rolls along near the end keeping the scent bright and fun. 

I must say, I'm loving the skin chemistry I have with this perfume! The strong floral notes tone it back a bit and I'm left with softer sugared petals of tiare and tuberose with the star jasmine and neroli peeping out to play. The strawberry becomes less jammy and more smooth. The pistachio is harder to pick up as the perfume settles on my skin.

Strawberries Crave Summer makes me want to spin around in a field of flowers singing, "The hills are alive with the smell of Strawberries!"

Boyfriend tl;dr: "Flowers and Strawberry."

Strawberries Crave Rococo:  Tiny strawberries with Madagascar vanilla, Tahitian vanilla, apricot, white musk, and skin musk.

Out of the bottle, it smells like someone opened a packet of all natural strawberry gummies. On my skin, I get a lot of musk with wafts of strawberry. Sadly for me, my skin loses the vanilla...and I'm all about vanilla. The scent further develops into something sweet and sensual. 

This is a lovely warm weather scent. I'd wear it to a crowded gathering as it hugs closer to the skin. I would of enjoyed it more if the vanilla got along better with  my skin chemistry.

Boyfriend tl;dr: "Strawberry Gummies."

Strawberries Crave Lucy:  Our own Surfers on Acid blend with pink strawberry (Surfers On Acid: Sweet Coconut Milk, Pinapple, and Absinthe).

Out of the bottle, I get bright pineapple complimented by tangy coconut and the strawberry wanting to join in on the fun. On my skin, the scent is tropical and smells like something I'd drink with rum.

Put me in a beach bar with this one. I see myself sipping on a cool drink listening the waves crash on the shore.

Boyfriend tl;dr: "Beachy Drink"

My favorite of the bunch is Strawberries Crave Summer. Which is odd, because typically I'm not a fan of floral scents. It was a pleasant surprise and worth the blind buy :)

Darling Girl Wonder Wand Review

I recently received a Darling Girl Wonder Wands in Ms. Muffet and Honey Cake. I also have a Saucy Minx on the way, but wanted to try these cuties out.

Website description: "Wonder Wand cream shadows are as crease-resistant and once set are pretty budge proof! Use of your preferred eye shadow primer is still highly recommended. Some of these shades make wonder face highlighters as well." 

Ms. Muffett - pale mauve/pink with golden green sheen.

Packaging: 3.5 ml wand with doe foot applicator.

The eyeshadow is a creamy consistency that blends easily. The website advises to apply with the doe foot applicator and blend with a flat paddle brush. Personally, I dabbed some shadow on with the applicator and blended it out with my finger. This seemed to work well for me. 

This color is very similar to my skin tone, but offers a beautiful shimmer. I tried this one on as a base shadow. It gave a similar effect to my UD Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Sin.

Honey Cake - Metallic peachy gold.

Packaging: 3.5 ml wand with doe foot applicator.

This is definitely my favorite of the two. It reminds me a lot like "Trick" shadow from UD Naked 3 Palette. Great for that healthy looking glow!

Today I decided to wear Ms. Muffet as my base shadow. I took Honey Cake and swiped some on my lash line and blended up with my finger.It's hard to see in the picture, but there is such a lovely shimmer from these two, especially Honey Cake, Not too sparkly, but enough to catch in the light. 

I paired these with my new Life's Entropy Galaxy Glow Illuminator in Solar Flare and Ten Three Labs Smudge Stick in Bow Down. 

I would definitely recommend these products for their simple application and long staying power, but especially Honey Cake!

Thanks for reading!

Arcana Peaches Crave Review

Arcana's most recent release, Peaches Crave and Strawberries Crave are sure to pique your indie curiosities. This review will focus on a couple Peaches Craves perfumes with Strawberry Craves to follow at a later date.

Peaches Crave Beaches:  Green bamboo, coconut, vanilla musk, citron, lemongrass, bergamot, and dewy peach flesh.

A quick sniff brings me back to days at the beach with my grandmother. She always wore such lovely sophisticated perfume. I imagine her helping me putting on sunscreen under the sun, the scent of her perfume mingles with crisp ocean air and the sunscreen heating up on my warm skin. The peach sweetens the memory like a kiss on the cheek.

I adore this scent. I'll pair it with a swimsuit and fun times in the summer.

Boyfriend tl;dr: "Smells crisp and clean."

Peaches Crave Dolci:  Peach gelato and pistachio gelato with 3 golden bakery cakes.

MMM! Smells like a sweet summery treat! My mouth is watering over a scrumptious yellow cake with a dallop of peach and pistachio gelato slowly melting on the side. Reminds me of a brighter Aestas. Personally, I reserve a lot of gourmands for the fall and winter as they tend to be heavier and more decadent. I didn't find that so much with this scent. I can see myself wear this in the summer with my hair pulled up wearing a short pastel dress.

Boyfriend tl;dr: "Oh! Remember the movie Holes? What Sploosh would smell like maybe."

Peaches Crave Vanilla:  Sugared peach, glorious vanilla, marshmallows, sweet milk, and sheer musk.

What can I say...It's absolutely gorgeous. Straight up juicy peaches softened with a sweet creamy finish. I find this scent so comforting, like a warm bowl of Peaches and Cream Oatmeal waiting for me after escaping the cold embrace of finishing a hot morning shower. I think I'll wear this one to bed.

Boyfriend tl;dr: "Just vanilla peaches. My favorite of them all."

That's it for now. I'll be updating you guys on more from the Peaches Crave and Strawberries Crave collection. Keep an eye out for me in IMAM Sunday Swaps as I have extra samples to share ;)

Solstice Scents Review

Solstice Scents was my first stop in indie perfumery! Not only was the catalog expansive and intriguing, but I found the art unique. It really drew me into their world.  

I ordered samples (described on the site as follows):

BLUEBERRY MUFFIN BATTER ~ Blueberry, Brown Sugar, Vanilla, Cane Sugar, Batter (Perfume, Whipped Soap, Burnishing Glace).

CAFE MALLOWMEL ~ Rich coffee flavored with decadent caramel and sweet marshmallow cream.  Contains coffee essential oil and fragrance oils. (Perfume, Ganache, Burnishing Glace).

CARDAMOM ROSE SUGAR, Premium ~ Brown Sugar, Cardamom EO, Moroccan Rose and Bulgarian Rose. (Premium 5 ml Perfume). GOURMAND/SPICY/FLORAL

NIGHTGOWN ~ Vanilla, White Chocolate, Tuberose & Tiare Flowers (A Best Seller). (Perfume, Body Ganache, Burnishing Glace, Whipped Soap).  FLORAL/GOURMAND

ROSE MALLOW CREAM, Premium ~ Moroccan Rose absolute, Bulgarian Rose absolute, Marshmallow Fluff, Strawberry Nectar, White Chocolate, Vanilla, White Musk  (A Best Seller).  GOURMAND/FLORAL

SYCAMORE SUGARWORKS, Foxcroft Collection ~ Caramelized Pear Tarts, Banana Apple Muffins, Spice Cakes With Rum Glaze, Cream Puffs & Maple Walnut Pastries. (Perfume, Burnishing Glace, Whipped Soap).  GOURMAND/FRUITY

VIOLET MALLOW ~ Marshmallow Cream, Violet Flowers, Vanilla Bean, White Musk (Perfume, Body Ganache, Burnishing Glace, Dead Sea Salt Oatmeal Milk Bath).  GOURMAND/FLORAL

Can you tell I have a love of gourmands?

My impressions:

BLUEBERRY MUFFIN BATTER- This took me back to when I was a child walking to the local Ice Cream Shop for a Blueberry Cheesecake Frozen Yogurt. If I could put that memory into a fragrance, Blueberry Muffin Batter would be it. On the skin, the “cheesecakey” aspect of it wears off and you’re left with a warm blueberry jam scent. Yum!

CAFE MALLOWMEL- Coffee flows through my veins, so I was super excited to try this scent out. I get a light roast coffee swirled with syrup. I feel like I stepped into a Gloria Jean’s Coffee when I take a whiff of this.

CARDAMOM ROSE SUGAR- This scent transformed the way I view rose scents. I have always steered away from rose perfumes. However, after reading so many positive reviews of this scent (as well as my deep love of cardamom), I gave it a go. Wow! The rose and cardamom do not compete, but merry into a beautiful experience! I feel comforted by this scent, like eating cool Kheer on a hot summer day. Rose Cardamom Sugar is my favorite scent of the lot! This is also considered a “Premium Fragrance”.

NIGHTGOWN: Such a soft and lovely scent. A light sweet floral that wraps you like a blanket. Nightgown reminds me of me plucking Lily of the Valley flowers in my grandmother’s garden. I want all my winter sweaters to smell like this!

ROSE MALLOW CREAM- Who’d have thought another rose would be my second favorite? This scent is addicting. The sweet mallow draws you in and the candied Rose keeps you lingering for another whiff. This is another “Premium Fragrance”.

SYCAMORE SUGARWORKS- I am met with a caramelized sugar, a slight hint of mashed banana, and toasted nuts in passing. Unfortunately for me, my body chemistry did not agree with this scent. The warm gourmand settles into a sickly sweet chemical sort. I am jealous for those this will work with. It makes my mouth water.

VIOLET MALLOW- I want to wear this every day of spring. The violet is so innocent and sweet and mingles well with the mallow. Even after a couple hours, the violet and mallow are still lively!

I was pleasantly surprised by my Solstice Scents review. Indie companies like Solstice Scents reward people for walking out of their comfort zone. I would have never thought that rose perfumes would be such a hit with me! I would also like to add these scents have nice longevity. My boyfriend can still smell them when I come home after an eight hour work day!

Thank you Solstice Scents! Keep an eye out for the “Woodland Collection” coming out the 17^th of January 2015!!!