Ebb & Flow: October

The highs and the lows of the month.

Happy Halloween and all that spooky jazz. These are our pumpkins we carved yesterday after school and work. Savanna did the big eye guy, I tried to copy a raven in a church window type of thing and Scarlette made a kawaii fun face.

Lotion:

Alchemic Muse Bad Wolf

Bubble Bath:

Alchemic Muse Bad Wolf Shower Gel

Body Scrub:

Alchemic Muse Bad Wolf

Perfume:

Solstice Scents Witch's Cottage

Perfume Oil:

Nui Cobalt Designs Ominous Orchard

Body Oil:

Kings Road Apothecary Deep Woods

Bar Soap:

Cellar Door Dapper Dan

Lip Balm:

For Strange Woman Rosewood

Candle:

ArtiSun Pumpkin Souffle

Eating:

Apples... Envy, Fuji, Pink Crisp

Drinking:

Kings Road Apothecary teas

Reading:

A Green and Ancient Light by Frederic S. Durbin

Watching:

American Pickers at night

Listening:

"Autumn in New York" by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

Dreading:

The holidays speeding by at a thousand miles per hour.

Awaiting:

New York City

Hit:

Marvy Uchida LePens and Foxy Fix travel journal

Miss:

Bath bombs with so much glitter I literally have to shower, change the sheets and change my pajamas when I realize how thoroughly covered I am by a fine sheen of metallic... stuff.

Low:

I am not sure how much detail I want to go into but my dad almost died Saturday morning. He fell about 25 feet and landed on his skull. There are so many factors at play that could have gone terribly wrong. And don't get me wrong... he is suffering: broken neck, back, ribs, compound fracture in his arm. But he is alive. Thank God, he is alive. He won't be home for many days and still has another surgery planned for today if his fever goes away. Thank you for those that have prayed and sent love my way and his. It means the world to me. 

High:

My dad survived. His neck surgery went well. I got to hug him.

Happy Halloween, again. Hug your loved ones. And may your jack o' lanterns glow bright tonight and you get all treats and no tricks. 

Fall Fun Series: ArtiSun Bath and Body Candle

This candle was sent to me free from ArtiSun for reviewing purposes.

As part of my Fall Fun Series today I am featuring a Pumpkin Souffle 100% American soy candle from ArtiSun. This 6 ounce candle has a 55 hour longevity and runs $20. I do not always have luck with soy candles but this one candle scented my whole living area with a healthy medium-strong throw that filled the central area of my cathedral ceilinged home with the fragrance of creamy, almost coconutty, vanilla pumpkin treats. I didn't pick up on any obvious spice notes but there was a rich bakery density that was pleasing and cozy. 

Signing up for their newsletter will give you 15% off and though $17 is still spendy on a candle this size... knowing it has a nice throw and performs beautifully and is handcrafted is enough for me. I would purchase this candle in a heart beat. And I may have to soon as this one is almost gone. 

We are headed to Hunsader Pumpkin Festival today to eat some roasted corn, have a hayride, maybe ride some ponies and trains (alas, not me but the girls) and in general having some fall type fun. We picked out our carving pumpkins last night and swung by Dairy Queen for chocolate dipped vanilla soft serve cones. 

What have you been up to? Are you celebrating this weekend in any way? What is smelling up your home?

Mermaid Treasures: Arrok Metal Studio

The third necklace in my Arrok collection arrived earlier this month and I am swooning over all the little details of this seemingly simple piece. Nicole debuted a breathtaking collection of vintage and replica scrimshaw pieces and I tried to nab a particular ring and necklace but they disappeared rather quickly. Nicole is really great about setting up payment plans and I took advantage of that for this 2nd in line necklace that I wished to wear.

This scrimshaw pendant is about the size of a silver dollar (ah my old numismatist days come in handy) the chain is about 30 inches long and looks like an anchor chain. I love it.

Nicole was up front about not knowing if it was vintage or replica scrimshaw, as she repurposes pieces she discovers in antique stores and whatnot, but that doesn't bother me one whit... it looks aged and has such a gorgeous feel. 

The setting features multi-textured silver borders and the back has a dreamy crescent moon. 

I wore it to the post office and the lady behind the counter had to lean over and hold it and told me what a unique and awesome piece it was and where ever did I find it?

Nicole has some great items in her Etsy store. You should check it out.

Melting Basket 109: Halloween and 5 Sister's Crafternoon

Look at all that orange and black!! And with only a handful of days until Halloween arrives I thought it prudent to break out the most Halloweenie scents that I have on tap. Tarts that I melted previously that I loved enough to want to buy again include: LSC Spooky Apparitions, CFTKR Pumpkin Peppercorn, Bohemienne Life Pumpkin Forest, SMT Dragon's Blood/Apple Cinnamon and BHG Fall Into Autumn. For some reason my Dessa scents weren't throwing or smelling like I normally enjoy, at least those two. I am putting them back away in case it was my nose or house going through a weird climate shift or something bizarre. 

MooScents- The Rumpkin

The Bathing Garden- Haunted Hayride

The Bathing Garden- Boozy Vlad

The Bathing Garden- Mini Pumpkins galore from the sampler.

Dessa's Homespun Scents- October

Lasting Scent Candles- Samhain

Lasting Scent Candles- Jack O'Lantern Cookies

Lasting Scent Candles- Spooktacular

Lasting Scent Candles- Dracula's Dungeon

Lasting Scent Candles- Cast A Spell

CFTKR-Full Moon

CFTKR- Bogeyman

CFTKR- Pumpkin Lager

If you would like any of these reviewed in depth, please drop me a comment below with the particular tarts of interest. 

Last weekend marked the 4th Annual Five Sisters Crafternoon. Unfortunately, one of the five sisters moved to Houston and could not attend. But the rest of us gathered nonetheless and tried to FaceTime her but she was enjoying a sports game somewhere across the Gulf. My sister Lindsey hosted this year in her brand new apartment a few cities over from where she used to live in our hometown. Her place looks really cute and she welcomed us with lit candles and hot apple cider. 

We all brought food and crafting supplies and gathered to catch up and have some belly laughs. Lindsey is in her first year as a 3rd grade teacher. Dawn is in her first year as a 4 year old VPK preschool teacher. Darby completed her LPN and is working with cancer patients while she braces herself to start her RN schooling. Heather graduated UF with her Masters' in entomology and landed a job in Texas. So much happens in a year. <3 I am so proud of all of them. 

Past Crafternoon projects include: pumpkin wooden signs, Mason jar pumpkins and Mason jar lid pumpkins. This year we bought fake pumpkins and decorated them. Darby had a stone plaster pumpkin and painted the beautiful "G" on it, Lindsey painted a cute spoopy batty "boo" pumpkin and Dawn painted a gorgeous "R" on her pumpkin. I carved mine out because I wanted to turn it into a diorama scene.  

I ended up loading Savanna up in the Jeep and booking it out to Michael's craft store and we rummaged through the Halloween clearance bin and came up with the spiders, skull and raven sign, several trees and the fence. I hot glued a circular styrofoam disc into the bottom and strung a battery powered pack or red lights around it. I stuck the trees in the back and covered it all with moss. The figurines went in last. 

It is fun and silly and the girls are enjoying it. I want to do more of these types of things with them. Maybe we can make a Christmas one? 

Have you done any fall crafts or projects?

Poesie Perfume: Thornfield Collection

Poesie Perfume starting coming to my attention more and more the past few months and a teaser about a Thornfield Collection that felt moody and autumnal, not to mention devilishly bookish, had me setting my phone alarm for the release date. That is when I know I am about to dive in. When the phone alarm gets set. With a five minute alert. The day came, the release commenced and a few fragrant offerings migrated to my dwelling.

 Shipping is free for domestic orders. The items arrived quickly and came wrapped in this lovely tissue paper and ribboned bundle. Full sized perfumes come in a frosted bottle with a roll-on applicator for $16 for 5ml, smaller 2 ml version are available in a tiny wee green bottle for $6.50. Orders come with free samples as well. 

Bewitched- Notes: Yellow apple, clove, apricot, black pepper, vetiver, anise and cauldron smoke.

Wet on the skin, a sharp edge of black pepper slices out to hook the senses yet the juicy crunch of a small wild apple echoes just behind. This witch sits at her small rough wooden kitchen table, dressed in a simple worn calico shift, one hand propping her chin the other indifferently cradling a half eaten apple as she contemplates the woodland scene outside her window and the woodland landscape within her heart. The tinctures and elixirs manifesting in tiny copper and iron pots on her stove begin to warm and bubble over the gas flames. The peppery spices settle and the gooey sweetness of apricots lift to fragrant her cozy kitchen. She opens the window and sets the remains of the apple on the windowsill for her forest friends to enjoy at their leisure while she turns her attention to the string of hanging herbs that dry along the wall. She plucks a thin bundle of sweetgrass, vetiver and alfalfa to smudge about her home, hearth and heart. Satisfied, she turns to the pots and simmering liquids that chatter and sputter, begging for her ministrations.

This one ends on a skin note that still whispers about the apple flesh. A lovely scent to experience. The sillage is low and close while the longevity is about 3-4 hours on my skin.

Thornfield- Notes: Burned wood and lingering smoke, new Vanille accord (sweet and non-foody), the barest hint of pumpkin pie spices.

Woodsmoke opens up this scent, heralding the arrival of fall and the ritual of burning piles of leaves and fallen twigs and branches, victims of those blustery days that hint at the winter woes to come. A wisp of wooden vanilla threads it way like a specter through the woodsmoke to sweeten and warm the air during the brisk stroll about the countryside. The pumpkin spices never tingle the nose or emerge as the traditional fiery spices but rather they deepen the scent and shade it with ligneous shadows. 

The sillage is moderate and the longevity about 4-6 hours.

Tiny Phantom- Notes: Innocent pink roses, marshmallow buttercream, pale white musk and antique mahogany. 

Ah! The roses... the delicate cabbage roses that tumble and cascade over and down stone garden walls, whose small and open faces blush with exquisite pink hues. These petals are plucked from the bush and carried home to be candied and drizzled with cream. Tiny Phantom dries down into soft pillows of creamy rose petals and airy clouds of musk. A pretty rose fragrance.

Free samples:

PNW (Pumpkin Nutmeg Woods)- Notes: Fresh pumpkin, spicy nutmeg, clean woods, creamy coconut candy and juicy red grapefruit.

Wet on the skin the grapefruit rises up tart and electric then drifts down in a pool of orange flavored macaroons. A unique beginning for a pumpkin spice woods scent. After some time the tartness vanishes and the oranges become the glow of the pumpkins in the sunset light. The nutmeg and woods blend into a seamless note and the creamy coconut stays for the duration. I need to wear this a bit more and outdoors to get a better feel for it.

A Thousand Warriors- Notes: Juicy ume plum, bitter yuzu, divine hinoki wood and fluffy vanilla.

The opening pulls a little candied violets on my skin, I think it is the transparent plum skin and the cypress that combine to make that accord. It is a delicate beauty that I enjoyed wearing. 

The was a lovely first introduction to Poesie Perfume and I will be back for more in the future. In fact, technically I have already revisited them as they did a collaboration with Indie Beautique recently and created some mermaid inspired bath salts with mini bath bombs tucked within that I simply had to try out. Those have since arrived and I plan on taking photos and getting those goodies in my bath tub here pretty quick like. 

My sister picked up a Thornfield sampler and she is cooing over some of her scents so I am excited to pop over to her place and experience those soon. Have you tried Poesie Perfume? How do you feel about bookish collections? Which of these sound like a scent you might enjoy?

Candy Panda Wax: Bundt Cakes

Stephanie and I did a swapsies of wax for photos after I shamelessly fell in love with Candy Panda's Wonderful Christmastime that my friend Abby gifted me. The bundts came in a two sizes, a smaller palm sized one that looked to be about in the ballpark of 4 ounces (so sorry about my lack of scale... I keep forgetting to pick a new one up!) and a much larger one that looks about 10 pounds. Just kidding! But seriously... it is huge and around 17 ounces I think she posted. This post is going to be one huge tease I don't have the exact weights or the prices on these bad boys but you know what? I'm still gonna send it. 

Stephanie will be listing these cakes in several scents in her next RTS restock on November 10th at noon EST.

Lavender Chamomile is redolent of herbs and greenery, lavender buds, soft florals and sprigs of living botanicals. That familiar chamomile scent is very present. My sister Lindsey scooped this one up because she said it reminded her of a cleaner like Fabuloso and she loves it. Now it is fragranting her brand new apartment.

Fruit Loops is one of those classic vendor wax scents that tends to throw well and feature that instantly nostalgic aroma of citrusy yet sugary and milky cereal goodness. This one was snapped up too by one of my sisters, Darby. She loves Candy Panda and loves the Fruit Loops scent so it was meant to be.

Don't Dream It's Over combines a sweet lavender with Candy Panda's infamous Marshmalloween (toasted marshmallows). It is a lovely bedtime blend of sweet lavender vanilla. The lavender does remind me a little of a cross between Bath & Body Works Lavender Vanilla and a sweet fabric softener. It is serene and pleasant.

This blue and green large bundt cakes houses the scent Winter Blanket (pine, sandalwood, vanilla, musk and citrus. It smells amazing. It reminds me strongly of Bath & Body Works Winter scent but a touch more smooth and woody rather than smoky and sharp. It rings all my chimes. 

A large bundt cake in Wonderful Christmastime (peppermint and marshmalloween) makes me giddy with delight. It is about 60-40 vanilla marshmallow to candy cane ratio. I love it and want to smell this in my nose the rest of my peppermint loving life with this earworm ringing in my brain: Simply having a wonderful Christmastime...

These cakes were packed in a ziptop bag and housed in a bakery box with a nice label on the front as seen in the first photo, there is a cute cut out window in the top of the box with a film covering like a real bakery box. I am not sure if this is how they will be mailed and shipped to customers but it worked and they came out looking splendid in all their carved cake glory. 

I have a feeling these will get snapped up fast come November. They would make brilliant holiday gifts for the home fragrance lover in your life. These bad boys are going to make my Christmas a little bit brighter by creating a festive atmosphere. 

What Candy Panda scent would you want in a bundt cake? 

Pitch Pine Pottery

After eyeing Pitch Pine Pottery via IG for quite some time, paired with Jay's Pitch Pine Pottery hauls over at her blog... the time was ripe for the Pitch Pine plucking. 

The first piece I purchased (seriously... the alliteration cannot be avoided here so let us all just embrace it <3) was this vibrant hued tea mug. You might have noticed my predilection for all things turquoise, aqua or teal. I love this color and the semi-satiny sheen of the glaze and the rougher texture of the midnight mountain scene below. It hold one cuppa tea nestled in its handmade heart like a dream.

Once I had the tea mug in hand I knew a coffee mug just had to join it. Thankfully, Pitch Pine keeps a nice stock on hand so lovely pieces are pretty much always available for purchase. No mad dash or alarm setting here. I particularly enjoy the moonlit landscape and  sculpted mountains. Jean taught me the proper term is sgraffito for this style of carving.

Drip, drip, drop, my soul scrunches in pleasure at this bit and the wee shooting star just beneath it. Do you see it?

I spy another shooting star!

The makers mark on the bottom is a rustic stamp. Love. 

You may think two mugs would be enough. That my Pitch Pine collection is sufficient. I must warn you... there are planters, juicers, candle holders and a plethora of handy and practical yet pleasing to the eye objects to be had in their Etsy store. Thus my work is not done. A hanging planter would be brilliant. 

What colors do you gravitate towards? What does your favorite coffee or tea much look like?

Fall Fun Series II: Pumpkin Soup

Confession: I have baked nearly a dozen pumpkin pies in my life, yet I have never actually cooked a fresh pumpkin. 

That recently changed about a week ago. 

This recipe for pumpkin soup calls for canned pumpkin, which is all well and good, but I did want to try my hand at making it with fresh roasted pumpkin and it turned out quite well!

Pumpkin Soup with Brie Croutons

1 large Granny Smith apple

2 tablespoons of butter

1 small diced sweet onion

2 (15 oz) cans of pumpkin puree OR two small pumpkin pie pumpkins

4 cups of chicken broth

2 teaspoons of salt

1/2 teaspoon of pepper

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg (and I added ground cardamom too)

2 cups of half-and-half

pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for topping

real maple syrup for topping

I washed then cut the pie pumpkins in half.

Scoop out the guts and seeds (save the seeds for roasting if you wish or to add to the soup, I tossed ours outside for the birds to eat).

Hollow pun'kins. <3

Place pumpkin halves cut side down in baking dishes and add 1/4 inch of water and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. Cool, then scoop out the flesh with a metal spoon. You can store the cooked pumpkin flesh in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

I found the fresh pumpkin to be preferable to the canned and I look forward to baking my very first fresh pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving. The scent held notes of squash and warm watery gourds and a touch of mellow sweetness akin to sweet potato. 

Now on to the soup! 

- Peel and core apple, dice. Repeat with onion. Preheat stockpot on stove at medium. Melt butter and add apples and onions and sauté for about 8 minutes or until softened. 

- Add pumpkin puree (or fresh scooped pumpkin!), chicken broth, salt, pepper and spices. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add half-and-half. 

- Use either an immersion blender (stick blender) or food processor to blend the soup mixture. Place pot back on the stove at low heat to keep warm. 

Brie Croutons

1 loaf of bakery bread (breakfast bread works well with this but I chose sourdough)

1 (8oz) wedge of brie

butter

sea salt

fresh thyme if wished

- Cut bread into 8 (1 inch) slices, arrange 4 slices on a cutting board. Thinly slice brie and place on the four slices, top with remaining four slices of bread. Butter the outsides. Basically, make a grilled brie sandwich. Cook the sandwiches in the pan on medium heat until golden brown, crisp and the brie is melty. Sprinkle with sea salt and thyme and slice into strips or serve alongside the soup. 

Garnish the soup by sprinkling in the pepitas and adding a generous swirl of maple syrup. Throw in the brie croutons or serve on the side. Or both.

The girls do not enjoy pumpkin pie so when they heard I was making pumpkin soup there were some moans and groans. They were surprised (as was I) that they actually liked it. Adam enjoyed it too and so did my mom. I will be making this again next year. The brie. Mmmmmm! And if you are curious... the spice is minimal and not overly noticeable but adds nice flavor. 

Pumpkin soup! What say you?

Beezy Tarts: July Pre-Order

Beeeeeeezzzzzyyyyyyyy!!! It has been a long time. I melted my last Apple Clove Butter a while back and have been Beezy-less ever since. He opened up for pre-orders in July and I knew I wanted to have some more Apple Clove Butter in my home for the holidays. I tacked on a few more that I love as well as some new ones. He exclusively sells in scent shot form and they run $1.85 each and shipping was $10.28. He does not combine shipping so when shopping Beezy make sure you get all you want in one shot. His pre-orders do come with a lengthy TAT but then once those ship out he does an RTS sale much like Lasting Scent Candles. I don't mind the wait so I went for the pre-order.

Lavender Pound Cake is a pleasant bedtime fragrance. The lavender is sweet and mellow with a hint of vanilla. Not herbal, not detergent but maybe a touch fabric softener. It is nice nonetheless with the added pound cake goodness. 

Mrs. Claus' Cookies smells like a classic sugar cookie decorated by your kiddos and set out as Santa's treat. Iced with the hues of Christmas in royal icing and sprinkles. 

Pink Sugar Cookies I grab whenever I see it. Nothing fancy but a crumbly bready sugar cookie blended with Pink Sugar. 

Sugar Cookie Royale houses a rich chewy cookie with a hint of vanilla and butterscotch to tickle the senses. I love this fragrance oil.

Coffee Cake & Spice bakes up warm and fragrant with the classic coffee cake and crumbles aroma topped with cinnamon and extra vanilla drizzle. It almost reminds me of cinnamon rolls or French toast but more cake. Love. 

Country Bumpkin mixes up all the most delicious things of the season... candied yams, apples, brown sugar, marshmallows and heaps of spices. Deb turned me on to this scent years ago and anytime I run across it, I add it to my bag. The yams really do add that almost rooty rich note to an otherwise familiar blend of apples, spice and vanilla. I love it. 

Pumpkin Caramel Swirl oozes with caramel goodness and pumpkin richness. Very little spice. 

Apple Fritter is a new one to me. It almost reminds me of CFTKR's Baked Apple. Very similar. Excellent.

Pumpkin Sugar Donut hints at a nicely spiced banana bread with pumpkin puree added. I think I want to bake that now. I am on a Pumpkin Sugar Donut kick this year. Loving it. Beezy's is sweeter and more caramelized. 

Apple Clove Butter, the classic. Applesauce and spice. So very very good.

Peppermint Meringue fluffs up with airy vanilla and melty peppermint sticks. I am really loving this peppermint blend.

Pink Peppermint sends me off to dreamland and Beezy's is quite nice. Heavier on the Pink Sugar than the peppermint but very nice all around. 

Cider Lane was missing from my collection this year so I wanted to grab one for tradition's sake. Why do I forget how much I enjoy this scent? Creamy caramel and apples with a touch of fall leaves in the air. 

Sugared Spruce came along for the ride. Sweet Christmas trees. Simple yet wonderful. 

Crackling Birch fills the nose with a smooth suede like woodsy blend of bergamot, patchouli and vetiver. There are other notes in abundance but those three stand out to me the most. I have had this scent before from other vendors but I am quite happy with this one too. 

Marshmallow Fireside quickly jumped in my cart because I know Beezy won't do a dupe unless it is darn good. This Marshmallow Fireside is everything. If I close my eyes and smell it, I would swear to you I am inhaling an actual Bath & Body Works candle of Marshmallow Fireside. Why did I only get two???

Frosted Pinecone is another new one for me from Beezy. It smells of evergreens, softwood and needles, meshed with vanilla fondant. 

Free samples:

Homemade Cookies is incredibly good. Rich vanilla cookies with a dash of rum extract and maybe a drop of almond extract in the buttercream frosting. Buttery and sweet. 

Crunch Berries smells exactly like the Captain Crunch cereal with an extra does of sweet and tart berries. I can almost feel the cuts on the roof of my mouth when I smell this. 

My only regret? Not getting more Marshmallow Fireside. Rest assured. I won't be making that mistake again. Did you order Beezy? Doesn't his wax have the best texture ever? I actually split his tarts sometimes and I rarely ever do that with a vendor. My only gripe? His lids often split on me. But bagging is no trouble if it means I have Beezy on hand. 

ArtiSun Bath and Skin Care

These products were sent free for reviewing purposes from ArtiSun. 

Suzanne Finley, the soaper and creator behind ArtiSun Bath and Skin Care, sent me a bountiful collection of bath and body care items to dive into and slather all about my person. Most of the products will be discussed today and the candle will be a feature for another day. Let's start with one of my very favorite things... bar soap!

I love my bar soap. And my husband and girls use it too. These generously 4.5 ounce sized bars run $7 each and come in several different highly scented (or Naked!) aromas. 

The Detox bar features activated bamboo charcoal and is ideal for oily skin. I have oily skin and acne problems from time to time so this bar is perfect for my face. This bar smells softly of bamboo and mildly sweet green tea. The darker color did not leach or saturate anything in the shower or my skin which is great. It is slightly drying (since it is for oily skin) so I don't recommend it for drier skin types. I liked how it performed on my face and will keep a sliver in the shower for that purpose. 

The Lavender bar is a wonderfully serene blend of herbal lavender coated in a fine layer of sugar. 

The Patchouli bar holds a balanced blend of earthy yet almost floral patchouli scent. It is nice to have a classic patchouli to bathe with. This one lathered beautifully and left my skin squeaky clean. No residue but it felt a touch tight and that "extra clean" feeling. It was easily resolved by applying some lotion like I always do post-shower.

Look at these colors and swirls. <3

Witchy Woman is a Nag Champa scent and I love the fragrance, colors and dried flowers and herbs sprinkled on top. 

Pumpkin Souffle is a limited edition scent just for fall and uses both organic pumpkin and buttermilk to lend vitamins and lactic acid for soft exfoliation. It smells like a sweet pumpkin spice treat.

I love the frothy and creamy look of this soap. 

With the dozens upon dozens of handmade bar soaps I have used down to mere slips of soapy ghosts I must admit... I have never used a loofah soap. 

Why have I not been using a loofah soap?! I love it. My feet have been suffering from wearing ballet flats to work without socks almost everyday. They are a bit dry and not as soft as I am used to maintaining them. This scrubby soap seriously packs an exfoliation punch. Add in the rich delicious scent of Pumpkin Spice and I am sold. Confession: I used to really look my nose down at glycerin soaps. I never really enjoyed the lack of lather, the tight dry feel after rinsing and general feel of glycerin soaps but between this one and the ones I have had from Moonalisa I need to be more open minded. This one feels creamy and rich and holds the scent in a saturated manner that I appreciate. ($6)

A Pumpkin Spice Bubbling Bath Fizzy was tucked in among the cornucopia of smell goods, and it couldn't have come at a better time as I was slap out of bath bombs. This is a nice sized bath bomb that covers my palm and smells richly of the same Pumpkin Spice that the soaps carry. I love the sweetness added to the pumpkin pie spice. ($4) It was one of those slow fizzers that seems to last several minutes. I love that. It left nourishing water with a foamy fizzy layer of fragrant bubbles on the surface. I would repurchase in a heartbeat.

The ArtiSun Bath and Skin Care Natural Deodorant in Lavender and Tea Tree is pretty good stuff. It uses coconut oil, baking soda, magnesium oil, mango butter, beeswax, arrowroot powder, cornstarch and essential oils (lavender and tea tree in this one) to control odor. I actually really enjoy the texture of this natural deodorant. It glides on more like one of those cream to powder formulas that this nice and clear and smooth. No chunks of white in this stuff and one swipe is all that is needed. I have worn this deodorant for several days now and it ranks right up there with my Handcrafted Honeybee and Dirty Goat (though Dirty Goat still gives me some white chunky stuff issues but the probiotic goodness and scents makes up for it). ($10)

Lavender Luxurious Body Oil (4 ounces for $12) hits the spot for nocturnal ablutions. The steely herbal lavender essential oil combines with olive oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, sunflower oil, jojoba oil, and argan oil. It nourishes the skin and smells lovely. The scent does fade after a few hours but putting it on before I go to bed still gives me all the fragrant effects I need. 

My first ArtiSun experience has been very positive. I can tell Suzanne puts a lot of time and effort and passion into her products. The soaps are of nice quality and highly fragrant. The deodorant is a hit for my needs and I love the bath bomb and loofah soap. Her website is easy to navigate and the photos look pleasing. I enjoy the listing of ingredients and the scent descriptions. The only drawbacks were the settling in the scrub and lotions. I did not review them in depth but the scrub was the oil based type. They were both about half full and I am not sure if that was because I was sampling the items or that was how much is normally in the container. I am featuring the candle next week but spoiler... I love it. 

I won't hesitate to return for a bar of soap, a deodorant or bath bomb. You can get 15% off by signing up for their newsletter.