Pegasus22 Jewelry Haul

While browsing the internet for jewelry for my fairy costume I stumbled upon this amazing Etsy shop, Pegasus22.  This shop carries the most absolutely stunning jewelry at incredibly cheap prices!! They are meant to be added to and customized to create your own pieces so many of them have little circles for attaching chains and other bits. 

These are the 3 pieces I picked up.  Unfortunately my before shots of these were erased when my memory card got corrupted so I don't have the original pictures and I don't want to deal with undoing my metal bending to revert them to their previous state.  You will be able to find nice pictures of all of these on Pegasus22's shop by searching the names of the pieces, so no worries!

Green Dragon Scale Regal Woodland Elven Pendant

This is the piece that introduced me to the shop. I was searching for elven like jewelry and was captivated by this piece.  I instantly knew I wanted to turn it into a choker.  Because the prices were so cheap I decided to get more than just this to make shipping a bit more worth it.

This came without the chain, I attached that later.  I love the green jewel, the yellow flecks give it such interesting dimension.

It also has a gorgeous antiqued silver look which is my favorite kind of finish for silver jewelry! I get so many compliments whenever I wear this.

Price: $4

Starry Sky Purple Opal Glass Cabochon Silver Leaf Shape Pendant

These gorgeous things came in a set of two so I knew I needed to make them into earrings! You get only the main pendant, I added the earring hooks and the little leaves.

I needed these mostly because the gem looked like a galaxy and I was just instantly enamored.

These babies area  bit bulky so when I wear them I generally do not wear a necklace as they really do take center stage, especially with my short hair.

Price: $3

Fantasy and Galaxy Oval Silver frame Cabochon Pendant

I was going to stop there but after stumbling on this pendant while on the way to check out I couldn't turn it down for the price! This gem has no texture and instead has a solid shiny finish. I chose to get it in the light grey, there are quite a few other  color options available.

I love the dimension of the gemstone.  The circle decorations are not hollow so it isn't as easy to attach anything to this, so I've left it alone.  I think it looks great how it is.  It is nice, simple, and pretty.

My favorite thing about this pendant is that it matches almost everything I own so I keep it with me in my makeup bag so I can throw it on if I ever need to look fancy on the go!

Price: $2

Overall I am extremely pleased with my Pegasus22 purchase.  If you are looking for some cheap jewelry pieces definitely give them a look. I've had these for a month or so now and have had no fading or breaking. I know I'll definitely be ordering again.  Even while I was browsing to find the names of these pieces for this post I saw even more things that I wanted!

Where to buy: www.etsy.com/shop/pegasus22

Fortune Cookie Soap Old Hollywood Fall 2015 Soap Box

It is August and I have received my first Fortune Cookie Soap fall soap box! Unfortunately this box is probably my least favorite for a few reasons. First, the theme just isn't my thing.  I love Alice in Wonderland, I love Peter Pan, but Old Hollywood?  Unfortunately most of the names are lost on me.  Also I just did not appreciate the scents as much.  There are a few I adore but definitely not as many as previous boxes....and its Fall....with no pumpkin spice?! I was a little disappointed.

So the theme is Old Hollywood with some of the names being long, hard to remember, and not making any sense as far as the scents go.

Here is the picture of the whole box!  Overall the presentation is great.  I love the star shaped wax tart and the custom perfume bottle.  The little extra this time was two pearls.  Perhaps I'll turn them into earrings! 

Let's get to reviewing!

Dressed To Kill Fortune Cookie Soap

Initial Sniff: Unfortunately the soapy smell overpowers the scent so it is hard for me to really say if I like this one or not....I smell spiced soap.

In Action: It works as all the others have and also makes my sink area smell like spiced soap, which is kinda nice I suppose.

Verdict: The description of this sounded awesome....wine, vanilla, apples.......but I'm really not a fan.

Famous Wax Tart

Initial Sniff: Very lovely. Fruity, spicy, relaxing, fun.  That is what I think of when I smell this. Even though its floral based and not fruity, haha oh well.

In Action:  Watching this melt was really sad because the tart was just so cute and pretty! 

Going....going...gone!

 But while it disappeared it made my apartment smell nice.  The scent on this one isn't super overpowering and noticeable but it is still nice. 

Verdict: I wouldn't get this a wax tart but I'll definitely pick up some things in this scent! One of my favorites!

Glitz & Glamour Hand Sanitizer

Initial Sniff: This is a very light scent so from the bottle all that can be smelled is alcohol

In Action: Once rubbed on to the hands and allowed to dry it smells like.....um...fall spices....I'm not sure.  It is hard for me to pick out notes and the description is moss, wood, and vanilla..... right.

Verdict: Not a fan.

Hollywood Dreams Shampoo Bar

Initial Sniff: Holy crap. This little bar packs so much scent it is ridiculous.  It makes my entire shower smell like sugary sweet graham crackers. I actually can't stand smelling this for too long, it makes me a bit nauseous.

In Action: I LOVE the shampoo bars, they suds up sooo nicely.  I do not think the smell lingers (which in this case, yay!) but my hair is also short so I can't really take a strand of it and sniff.....

Verdict: Nope, once again not for me.  Too eye wateringly sweet and strong.

Pearls & Girls Perfume Oil

Initial Sniff: Oh. So. Lovely. Yes. Sweet fruity delicious pears and comforting vanilla. Amazing.  My absolute favorite scent.

In Action: I don't like the spray bottle....I feel like half hits my wrist and the other half is lost to the air.  The bottle design is adorable though (even if I got it in my least favorite color) would have liked it better as a roller ball. As for the perfume though it smells so lovely and is just so me.  It lasts for at least 4 hours.

Verdict: This is amazing I need this.

American Royalty

Initial Sniff: This smells gross to me.  I can't even describe it, its like sour and weird and just no.

In Action: I don't really feel like this does anything....maybe I'm using it wrong?  I prefer matte hair products as well so I'm not sure I like the shine this adds.  Also I hate the smell so I don't really like using it in the first place.

Verdict: Gross.

Scandal Bath Powder

Initial Sniff: This scent as the weirdest description....how can something smell like creaking woods and windy leaves? To me it smells like a spicy mens cologne.  Personally I'm not a fan.

In Action: I dumped it all in my bath and honestly was a bit underwhelmed.  From how strong this smelled out of the bag I expected it to bring my bath to life but the scent was very weak. 

Verdict: Not a fan of the scent and unfortunately not the bath powder either. I wish I'd have tried this before purchasing a full sized bath powder.....but maybe I'll have better luck next time. 

Tommy Guns & Baseball Bats Whipped Cream

Initial Sniff: Mmmmmm so warm and comforting, this smells like my grandmothers house during the holidays. Yummy toasted marshmallows is what I smell the most and I love it.

In Action: Makes me smell like sweet deliciousness...oh and moisturizes too!

Verdict: I wouldn't really want to walk around smelling like this in public but as a wax tart it would be AMAZING.

Overall this is definitely my least favorite soap box of the three I've gotten so far.  The scents were just not very me.  Hopefully I'll have better luck with the winter box, however I'm nervous as I absolutely despise peppermint.....

I ended up ordering the following: 

Groovy Beech Soap Dish, for my shampoo/conditioner bar

TOMMY GUNS & BASEBALL BATS Talkin' Smack Lip Scrub, because the wax tart was sold out

PEARLS & GIRLS Sugar Scrub, love the scent and haven't tried their sugar scrub

PEARLS & GIRLS Bath Powder, same as above

FAMOUS Foaming Hand Soap, loved the scent, needed more hand soap

FAMOUS Bar Soap, just because!

Fortune Cookie Soap Straight On Till Morning Summer Haul

The long awaited moment (at least for me) has finally arrived! I have received all of my Fortune Cookie Soap summer products and have tried them all out for your reading pleasure! For organizations sake I will be sorting these by scent, let's go!

I had listed in my Soap Box review what all I had ordered and boy am I pleased! I have no regrets and will be enjoying each and every one of these products! Also orders now come with stickers!! So cute!

Let's start with my favorite scent from the summer soap box, The Captain.  It is described as "Dewy magnolias and wild berries drenched with fresh cream". 

The Captain Perfume Oil

 

As soon as I experienced this scent I knew I needed it in a perfume.  While the smell is still lovely the wear time is very very short.  Probably less than two hours unfortunately.  I'm also not a fan of these new spray bottles.  I preferred the old normal jar method and would have liked to see a roller bar option.  I feel like I accidentally waste so much product when I spray it on and miss some of my skin. :(

The Captain Aloe Me

This is something that I'm trying for the first time. I already have a Mist Me and really like it for my hair.  This aloe version uses the same formula except with added aloe for summer! I bought this to ease sunburn pain as I'm super pale and burn in the shade.....sigh.  Anyway I can't say how well it alleviates sun burns but when spraying it on my skin it provides a very soothing cool feeling resulting in soft moisturized skin. The scent unfortunately does not linger for very long.

This label got a bit messed up because of leakage from the deodorant.  Also I'm not sure why this is blue as the shampoo and steamers both are red.

The Captain Veggie Protein Deodorant

Next is the deodorant!  I definitely wanted to get one of these and since I wasn't a fan of the Wendy Bird scent I was so glad they also made it in The Captain.  I have mixed feelings about this product so I'm going to review it in a pro and con type fashion.

Pros: This smells amazing as I already knew it would.  It also goes on and the smell lingers for a LONG time.  At least 5 hours later I was still smelling it.  even though it isn't advertised as an antiperspirant I definitely sweat less when wearing this.  Also the ingredients are very natural and make me feel good about what I'm putting onto my skin. 

"This aluminum-free formula contains grapefruit seed extract, which provides natural, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. With summer just around the corner, now's the perfect time to put our new veggie protein deodorant to the test! "Veggie protein deodorant?" Heck yeah!  Featuring a natural protein base that neutralizes odor causing enzymes to simple salt. How cool is that?! 

While it's not an anti-perspirant, and it may need to be applied more than once per day, it's an awesome alternative to commercial options. "

Cons: When I received this it was absolutely a mess. It had melted all over my package, destroying its own label and messing with the ink on my Aloe Me.  I was a bit bummed about this as it was a summer release so you'd think the formula would be able to withstand high temperatures.  It hasn't even gone over 85 degrees recently.  The top layer is now a slight slush as you can see in the picture.  I held it in front of my air conditioner and it seemed to start to harden back up a bit. I currently have it in my fridge, hoping it was completely re-solidify and I can apply it from the tube and not with my fingers. Also it is just a boring off white color.  Since the Wendy Bird sample in teh soap box was blue I expected this to be colored as well.

Next up I'll do The Kiss which is the scent that reminds me of Pez candy!

"Exotic watermelon, juicy pineapple and coconut water, bursting with fresh citrus juices"

The Kiss Shampoo and Conditioner Bar

Out of all the products I was getting I was most excited for this one! I have never tried a shampoo or conditioner in bar form and I feel it would work so well with my short hair.  In order to try both at once I opted for the shampoo and conditioner bar mix!

In one word I would describe this as...LOVE.  I rub the shampoo part in my hair and I get a lovely sudsy experience.  After rinsing I rub the conditioning half on my hair and let it sit while I finish my shower, then rinse.  Afterwards my hair is so silky soft and tangle free.  I will definitely be ordering shampoo and conditioning bars in the future! :D

The Kiss Wax Tart

This is also my first time trying out their wax tarts.  I was a bit bummed to see that this one was not colored like all the others...I'm not sure why it isn't.  The Kiss lip balm in the soap box was a pale pink so I expected this to be as well. So far the smell itself doesn't seem to fill the room quite liked I'd hoped but I can still smell it when sitting  near to my candle warmer. I cut off a bit of the corner to place in my warmer and i've gotten quite a few hours of burn out of it already so I'm sure these wax tarts will last me quite a while.

Next up is Lost Boys, my second favorite scent from the summer soap box!

"Golden apricot muddled with fresh, white peaches"

Lost Boys Hydrate Me

I was so excited to try the Hydrate Me.  It works by applying it while still in the shower under running water, massaging it in the skin, and then letting yourself air dry.  I have very dry skin and after a bath or a shower I can sometimes be so dry it hurts.  Well this product has solved my problems forever!! I just roll it on my arms and legs at the end of my shower, rub it in, then get out and let my limbs air dry.  I feel so incredible soft and filled with moisture after.  Its like being covered in smooth silky butter.  Normally I have to apply moisturizer to my hands 1-2 times a day but I went over 2 days without having to reapply moisturizer after using this!  This is a definite absolute staple in my shower now!

Lost Boys Perfume Oil

I also grabbed Lost Boys in a perfume because the peach and apricot combo is just lovely.  This lasts a bit longer than The Captain at about 3 hours.  Still not amazing but for whatever reason Fortune Cookie Soap perfumes generally don't last very long. 

The final scent I bought products in was Second Star To The Right.  I between this and Lost Boys as my second perfume and I kind of wish I would have just splurged and gotten three perfumes because this is scent is also so heavenly. 

"Crushed berries and mint leaves with a splash of sparkling pomelo, served over iced sugarcane"

Second Star To The Right Wax Tart

I got this scent as a wax tart as well because I can definitely see burning this at night and just relaxing.  The smell is so calming.

This also doesn't have a crazy scent distance but I burn it next to my couch and that's good enough for me.  Once again a tiny little corner is lasting me hours.  These are definitely worth the $2!

Second Star To The Right Linen Spray

And after I'm done burning the tart I can spray my pillow with the Linen Spray and drift off to an aromatic sleep!

Using this makes me regret even more no getting this scent as a perfume.  It is so heavenly.  I spray this on my pillow and it creates an aromatic nighttime experience.  I fell asleep and woke up a few hours later, I'm not 100% on the time that passed because I was dead tired but I could still faintly smell it.  I will definitely be getting more of these.

I am very happy with this order and already can't wait until Fall!

Also they are doing a create your own perfume event soon as well as releasing a Naked collection, which are their same products except scentless so that you can mix your own scent creations from the custom perfumes.  I'm already trying to come up with a few.  So far I have Green Tea, Blueberry, and Honey as well as Rose, Lavender, and Vanilla. I'm so excited! I also have a special one in mind for my boyfriend but I can't share it here as he reads by blog ;)

I'm hoping my mixtures come out smelling as amazing as some of the scents Fortune Cookie Soap produces.

Fortune Cookie Soap Winter Has Come Haul

Because of how pleased I was with my spring soap box I decided to use my 10 off coupon to purchase a few items from Fortune Cookie Soap's Game of Thrones inspired Winter Has Come Collection!

I picked up a moisturizer, perfume oil, and body mist. This is supposed to be seasonal but on Facebook they hinted to potentially make it permanent due to its popularity.

Keep It In The Family Perfume Oil

"Cersei and Jaime... Still a better love story than that Vampire series... 

A fragrance as feminine, cultured, elegant, and powerful as the Queen Regent herself: a stunning bouquet of sensual burgundy roses, carnations, and white florals with nuances of burgundy wine, sandalwood, and a hint of musk. "

Initial Sniff:  I guess I will do this review from least to most favorite!  I was expecting such a different smell from this perfume, it is not what I thought it would be at all.  Actually on first sniff I hated it. There is a very obnoxiously strong and unpleasant top note that I can't quite place.  I really don't smell any rose either. However a few days after purchasing out of the bottle the smell isn't as unpleasant.  I'm not sure if I'm getting used to it or what...

On The Skin:  It smells much better on the skin, which I guess for a perfume is what really matters,  That weird strong top note dies down so its much more bearable.  I still can't pick out the rose but it is definitely floral. I don't think this is a scent for young girls.  I'm not even sure if I'm old enough to pull it of.  I wish I could do a better job of explaining this scent but its not something I have ever smelled before, I can't pick up on any familiar scents.

Verdict:  All the reviews I've read of this have been absolutely positive.  Everyone is saying how much they adore it but I'm just not smelling what they are I suppose.  One person even said the rose is too much for them while I don't smell any rose at all.   It does last a while however, about 4-5 hours on me.  Overall, I kind of wish I'd have gone with the Moon Door Linen Spray instead of this.

Price: $6-$9

The Imp Mist Me

""I am the god of tits and wine." Yep... impin' ain't easy.

A rich blend of fresh black cherries, white wine, mahogany and teak woods, and a spicy note of freshly grated black pepper."

Initial Sniff: The black cherry aspect of this is very strong.  If you do not like black cherries I would not recommend this. Some people have said this smells like cherry cough syrup, however I do not get that at all.  To me it smells just like red wine sangria! Yum! I can't pick up on the black pepper, however it's probably for the best as I don't like pepper.

In Action:  I like spraying this on my hair.  It really does make it feel nice as soft, especially after putting in my hair putty which tends to crunch it up a bit. I play with my hair a lot so now every time I fluff it up I get a nice whiff of sangria! I may like wine a bit too much...

Verdict:  I very much like this!  Even if the scent is not super long lasting the skin and hair softening properties are very nice and I will definitely be enjoying this.

Price: $10

Mother of Dragons Whipped Cream

"When I grow up, I wanna be naked, fireproof, and covered in dragons, too!

Creamy french vanilla soy milk, sweet florals, and a nutty almond base."

Initial Sniff: Now for my favorite product!! I love that these indie brands can fuel my Daenarys addiction. I now have a Mother of Dragons moisturizer and eye shadow.  Reading the description I knew I was going to adore this scent. Every part of it is something I love, and oh man do I sure love it. On first sniff the florals definitely come through most strongly.  Then right underneath that is a glorious vanilla nutty scent.  Gah I love it! It's so soft and beautiful and elegant.  

In Action:  This body butter is very thick and creamy, it rubs in well, and the smell lingers on the skin for a few hours.  Its not the most moisturizing lotion I've ever used but I think it will be perfect for spring, summer, and fall when this intense winter dryness leaves me alone.... it also does not irritate the skin on my hands like some scented body lotions do, so yay!

Verdict: I adore this and keep putting it on just to smell it. So lovely.  I'm glad there is a ton of product in the jar because I will be using every last bit of it!

Here is a close up of the lotion.  As you can see its quite thick and is tinted a slight orange color.

Price: $13

While overall I think I liked the scents from the spring soap box better, I am definitely pleased with this order.  I may still pick up the Moon Door linen spray when and if I'm able to place an order for the currently sold out spring items. Every time I smell my Who Are You incense cones I imagine owning that scent in every bath and body product imaginable....maybe one day.

Where to buy: fortunecookiesoap.com

Blackbird Cosmetics Haul

I had heard nothing but wonderful things about indie makeup brand Blackbird cosmetic's matte eyeshadow formula.  They recently started a new website blackbirdcosmetics.com and in celebration gave out a 30% off code.  I jumped at the opportunity and made my first purchase!

I bought a full size of their green Magic Trick Super Powder and matte eyeshadow in Vintage.  I also bought a sample of their matte eyeshadows in Imogen and Gravity.  Lucid and Dim Tradition were free!

I'll start my review with the green face powder.  I had bought NYX cosmetic's green concealer which is great for acne spots but when I tr to rub it on my face it gets in my pores and looks weird.  This powder is designed to be used all over the face under foundation or alone.  I was nervous to get a full size but the reviews I read were positive so I went for it!

And I'm so glad I did! I love it! I dusted it over half my face with a kabuki brush and instantly noticed my skin looked smoother and a bit less red.  You can build up the powder on areas that need extra coverage and it reduces the red even more.  I'm pretty sure I could wear this alone because I could not see any noticeable green, just reduced redness. So far I'm loving this!

It was kinda hard to get a good picture of this stuff in action.  The place I could see the most noticeable difference was on my nose.  The top image is my bare skin with moisturizer and primer.  The bottom is with the addition of the green powder.  Less red and more even skin tone! I'm so excited to use this every day! I put on my liquid foundation and usually I finish with a powder foundation but I had so little red showing through I didn't even feel that I needed to.

Next up are the eyeshadows!  I needed to have vintage as it looked like a super beautiful matte purple.  I also picked Imogen and Gravity because they also looked to have purple in them and I love cool toned mattes. I put a strip of eye primer down the middle so you can see the difference between the shadows over bare skin and primer.

I swear these are the most butter smooth easily blendable mattes I have ever used in my life.  Usually putting a matte shadow in my crease results in patchy blotchyness.  Nope. These are amazing and perfect. I'm so glad I finally understand what the hype is about.

This was a freebie.  I don't really have a use for a matte white as I already have two but oh well.  It is actually pretty light and barely shows up on my skin.  Maybe I'm too pale? I kind of like it as an under my eyebrow highlight as it isn't too obvious.

Imogen looked to be a nice matte pink, which it is.  On my eyes it looks much lighter than when  heavily swatched on my wrist. If I place another order I think I will be getting a full size of this. Its simple, cute, and pretty.

I got a sample of Gravity as it looked to be a taupy purple.  However once its on my skin it is mostly just taupe and loses the purple.  I was a bit bummed until I decided to try it as a contour.  Wouldn't you know it works pretty well with my skin tone.  I may experiment more with this and if I like it enough I might get a full size to use as a contour because it is so hard to find good colors for cool toned pale skin.

I bought Vintage in the full size and I have no regrets! It is a very beautiful deep matte purple.  It is half way between natural and vibrant.  I feel it could easily go both ways depending on what its paired with.  I love this color and can't wait to use it in more eye looks.

Finally, Lucid is a matte black and was another freebie.  Once again I already have two matte blacks so I didn't have a need for this. I may keep it at my parents house so I have an emergency matte black if I need to do my makeup back home.

And here is a quick look I threw together using all my eyeshadows!

On my lid is Imogen, in my crease is Gravity, under my eye and as a crease definer is Vintage, the liner is Gravity, and I used Dim Tradition as a highlight. Gravity is also being used under my cheekbone as a contour. 

I'm loving these shadows and I can't wait to use them some more!

I think next time I'm getting a sample of Ruca, that deep red looks gorgeous.

Where to buy: blackbirdcosmetics.com

Price:

Magic Trick Super Powder: $12

Matte Eyeshadows:  $6.50