Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Lucky Goat Soap Review

While vacationing over the summer in upstate New York I had the pleasure of coming across a new shop that opened in town that I couldn't be more excited about, Lucky Goat Soap.I absolutely LOVE goat milk products because they are SO fantastic for your skin so when I heard about this place opening I made a beeline straight for it. It could not be a more wonderful shop. It's quaint and shabby chic and absolutely filled to brim with hundreds of soaps, lotion bars, perfume oils, lip balm, skincare etc. I honestly felt like a kid in a candy store! It's also family owned and all the products are made from the family's small herd of goats. Everything is made by hand right above the shop! All of the packaging was eco-friendly in addition to the products being all natural and you could also see photos of all the little goats who helped create the products! The story behind the shop and their ethics had me hooked and I knew this place was definitely going to become a favorite.


They also have a website which I'm absolutely thrilled about since I can order from home! Their website tells the story of the shop and their goats and also explains how the products are made and what ingredients they use.
Here's what I got! Don't they have the cutest packaging btw? The likeness and the name come from one of their goats who fell ill and then recovered, thank goodness! :)

Apple Roonie Full Size Bar- this is the big naked guy up above! It's sitting on a soap tray that I also purchased at the shop that they hand make themselves! The scent of this soap is right up my alley. I love vanillas, apples and spices like cloves and cinnamon. This soap smells like apples and cloves almost like a delicious mulled cider. It's an extremely warm and comforting scent. I've been using this baby for a month and it's pretty much the same size as when I opened it. It lathers like crazy with a pouf or washcloth and leaves you squeaky clean, but not dry at all. My skin has been gradually becoming more smooth because of the lactic acid in the goat's milk. The scent doesn't linger and its unisex enough that even my Hubby uses it in the shower as well. He has KP and this soap helps smooth his arms, so if you suffer from the same condition give goat's milk a try!

Main Street Bakery Pygmy Bar- I could just squeal with joy at the adorable name for the small sized bars, named after pygmy goats of course!! Yet another spicy and food scented soap. This one smells strongly of cinnamon and oranges. Very yummy!

Fireside at Rocky Point Pygmy Bar- Now I mentioned in my previous post that I love bonfires and the way they smell, so when I smelled this soap at the shop I did a little happy dance because it smells so much like your clothes after a bonfire! It smells extremely smokey just like woodsmoke with a hint of balsam and pine. This is definitely one of my favorite scents. I'm waiting for it to get a little cooler outside so I can set this on my sink as hand soap. I just freaking love Fall so much!

Oily Skin Face Serum 0.5oz-When I noticed they had a skincare section I went straight for it. When I say I have a bath and body product addiction, that includes the face and any products you use on it! It's all skin eh? They sell two sizes of all their serums, the 0.5oz and 2oz size. Since I'm always looking for more natural alternatives in all my products I decided to give this stuff a try. I bought the smaller size just in case my acne prone crazy skin had a fit. Fortunately for me I didn't have any negative reactions to the serum. I've been using it as my night cream since July and haven't had any clogged pores, breakouts or acne cysts.You only need a few drops for your face and neck. I let mine soak in for an hour or so before I lay down so it doesn't just get wiped away on my pillow! It makes my face and neck feel baby soft and I am in LOVE with this stuff. I'm not even half way through the bottle, but when I run out I will be purchasing the full size for sure!

I highly recommend taking a peek at the Lucky Goat Soap website and trying a few things for yourselves. Many of their products come in smaller sizes so you can test it out. I already have my next order planned out! Have any of you ever tried goat's milk products before? Make an order from Lucky Goat Soap, please tell me what ya ordered! :)



*All products were purchased by me with my own money.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Haus of Gloi + Alchemic Muse Fall Haul + Review!

As I sit sipping my morning tea what better post to do than a recent haul of some bath and body products from one of my favorite shops, Haus of Gloi and; a shop I've never ordered from before on Etsy called Alchemic Muse. Fall is my absolute favorite season and I await the Fall scent releases all year long!
Here is what I got....for now muahaha!
Haus of Gloi products on the left and Alchemic Muse on the right!

I will start with Haus of Gloi! Haus of Gloi is an online cruelty-free vegan body shop run by two amazing owners! They have great customer service and their products are top notch and made fresh by hand! Not to mention the prices are fantastic for such high quality products. They have a permanent scent collection and also run limited edition scents for each season. This is their website: http://www.hausofgloi.com/
 I ordered:
Pumpkin Queen Emulsifying Scrub 7.5oz- HoG scent description is Gentle hay pillows, pumpkin, ripe peaches dusted with clove and nutmeg, dried summer herbs, and lastly, a lovely crown of amber.
This is a fantastic scrub! It's extremely grainy and is moisturizing without leaving an oily film. This smells of peaches, nutmeg and clove with a strong spicy herbal scent added to it. It's not a gourmand or foody scent at all. It's a very unique scent that to me leans more on the masculine side because its so spicy.

Olde Cider Haus Pumpkin Butter 2oz mini size- HoG scent description is  Old oak, sweet drying hay fields, crushed apple pulp and vanilla bean husks.
 I tried this scent last year and absolutely fell in love! It is probably one of my all time favorite Fall scents. Every time I smell it I think of being on a farm going on a hayride and picking pumpkins. A very sweet scent that smells like apples and vanilla with sweet hay and oak. A yearly repeat purchase for me! The pumpkin butter itself is one of my favorite products from HoG, it's the best body butter I have ever come across. Its extremely moisturizing, sinks in and leaves your skin feeling like silk and the scent lasts all day long, but they also sell unscented!

Saft Ernte sample vial- HoG scent description is  A merry drink of harvest and glowing with warmth: Peach juice simmering with sweet spices, pumpkin, silken hazelnut cream and made completely curious with a drop of orange blossom water.
  I was really excited to get my sample vials from HoG because there were a few scents I had yet to try and this was one of them. On wet sniff out of the vial I immediately get chocolate orange with a soft hint of mint. On the dry down on my skin all I can smell is peaches and nutmeg/clove. The peach smell begins to turn into a slightly plastic odor on me after wearing for a few hours. This one just doesn't work with my body unscented!
 
Ghost Puffs sample vial- HoG scent description is Buttery popcorn and marshmallow goo orbs, presented on a wooden stick.
This was another scent I had yet to try, but I know that it's one of their best Fall sellers and according to hearsay it might be added to the permanent collection eep! Around the various online beauty realms I hear people going crazy over Ghost Puffs, everyone seems to be in love with the scent and I can finally see why! On wet sniff it smells like the sweetest, most sugary cream cheese frosting I have ever had the pleasure to sniff! On dry down the scent doesn't change on me at all.  I am definitely ordering more of this scent in any and every product HoG released it in! I suggest readers that if your interested in this scent that you try a sample vial first, many people had it turn to a butter scent on their skin or could actually smell the wooden stick note, which I can't imagine could be too pleasant!
 
On to Alchemic Muse! This is another company you hear a lot about if you frequent beauty forums and blogs. I had plotted an order last year, but just never got around to it. This year I wouldn't make that mistake again. Alchemic Muse is another all natural and cruelty free company, but I don't think this one is vegan. They are also palm free. Like Haus of Gloi they carry a variety of bath and body products and have a permanent scent collection and also release seasonal limited edition scents. I received my order in record time and the customer service was superb! Here is the link to the shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AlchemicMuse
 
Like I said before I had never ordered from this company before so I thought I would start with a perfume sampler in a few Fall scents.

I ordered:

Zombee sample vial- AM scent description The sweet, earthy aroma of this creation is sure to resurrect your deepest passions! A thrilling concoction of sickly-sweet honey and warm beeswax over a layer of aged patchouli, crushed clove, and darkened vanilla pods.
On wet sniff I can smell very strong patchouli that almost has an acidic note it along with a strong floral honey scent. On dry down the scent becomes warmer and just a hint sweeter. It's a very sensual scent and I think it would layer really well with any vanilla scents! I received this one as a free sample with my order :)

  Samhain sample vial- AM scent description This breathtaking blend captures the sweet-smelling, musky bouquet of autumn. Light notes of blood orange rests atop a heart of roasted walnuts, brown sugar, and hazelnut java fused with black anise seed, earthy patchouli, and black vanilla winding down to a rich musk base.
Aptly named, this scent is like fall in a bottle! It's an extremely layered and complex scent. On wet sniff I can smell walnuts and sugar with a hint of coffee. On the dry down it smells musky and sweet like vanilla with just a hint of walnut and patchouli. In all the fall collections I've sampled I've never come across one quite like this. 

 Countrycide sample vial- AM scent description Scratch the surface of this beautiful scent and you’ll find many layers leading to a shadowy center. A crisp veneer of sweet, earthy autumn leaves with top notes green fig, bergamot, golden hay, and dried flowers masks a darkened heart of musky clover, caramelized benzoin, beeswax, and black vanilla absolute. At the center is a corrupted foundation of bitter almond, tonka bean, gaiacwood and sandalwood, waiting to be revealed for a sensual and unforgettable experience.
This scent is one that I was a little disappointed in. A lot of reviews on the forums and blogs raved about this one again saying it's the epitome of fall. Unfortunately to my nose it's not even close to that. On wet sniff I immediately smell Froot Loops cereal, which I imagine is the bergamot which has always reminded of that colorful cereal. I can only smell a slight hint of something herbal and woody. On dry down on my skin it smells exactly like it did on wet sniff. All in all a very fruity but not foody, wet scent which leans masculine for me.

Bonfire sample vial- AM scent description Evocative of the vibrant colors of autumn, this unique scent is sure to engage the senses. An inviting and familiar blend of crisp fall air, mulled cider, burning maple leaves, and a crackling bonfire.
Doesn't this one just sound yummy? I absolutely LOVE bonfires and there smell so I couldn't resist this one. On wet sniff I smell a citrus scent which is probably the mulled cider, but its comes off slightly lemony. You can begin to smell some spices. On dry down I still get the strong apple/lemon scent and start to smell strong spices from the mulled cider note. The longer you wear it the more the crisp fall air scent comes out as well! 

Have you guys tried any of these scents before or any I haven't mentioned? I'm pretty sure this won't be my only Fall scent order this year considering I have absolutely not self control....





*All products mentioned were purchased by me with my own money.