Sweet Anthem SA List Fall 2014 subscription box

My much anticipated fall subscription box from Sweet Anthem Perfumes arrived this week. The fall collection is called "Smoke Under Glass". Being the smoke lover I am, you KNOW I was super excited for these to arrive.

Unlike my first box which arrived with leaking/empty vials, this season's box arrived in excellent condition. Meredith has switched to new vials which didn't leak. She had each individual vial in it's own zip bag (I moved them all to one) and all were housed in a tin box.

The fall collection is comprised of two scents, Ella & Petra.

Ella is a blend of agarwood, black tea, lavender and pumpkin. While Petra has notes of candle smoke, cherry, heliotrope, immortelle, myrrh, and vanilla.

I thought all along Petra would be the winner for me but it was actually my least favorite. It's ok, but comes off a bit medicinal on me, kind of like the smell of bandaids. Ella, on the other hand, is gorgeous. The notes blend perfectly into a sweet, rich scent.

Also included in my package was a solid perfume of Catherine, amber, bergamot, neroli, red tea and wisteria. I already have this one and like it as a light citrus.

And finally a sample of Owl.  The description starts "essence of barn owl". WHAT? I wouldn't have a clue what a barn owl would smell like but I'm assuming not this. This actually smells pretty good. Notes are listed as jasmine, mimosa, black and white ambers, Chai spices, juniper berry, and vetiver. In the vial the vetiver smells quite strong but on the skin the chai spice and amber dominate. Quite lovely. (ALWAYS test on your skin! Bottle sniffs can be totally different!!)

I'm exceptionally happy with my box this time. Well worth the price and I will definitely be using my coupon to get a bottle of Ella, and maybe Owl too. 

Subscriptions to the SA list are currently closed. Sign ups will start the end of November and you can sign up now to be notified.

Flea market finds - Aug 24, 2014

This weekend's flea market finds...

 Awesome skull ring found at Renninger's Adamstown outdoor market for $10

A Snoopy paperback to add to C's collection. $1 at Shupp's Grove.

Large (12") footed carnival glass bowl. An absolute steal at $5 at Shupp's Grove.

eSalon custom hair color kit

I'm really excited to share a new BzzAgent campaign I'm in. The company is called eSalon and they specialize in customized home hair color. I used to color my hair at home most of the time but with long hair it's tricky to get the color even so I usually leave it to the experts now. However, BzzAgent was offering a great deal to try eSalon for free (a $60 value with addons) so I decided to get on board.

After completing a survey on eSalon's website I was presented with a number of color options to choose from. I selected a color to match my current color since I'm happy with it and am not looking for a change. I was also able to select additional products (these addons are all optional). I placed my order and my kit arrived in only a few days. Everything was presented beautifully

First there is a folder showing my custom color blend (light brown golden) and detailed instructions for using the kit. Under that was the actual color kit with everything I'll need to color my hair.

The additional products I selected were the set of coloring tools (mixing bowl, brush, timer and clips) as well as an oil treatment (I'm ALWAYS game to try a new oil treatment!) and color enhancing treatment to match my custom color.

Since I just recently had my hair dyed at the salon it will be several weeks before I can try out the color kit. I am super excited to try the oil and color enhancing treatment right away, though. I'll be sure to post back after I've had a chance to give these a test and also when I am able to use the color.

Click here if you would like to check out eSalon for yourself. If you do, I would love to hear how it works for you.

Future Primitive haul

It's been quite a while since I ordered from Future Primitive. But during her recent summer sale I heeded the siren song and placed an order.

I ordered just one soap since I just recently got those soaps from Alamo Candelaria and fall releases are right around the corner. Tobacconist sounded right up my alley with cedar, sandalwood, and oak. It doesn't disappoint. I went for the triple play with soap, bathing grains and aromatic oil.

I also picked up the oil of Rook and Raven and bathing grains in Rook and Raven and Black Honey. I've long loved scented baths and have recently settled on bath salts as my favorite scent delivery method. I was digging bath bombs for a while but they leave the tub such a mess. It's wonderful to have some luxuriously scented salts that perfume the whole bathroom yet rinse clean from the tub. Tiggy had these pouches full up to the brim. Unfortunately all 3 came open during shipping anointing everything in a salty film. It's amazing how messy a small amount of salt can be because the pouches are still very full. I haven't tried these yet but they smell amazing.

Delivery took about 3 weeks but she was on vacation for a week so really it only took about 2 weeks in transit. Postage costs were insane which is the main reason I don't tend to order from overseas. But every now and again, it is so worth the treat.

Dorco Razors

I received an invite to share a coupon from Dorco this morning and realized that though I have been meaning to for a long time, I have never talked about them.

I switched to Dorco razors almost a year ago. I've had used Gillette Venus razors for years and years and thought nothing could dethrone them. But my interest was piqued last fall when many of the beauty vloggers I flow on YouTube started buzzing about Dorco.

They have men's and women's razors in both refillable and disposable varieties. I've tired the Shai Soft Touch and Shai Smooth Touch (previously called Pace) refillable. Soft Touch features two 3 blade heads that flex a bit. While this does provide a close shave, I find the head quite bulky and hard to maneuver. Pace/Smooth Touch is also a 6 bladed razor but all contained in one single pivoting head. This is by far the best razor I have ever used. Holy Grail. The shave is close and nick free. The blades stay sharp for a long time and the rubber-encased metal handle is sturdy and slip free. Another nice thing about Dorco is that all of the heads and handles are interchangeable. So if you prefer the chunkier handle of the Soft Touch, but the smaller head of the Smooth Touch, you can make that change.

I'm pretty sure Dorco razors are available only from the company's website. They run specials all the time and shipping is free over $25 (plan on ordering at least $25, though, because I feel shipping is quite expensive if you don't). I was just rereading the FAQs and was reminded that they do offer $2.99 shipping on orders under $5.98 so you could try just one razor for under $10. They offer bundles so you can stock up on your favorite razor or try a variety pack. As I said at the start, they are offering a referral coupon at the moment for 15% off, good through August 31. If you are dissatisfied with your current shaving solution, I do recommend checking out Dorco razors. I hope your experience is as positive as mine!

Flea market finds 7-6-14

C and I are flea market fans. Mostly we just enjoy getting out in the sunshine and walking around, but sometimes we actually run across some cool stuff. Today was one of those days.

I'm on a carnival glass kick and found 3 lovely pieces today.

I'll have to do some research on the patterns and colors since I am a total novice.

  I just love the look of each of these.

 I got the vase for $10.

The toothpick holder for $1.

The Fenton piece (the only one with a name marked) for $30. No idea if those are good or bad prices but they seemed comfortable enough for me.

I also scored a half dozen vintage holiday candles for only $10!

The pumpkin men and pumpkin don't have their stickers but they are in excellent shape otherwise. The Turkey is an original Gurley with it's 59¢. The snowmen are Tavern candles, with their original stickers. The lady said they were old store stock. They were quiet dirty and the box was filthy and mildewed to the point I wouldn't keep it in the house, I don't care if it DOES have value. But the candles cleaned up quite nicely.

Alamo Candelaria haul

I recently watched a video from Tiggy of Future Primitive Soaps where she talked about her Alamo Candelaria haul. I watch nearly everything Tiggy posts because I love her. Love her voice, love her soaps, love how she is always so positive and informative. So when the video came up in my queue I had never heard of Alamo Candelaria and had no idea what the video would be about. I just watched it because it was Tiggy. Turns out Alamo Candelaria is a soap shop out of San Antonio, Texas run by a lovely lady named Kyme. I sat enthralled as Tiggy unwrapped each carefully and beautifully wrapped soap. The soaps were mini works of art. And I was intrigued.

So down the rabbit hole I went searching out other YouTube videos of AC hauls. The more I watched, the more I wanted. Kyme even has her own YT channel where she shows her soap making and cutting. By the time I finished watching the series of videos on her Scentimental Serectorium collection I already had my cart loaded and was placing an order.

Her shop features soaps, candles, perfume and wax tarts. She has a collection of standard "artisan soaps", a collection of fancier soaps she labels "Ancient Series" and a special collection in honor of the All Souls Trilogy of books entitled "Scentimental Secretorium".

I ordered 3 of her artisan soaps, Blush (fruity, bright and sweet), Puro Gracia (clean and  fresh), Tamarind & Ginger (spicy and sweet). All came wrapped like precious little presents in signature wax/vellum paper with a paper band bearing the scent descriptions and ingredients all sealed up with a really, old fashioned, hand stamped wax seal. I couldn't bear to unwrap them. Click the links if you'd like to see what the soaps look like. They smell amazing!

 

I also ordered one of her soap/perfume sets from the Scentimental Secretorium line in Ysebeau. Everything in this line comes packaged in a hand decorated box featuring the alchemical symbols of a soap maker (water, lye, etc). Inside the products are wrapped in tissue paper and nestled in a bed of raffia. The scent is a rich, burnt sugar vanilla. Although I've drifted away from perfume oils of late, I do like this one and find it last a good while on my skin.

Kyme also tucked in 2 soap samples (Pompeii and Velvet & Violets) and a Salt Lique Lollie. I'm using the Pompeii sample and find it a wonderful soap. I am delighted with my order, as I'm sure you can tell. Next up I intend to order some of her wax tarts since she has far more scents available there than in her soap lines. Of course I'll be ordering more soaps too!

Latte heaven

I luvs me some yummy flavored coffee and when my Kindle Fire displayed a Mr. Coffee latte maker flash sale a few months ago, I was on it in a heartbeat. The last thing I want is another appliance to clutter up my counters and this is definitely a one trick pony. But it does it's one thing really well and it is light enough to move around and stow away when not in use.

The Mr. Coffee Latte Maker retails for around $65 on Amazon. The price was reduced to a crazy $20 during the flash sale! It is quite easy to use...coffee and water in the top, milk (and flavoring if desired) in the bottom, push a button and in about 8 minutes or so you've got a steaming hot latte.

You also have the option of just frothing/heating the milk if you prefer. This setting makes super tasty hot chocolate. There is a recipe book included but anyone with an ounce of creativity can easily come up with their own creations. My favorite home concoction is a raspberry mocha (a squirt or two of Hershey's syrup and a few drops of McCormack raspberry flavoring in with the milk), YUMMY!

At the moment I'm using almond milk and it doesn't tend to froth quite as nicely as regular milk. But it works well enough and the flavor is delicious.

The biggest downside is cleaning the carafe. It is not immersible and the milk tends to stick to the bottom. I wait until it cools down and then scrub it out well with soap and water and a sponge after every use. You also need to rinse the whisk very well since it also is not immersible.

In addition to the new coffee maker I need to point out my absolute favorite (new) mug. Isn't it fabulous! The mug I got holds 20 oz, a prefect coffee bucket for me. It feels perfect in my hands. It is a hand painted mug from Grey December on Etsy. Go check out her pottery. Gorgeous stuff. I MUST have this mug next.

2014 Garden

Thanks to a day or two of fair weather in the last few weeks, we were able to get the garden planted. I've scaled back quite a bit this year...no okra, fewer tomatoes. I'm hoping having things less crowded will result in better plants and more veggies. Here's what we've got

 The tomatoes are back in the big bed this year. 3 Early Girl and 2 Roma. Between the tomatoes I planted King Arthur Peppers and some Jalapenos. Filling out the bed are 2 zucchini, 4 cucumbers, 4 white eggplant and 4 purple eggplant and 2 Gypsy peppers. In the side bed we added a second blueberry plant. It is tiny (picked it up at the grocery store) so it's going to take a year or two to get established. The rest of the side bed has zinnias (last year's sunflowers were beautiful but unruly).

The long bed has our onions, all Candy this year. More pepper plants...Red Knight, Honeycrisp, Gypsy, Orange Bell and California Wonder. Finally a Supersweet 100 cherry tomato plant.

We have a small flower bed in the middle of our yard. Since 2001 it's had a Butterfly bush, planted in memory of our first cat that died (Allegra). Its been getting pretty old and woody these last few years and this year's hard winter finally did it in. The base was all broken and rotted out from the snow/ice pack. So C and I dug it out and planted a lilac. (Please excuse the junk in the background, not mine!)

We both love the scent and look of lilacs. We've been fortunate to have generous neighbors who have let us cut some every year to enjoy, but i still longed to have one of my own. The variety I chose is Miss Kim. It is supposed to stay on the smaller side which we need since the space isn't too big. The plant is loaded with buds so we are hoping to have some wonderful smelling flowers soon.

Sweet Anthem Perfumes Seasonal Anthology summer 2014

Sweet Anthem is a niche perfume house out of Washington state with Meredith Smith at the helm. The perfumes are natural based and come in various formats (EDP, perfume oil and solid perfume). I recently heard that she was coming out with the "Great Northern" collection, two scents based on the Pacific Northwest. One, Cooper, is inspired by my favorite Twin Peaks character, Agent Cooper. I knew I HAD to try it. And Sweet Anthem was going to feature the two new scents in their Summer SA List sampler box. Sign me up!!

According the the website, the SA List offers a quarterly sample box featuring 2 samples of new seasonal perfumes as well as a surprise sample from a previous release. You receive 2ml samples which should be enough for several wearings. You also receive a $10 voucher towards a future purchase on their website. The cost ranges from $14 for 2 seasons to $24 for 4 seasons. I signed up for the 2 season option.

I was so excited to see my box arrive this week. I was in the last shipping group and didn't expect it to arrive until closer to June. The set was beautifully packaged in a silver box with a brown cigarband with the company's logo. Inside where the samples of Walden and Cooper along with a FULL SIZE solid perfume in Peter and a lip balm in Champagne & Rose.

The box was incredibly fragrant when I opened it. To my utter disappointment I discovered why...the sample of Cooper had completely leaked out of the vial. Walden also leaked, but a bit was left. Although the vials were in plastic baggies, the perfume seeped through and was absorbed by the cardboard box. The box has a nice, woody smell from the combination of the two scents.

Cooper is described on the website as: Nutty vetiver, smoky teak, coffee – black as midnight on a moonless night, and the transcendental Douglas Fir. All I get from sniffing the empty vial is alcohol. I am crushed. This scent sounds like something I would love and was the whole reason I bought the box. *sigh*

Walden is described as: Aquatic musks, vintage florals, and greenery everywhere. There was enough in this vial to actually get a few sprays out. It is very green and earthy. I don't get any florals at all. This scent leans more masculine.

The notes of Peter are listed as Champagne, Matcha Tea, Black Current, Lemon, Leather, and Patchouli. I get a lot of leather with a hint of lemon and a sparkling note (I assume that's the champagne). The solid format is kind of nice. It leaves a gentle scent that lasts about two hours on my skin. I feel this scent could be unisex.

The lip balm smells neither of champagne or rose. It has a nice smooth texture and feels moisturizing on the lips. It's a nice freebie, but I don't care for lip products that you have to apply with your fingers so not something I would rush out and buy.

I did contact Meredith about the leaking vials. She explained that they had run out of their usual vials and were using new ones in order to fill the orders. She apologized for the problem and offered me a free shipping code on my next order. I would have rather had a replacement of Cooper since the whole point was to try to decide if I even WANT to place an order. However, her prices are not bad (ranging from $6.50 for a small solid perfume to $32 for a 10ml perfume oil) and with the $10 voucher from my box I'm not rising a lot to buy a full size unsniffed.


Click here to join the Sweet Anthem SA list.