FuturePrimitive: Yule Sale

You have, no doubt, become aware of my adoration for FuturePrimitive Conditioning Hair Rinse if you have read this blog for any length of time. Despite having tried a few other indie brands, I keep coming back to repurchase this formula. 

During Tiggy's end of season sale, I think I nabbed the very last two conditioners on her site. Here are the scents with her descriptions following:

Ebenezer- A miserly cold winter breath moans down a chimney breast and into a dark, grey-washed room. The scent of frosted pine needles and eucalyptus leaves encased in ice make way for a hopeful splash of clean lemongrass and fresh lime. 

How can I even begin to improve upon this apt imagery? I do have to say that this scent reminds me a great deal of Tombstone, which I am thankful for, as I really enjoy the sharp almost mineral tang meshed with zesty fresh lime and pine. I was missing Tombstone and this is a great substitute. It also goes well with the tea tree shampoo I currently use.

Inglenook- White winter birch bark, crackling forest fires in the North Woods, a flagon of whisky, a waft of rich men's cologne and a bowl of softly smouldering frankincense and myrrh resins. 

Yes, yes times a thousand, for lovers of woodsy aromas, incense and well constructed fragrances.A full body care line in this would have been a prudent purchase. Alas, mayhaps next winter.

Ebenezer Bubbling Sugar Buff- This smells much more stronger in the lemongrass and lime than the conditioner, making it quite zippy and refreshing. There still lurks the tinny mineral note. After using on freshly shaved legs, I can say that the scent really opens up and the  eucalyptus, pine and lime intermingle to resemble a lemon flavored Halls Mentholatum drop. The scrub's white thick paste holds embeds of medium sized sugar crystals that buff away dead skin effectively and leave soft smoothness behind. 

Sixpence Pudding Three in One Whipped Cream Soap- A dimly lit back alley on Christmas Eve night. Snowfall gently hitting the quiet pavement, smouldering frankincense smoke creeping out of a church doorway and the aroma of steaming Sixpence Puds graces the cold outside air. 

Thank you for taking me to London for Christmas Tiggy. Via the Imagination Express fueled by your fragrance wizardry. This scent is more out of doors than dessert, again, getting a lime and mineral quality. The puds might have some anise sprinkled in. Puds. I want to eat Sixpence Puds.

Free Sample Aromatic Oil in Tobacconist- Adore. As always. I love Tobacconist.

Tiggy has released some amazing sounding soaps and such for Valentine's Day. 

Jilter & Crushed (The Scent: A keepsake box of loves lost. Chunks of Copal resin, Indian Attar's filled with Oudh, Flakes of Amber resin, Black Tonka Beans and offerings of Dragronsblood, finished with a lick of Vetiver.) and La Vie En Rose (The Scent: Soft powdery Violet, Indian Mahogany Rose, a vintage jar of Parma Violets and a hint of dark, sticky Labdanum oil.) have caught my eye the most. 

Have you splurged on any Valentine's releases? Anything caught your eye?

Treatsie Box

My second ever subscription box (one Ipsy and now this one Treatsie). I signed up and then canceled before getting billed for my second box. I strongly felt I wanted to actually receive and open the inaugural box before forking out for another one. The cost is $19.95 with shipping included in the figure. Deb and Lauren blogged about their boxes and I was insanely curious. A little about my taste buds. I am pretty adventurous in my culinary pursuits. My sweet tooth might be better described as sweet teeth and salty & sweet combos are my jive. But if it is touted as candy or a sweet treat, it has better have some sweetness. 

After my jaunt to NYC, handmade soft caramels and peppermint twists haunt my daydreams. I hoped my first box would come with some type of caramel. I was not let down.

The box included biscotti, a chocolate almond butter cup, and caramels galore.

biscuit Gourmet Biscotti in "The Dreamer"- Vanilla biscotti with sea salt caramels and roasted pecans. An excellent flavor choice. Deb received some majorly decadent looking chocolate ones. I dipped these in my morning java and immensely enjoyed the hardened caramel drizzle on top. I would buy these again.

Buddha Chocolate Almond Butter Cup- No please. I was quite excited to try this but the chocolate was so dark as to be black with no hint of sugar. The almond butter could have saved it if it had any sweetness but the flavor was creamy and bland. The label lists sugar, I just wish my tongue had found it. Not for me. Although reading the back label gave me a chuckle, it looked like a Portlandia skit could be made from it.

Dallas Caramel Company Armadillos- Texas pecans sandwiched between a thick layer of caramel and a sweet piece of dark chocolate. Let me tell you how easy one of these fellas went down. The firm dark chocolate lent a rich juxtaposition to the sweet creamy caramel. The pecan nestled in between was the diamond in the rough. Chocolate, caramel, and nut combos are an epicurean delight. I have two left. Saving them for PMS emergencies. I have none left. Would repurchase.

Dallas Caramel Assortment- These bad boys are priced at $1 each and included: Apple Pie, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Coconut, Orange, Original, Sea Salt, and Texas Drunken Nut. I ate the chocolate one first and loved it. The caramel was creamy, thick, and provided me with just enough mastication to be satisfying but not annoying. Out of all the flavors the ones I would repurchase (in particular order) include: 1. Sea Salt Caramel 2. Texas Drunken Nut 3. Coconut. Runner Up to Cinnamon and Original. Honorable Mention to Apple Pie. The rest can hit the road. 

I ordered under Deb's Treatsie referral link. I am not sure if it is still working but I know Lauren's is activated. When I ordered there was a promo for "get extra treats" these extras are shipping separately very soon. I canceled easily via email (3 business days prior to next billing as needed). Once my other box comes I will determine if this subscription will be something I engage in long term. So far: yes. I enjoy artisan candies and treats. I also feel this would be a unique gift for someone who enjoys sweets as well. 

What say you? Subscribed to any boxes?

Rescue Beauty Lounge: 60% Off 2nd Order

My second order before the sale ended included: Scrangie 2.0 and Burn the Evidence.

Burn the Evidence- A three coat glitter fest that personifies fall perfectly. Fire blazing red tinted oranges, coppers and golds. A lovely shade that was missing from my polishes.

Scrangie 2.0- One of the first nail polish bloggers I ever read was Scrangie. I still pop over and read it from time to time. Her goal was an oil slick and this comes pretty close, a chimera of green, gold, bronze, and steel with iridescent flecks through out. Two coat beauty.

Funny how a hobby can cycle back around. I have been quite content with my polish collection as is for some time, until these recent sales. Thankfully I am very limited on my collection size since Adam installed a display a few years ago. I must cull out old ones if I am to bring in new ones. How do you store your polish?

Q & A: Kyme Gracia of Alamo Candelaria

Kyme Gracia, the owner and creative handmade fragrance artisan at Alamo Candelaria, generously took time to answer some interview questions. I hope you enjoy learning a little more about one of my favorite wax and soap business owners.

1. Your branding theme is so beautiful, what was your inspiration for the name Alamo Candelaria and the design?
I get the warm fuzzies over old ancient things. My seal was actually inspired from that old Demi Moore movie "The 7th Sign." I loved the look of those seals. The company name came from... when I went with my sister to the court house to get my DBA, I had planned on naming my candle biz Alamo Candle Company (woo how original). Well duh, of course the name was already taken. So I stepped outside to think, and happen to look across the courthouse square to the San Fernando Cathedral. My family are direct descendants of the founders of what is now San Antonio, Texas. They were from the Canary Islands and laid the cornerstone of that cathedral and their patron saint was "Candelaria." So since the icon carries a candle I thought it was perfect. Yes this was a spur of the moment decision, but I feel meant to be.

2. How long have you worked with soap? Wax?
I started making HP soap in August of 2010, CP in 2011. I was nervous about making CP for some reason. Plus I liked the rustic look of HP. As for wax I started working with wax in 2009, at that time I had no knowledge about artisan soaps. 

3. What are your favorite scents for your own home?
I have very diverse tastes. I like spicy fresh scents a lot, but I change it up a lot. Plus as weird as this sounds the fragrance floating in my house sticks to me and everyone who comes over. It's odd candle shop aroma everywhere since my home is tiny.

4. Do you have a favorite personal fragrance?
My personal favorites are Pompeii for the bath, Heart & Crown for my home and Battle of Flowers for perfume. But I wear Rook & Raven a lot as well. I am addicted to that one. It feels special wearing something from England. 

5. What is your vision for Alamo Candelaria?
I would love to continue to grow and would love to find a building with room for a small retail shop, studio space and a loft above to live separate from the biz. I would love to someday see my products in a store like Anthropologie (I could live in that store).

6. Are there any exciting new products or releases pending?
I have a line called "Painted Ladies," they are scents blends named for references to ladies of the night. LOL I know I am strange but it is the oldest profession you know. LOL They will be for fun, names like Harlot, Tart, Soiled Dove, Fille de Joie. 

7. What do you love most about your job?
Creativity... my mind is always coming up with crazy ideas. You know when you see an idea come to be and people like it. I also love packaging, and I am always looking for different rustic ideas.

8. What job aspect is your bane?
Well I hate the boring business parts, washing the dirty big pots and pans for the wax and soap. Honestly social media stuff... I am really a reclusive quiet person. I observe better than chat online. It's just me.

I don't like huge crazy releases, I prefer sneaking the products on my site and letting people find it. I know it's exciting when it's a big release and my phone's notifications are going crazy but I feel strongly that I want a site that is shoppable on a daily basis. Not sold out in 1/2 an hour... I know that is a stupid thing to say but I know I want to be able to shop at a site all the time and not see sold out on everything. So I would think others would too. But I also know that seems to be something that online shoppers get into, the thrill of the hunt. LOL I know when I have more time to make more it will improve on that but that is something that bugs me. Being sold out that is...

9. How do you splurge on yourself?
Seriously I will buy fragrance oils or special equipment to aide in my biz but not really essential. Or a little splurge on Uggs. LOL

10. Please! Tell us! Your Top 3 Favorite Books.
Voyager
Written in My Own Heart's Blood
Shadow of Night

11. Is there anything you "Fangirl" over?
All things Outlander... I have their wedding kiss image as my screen saver. I have never liked a story THAT much. LOL

12. Seriously, how do you feel about mermaids?
LOVE them... I worked on a mermaid for my logo for 3 months in the beginning. I only used her in the beginning. Plus I make multimedia mermaid art dolls from 1940's dime store dolls. I love gypsies and faeries too! :-)

How beautiful is this doll?! Oh how she longs to live with me. I can see it in her eyes.

I have fallen in love with Kyme. I admit it. Let's just take our exotic loving sniffers and meet up at Anthropologie to touch and smell and oogle everything. Then go have coffee and gush about what a creative genius Diana Gabaldon is and how we can fit more mermaids and whimsical things in our life. Sounds like a girl date. In my mind. In. My. Mind. 

Seriously, Alamo Candelaria has amazing soaps and wax. (Enter my giveaway here to try some for free.) Her soap has a texture unlike any other. It is not slippery or sticky but smooth and slightly rough like velvet, like stingray skin. I am not the only one who enjoys it. Adam normally keeps his soap separate from mine on the built-in shower wall dish. I keep my million slivers on a suction cup dish on the wall adjacent. When I watch him shower he reaches for my Alamo Fairy Tale chunk. Every time. When in the bath I keep a dish with two soaps in the dish. He reaches for the Alamo Leatherosa. He has no way of knowing what brand or even what scent he is using. He just does not pay attention to things like that. But there is something he likes about Alamo soaps that he keeps reaching for them amid other brands. Leatherosa by the way, incredible. My desert island soap. So yeah, y'all can all feel sorry for my hubby and what a creeper wife he has. But hey. He's my husband. If I can't creep on him, then who can I creep on?

Warmed Wax: Vintage Chic & Enchanted

The Enchanted Candle Company 'Til Death (gift)- This is a blend of sweet rose and dirt. The sweet rose reminds me of Lush's Rose Jam with red ripe strawberries. The combination of the two created something really exciting! The throw was medium strong to strong but only lasted a few hours. I would repurchase if it would last a wee bit longer. I do love this blend though.

Vintage Chic Scents Pin Curls & Finger Waves- Pink Sugar Marshmallow. STRONG. This tart was made almost a year ago (March 2014) and I won it in a giveaway in a wax group on Facebook. This perky rose resided in my bedroom warmer and came gliding all around the whole house for several hours. That virtually never happens. I am not sure what sorcery this was, but I will take it. Surprisingly, the Pink Sugar sang backup to the more vociferous Marshmallow. REPURCHASE. Yes, please.

Currently Reading: The Hound of Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and enjoying it. I love seeing how the Sherlock TV series uses the original stories and twists them to fit modern times. Often it is quite shocking how closely aligned the two tango. I am reading the free version on my Nook (under the free 25 Classic Novels II compilation) not this Scholastic version, which is wrongly titled. One hound. Not plural. But maybe this particular book is about the TV series. I digress. I picked this image because it combines the 'Batch with the book. And both are pretty awesome. This fits number 25 on the challenge (book older than 10 years, I think 1901 qualifies times ten). The writing is witty and the characters are well formed. Crack open a Sherlock adventure! 

Alamo Candelaria: Outlander Restock... Again

Fraser's Ridge baby! Look at that. Can I tell you that it SMELLS as beautiful as it LOOKS?!

Kyme popped in on her Facebook page to announce an Outlander restock and I just had to see if I could grab Fraser's Ridge and Dragonfly in Amber. La Dame Blanche joined the party too.

Fraser's Ridge- Tart wild mountain strawberries, blackberry, peach, and raspberry. With a hint of violets and grounded with earthy patchouli. This scent. I am *almost* at a loss for words. The strawberry used in this wax is blessedly realistic, no candy, shortcake dolls or artificial flavors here. The added fruits create more dimension and lush juicy notes. Honestly, I feel like the touch of violet and patchouli provide the gorgeous setting in which the fruits gleam like gemstones.

La Dame Blanche- Fresh ozone and dew, lay atop fresh picked rosemary, thyme, sage, basil, white musk, and a hint of sandalwood. A lovely refreshing blend perfect for a bright spring day. The sharp herbs balance nicely with soft musk and sandalwood. The water and ozone notes are minimal and add a slight clarity to the scent. I melted one chunk in the living room/kitchen area and it threw medium strong for several hours. It even tip-toed into the computer room and I could get whiffs of it while blogging.

Dragonfly in Amber- I "waxed" poetic about this scent in my last Alamo post. (Ba dum dum- I'm so punny). This illustrates the blessing and curse that is the "free sample." I loved it, therefore I had to place another order. Ultimately, this epitomizes a bedroom scent for me, warm, golden, sensual and sophisticated. I promptly plopped it into my bedroom warmer (the smallest chunk I could find) and it threw strong and gracefully for several hours. This makes me excited, because that means I can cut these chunks up even smaller for more uses. The golden mica particulate swirled and twirled beautifully.

I am so excited about these scents that I want you to experience them for yourself. I am making a small goody bag with a chunk from each scent in the Outlander collection (excepting Bloddy Man, as that is the only one I have not bought) from Alamo Candelaria. All you have to do to enter this giveaway (which will close February 1st) is to officially follow my blog and tell me what book/movie/TV series you would love to see a wax collection inspired by. 

Haunt Bath & Body: Milk & Honey Bath Elixir

Haunt Milk & Honey Powdered Bath Elixir in "Kemet" provided me one of the most unique bathing experiences I have had yet. Not because it was colorful or fizzed, bubbled or included pyrotechnics. It was my first real milk bath.

Kemet is described as an ancient blend of Omani frankincense, labdanum, honey, amber resin, sandalwood, spikenard, and cardamom (thank you for including the scent description Jean!).

Photo Credit: www.snipview.com

Spikenard, apparently also known as muskroot, is used to make an essential oil that has been used as a perfume since ancient times, with both medicinal and religious applications. The more you know...

Back to the bath. The milk and honey aroma is ultimately the strongest scent to my nose. The added fragrance hovers over all like a will-o-the-wisp, dare I say hauntingly? The combination of milk, honey and earthly incense and woods paints an ancient and other worldly image of an elven maiden bathing her milky skin in a wooden tub nestled in a magical clearing shimmering with lightening bugs and starlight. If I close my eyes, I can imagine myself that maiden when immersed in the ghostly pale waters of this fragrant milk bath. My flesh luxuriated in the exotic oils, milk powder, oat flour, and honey powder, it left my skin feeling soft and moisturized. A more mellow and calming bathing experience I could not wish upon a star for. Thank you Jean.

Haunt Beguiling Bath & Body is currently closed but her Facebook business page mentioned coming back sometime in 2015, after the start of the New Year. When/if she opens back up I will be thrilled to order. Her lip balms look mighty enticing.

Cult Nails: Liquidation Order

My Cult Nails order came in recently. Look at those fun little nail polish burritos. 

Swanbourne has a thinner formula than I am used to, however, not so thin that it pools in the cuticles. It is an amalgam of dark chocolate and multi-hued rose gold shimmer.

Blaze can be sported alone with three coats. It really blends well with my skin tone and looks like a nude glitter. 

Just Because pops like a glitter packed birthday party, a fun and youthful sheer red based shade that brings a smile to my face.

Quench shifts from fire engine to oxblood dependent upon the lighting. A color I am very happy to have as my similar shade, Killa Red from RBL, is getting used up at an alarming rate and cannot be easily replaced. 

After reading Sunnee's post yesterday, I moseyed over to Cult Nail's Facebook page and read that they closed to catch up on sending out orders and will take inventory and re-open January 25th (tomorrow) to sell off all remaining stock (still at 60% off I assume). Don't miss this chance to grab a great indie polish for a song.

PlantLife: Rejuvenate Mineral Bath

Jean sent me a generous box of bath and soap goodies recently and this container of mineral bath caught my attention at once. This product from PlantLife Natural Body Care retails for $19.70 and is good for 8 to 16 uses. When I opened the lid, my face was blown back by an icy blast of Arctic proportions. It was love at first inhale. There are some hefty doses of  peppermint essential oil but I am not sure what other EO's may be present since the ingredients list is rather vague. I would hazard a menthol guess but who knows. Instructions recommend 1-5 cap-fulls under running water so I used 3 and it was STRONG. Next time I will 2 in the interest of conservation. While my bath water was pretty hot, my skin felt cool and invigorated. The water became ultra moisturizing and my skin was coated with olive oil and vitamin E. I shaved and did not need to apply lotion afterwards, which is virtually unheard of for me. 

After I toweled off I was freezing! I hurridley donned my longest, wamrest pj's and snuggled under the covers in a state of bliss. Jean mentioned this being too cool for her in the winter and I can see why. I warmed up quickly but it was only about 70 degrees here when I used it. This particular mineral bath would be excellent for hot summer days post work out or beach day. Just don't use it after your watch duty on The Wall. You might lose vital body parts due to frost bite.

Melting Basket 25

Wax from the last basket I would repurchase include: CFTKR Strawberry Peppermint Finally! A berry and mint I can get down with. The fresh, realistic berry is what makes this. No medicinal properties at all, TBG Flowers & Frost, RG Frosted Streuselkuchen.

Front Porch- Coconut Extreme Peppermint

Front Porch- Moonspice Sugar Cookie Dough Bread <3 gift

Vinatge Chic Scents- Edelweiss <3 gift

Vintage Chic Scents- Pin Curls & Finger Waves

Enchanted Candle Company- Til Death <3 gift

Thirty Street- Purple Castles <3 gift

Beezy Tarts- Amish Quilt

Glitterati- Lavender Rosemary Vanilla Mint <3 gift (in exchange for sewing TMNT masks, you know you are a waxy when friends gift you wax in exchange for services LOL!)

Long Can Primitives- Toasted Marshmallow Blue Ribbon Cookies

Ten Digit Creations- Chocolate Orchid <3 gift

Ten Digit Creations- Aspen Winter

Missouri River Soap- Fruity Rice Krispies

Rosegirls- Baked Zucchini Bread/Celtic Moonspice/ Royal Sugar Cookie OP pie slice

Sniff My Tarts- Orange Chiffon dipped Marshmallow

Sniff My Tarts- Peggy's Blueberry Noel dipped Marshmallow

Sniff My Tarts- Spicy Eggnog dipped Marshmallow

If you are curious about any of these scents please holler. I will review them for you. 

I have a few new decorations I wanted to share. My Mother-In-Law gifted me this pretty whitewashed wooden mermaid for Christmas. I knew right where she was going to live, next door to the iron seahorse.

I also got the coolest corner shelf made from an old reclaimed door (the glass door knob even works!). My sister Darby and I saw these in an antique store in Plant City and we were gaga over them. She surprised me with one for Christmas. I am still flabbergasted by her generosity. So sweet and appreciated! I am tossing around the idea of white washing it a bit more, still leaving it distressed, and painting the shelves bright colors. 

The light up "J" was at Books-A-Million and I just so happened to have a gift card handy from a sweet student. It had to come home with me. 

Any decorating going on in your home? Cool thrift store finds? Thinking of re-purposing something?

Alamo Candelaria: Outlander Release

Ready for the photo deluge? It just happens when Alamo hits the house. 

Kyme announced an Outlander themed release around October last year (I believe, may have been earlier) and I was on CLOUD 9! She did a partial release the other night and I missed all the soaps but one and I missed the Fraser's Ridge wax. Let me tell you, Fraser's Ridge must be the one to get. Those strawberries and strawberry blossoms are so stinkin' beautiful. Can we all take a proper moment to admire that Scottish thistle wax seal? Lovely. 

Standing Stones Wax Crack- Nice sized motely wax brittle with a description of this: A sparkling, woody herbal with a citrusy bergamot, lavender, basil, amber, sage and oak moss. This scent takes me back to elegant perfumes of Guerlain's and Chanel's heyday. Truly a beautiful and unique vintage green scent.

MamaCita- Ai Popi! This scent is muy delicioso! Me gusta! Ok, enough torturing you with bad Spanish. Alamo's scent description includes: Juicy sweet black grapes, strawberries, red wine, raspberries, and juicy tart lemon. All these notes meld to bring forth a sangria lemonade. Sangria lemonade?! Man does that sound refreshing! Somebody jump on making that a recipe. In the meantime, I will enjoy my sangria lemonade in the only form I can. Wax. Yum. 

Indigo- Look at those colors. I swoon. Kyme's description of Indigo: Fresh rain, sweet grass, ozone, earthy patchouli, oak moss, and sweet amber musk. Kyme does fresh like no one's business. She manages to paint illustrations of coastal shores, mountain vistas, dessert air, all fresh and clear, without hinting at laundry day or chemical laden colognes. Indigo is a study of those rare clear Scottish mornings, washed clean by night rain, heather and thistle blooming on the moors under a robin's egg blue sky. Invigorating. Chilly. Fresh.

The one soap left, Bloody Man, was coming home to me. The soap included a perfume oil of the same scent. I was hoping these would be packaged in the papier-mache'  books she creates as boxes (SO COOL) but alas, they were not. The only book box was for the perfume sampler, and as a not huge fan of perfume oils, I was not going to buy it just for the box. So far. I cross my fingers she decides to make boxes for the next release.

Bloody Man- Rich smokey wood, reminiscent of whisky, with oaky vanilla undertones. The woods stand out the most, rough bark, crunching leaf litter, the scent of some unknown stranger bivouacking off in the distance. I adore this soap. The plaid, the rustic texture, the aroma, all create a physical Outlander experience. I have finally begun using my Alamo Candelaria soap and it is incredible. I highly, highly recommend her Leatherosa. 

The perfume oil runs along the same lines as the soap. Slightly sweet and smoked woods. I will give this a whirl, and worse case scenario, I have a gorgeous mini vial. I may also mix it with unscented lotion or put a few drops in my bath. Can you make bath salts from perfume oil?

Free Sample in Dragonfly in Amber- Why oh why did I not scoop this up?! Lesson learned. Not passing it up again. To be honest, I thought it was going to be a dupe for Victoria Secret's Amber Romance (which, despite my love of amber, I am discovering I am not a huge fan of) but it is not. Here is the description: A warm, sweet woody amber vanilla, bergamot, bay leaf pathcouli, frankincense, myrrh, nutmeg, clove, with rich notes of ambergris, balsam fir, cedar, and sandalwood. Those notes! I shy away from too syrupy sweet ambers, but the cedar, incense, and spices really tone the vanilla down and create a more woody amber. Sap oozing orange and gold from the tree bark, rather than cloying sugared syrup. The patch and ambergris in here really transforms the scent too, drying it out and salting it. J'adore!

So. Outlander. Yeah. Still fangirling. Ob-viously. 

I am reading The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, satisfying #9 on the book challenge (a book with a color in the title). It is heart wrenching and I cannot put it down. It also makes me daydream about NYC again. So far I have completed numbers 2, 6, and 22 on the list. Working on 9 and 17. What numbers are you working on? Have you tried Alamo Candelaria yet?