The Fragrance Face-Off

I love perfumes that smell like food.

I especially love perfumes that smell like desserts. (Spoken like a true fat chick!)

My favorite perfume for quite some time has been Epically Epic Soap Company's 'Yellow Cake' scent.  It's an uncomplicated smell and when I'm wearing it, I feel young, free, and content. 

It was a big hit with the dudes too.  Quite a few men that I know would stop to tell me how amazing I smelled.  Of course, this gave me a little ego boost.  So, along with young, free, and content....I also felt pretty.  Yellow Cake quickly became my signature scent...my everyday perfume.

I read an article a while back (I can not for the life of me remember where or when) that stated that there had been a study conducted on a group of men.  They were given various scents to smell and they had to rate the sexiness/arousal factor of the scents.  The winner...out of all the smells...was the scent of pumpkin pie. 

Pumpkin pie??  Really??  I was intrigued to say the least.  In my mind pumpkin pie did NOT equal sexy.  I felt compelled to put this 'research' to the test.

I had been meaning to place an order with One Hand Washes the Other for probably...well forever.  I popped over to Becca's website to see if she had anything that was pumpkin pie scented.  While there wasn't anything specifically scented like pie, I chose a bottle of Pumpkin Bread perfume oil.

From the OHWTO website:
One of my favorite things about fall is all the pumpkin-based baked goods I get to make. This smells like (almost) all of them, rolled up into one deliciously food-y fragrance! You'll smell Pumpkin, of course, along with Carrot, Clove, Nut, Rum, Bread, Butter and Malt notes; it's enough to make your mouth water!

Sounds amazing right?  It is every bit as amazing as it sounds. 

I'm terrible at describing perfumes.  But I know what I like and I know the feelings that certain scents can conjure up for me.  Pumpkin Bread is delicious smelling for sure.  But it has a deep, sexy quality to it.  I had serious doubts about pumpkin smells being sexy and arousing but I was wrong....oh so wrong.  While smelling like cake makes me feel young and carefree.....Pumpkin Bread makes me feel like the sexy, mature grown-up I'm still not quite convinced that I am.

I decided to conduct a completely bullshit and not one bit scientific experiment.  I wore Pumpkin Bread for several days.  I wanted to see if there was any truth to this idea that guys find pumpkin pie to be an alluring scent.  I wore it around the same gentlemen that had commented favorably on Yellow Cake. 

Gentleman #1 (my husband):  Upon my arrival in his presence stated:  "I smell the pumpkin.  It's amazing.  This is WAY better than the cake.  Keep wearing this"

Gentleman #2 (random co-worker):  Smelled my wrist and nodded ferociously.  Told me that although the cake smelled great,  Pumpkin Bread smelled so much better.

Gentleman #3 (co-worker/really good friend):  Told me that Pumpkin Bread didn't really smell like pumpkin anything to him.  It was just...okay....and he much preferred when I smelled like cake.

Gentleman #4 (wasn't asked for his opinion--just gave his uninvited 2 cents):  Stated that gentleman #2 didn't know what he was talking about and that he preferred when I wore 'the cake stuff'.

So there you have it.  My totally ridiculous scientific experiment discovered that different guys like different smells.  Imagine that!

What do I think?  I like them both.  I've been leaning towards the sexy delicious-ness of Pumpkin Bread lately but I can totally see myself bouncing back and forth between the two.

Plus, I ordered a few more scents from OHWTO....you know....purely for scientific reasons.

Hauling Queen (and a simple LOTD)

I did a little shopping recently.  We'll call it retail therapy...since I've been dealing with some stuff in my life and needed a boost.  I probably shouldn't have spent the money...and my one credit card is probably huddled over in the corner crying...but this is the absolute last stuff I'm buying for a really long time (barring necessities).  Despite my bad judgement...I love what I bought and I'm really happy with most of my purchases :)

WHAT I BOUGHT.....

**Awesome, super-cool Hello Kitty tote bag from Loungefly
**Milani Lip Flash in:  Hot Flash, Lip Flash, Flashy, and In a Flash (I also pictured Starflash...but I already owned that one...I'm a goof!)

**Milani Lip glosses in:  Starshine and Stylish
**Milani Baked Powder Blush in:  Luminoso
**Urban Decay Ink for Eyes in:  Pyrotechnics
**Urban Decay  Pocket Rocket Lip Gloss in: Julio
**Urban Decay Eyeshadow Transformation Potion

Lip Stuffs Swatches:

 (Top Row:  In a Flash, Lip Flash, Hot Flash, Flashy, Starflash.  Bottom Row:  Starshine, Stylish, Julio)

I also placed an order from Epically Epic Soap Company.  But that's soap.  Soap is a necessity.  And I NEEDED pretty smelling soap!!

I bought....

 GRANOLA BAR and...

 LEMON POPPYSEED CAKE

All right....I also bought Yellow Cake scented Roll-on perfume and Mimosa flavored lip balm.  But I still insist that THIS was a necessity order! :-P

I've been fairly uninspired lately with my makeup.  I've been sticking to looks that are comfortable and familiar...looks I've posted before...so that's why I haven't really posted anything new in a while.  I was dying to play with the Urban Decay Transformation Potion though (purchased for $5 on HauteLook) so I did this neutral eye with bright eyeliner look.

 (I swear this looked waayyy better in real life!!)

So...have you guys made any fun purchases lately?  I'd love links to your haul posts!! :)

May/June Favorites

Things have been pretty hectic lately.  I've started my clinicals at school so now I'm working full-time and then I work at school all weekend long.  It's tiring but it will be worth it in the end.  I haven't been wearing much makeup for school but that doesn't mean I haven't gone without! :) 

Here's what I've been loving for the past month or so:

EPICALLY EPIC SOAP COMPANY'S LAVENDER OAT SOAP
I originally bought this for Addy when I made my big Epically Epic haul several months back, but she quickly realized that lavender is not a scent she enjoys.  I have to admit, it's not my favorite scent either (It's not one I'd pick for myself, but I don't hate it) but this soap lathers up so nicely and leaves me feeling clean, fresh, and not too dry.  Plus, it's really pretty...isn't it?

 (Image courtesy of Google because I forgot to snap a pic before I used it!)

L'OREAL VOLUMINOUS MILLION LASHES MASCARA

Yay! Here's my craptastic pic from my review of this product :)  I won't say much about this since I just reviewed it but I will say that I love it and it makes my lashes look awesome!

WET N' WILD VANITY PALETTE

I know this is old news, but I just bought this palette last month.  I've been trying to boost up my collection of neutral colors.  I've been using this a lot and practicing my winged liner to go a long with it!  It's still not perfect, but I'm getting better every time :)

 (Another Google pic...I didn't expect to love this as much as I do.  I would have totally taken my own pic if I had known)

MILANI LIP FLASH IN STARFLASH

My computer chose this moment to give me a hard time so I have no picture of this.  For anyone who doesn't know about this product...lip flash is a lip gloss/lip stick hybrid product that comes in a pencil.  Starflash is a pale, shimmery, baby pink color.  It looks ridiculous on me alone, but it adds a really cool iridescent sheen when worn over other lip colors.  Of course this doesn't really translate well to photography but trust me...in person it looks incredible!

BEAUTY SCHOOL HAIRCUTS
I went to get my hair cut recently at a "real" salon and I had a horrible experience.  It will probably show up as a rant post pretty soon :)  But an old acquaintance of mine is about to graduate from beauty school and offered to fix it.  She did such an awesome job...I think she has a fan for life!  And the cut only cost me ten bucks!

This is me showing off my new haircut.  Wet n' Wild Vanity Palette on my eyes (left side of palette) with winged liner (L'Oreal Lineur Intense).  Fyrinnae's Visual Kei on my lips with Milani Starflash over the top of it. 

March Favorites

These are the products I've been finding myself turning to again and again lately.  There's nothing new or overly exciting on the list, but I thought I'd share with you guys anyway :)

1. SUGARPILL!!! 

I use the Cold Heart Palette for something just about everyday!  Bulletproof and Tako are my go-to black and white e/s.  Poison Plum is an amazing purple!  I'm glad that I got my hands on one of these before they were sold out :)  And Goldilux?  I don't even have words to describe just how awesome it is!

2.  EPICALLY EPIC'S YELLOW CAKE HYDRATING MIST

I just did a review on this.  It's a seriously great product.  Not only do I wonder how I lived without it, I (almost) never want to smell like anything other than Yellow Cake!

3.  HELLO KITTY PERFUME

I am sooo sorry for the incredibly blurry picture!  If I'm not smelling like Yellow Cake, then I'm wearing this.  I love the smell and the packaging is adorable.  The only downside is that it makes me sneeze....I always sneeze at least 5-7 times after putting it on, but it's worth it to smell this nice :)

 4.  WET N' WILD 'BLUE HAD ME AT HELLO' PALETTE

I only just picked this up at Walmart on Thursday but I'm head over heels in love with these blues.  So much, in fact, that the only e/s I've worn since Thursday has come from this palette.  I even did my makeup for work today (I rarely wear makeup to work) just so I could play with these some more!  The eyelid shade on the right hand side has got to be one of my favorite blue shades ever.

My Wet n' Wild Friday LOTD:

What are some products that you guys are loving right now??

Review: Epically Epic's Yellow Cake Hydrating Mist

From Epically Epic's Etsy Store:
A sprayable hydrating body mist with a blend of antioxidant rich oils and vitamin E that leaves your skin feeling silky soft and smelling epic. Spray on wet or dry hair to boost shine and fight frizz. It's perfect to use as a light perfume or for layering with my other scented products.
I bought this when I made my last big haul.  The previous time I had ordered from Epically Epic, I bought the yellow cake scented shower scrub and I decided, right then and there, that Yellow Cake is my absolute favorite scent.  Ever.

So, when I saw this I really wanted to try it based on the scent  alone....but after reading the description, it sounded like it would not only be great smelling but also a great multi-tasker of a product as well.

For the first few weeks, I strictly used this as a perfume.  I think mostly because I love the smell so much.  But this stuff is soooo much more than just a pretty scent.  It makes a nice, light lotion.  It's not greasy and my skin soaks it up pretty quickly and it leaves me feeling soft and silky for most of the day.

I have to admit I was very apprehensive about spraying this stuff in my hair.  I guess I was worried about it making my hair greasy or weighing it down.  On Friday, I decided to just go for it.  I straightened my hair and sprayed a light mist of it around my head.  Not only did it keep the frizz at bay, my hair felt so smooth and soft!  I wasn't sure if it was my imagination--maybe I felt it was softer because I wanted it to work--so I asked Jeff to feel my hair too.  He was pretty amazed at how nice my hair felt!

And I can't finish up this review without talking about the scent again.  If you don't particularly like food scents then you probably won't like this one (but this product comes in many different scents) but I love, love, love it and I almost never want to smell like anything else!  I get a ton of compliments about it whenever I wear it and I've been told a few times that the scent makes people hungry--it's THAT realistic!  I even had to stop wearing it at work due to some unwanted attention I was receiving because of it!  It's my firm belief that if you don't currently own something Yellow Cake scented from Epically Epic then you need to get some now! 

Shopping Fool

I recently had a chance to go on somewhat of a shopping spree.  I went a little crazy (for me) buying things that I've been wanting for a while.

A pic of most of my haul...please ignore the dollar store makeup wipes in the background :)

My sister and I hit Sephora on Valentine's Day.  She and I both bought a Hello Kitty roll-on perfume and I bought a sample bottle of Urban Decay All-nighter spray.  I couldn't bring myself to spring for the Stila blush with the hearts on it (yes, I am THAT lazy not to go and look up it's proper name), so I ran across the hall to CVS and got the Physician's Formula version.

I'm not especially skilled at the whole blush thing and I'm not sure if this is the right one for me.  It is awfully cute though and I really like how it smells :)  I also picked up the PF eyeliner set for green eyes.

I'd been wanting to place another order with Epically Epic Soap Co. I loved everything that I had ordered last time.  I picked up some soaps (a lilac one for me and a lavender one for Addy) and a yellow cake scented hydrating mist.  Yellow Cake is just about the best smelling anything ever!! 

Then I got some solids lotions--LOVE them!  I bought one in Oatmeal, Milk and Honey because that's my favorite scent (so far).  I also picked up one in Basmati Rice and Midnight.  The last one was originally for Addy but once she smelled it she was unimpressed.  She combed the Etsy site for what seemed like an hour, reading all the descriptions before she settled on Midnight.  It doesn't smell bad (quite the opposite), it's just not a smell for a 9-year old girl and she decided that she really didn't want it.  I'm thinking about keeping it aside for a giveaway :)

We also got some lip balm.  I got Turkish Coffee and Addy got Shamrock Shake.  I've said in the past that I'm not a fan of mint.  Addy is and she LOVES this lip balm!

And my major purchase in all this shopping spree madness?  I got my first SUGARPILL!!!!!  Of course, I posted pictures, because you haven't seen enough of them everywhere else :)

 

I am such a dork.  I've done just one look with them so far and I practically had to force myself to break into the palette.  They are just SO PRETTY and I'm having trouble actually using them because I don't want to mess them up.

This is going to be the last makeup and stuff I buy for a while...but I think it's enough--for now.

Review: Epically Epic Soap Co.

After reading Grey's review on Epically Epic Soap Co.  I immediately went to the Etsy shop and started window shopping.  Then I immediately starting pouting because I was beyond broke and I wanted to try sooo many of the items that are for sale in this shop.

So I set out to work some overtime, so I could bring some of this delightful stuff home to me where it rightfully belongs!

Since I couldn't buy out the entire site--no matter how much I wanted to.  This is what I picked up:

• Sampler Set of 5 Mini Solid Lotions (Lilac, Grapefruit Gardenia, Oatmeal Milk and Honey, Margarita, and Coconut Vanilla)
• 3 Lips Balms (Fuji Apple, Blueberry Lemonade, and Marshmallow--that one was for my daughter, Addy who is a junior beauty junkie.  I hate marshmallows, it wouldn't be a scent/flavor I picked on my own.)
• Yellow Cake Sugar Cube Body Scrub
• Blue Lilac Handmade Shea Butter Soap

Allison (the owner) has a wide variety of handmade soaps, lotions, lip balms etc. for sale on her Etsy site.  Some of them are vegan, others are not.  I'm not vegan, so that's not necessarily something I look for.  However, I'm increasingly becoming more aware of handmade products and really love the idea of using them.  Epically Epic Soap Co. was a fantastic first foray into this arena for me--I wasn't disappointed in the least!

Lotsa Looks...and a mini-haul

It's been hot and sticky.  Plus, I've been pretty lazy busy this week.  But I thought I'd post a few of the LOTD's I've come up over the past week or so.  I was happier with some more than others but all in all I don't think any of them was a total fail.

Blue-ish look using Concrete Minerals' Temptress and Fyrinnae's Futuristic Glam Rock: