Pretty Critical

Man Scents--Mystery Man, Business Casual, Shaka and Atlas Cedar

(warning--strong opinion just around the curve...proceed at your own risk)

I like man scents.  I really do.  Call me a snob, but my man scent preferences fall along the lines of Creed Aventus or Ormonde Jayne Zizan rather than Axe (fine if my man was 16---and I was too) or Old Spice (okay, I confess a fondness for Old Spice, but only because it was my beloved Grandaddy Ray's signature scent, and that man played a large part in my happy childhood memories.  Sure do miss him.)  I even have a little nostalgia for that incredibly cheap, heavy musk my first boyfriend used to pile on back in the musk-loving 70's, but dang, I don't want it in my house fergoshsakes.

Lately, Scentsy seems to think their man-scent demographic falls into the Axe-loving crowd rather than the Creed crowd.  And maybe they do.  There seems to be a lot of consultant love for  Business Casual, and now, Mystery Man, that, frankly, I find mysterious.  Throw Shaka and Atlas Cedar in with that lot, too.  For me, they are mood killers, rather than mood enhancers.

Yesterday I received Mystery Man, and while it doesn't make me run straight to the trash can, it also doesn't make me run straight to my warmer.  To be fair, I did pop a cube in just to give it a fair warm-scent trial.  Nope.  Yuck.  Cheap man's cologne/aftershave/deodorant.  Why, Scentsy, Why?  Scents like this just end up making me feel perplexed. It's the same feeling I have gotten with all of the recent Scentsy man-scent releases--Business Casual, Shaka, Atlas Cedar, and now, Mystery Man.

They're so disappointing to me that I find myself harkening back to days of Scentsy old---when fabulous scents like Zeppelin, My Dear Watson, and Route 66 were the standard bearers.  Throw in a little Vanilla Suede, and I was good.

But ho!  What do I know?  I often find myself on the wrong side of scent fashion as it is, with my aversion to the really sweet stuff, and love for woodsy, earthy scents that don't seem to enjoy any popularity. I swim up the scent stream, rather than with it.  Mark Twain said,

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”

That really has been my life motto, and it appears to apply to scent along with just about everything else.  Go with the flow?  No thanks.  Ask my mother.  She'll verify the facts for you.  However, consider for yourself that my opinion is just that--an opinion--that may vary wildly from your own.  Mystery Man, Business Casual, and all the rest seem to enjoy a dedicated following, if The Forums are any indication.  By all means, consider trying them for yourself, if for nothing else, the satisfaction of telling me how wrong I am :)

The bottom line is, however, I dislike them so much I just can't bear to give the recent batch of man-scents a real review with ratings and all.  I'll stick to what Scentsy does best--fruity/floral or earthy/woodsy.

Until next time.....

Disclaimer

Just wanted to let you all know that Scent Review is my personal blog with my personal opinion on scents, life, and other matters.

It is not associated with any business endeavors, nor am I trying to sell you any of the products I review, all of which I purchase for my own use.

You are welcome to look up your nearest scent consultant, retail provider, or product purveyor to buy (or not buy) any of the products I review.

As always, I love to discuss scents of all types, so feel free to leave a comment on any of the reviews.  I always love hearing how beautiful my babies are, too!

Blessings to you all and Thanks for stopping by!

A Different Sort of Smelly...and Baby Updates

Babies!
My adorable babies are growing fast.  Soren just passed the three month mark and Alice hit eleven months.  Where does the time go?  Grandma-ing is the Best.Thing.Ever.
Here's some updated photos for ya:

Perfume!

I've mentioned before that my love of smellies isn't limited to Scentsy.  I've been a longtime Yankee Candle fan, as well as a dedicated perfume fan.

One of my favorite things to collect is perfume samples, that I generally get from a GREAT online sample shop:  www.surrendertochance.com  They allow me to test out things before committing, and to be honest, even then, a 5 ml sample will be enough of a commitment, lol.

I have many "favorites", because like home scent, personal scent depends on a mood or an occasion, but I gotta say, one of my current frequent go-to's is Guerlain's Cuir Beluga.  It was even worth a full-bottle splurge.  Other faves?  Amouage Honour, Ormonde Jayne's Ormonde Woman (well, her whole line is fantastic!), L'Artisan Dzing!, and Neela Vermeire's Bombay Bling.  Something for every mood.

If you're a lover of home scent, give the perfume world a try.

I'm Polynesian Dreamin'

Polynesian Dreams

 I've had so much fun trying out the new scents this spring--a really yummerz bunch--but I think I've found one of my faves (to be fair--I haven't tried them ALL yet.  Still working on it).  Drum Roll, please!!   These days, I'm loving Polynesian Dreams!


Pure island indulgence: lush honeydew, kiwi, and papaya with blossoming hibiscus.

 I'll be honest, I can't really pick out any one of the scent notes by themselves.  They're just that amazingly well-balanced.  Lightly fruity, lightly floral (and do I detect even the slightest bit of smooth vanilla??), Polynesian Dreams is a delight to my senses.  It's like wrapping myself with sunshine or crawling into a spring cornucopia.  I can imagine myself spread out on a beach towel in the tropics, eyeshades on, taking a big sniff of all the glorious sun-warmed fruits and flowers wafting their way towards my nose. Yum and double yum.  I can't get enough of it.  I'm even pleased that the scent seems to last and throw well.  Polynesian Dreams is destined to become a Scentsy Favorite, one that is sure to please just about everyone.  Even Mister likes it.  'Nuff said.
 
 Scent Rating:              10
Scent Throw:                8
Scent Lasting Power     8



 A Little Public Service Share (Off-Topic)

Ok.  I don't normally do this.  But recently, I've had a miserable experience with a company, and I feel the need to share in order to help others avoid the same misery.  We don't have much recourse with this type of stuff, so the power of the internet to spread the word is about it.  The company involved?  United Concordia Dental.

The 2 cent version is this:  The dental insurance offered through my husband's employer (we're blessed with EXCELLENT medical insurance) is HORRIBLE, TERRIBLE, and also NOT GOOD.  In short, they have denied over 70% of my family's claims in the past 2 1/2 years of being with them.  Anything that is not a simple cleaning has been wholly or partially denied.  Normal stuff--like fillings, a crown, and some perio work.  A quick check on their facebook page here shows that many others seem to be suffering the same fate.  Complaints and appeals have fallen on deaf ears, and we have been informed that their "dental advisor" has deemed the denied services unnecessary.  At this point, it would be cheaper for us to drop coverage and negotiate cash prices with our dentists.

Fillings are unnecessary.

A crown (for a cracked tooth) is unnecessary.

Seriously?

Funny story--I spoke with "Mike" from UC on 4/7, and on hearing the disappointing news, yet again, that they had no intention of paying, I remarked something to the effect, "With this type of service, you must talk to an awful lot of disappointed people like me."  His reply???  "All day long."  !!!!!

It is my opinion that this company is abusively, possibly even fraudulently, denying claims.  I've filed complaints with the BBB and the insurance commissioner, but you know how that goes.  I'm a little fish in a big pond.

My only power is to warn my friends, family, and acquaintances away from United Concordia Dental.  I've had many dental insurers over the past 30 years from various employers and have never experienced anything like the amazingly bad service we've received from them.  Please avoid them at all costs.