Cleanse Your Soul Then Pour Some Sugar On It

A gourmand lover's dream.

Cleanse Your Soul is an indie company specializing in deliciously scented bath products. Their perfumes came highly recommended to me, since I have an uncontrollable sweet tooth when it comes to perfume. I had been looking for a few more perfumes to help give off the impression that I just had a horrible accident at the Hostess factory.

Review: Smell Bent Fragrances

Smell Bent: This is good stuff.

I’m a bit of a nut. I find it hard to be serious most of the time. I appreciate when I come across others that are also just a little bit nutty. Brent Leonesio is one of those people. His line of indie perfumes, Smell Bent, has a fun, playful vibe. The name of each perfume is a pun and each one has a corresponding character. The cartoon characters are what first drew me to Smell Bent. They are hilarious! But do not let the cutesy image of Smell Bent fool you into thinking these scents are less than the highest quality. Every single one is surprisingly rich with a depth not often seen in such a reasonably priced line. Brent is a nut that knows his stuff.

New: My Life by Mary J. Blige

I think the bottle is cute.

Mary J. Blige launched her perfume today exclusively on HSN and word on the street is that it is is a smashing success. The perfume is made by Carol’s Daughter, who also make a couple of perfumes that I’d love to have: Almond Cookie Eau de Toilette and Pearls. Although, it seems that Pearls has been discontinued unfortunately. It is interesting that Carol’s Daughter and Mary J. Blige choose to launch this perfume on HSN. I wonder if many more perfumes will be launched this way in the future.

Notes: gardenia petals, bartlett pear, white freesia, tuberose, jasmine, golden lily, apricot blossom, cashmere woods, praline, sesame, and incense.

RIP Beloved Beauty Products

Trends move quickly in the beauty world and it is inevitable that some products are discontinued. What do you do when your favorite products end up on clearance… then just… gone? Before the internet age one would have to drive all over town and buy up the last remaining product. Now it is possible to find many old beauty items on ebay. Some distraught beauty lovers have even started online rescue campaigns to bring back their favorite products. I usually pout like crazy when something I love is discontinued then ration every last bit of the product. What do you do? Do you flip out when your favorite lipstick is no longer in stores?

Here are a few products that I’ve loved and lost in the past:

Step Away From The Pink Sugar

Can we use something else?

Aquolina’s Pink Sugar has a great marketing strategy. It is one of the most popular fragrances at Sephora and one that I frequently come into contact with on a daily basis in college. And it isn’t that I don’t enjoy candy scents, in fact, I probably like them at least 700 times more than the average person. I have been told that I am not unlike a Christmas elf in my love of all things sweet. But even I have had enough Pink Sugar. Ladies (and Gents) it is time to move on from your trusty Pink Sugar onto one of these superior sweet scents.

Ten scents that are better than Pink Sugar:

Perfume Review: Tea Rose

Tea Rose, a discount find.

I picked up a gigantic amount (4 oz) of Tea Rose by The Perfumer’s Workshop when I was at TJMaxx the other day. I bought it unsniffed because, well, it was only $9.99. I’m not sure if this price was a mistake or not but definitely check out designer discount stores in your area for some great perfume deals. I first heard of this fragrance when Katie Puckrik mentioned it in one of her videos detailing her massive perfume collection.

Perfume Review: Kenzo Amour

Kenzo Amour

Notes: Frangipani Blossoms from Bali or Borobudur, Cherry Blossoms from Japan, Tanakha Wood, Incense, Thai Rice Steam, Vanilla of La Réunion, White Tea from China.

A nice sales associate at Sephora made me a sample of Kenzo Amour after seeing me attempt to detect this fragrance on my arm. I had already sprayed at least seven other scents near it. In the cloud of Sephora stench, I couldn’t really make out Kenzo Amour much at all. I happily accepted the sample so I could try this one at home.

Cheap Thrill: Demeter Fragrances

Demeter fragrances are fun.

When ordering from Demeter, I got this little 1/2 oz cologne splash bottle of Almond as an afterthought. I love these cute little glass bottles! I kind of wish I had gotten a million more. The small 1/2 oz size is perfect for trying some of Demeter’s stranger scents like Lobster because you’re probably not going to want to douse yourself in eau de crustacean. These tiny scents are only $6 each and there are some sets of four available for $20.

Review: Crazylibellule and the Poppies

While I am relatively new to fragrance collecting, my obsession for perfume has grown at an exponential rate in the past few months. At first it was enough to spritz once or twice in the morning, then I moved up to having to refresh later in the day. Now, I need to have some sort of perfume with me at all times. Where do I go from here? Copious sprays of a massive sillage monster like Angel while waiting for the bus? Let us hope not.

Mariah Carey Lollipop Bling Perfume

Mariah Carey’s Lollipop Bling fragrance line is now in stores. I found it online at Macys.com and Elizabetharden.com. There are three fragrances: Mine Again, Ribbon, and Honey. They are $35 each for 1oz.

Fragrance descriptions via Elizabeth Arden:
Mine Again – “A combination of Chocolate Raspberry with a touch of Magnolia creates an addictive fragrance.”
Ribbon – “A mouthwatering fragrance inspired by the flavor of the Blue Raspberry Ring Pop combined with a beautiful floral bouquet.”
Honey – “An irresistible fragrance combined with a touch of Honey and Pineapple, creating a bright and sunny fragrance.”

Personally, I find this line somewhat hilarious. But I’ll probably still buy them to help feed my obsession with candy scents.

What do you think of the Lollipop Bling fragrances? Have you tried them?

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