Tuesday, September 15, 2015

The Bathing Garden


I am so happy Shannon has been keeping her website, The Bathing Garden, open for ordering. I am sad to say it has been far too long since I have placed a decent Bathing Garden order. Shannon currently has three collections out for you to choose from and all have many scent gems within them: Spring Collection, Wonderland, and Scare. I chose a bit from each in this motley order. The above photo are the items I actually bought (there are three tubs of goodies missing but that is because they are gifts). 


Lavender Vanilla Custard came to me in the scrub, whipped soap and hand and body lotion. The aroma embodies a soothing herbal lavender vanilla similar to Bath & Body Works Lavender Vanilla but with added richness from marshmallow and caramel.

Shannon's scrubs ($9.00 each) are perfect for my liking. The particulate has a nice medium coarseness that scrubs effectively without being too rough or wimpy. They are highly fragrant and contain nourishing butters.

The whipped soap ($8.00) is rather dense and a little goes a long way. I tried washing my hair with it but no dice. Too thick in texture (the soap, not my hair, alas). But it does work beautifully with a puff, lathering mounds of soft fragrant bubbles. 

The hand and body lotion ($8.50 for 4 ounces) has a nice watery feel that absorbs quickly into the skin leaving a trace of scent behind and a feeling of satiation. 




This is not my first tango with Magic Green Soup. This sugar scrubs bursts with mango butter and a soft soothing aroma that reminds me of Olive Branch in a way but I believe it is a Lush dupe for Jungle. Musk and herbs and sweet mild fruits. Delightful! And look at those dried flowers sprinkling the top. Le sigh.


Hoarfrost brings together notes of lime, cypress, pine and cool air. The zing of lime contrasts nicely with the pine resin, while the woody cypress grounds them with earth tones. It almost reminds me of my beloved Tombstone from FuturePrimitive. It has that same cool lime and crumbing stones vibe.


How unique Nothing Whatever is! Mint, ivy and vanilla meld and swirl in this delightful scrub. All three components can be detected equally. I think I will especially like this one during Christmas.


Wax tarts come in clamshells for $3.75 each. 


Hoarfrost- The same pine, cypress, lime and cool air concoction that was in the scrub. In the scrub the lime dominated, while in the tart, more of the woods and ozone emerge.

Ever Night- A Lush Twilight dupe that is one of my favorite scents in general. A lavender that is doused in sugar, vanilla and tonka bean. Pure lavender candy bliss.

Lavender Vanilla Custard- The same lavender, vanilla custard, caramel and marshmallow blend as the scrub. Very mellow and smooth.



Poisoned Apothecary- A festive blend of cider and woods that brings images of Ichabod and Katrina sharing a cup of warm spiced cider on a ragged quilt in the creepy forest surrounding Sleepy Hollow. 

Sea of Tears- Even though the notes list things like fresh air, sea salt, ocean mists, and aquatic florals, this does not smell like the usual "beachy fresh" scent. There is a musk and a heady honeysuckle that elevate this fragrance above others in this vein. It is gorgeous. One of my all time favorite scents from Shannon. I want to bathe in it (and I have) but only the tart is offered at the moment. It will do. It will do nicely. 

Alice Dressed in Gold- A Lush dupe of Sultana, it smells stunning. Honey, black currants, jasmine, lily, rose, musk and bergamot all equate to an opulent Moorish palace courtyard brimming with heady tropical flora. Saturated gem tones. Ivory and cobalt tiles edged in gold. A fountain throwing diamonds of water to diffuse the aromatic perfumes all the more.




The freebies. Next to Carol, Shannon is quiet possibly the most generous vendor out there. I mean, look at this! A huge tub of scrub, a full size hair and body mist, two whipped soap samples, a sample scrub, and a sample of a scrub and soap parfait. Plus seven tarts. I am awestruck by her kindness.


Faded Opulence Whipped Soap- A nose tickling scent of ginger, clove, blood orange and bubbling cola. It smells like artisan ginger ale. Love.

A Snow Globe World Body & Hair Mist- It smells like vanilla candy canes to me. There is a deepness too almost like caramel? I love it! It has a nice cooling effect when sprayed too. Gosh do I need that right now.

Hoarfrost Tonic Whipped Soap- Nice to have the soap to go with the scrub! Sweet!

Wicked Dough Sugar Scrub- Thick, fluffy pumpkin cookies piled high on a plate. Very little to no spice. VERY bakery. A touch of earth? Not my cuppa but I bet I can find it a good home. 

Frozen Cookies Sugar Scrub- Mint chocolate chip cookies. Again, not really a fan of the bakery thing for personal scents but it is well done and will be enjoyed by someone. 

Colossal Pumpkin Lantern Scrub and Soap Parfait- Chocolate frosted brownies paired with vanilla cream pumpkin brulee. It smells insanely delicious. I want to eat it with my finger. I do not like chocolate or bakery but this might actually go well with my Black Forest perfume from Solstice Scents so I am going to give it a go. Gotta color outside the lines once in a while, eh?


Plum Ballet- Blackberry sugar plum. Juicy, blackened purple berries macerated into a jam. So so insanely good.

Winter Mint Cake- Chocolate mint cake. The chocolate is so rich as to almost have a tobacco lean. Not sure if I will melt it though. 

Winter Palace- Lavender mint and wild berries. I get the dreaded minty berry cough medicine vibe I shudder at. 

Mr. Cratchit's Cider- Mmmmm... yes! A thousand times yes! Sweet apples and mulled spices. It smells fresh. Not old and musty. I just love it.


Belladonna Tincture- First. These brains. Oh my gravy. They are so insanely cool. Second. This scent. It reminds me of Lord of Misrule. But I could be wrong. There is that deep sweetness that Ever Night/Twilight has but with a soft blonde woods edge. Shannon JUST sent out a newsletter that has this offered in clamshells now. I am totally getting it.

Belle Morte- A lush dupe of The Comforter, soft berries and vanilla. Digging this color.

Vampire Blood- And this color! Gotta have a hot pink brain! A fruity melange of strawberry, persimmon, raspberry jam, pomegranate, cranberry, and fig, topped with vanilla bean and brown sugar. Very well done. I was worried it would be Bite Me, but it is not. 

WHEW! What an insane haul (for me anyway-most of mine come in Regional A boxes but to get a large flat rate means I went a little buck wild). I did get some Christmas presents for someone in this order. So it wasn't all bad. I am eyeing the Magic Green Soup wax tart and Mummy Mademoiselle scrubs. I can't get enough Rose Jam in my life. The new Fall and Winter release is hitting soon, if not already. She is taking down the Spring collection but leaving Wonderland and Scare available. Have you ordered from The Bathing Garden lately? Anything stand out? How awesome is the always open website?!



11 comments:

  1. Belladonna IS a LOM dupe! So, so good! Totally getting it too!

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    1. NICE! So I am not going crazy! It smells incredible. I can't wait to order it. I have a ridiculous list going now. In my defense most are Christmas gifts.

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  2. I have not ordered from The Bathing Garden since January 2014, which was one of the last posts on my blog! I did receive a few as gifts from a wax friend last holiday season but no orders in awhile! I kind of fell out of love with TBG for awhile there, a lot of it wasn't throwing well for me and I wasn't really loving a whole lot of the scents as my tastes became more picky. BUT now. Nowwww you have to post this amazing post and get me all wanting to place a TBG order! I moseyed on over to the site to see that there's holiday stuff up too! I don't know. I may have to do it. I don't know if I can turn down all those wonderful holiday scrub/soap parfaits, and I'm not even a sugar scrub girl at all!

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    1. Your story is very similar to mine. It had been well over a year since I last ordered. I don't have any TBG haul posts and I would have never missed that opportunity. Jacqui. I have to tell you. I used that chocolate pumpkin parfait the other night and it was so dreamy. The combo of whipped soap and scrub felt insanely luxurious. I am eyeing the Russian and marshmallow parfait now.

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  3. TBG products are soooo pretty and the scents sound very unique, but I've never purchased, only received a few tarts as gifts. I'm wary of purchasing the tarts because the ones I've had have had very weak throw, and several other people I discuss wax with have reported the same. What is your opinion if the strength of the tarts?

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    1. In the past I have been mostly satisfied with TBG tart throw with the usual hits and misses all vendors have. It has been a long time since I ordered myself. I have had two gifted tarts. Gardenia Coconut cream (threw great!) and Painting the Roses Red (medium light). The thing with fest ashes can be age. But honestly, if you are wanting mega throw and huge scents maybe TBG is not for you. I tend to use my TBG for my bedroom since they are just those kind of scents for me. Calming, relaxing, beautiful. I rarely used them in the whole house. Her scrubs and body line are excellent! Maybe just try with one tart? One you think you might love?

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    2. Not fest ashes, destashes! Oops! Lol!

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  4. I have put myself on a ban, but I'm totally breaking it for more Bathing Garden when I get paid. I simply adore her wax and body creations! She just has a great aesthetic for me. I especially love her sugar scrubs. I love to make my own sugar and salt scrubs, but hers are incredible and I use them most days on my feet and often all over. I love the artistry of her wax, too. Enjoy your beautiful haul!!!

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    1. She is worth a wax ban break! You gotta get some of those Christmas scents ;-) I know I do! I love her branding and aesthetic too. Her scent blends are great. I use the scrubs all over as well and very often. They make my skin so soft. Thank you! I will enjoy! Can't wait to see what you order. Those huge gifting tarts are going on my list.

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  5. Look at the "toppings" on her scrubs! YIKES, GORGEOUS!!! Her creations are such a sight to behold, so unique. She's one of the few vendors who teeters the fine line between mature and playful oh so well. AND THOSE BRAINS!!!!!!!!!! AGH! SO COOL!!!!

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    1. You are exactly right. Shannon merges whimsical and elegant perfectly! I hope to get some Christmas shopping done on her site this year. Have you ordered from her in a while?

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