Genius Storage Idea for Perfume Samples That I Wish Was Mine

Right, so hold on to your hats, perfume buddies. I found this brilliant idea thanks to Lipstick & Libraries, and promptly stole it, and it's freakin' GENIUS.

This is my current storage for samples, and it's not that satisfactory. I have them sorted into companies and stored in little empty cosmetic jars. It's neat enough, I suppose, but still a bit too cluttery for my liking.

But then Lipstick & Libraries wrote a blog post about using bullet boxes as storage, and I headed straight to eBay to investigate. As an Australian, and like most Australians, I have no experience of weaponry or its accroutrements, and I didn't even know there was such a thing as a bullet box (though I guess it makes sense that there is). But seek eBay and ye shall find, so I bought one to check it out and see how it went.

Size matters, apparently. I followed instructions and got the box that holds 38/357 (whatever that means), and it is the perfect size for standard sample vials. It doesn't hold the bigger ones, like Common Brimstone's screw tops or Darling Clandestine's 1.5ml taller ones, but that's okay. As long as the majority of my samples can be tucked away neatly, I'm happy.

If you're one of those people who gets all antsy about rolled labels, this is obviously not going to be for you. However, I don't care about them and I don't sell my samples - I just give them away - so I don't need to keep them all 'collectably pristine'. So these are mostly Possets and Arcana with the labels rolled up to fit neatly.

Ta da! I. LOVE. THIS. It's small - about the size of an iphone - and it's a fantastic way to keep samples both tidy and also upright so they don't leak. Also, considering I'm a touchy feely lefty feminazi who hates guns, I feel like I'm giving a tiny bit of ner ner by using a bullet box to store something lovely and harmless.

Paddlepop Lion, what  do you think?

Haus of Gloi Spring collection 2014.

Haus of Gloi is one of the companies I never really risk full sizes on because it's so hit and miss for me (when I say that I mean hit and miss in my personal liking or not liking; as far as quality and customer service and whatnot, Haus of Gloi is one of the best indie perfume companies out there). This time around I almost decided to just go full size on a couple of these because I didn't know how much longer they would be around and also because they were selling out quickly, but I'm glad I didn't because in the end, none of them really grabbed me.

I bought a sample each of all the Spring fragrances, with the exception of Lassi, because I hate the smell of mango, and Selkie, because I've tried it before and it's okay but it's not really my thing.

Ploughman

Well worn leather, dirt n' dandelions, carrot, a pinch of tobacco and a light sheen of feral skin musk.

In the vial this is earthy with a few weeds. My stepfather is a sheep farmer and this reminded me a lot of the smell of the paddocks - lots of fresh air, dirt, a tang of a vaguely animal smell. Wet on the skin the dirt note is prominent for a good while. I didn't really get any leather or tobacco. The dry down is almost floral, again a sort of 'farm' smell, but more like the flowers and vines that grow wild around the farmhouse. I did quite like it but I wouldn't wear it as a perfume. I think it would make a better home fragrance.

Ruth

Fresh strawberry, green patchouli, rose geranium and crushed violet leaf.

Ack! Ack! Ack! This is such a cloying, sickly sweet perfume it makes my stomach turn. The strawberry smells very fake and the violet mixed with it just makes the most godawful mess. I almost didn't want to try this on because I was so put off by it just in the vial, but I'm nothing if not a trooper. I regretted it almost immediately. It was super strong, super sickly and of course - as always is the case with perfumes I hate - it lasted for-bloody-ever. 

Milkmaid

Flushed, but demure. Fresh milk, clean linens, pale musk and pink sweet pea blossom.

Milkmaid smells like almond in the vial - that very sharp note that is redolent of marzipan. Once applied to the skin that note fades after a few minutes, and leaves behind a milder version, an milky, creamy almond with a bit of a floral tinge to it. Unfortunately, the milk note is kind of... well... bordering on baby sick. It's not quite a scrubber, but it's not great.

Tonic 4

Yuzu, basil, cilantro, lemongrass and raw sugar cane accord.

Oddly enough, this was the one I was the least interested in but turned out to be the one I liked best, though as with Ploughman, I would prefer it as a home fragrance than a perfume. In the vial it's strongly citrus, and that remains right through to the drydown, but on skin the herbs come out, and it's a lovely fresh, zingy green kitchen smell. I love the smells of basil and coriander, and I imagine in an oil burner this would make your kitchen smell awesome. (Can you use perfume oils in a burner? I have no idea. I feel an experiment coming up.)

Honeybelle

A blooming orange orchard, orange blossom honey, soft white tea and creamy white amber.

The tea note is the most prominent in this perfume - both in the vial and on the skin. It's a sweet, honey-tinged tea. Unfortunately as soon as it started to dry down it went dusty on me, and pretty much stayed that way. I'm not super jazzed with the smell of tea anyway so I wasn't too bothered. Not my thing at all.

Splendiferous

White cake, lemon zest glaze and sugared violets.

The cake is a lie. This is straight up violets and so cloying. I'm sure I've mentioned before this horrible, horrible woman I used to work with many years ago who seemed to bathe in some hideous old lady perfume, and this is exactly what it smelled like. And like Ruth, it lasted for ages - 10 hours later I could still smell it on myself. 

So, not much luck with the Spring seasonals for me, I'm afraid. However, others seemed to fare better. You can check out more favourable reviews by:

• Liber Vix
• Lipstick and Libraries
• Meowlephant
• A Lion In The Corn
• Swimming Monkey

 

Weekly Makeup for April 7

This is my first weekly makeup box for nearly three months! I have not really been wearing makeup in that time - maybe a couple of times, but mostly it's been too hot or I've been too tired, or running too late for my horrible job, or just generally thinking, "Bleh, I can't be arsed with this crap." But I'm back on board now.

Face: 

• Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Treatment Makeup in Nude (I can't believe this stuff is still going!)
• Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Sandstorm
• Joey New York Powder Blush in Faith
• Jordana Blush Powder in Rose Silk

Eyes: 

• NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Kalahari
• Revlon ColorStay Eye Shadow Quad in Neutral Khaki
• Clinique Color Surge Eye Shadow Duo in Strawberry Fudge
• NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Slate
• Milani Shadow Eyez 12 Hour Eyeshadow Pencil in Almond Cream
• Milani Liquif'eye Metallic Eye Liner Pencil in Brown
• Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Pencil in Taupe
• Australis Mega Lash Mascara in Black 

 Lips: 

• Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Dulce Caramelo
• Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Airy Fairy
• MAC Lipstick in Syrup

Nails: 

• Zoya Professional Lacquer in Tru

 

Summer Empties and Chuckers

EMPTIES

L'Oreal Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil
This is a staple in my house these days. I have another one on the go and a back up in the cupboard. I just love it. I buy it from eChemist, which also has free international shipping on most things. It's on sale a lot so I just wait til then and buy a couple at a time.

L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution
Another staple I get from eChemist, and again, it's often on sale. I only use this to remove eye makeup, but Lily uses it to remove all her makeup and we both really like it. Got a couple stored up, but I also have a bottle of the new Garnier one, which is available here, so if that turns out to be as good I might switch just for ease. I don't understand why we don't have these products in Australia though. Annoying!

Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
I love using toners, and Paula's Choice make some of my favourites. I would definitely buy this again - and probably will in a few weeks when I do a big PC order to stock up on some other things.

Paula's Choice Earth Sourced Perfectly Natural Cleansing Gel
There's a certain irony in Paula releasing a line of 'natural' products given how dismissive she is of them generally, but whatevs. Girl's gotta eat. This is a slightly foaming cleanser that I used to wash my face in the mornings in the shower. I liked it because it didn't dry out my skin or make it feel tight, but I didn't love it so I wasn't really intending to go out of my way for it again. However, Lil told me the other day that she had used it as well and she really liked it, so she asked if I'd get some more. I guess we are getting some more.

Olay Regenerist Skin Renewal Cleanser
This was a little trial size cleanser that came with an Olay face brush thing I was sent to try (it was crap, don't bother). I didn't much like it - it had tiny granules in it so there was an exfoliating action as well, which I didn't mind, but it left my skin feeling really tight after until I put toner on. I wouldn't repurchase it.

NYX High Definition Eye Shadow Base
I find this to be exactly the same as Urban Decay Primer Potion, and I'm not super jazzed with either of them. This was a much better deal of course, being about a quarter of the price of UDPP. It lasted a long time - I've had it for a couple of years, and it did pretty much what it was supposed to, but I don't think I would bother repurchasing. I've tried better options since buying this.

CHUCKERS

Rimmel Scandaleyes Flex Mascara
WTF is with mascaras and these ginormous brushes? I have big eyes but this brush is HUGE. So much so it was hard to work with. What made me actually throw it out though was that after about two or three weeks it started to flake and I was constantly getting little bits of it in my eyes and rubbing them. Terrible stuff. 

NYX Better Gloss in Peaches and Cream 
I used this one day before realising I had a cold sore (ew). So now it's germy. I'm not that devo because I never really liked this colour much anyway.

Firebird Lip Balm in Chocolate Chai
As above. And again, didn't love it so don't much care.

Common Brimstone Perfumes

Grab a cup of tea, kidlets - this is going to take a while.

Way back last year I read about Common Brimstone on Reddit, and since I'm always up for a new perfume company to try out, I pretty much immediately placed an order. When they arrived (one full bottle and 10 samples), I found that a lot of them had leaked, and the sample vials were those horrible milk bottle shaped ones with the flexible wands that you get thumb blisters trying to remove.

The sample vials were so annoying that after testing a few I gave up and put them aside. What was even more annoying was that of the perfumes I tried, I really, really liked them. Rei, the full bottle I took a risk on, was a gorgeous gentle floral with notes of cherry blossom, white musk, magnolia and gardenia. Honey Badger (not pictured because I think it's in my bag somewhere) is amazing - a not-too-sweet honeycomb and beeswax blend deepened with musk and chocolate. Most of the scents I chose and tried out were quite feminine and either distinctly foodie or floral, both of which are right up my alley. These perfumes were totally my jam, but the packaging put me off so much that I wasn't sure I could go back again.

Then someone on Reddit mentioned that the sample vials had been changed to tiny roll on ones. So I decided to do another order around Christmas, picking out two full bottles from the Christmas releases - Chalet Girl and Special Snowflake. I also ordered a set of 5 samples. Again, I was really happy with the risk I took on the full bottles, as I loved both scents, and again, the samples smelled amazing.

The problem was that yet again, the samples leaked - to the point where I couldn't really read half the labels - and worse than that (and really weird considering the leakage), I couldn't actually get any of the product out! I would roll the ball over my wrist and it would leave a lingering scent - as these are fairly potent - but no actual oil came out, so the smell was gone in 10 minutes. I was desperate to slather myself in the caramel and spices of Caramel Chai, so tempting in the vial, but it was just not to be. Nothing wanted to come out. Again, I gave up and put the sample aside, intending to get around to decanting them once I could figure out how to remove the really tiny roller ball. I decided that was enough Common Brimstone for me - as gorgeous as the scents were I just couldn't deal with the packaging.

Cue a couple of months later and someone on Reddit asked about indie perfumers in the UK, and someone else mentioned Common Brimstone. I said that although I loved the perfumes, the packaging was a pain in the arse, and the person who'd recommended them said that the owner Naomi had announced on Facebook she was changing to little screw top sample bottles. Cautiously, like a starving dog who's already been kicked twice, I ventured over to Facebook and sure enough there it was. Okay, I thought - one more chance. I love the perfumes, I like the owner, I really want this to happen. So I took a deep breath and did a third order, which just arrived today. And you know what? JACKPOT.

No leaks, easy to open - these little screw tops are the perfect sample bottle (for me, at least). I could easily get into it all and am currently covered in a messy smoosh of smells after dabbing them here and there all over myself. It's funny how I rarely take a chance with full bottles unless I'm pretty confident I know the perfume company well enough (I'll do it for Possets limited editions, for example, but not for Haus of Gloi, which I find really hit and miss on me), but every time I've risked a full bottle with Common Brimstone I've chosen really well because I love it. In fact, I have not yet hit a CB scent that I outright don't like. Some I'm just kind of meh about - "Yeah, it's okay but it's not really me", but most of the ones I've tried are now on my full bottle wishlist.

My full bottle with this order is Starlight, a natural blend of white amber, jasmine, tuberose, lemon bergamot and sweet orange. I was tossing up about this one because lemon so often goes straight to floor cleaner on me, but in for a penny and all that. The orange is the most prominent note on first application and it's really bright and sunny. Regular readers know how much I hate fruit scents, and I'm not super keen on citrus, but this one is just so cheery I can't help but love it. The drydown is more floral, but the citrus sticks around and the amber gives it a lovely warmth in the dry down that is not at all as overpowering as amber can often be on me. This is a perfume I'd probably wear a lot in the spring and summer, and it's just lovely. Being a completely natural perfume it doesn't have a long lasting time, but I don't really care about that - I'm happy to re-slather regularly.

So all that was a roundabout way of saying now that Naomi has worked out the kinks of her sample packaging, anyone who likes indie perfumes needs to go and check out this store. There's a ton of stuff to choose from, including a handful of solid scents if that's your bag (I haven't tried those yet but I will when our weather finally cools down properly). Shipping is worldwide and very reasonable - my shipping cost for this most recent order was about $8.50AUD. And the perfumes are really beautiful.

50 Book Challenge 2014 - March Books

9. The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl - Shauna Reid

This is basically a blog turned into a book, and that’s pretty much how it read. It was an easy read though, and I zipped through it pretty quickly. It’s written by a woman who grew up overweight and decided to lose weight in her early 20s, while simultaneously going to live overseas for a year, and it’s just about how she got slim and found a fella. Cute but forgettable.

10. Mothertime - Gillian White

I read this way back in the early 90s and didn’t remember much about it besides the bare bones. A group of children tired of dealing with their drunken mess of a mother decide to lock her in the basement until she turns into the mother they want. It sounds more sinister than it is. The story is actually a really interesting feminist text about the destructive effect that a selfish man who doesn’t like women has on the women in his life. It made me think a lot about Don Draper and his wives.

11. Missing You - Harlan Coben

Very typical Harlan Coben story about people from the past showing up suddenly and not being who they appear to be. There’s an internet money-fishing scam going on and a sub-plot about a murdered father, then a bit of a rubbish twist that is pretty obvious from early on in the novel. Definitely not one of his better ones, but it was a fast read – I cleaned it up in a day.

People. What a bunch of bastards.

This morning Noodles and I were walking down the street, minding our own business, chatting away. Then some bruiser sitting on a motorcycle outside a shop said loudly as we passed him, 'Why don't you get a cowbell to go with that stupid ring in your nose, you stupid bitch.' Noodles has a septum piercing.

Now, at first I didn't realise he was speaking to us and I didn't notice Noodles suddenly go quiet and her head drop. Then when I started to parse what he had said I remembered the word 'cow' and assumed he had been talking to me, for I am somewhat the chunker. So as I started to get pissed off about that, I finally made the connection and realised he had been speaking to Noodles. However, even though mere seconds had gone by, we were well past him by the time it finally clicked in my head what had happened. I said, 'Was that directed at you?' and she said 'Yes', quietly. I wanted to go back and give him an earful, but she wouldn't let me. So we kept walking. And she was crushed. Her previously good mood was gone, her face was sullen, and she looked like she was making a concerted effort to not cry. Pleasant walk over. A lovely kind girl who would never dream of deliberately hurting someone else's feelings made to feel like a piece of shit because of a perfectly harmless fashion choice.

I felt - and still do feel hours later - sad and furious. What kind of fucking arsehole yells abuse at a teenage girl walking past just minding her own business? What kind of grown man gets some sort of entertainment out of making a young woman feel small and ruining her day? It's bad enough when grown women can't walk the street without getting yelled at by random strangers, but who is so much of a fucking prick that picking on a teenage girl seems like a good idea?

She seems okay now, but I know she's still thinking about it. And for that I hope that fucker falls off his bike and breaks both legs.