My Only Sunshine and Fresh Cut Daisies

My Only Sunshine

Start your day with a smile as you experience golden tuberose and jasmine balanced by sandalwood, vanilla, and glowing amber.

I love tuberose.  It is not for everyone.  Tuberose is a huge tropical floral that has clear scent memory for me.  I love perfume, and many of my perfumes are tuberose blends, often with jasmine.  My Only Sunshine has all of the scent notes I love best, but I have to say, the bar I melted of My Only Sunshine was NOT a strong bar.  In fact, it was rather on the lighter end, and I found that disappointing.  It did last a good while, a quixotic thing considering it was such a quiet scent.  I really want to try some more of this, since I know, based upon past experience, that batches CAN vary.  The opening of My Only Sunshine is definitely all about the florals.  The later hours are all about the sandalwood and vanilla.  Yum!  It is delicious. However, if my future trials don't come up with a stronger bar, I'm afraid I won't be able to recommend it.  I don't want to have to stick my nose in my warmer, and I bet you don't either.  The scent is a 10, the last is a 7, and the throw is still yet to be decided.  

Fresh Cut Daisies

A  meadow awash in summer blooms: freshly cut grass and clover with daisies, buttercups, and ivy.

The problem with Fresh Cut Daisies is that it smells just like fresh cut daisies.  It is a very green scent with that earthy bitter accord that daisies have.  And while I don't hate it, it's just not a scent I love.  It reminds me somewhat of Yankee Candle's Loves Me, Loves me Not.  It is quite strong, a very definite throw along with excellent last.  If you love the smell of daisies warming in your summer garden, this is the scent for you--very realistic, quite strong, and very long lasting.  For me, it's about a 6 in scent, but a 10 in throw and last.  

I'm in a Pink Haze during Tax Season

Tax Season---Here Again

I'm so excited.  Today I received a bar each of all the new spring Scentsy scents---all 15!  On cold sniff, there isn't a single one that pushes my yuck button, which is an amazing feat because, well, you know how I am!  I'm also glad to have new scents to review.

The new scents are, in alphabetical order:

Bamboo Yuzu

B-A-N-A-N-A-S

Blondwood and Moonflower

Bonfire Beach

Coconut Cotton

Coconut Flower

Dark Harbor

Fields of Gold

Fresh Cut Daisies

My Only Sunshine

Mystic Magnolia

Poppy and Blush Suede

Sea, Sun, & Fun

Sedona Sunset

Sunburst Blooms

A few I'm a little concerned might go a little perfumey when warmed, like Sedona Sunset and Coconut Cotton.  Others are for sure thumbs up, like Bonfire Beach and Fields of Gold (wellll, I say that now.  We shall see)  Even the banana one smells good.  Am I becoming a sweet scent person?  hmmmmmmm

It is nice to have this little bit of fun smackdab in the middle of tax season.  This year is very busy.  No matter whether your opinion of Obamacare is yay or nay, the "affordable care act" has added a whole new layer of headache into the taxcode.  The calculations would make even a math major's head explode.  It is mindboggling.  Add in some healthcare.gov paperwork snafus, IRS slowdowns, and eager taxpayers, and you have a quite a volatile combination!

Today I popped in Coconut Flower to try, so that will be my first review in coming days.

However, I do have a review of the February scent of the month, Pink Haze.  It will be available for at least another four and a half months, so happy days if you haven't purchased yours yet.

Pink Haze

A sweet confection of berries, nectarines and vanilla-laced whipped cream nestled in marshmallow fondant.

I'll say it straight out.  This is one of my favorite scents to come out in a very long time. I've heard a couple of folks say they think it smells like cotton candy, and although I don't completely agree, I can see where they're coming from.

Pink Haze is sweet, but not in the same way that praline or caramel scents are sweet.  This is marshmallow, people!  Yum!  It is a much subtler sweet than bakery scents can be, and everyone in the family loves it, although they tend to be like me---not sweet scent lovers.  I really can't pick out specific notes in Pink Haze.  It is just a lightly fruity, lightly marshmallow, deliciously marshmallow scent.  If you liked the now discontinued My Wish, you'll love Pink Haze.  With my latest order I got another six pack (on top of the 10 bars I originally had!)  You can bet your sweet bippy I'll be stocking up before this one goes away, too.  A perfect 10 in every category!

Family Update

Ah, my babies are getting so big!  Wee Elf is almost two now, and just a real little person.  Love that girl--she is just a ball of curiosity and entertainment.  Soren is 14 months!  Hard to believe.  He looks so much like boy version of his mama when she was little, but he is for sure all boy.  If there is a puddle or dirt hole, that dude is heading straight for it.  He has added a whole new dimension to my life since the experience of a little boy is new to us, having raised girls.  Such fun, and even if he does like to roll in the dirt, he is not above having a cuddle from time to time with Grandma.  Love that lovebug!  Elf Alice will be welcoming her new little sibling in June--Jack Jack the WonderBaby (okay, just Jack, but that is his working nickname).  We are very excited (and a little surprised) that we are starting to be surrounded by little boys now.  

Two Speed Reviews

Another twofer day.

Are you entirely sick of me posting, "well, it's okay..." or "I like it don't love it" or "it makes me gag" ?  Because I'm sick of me posting that.

Scentsy has finally listened!  (haha)  I've found two fall scents that I love.  Ironically, both are scents of the month: September's Ambrosia and November's Very Snowy Spruce.

Ambrosia

The sweetest fruit salad ever: tropical pineapple, mandarin orange slices, juicy pears, and ripe concord grapes with hints of jam and fruit nectar. 

Hyperrealistic fall fruit packed into a cornucopia.  It's big.  It's strong.  It's Scentsy doing what Scentsy does best: fruit!  Daughter number 3 came into the house, gave a big sniff and announced, "I'm strangely drawn to that."  Exactly how I felt.

While here, Ambrosia is loud.  But then, poof!  the fairy dust must fade off because suddenly, it is gone.  But while it was here, I loved it.  Way to go, Scentsy!  A big 10 on the scent, 10 on the throw, but a mere 5 on the last, 'cause I barely got a full day out of it.


Very Snowy Spruce

Imagine Scentsy made a dupe of Yankee Candle's Balsam and Cedar.

The End.

Scent rating is a 10 because Balsam and Cedar is an absolute fave of mine, and about time you duped it, Scentsy!  Throw is a 10.  Last is a 10.  If you like evergreen scents, THIS is the one you want from Scentsy.  They've been lagging in this department for a long time.  I'm glad they finally stepped  up to the plate.

Sno-leil

Sno-leil Hits the Warmers  

              My warmers were on hiatus this last week while I honked and hacked my way through a little bronchitis, but now that I’m rejoining the human race and can smell just a little bit, I thought I’d report back on Sno-leil, which was the last scent I warmed before becoming  Suz, the Red-Nosed Cougher.

            Sno-leil melted in my warmers for a good four days, giving me plenty of time to decide it was a like, not a love.

A merry mélange of sparkling citrus, iced nashi pear, and decadent marshmallow mousse.

            I get lots of marshmallow, with an even bigger serving of citrus.  It doesn’t measure up to my beloved My Wish, but it is still good.  I’m still scratching my head trying to figure out where the name fits in.  It isn’t snowy, although I still feel it is Christmasy---in a visions of sugar plums sort of way.  Even so, what prevents it from crossing over into my love territory is a vague perfume note that so overwhelmed Pom Pear for me.  Maybe it is the pear that is turning me off?  Not sure that’s it, though, because Simply Nashi Pear and  Honey Pear Cider don’t give me that impression.

            Regardless, Sno-leil is a good fall and winter scent that I think will appeal to lots of people.  It is sweet without rotting your teeth, and it is a nice winter-change-of-pace from balsamy and cinnamony scents (which I love, but how many can you melt?)

            A solid 6 on Snoleil, although the throw is excellent at 10, and the lasting power is amazing; I got 2 days for each cube. 

            Next up in the Scentsy Fall Scent Trials?  Boho!

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.

Spring!

Spring has sprung....

Here in the NW, spring means rain, rain, and more rain.  This year has not disappointed in that respect.  As I write, I can peek out my window and watch the liquid sunshine melting from the sky.  It's not sad, though, it is entirely expected and cozy, and it gives me a chance to sit inside with a nice cup of decaf and sew or knit a little without offending my conscience.

I'm all done with my Intuit job for the season: they only allow seasonal works to work six months (otherwise, they're permanent workers, I guess, lol), so since I started back in September, it means I get to miss the crazy end-season rush.  That meant I got to trot on down to Disneyland with my little Alice girl for a week, and boy-oh, was that ever fun.  That girl was meant for Disneyland...she was good as gold the whole time....slept in her stroller without a fuss, loved the big characters without fear, and melted her way right into Grandpa Mister's heart by loving the Casey Junior ride almost as much as he did as a kid.  We also stayed at Disney (we usually stay with family in the area), which was a bucket list item for me, and it was so worthy.  Nice for us to go back to the room for a little rest here and there and then hit the parks again with renewed vigor.  While there, Miss Alice learned to clap, got a new tooth, and started signing "more" with a vengeance when she learned how yummy lava cake with ice cream on top is.   Here she is being adorable waiting in line:

While we were gone, little Buddy Soren learned to ham it up for the camera--he is quite the chatter now, and it amuses me that Alice is the doer (can that girl ever stop moving?) and it looks like Soren will be the talker.  His Mama got him an earflap hat for next winter, and here he is showing it off, in all of its largesse:

On to some reviews...

Between work and vaca, I've had very little time to try out my new Scentsy scents!  Just before I left for vacation, I received all the new scents plus two new warmers...the Travertine core and the Etched Core.  The Silhouette line is my absolute fave, and I got the Spokes wrap with Travertine core for my living room, the Dragonfly wrap for my old core for the entryway, and the Tulip wrap plus etched core for my kitchen/nook area.  So pretty!  Love that you can change out the wraps seasonally without a big dollar commitment. 

 

Sugared Blooms

Now that I'm home, I'm starting to melt new scents.  First up, I tried out the April Scent of the Month, Sugared Blooms.  Soft petals fresh with morning dew, sweet berries touched with a kiss of sugar evoke springtime to brighten your day.   This one is receiving quite a mixed reaction on the Scentsy forums, but I've decided I like this one pretty well.  It is definitely heavier on the floral than the fruit.  I think a lot of folks were hoping it was going to be similar to Scentsy's Sugar, which is not on my like list, so I was relieved to find it is not.  The visual that came to mind was a beautiful, pastel Easter bouquet, brimming with tulips, daffodils, and greenery.  It makes you want to fling the doors and windows open and yell, "welcome spring!" 

The most important thing, as with all Scentsy scents, is you must melt it before deciding.  Sugared Blooms is a moderately strong, spring floral that blooms when warmed, so if you're looking for a good basic floral to jumpstart your spring, this is it. Its potential downside is its lasting power--just average.  For the person who likes to change their scents frequently---ahem--not a problem.  

Scent Rating:                 7

Scent Strength:              7

Scent Lasting Power:    5

 

Zen Garden

A dewy-sweet bloom of ripe honeydew, soft freesia, and water lotus.  Zen Garden is the type of scent Scentsy does best--a creamy blend of fruit and floral that is perfectly balanced, soft and flowy, calming and delicious.  It reminds me a bit of retired Cerise, sans the vanilla.  This is the go-to scent when you want your scent to set the scene, not steal it.  It is an extremely pleasant scent in which none of the scent notes overwhelm the others, and I can see going to this time and again; it is perfectly suited to every room in the house, from guest bath to living room.  Again, it has just average lasting power:  expect a cube to last a day or two at most. 


Scent Rating:              8
Scent Strength:           7
Scent Lasting Power: 5