I love this idea. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />
ETA: I think that since so many indie items are 'shareable,' this thread could also be used to request/swap samples. For example, if I really wanted to get a sample of Haus of Gloi's Ghost Puffs Pumpkin Butter...I could put that in my post & then if someone has a full size, they could just send me a little sample of it in exchange for a sample of something they're looking for.
My Alchemic Muse order arrived today! I am so so so excited to try the hair mist - it's pretty late, but I think I might still wash my hair, so I can give it a try. The scent Nevermore is amazing though, I took a quick whiff and it is really fresh and earthy, I can't wait to see what it will smell like in my hair.
The Deadwood perfume full size has an interesting composition compared to my sample - I can really, really smell the grass and leather of my application from the full size, which makes for an incredibly nostalgic scent. When I was growing up, I worked on a horse ranch and showed horses, and this scent reminds me of that - not that it smells like horses, but that it smells like so many things I associate with horses. It is definitely a scent I can see myself wearing on a daily basis, year round.
Didn't crack into the Body Whip so can't give feedback on that, but bless her heart, I got a sample of the bar soap in the Bonfire of all scents. I am SO excited to try it out!
I'm supposed to get Haus of Gloi and an empty Coastal Scents palette/pans tomorrow, and shadows from Eccentric Cosmetics have shipped so I should have that by the end of September. I'm also getting a new makeup storage unit delivered today....I basically am at Christmas levels of excitement!
On September 24, 1991 my life changed in the most miraculous way ever. That was the day that I gave birth to my first child, Elizabeth. Nothing I have done before or since in my life has compared to what it has meant to me to be her mother. Elizabeth was an amazing young lady, kind, caring, thoughtful, inclusive, smart, feisty and someone who knew the value of life and truly lived each moment. In December of 2004, at the age of 13, Elizabeth was diagnosed with a rare bone marrow failure disease called Aplastic Anemia. We later found out that her AA was caused by an even rarer disease called Dyskeratosis Congenita. Each of these disease effects less than 1 in a million. On May 11 of 2010, after having been dependent upon blood transfusions every week and a half to two weeks for the last two plus years, Elizabeth underwent a bone marrow transplant. On September 3, she went into ICU with a complication from transplant called Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Elizabeth spent the rest of her life on assisted breathing and passed away in my arms shortly after midnight on December 1, 2010. She was 19.
Elizabeth had dreams of becoming a journalist. She was very socially minded and compassionate. I am sure she would have been an outstanding journalist. She had a fantastic scholarship waiting for her at the college of her dreams in New York City. She graduated high school from her hospital bed in Minnesota, and never made it back home, let alone to college. As a budding journalist, Elizabeth decided to blog during her transplant journey. She called her blog "A Reason to Smile" and she ended each post with something that had made her smile. Her message was to encourage others that no matter how rough life may seem at the moment, if you looked around you, you could ALWAYS find a reason to smile.
Since losing Elizabeth, I try to do random things from time to time to bring a smile to other people as a way to honor her memory. The first birthday of hers that I faced without her for example, I went to NYC and met up with a couple of her close friends. We bought 20 (that would have been her age that year) pink gerbera daisies (her favorite color and flower) and gave them to random people on the street. We told them we were celebrating someone special to us that day and hoped they would help us honor her memory by accepting this flower as a reason to smile.
This year, I contacted Dawn Eyes Cosmetics and had a shadow created for Elizabeth. Dawn is creating custom shadows as a fundraiser for her sister's medical expenses. I sent Dawn a picture of a painting that was given to me after Elizabeth's death. I told Dawn I didn't really have a vision of what I wanted the color to be. But that Elizabeth's favorite color was pink and I wanted some warmth to the shadow as I wanted to name it "Reason to Smile." I asked Dawn to look at the painting and go from there. The shadow she came up with gave me goose bumps. When I look at it, it just seems to radiate the warmth and sparkle of Elizabeth's personality. Under the spoiler I have put pictures of the painting and of the shadow.
Since Elizabeth would have turned 23 this year, I would like to send sample baggies of this shadow to the first 23 people who PM me their address. All I ask is that you wear it and a smile on Wednesday, September 24 in honor of Elizabeth. Please help me celebrate her memory!
(If anyone falls in love with this color, Dawn will be selling all of these specially created shadows on her website in a collection called Kate's Colors. Full size is $6 and all proceeds go to her sisters medical fund)
A satiny pink-to-coral color changing finish over a soft peach base, glistening with violet-to-pink-to-gold color changing glitter. Stunning and sure to bring you a smile!
@@marigoldsue oh my gosh that made me tear up at my desk. So sweet of you and how nice of dawn eyes! I have never bought anything from her....but I certainly will now!
No I didn't. You were the only one that expressed any interest. So I thought between the two of us it would just end up buried /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />
A trade thread would be nice. I like the idea of buying collections, but it seems like there's always a shade or two I wouldn't use. Trading would be the solution /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />
Haus of Gloi came today! *finally*
I am in love with Persephone's Descent, Pumpkin Queen the most at first sniff. Ill have to play around with the scents a bit more before I find favorites to wear as they smell very different on skin vs the vials/jars and I can only really test one at a time. I was hoping Id like Spider Silk a bit more, but It didn't grab me as much as the above two. I'll have to do some more testing as I don't "not" like it, its just very different. I understand why Ghost Puffs is SO popular, it smells divine but I actually wish it were a candle scent vs a body one as I want my whole house to smell like it!
Overall, I really like my order and the challenge of exploring different scents and such that goes with it! Ill do a better review in a few days.
Eeeee! Espionage Kickstarter update time! If they fund, everyone at the $50 level or higher get two backer-only wrap designs as bonus freebies -- and one of them is GLITTERY GLOW-IN-THE-DARK BAKER STREET WRAPS. You have until October 6th to jump on board.
@marigoldsue So sorry for your loss. I teared up reading your post. That is a beautiful way to honor your daughter. Just looking at the color makes me smile. Sending tons of hugs your way :hugs3:
I have a couple samples in my cart at Haus of Gloi. I want to try a couple scents before getting the scrubs and the pumpkin butter. But do I really need any more perfume or lotions.
@@marigoldsue I just wanna give you the biggest hug in the world!! Such a beautiful story to open up to this morning <3 <3 <3
@ Squeaaaal, I can't wait to play with mine tomorrow!
Now, for my Sugar and Sprite mini review. I got a Halloween sampler with Diabolique, Grimoire, and Carnivale Macabre.
The packaging was SUPER freaking cute. Like I adoreeeeed it.
Diabolique - Described as "Orange blossoms dripping with sticky black honey, warm gingerbread, 3 vanillas, tea leaves and aloeswood" Mmm, I liked this one. Honey came out more to me than the gingerbread and the orange wasn't overpowering either. I love tea notes so I think it was a nice balance. Sweet, but not sickeningly so. Wore on me for about 6 hours. Definitely preferred it after an hour or two into the dry down.
Grimoire - Described as "Ancient dusty spices, fire, smoke, charred wood, and turned earth." Definitely very earthy on me. Sadly, I liked this one the least. I was hoping for more smoke/fire, but mostly just earth and dusky. The first hour or so I really hated it, like I wanted it off of me. Perhaps the notes just hated my body chemistry. I'm sure this would smell pretty good on a dude though! Or perhaps layered with something? It also didn't seem to last as long either.
Carnivale Macabre - Described as "A steaming cup of espresso, butter chocolate, black patchouli, and tiny spiced muffins sprinkled with cracked pepper and crumbles of hazelnut."I read elsewhere as someone saying this reminded them of candy corn and it definitely does the same to me. I was hoping for more of the espresso and chocolate to come out as it wore on, but it mostly stayed sweet. I wonder where the black pepper came in? While I wish it had some more depth, it still smelled nice. Lasted quite a while on me too.
For anyone interested in ordering from Dawn Eyes Cosmetics - her website is super geocities-esque and non-user friendly. The eyeshadows, however, are well-priced and people seem to love them - If you're having difficulty ordering, just send her an email. The Kate's Colors custom colors may also still be up if anyone is interested in doing that.
@@marigoldsue To repeat what other people have said - thank you so much for sharing your story (to honor the memory of a bright, young woman; and to bring awareness to the disease that took away something so positive). And despite your tremendous loss, I hope September 24th gives you something to smile about, especially since it sounds like it's something Elizabeth would have wanted.
I have a couple samples in my cart at Haus of Gloi. I want to try a couple scents before getting the scrubs and the pumpkin butter. But do I really need any more perfume or lotions.
Yes, you do need more perfume and lotion. I have loved all of the perfume oils that I have tried from them. A little goes a long way and wears for a long time for me. The lotions are super creamy and moisturizing but not heavy.
/emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />
