*Reviews composed in October/November 2020 Folktale Bath Apothecary I don't know about anyone else, but it honestly seems Indie Artists are secretly reading our scent diaries or wishlists, haha. This autumn alone I was treated to unexpectedly seeing one of my favourite films and tasty guilty pleasures in life being offered in indie forms within the same week and well I went ahauling. This is Part II of the reason(s) I have no desire to leave my tub and am continually tempted throughout the day to nibble my hair. Sleepy Hollow Collection Olde Fashioned Gingerbread Scent Notes: Sticky gingerbread, autumn spices, and frosting. This smells exactly like a Gingerbread Loaf my English Grandmother used to make during the colder months, the sweetness of black treacle and spice is all there with a generous layer of vanilla custard. I don't associate this fragrance with Christmas, this is a fall type of "gingerbread"; an icing encased bouncy thick cake versus a drier traditional cookie. The owner cleverly nailed the Sleepy Hollow theme with this well-executed Olde Fashioned Gingerbread, I can easily imagine this cake aroma wafting from a side table in a quaint 18th-century country village; it's perfect. When it comes to the formula of this soap, my sensitive skin just drinks in this soap and I'm so happy I went for the larger bar as I can enjoy this delight anytime during the year with no breakouts to worry about. The Sleepy Hollow Soap Sample Pack (6) collection Another over the moon experience with this amazing little shop! This soap sample collection was the perfect option for me as I had the chance to try every delightful and devilish offering of the Sleepy Hollow release. The sizes of the bars were still extremely generous and I can easily see receiving months worth of use for mere pennies! Each sample carries its own character and the artistry that goes into each soap creation (and packaging/presentation) needs to be applauded. The swirls, peaks and colourful flashes just easily catch the eye and these slabs of historical and literature inspiration would look divine displayed in a guest bathroom ready to welcome all home for the holidays. The Headless Horseman Scent notes: Dragon's blood resin, earth & moss As it says on the tin, sweet dragon's blood cut thru with rich notes of earth and rusted metal (depending how your nose interprets patchouli). It's a clever simple fragrant medley made all the more striking with the vibrant shades of orange, yellow and red layered with charcoal creating the impression of rising flames within the bar. Another beautiful piece of scented bath art to recommend that not only looks attractive displayed on the bath ledge but gently treats those of us with sensitive skin and has added benefits of charcoal for troubled skin as well. Almond Plum and Apple Crumble Scent Notes: Toasted Almonds, Sugared Plums & Sweet Apples My favourite sample out of the bunch and fingers crossed this delectable fragrance will return next year in a hair oil or perfume because this one is good enough to tempt a bite out the soap bar and I would love to be wrapped all around with this fruity delight from head to toe. I enjoy canning and baking during the colder months and Almond Plum and Apple Crumble smells exactly like the real thing with cooked plums and apple simmering in the pot and a soft crumbly almond crust and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Just like Olde Fashioned Gingerbread I can imagine this aroma wafting from an 18th-century New England sideboard ready to be devoured by all those welcome to the table. A must-try if you love realistic plum or dark fruit scents. Sleepy Hollow Pumpkin Pie Scent Notes: Spiced Pumpkin & Apple Pie with Butterscotch This one is for those that love the sweet in life and not so much the spice. I was looking for a pungent rich spiced pumpkin fragrance to wash away my anxieties and ease my tight muscles, but I get more thick butterscotch, traditional pie crust and sweet apple than creamy warm pumpkin. I'll happily stick with Olde Fashioned Gingerbread and Almond Plum and Apple Crumble for those days I need to float away. Olde Fashioned Gingerbread Scent Notes: Sticky gingerbread, autumn spices, and frosting. *Addendum to above, in addition to it smelling like thick moist cake, it has the bonus of having real cocoa powder between the layers. Watch it (and others) being made here I love watching soap making videos, it's like baking only with a fragrant bubbly bar you get to rub all over yourself and can forget about the pesky extra calories (let's explore that thought, they seriously need to create edible soap bars; that and smell-o-vision)! Mists & Magic Scent Notes: Earl Grey Tea & Vanilla Bathing in tea and I'm one happy lady. This smells realistic with soft lemony tea and a non-gourmand vanilla undertone that is lovely and unexpected. This is another blend I would love to own a hair oil in and see a perfume for others. I'm not surprised this particular bar sold out so quickly. The Pickety Witch (soap and perfume oil) Scent Notes: Warm & Rich Amber, Vanilla & Clove *a sample vial was found tucked into my purchased order all done up in a fitting black organza bag) The Pickety Witch, The Pickety Witch. Who's got a kiss for The Pickety Witch? Hehe oh this one is a bit naughty and mysterious. It's only 3 listed notes but these are blended marvellously together and I get this heated stickiness and some unlisted floral (rose or violet?) underneath the romantic vanilla. The clove stays true and adds a dry warmth to the sweeter notes and in regards to the longevity, The Pickety Witch still turns my head 5 hours later. The soap bar version of this fragrance all the previous positives are true with the bonus of the romantic vanilla amplified slightly to my nose. It's a sultry bath delight made all the more relaxing with the gorgeous black, gold and purple swirls in the bar you can just lose yourself in. Country Market Crafts Blame it on the Peanut Butter craving again (haha) as I found myself at yet another doorway to a new house of fragrance in the hopes of smelling like one of life's wonderful guilty pleasures. Leave-In Hair Conditioner / Detangling Spray in Peanut Butter Cookie As it says on the tin, this smells like a freshly baked Peanut Butter Cookie, right down to the perfect golden underside, but the scent only lasts 10 seconds in my hair before disappearing completely and leaving softness and impressive manageability for my long mane. My thick waist-length hair acts as a sponge when it comes to different scents so I shouldn't be surprised. My bottle is nearly empty a month later so even with that unfortunate negative of the scent disappearing it's still safe to say this purchase was an absolute winner when it comes to the formula. Next time I'll go with Snickerdoodle or something heavily spiced or fruit laced. Delicious lesson learned. Bath Bomb in Sleepy Time Scent Notes: Lavender, Chamomile and Lily of Valley *a surprise gift with purchase sample Every time I step into my water-filled sanctuary and all my cares float away in a fragrant cloud of vibrant coloured bubbles, I always ask myself "how on earth I have gone this far in life without trying bath bombs?" They are seriously heaven sent and this shop's formula is impressive, very gentle plus long-lasting with the fragrance that is both sweetly herbal and floral. It's another lovely addition to my favourite things in my bath to recommend. *review written in July 2020 I became aware of Folktale Bath Apothecary through a "story" on social media and one peek at their enchanting aesthetic and I knew I had to give them a whirl. I was very fortunate at that time I started delving into their catalogue they offered some lilac scented items and well the rest is history, haha. I ordered on July 11th as a late birthday gift to myself and my parcel shipped the next day and arrived the 22nd from Canada. Everything came in quaint packaging and was even sealed with fitting black wax with their emblem. It pained me to rip the paper and break the seals but the smell of delicate lilacs and seductive pomegranate called from within. I meant to wait for Sunday to indulge but in all honesty, I needed a reason to smile and special boost today so I sliced a portion of the Lilac soap and grabbed the ultra generous sized samples and locked myself away from the world. The following were my overall impressions. ____________________________________________________________ ✒All hair items below were used by themselves with no additional argan oils or detanglers used. I wanted to get the full true effect. ✒For those curious I have thick fine waist-length hair that loves to tangle and knot. I can't think of a more worthy opponent for a hair product, can you? Lilac Blooms Artisan Soap (sweet, delicate scent of lilacs) (Ingredients: Aqua, sodium olivate, sodium cocoate, sodium sunflowerseedate, sodium castorate, parfum, mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxide, manganese violet) The one that tempted me from the corners of the web and I'm over the moon with this soap bar. The scent is what it says on the tin, delicate and beguiling lilacs. When it comes to the formula this bar passed every test I threw at it with flying colours. It was moisturizing, realistically fragrant without being heady (the scent lasted only as long as it took to rinse off) and (probably the most challenging test of them all) it didn't break me out on my face or shoulders. In fact, my face is petal-soft even without my nightly cold cream. I must also mention for the price of the soap bar, the slice is nicely sized and I definitely received my money's worth. It's a lovely swirled floral chunk! Lilac Blooms Luxury Hair Oil (Ingredients: Prunus armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Prunus amygdalus dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Parfum) When it comes to hair oils, this goldilocks is quite picky. I can't abide too greasy or sticky formulas that leaves my tresses looking like I didn't even bother to wash or style my hair and I will instantly regret choosing a brand if I can detect the base oil over the promised fragrance on the bottle. It's an arduous quest but Folktale Bath conjured up some real magic with their hair oil and presented a wonderful balance of hair-loving and effective oil; my locks just drank this formula in and it defined my curls nicely with the promised dainty scent of spring lilacs and still managed to stay soft to the touch when my hair dried. I'm impressed. ____________________________________________________ 🌠The following were found nestled among my purchases, thank you Folktale Bath Apothecary! Blackbird Cottage Artisan Soap (scent: fresh, sweet fig jam and sweet black currants) (Ingredients: Aqua, sodium olivate, sodium cocoate, sodium sunflowerseedate, sodium castorate, parfum, titanium dioxide, tin oxide, iron oxide, carbon) As with the Lilac Blooms bar, the formula is incredible and I greatly appreciate that the soap slice doesn't immediately melt away so they will last quite a while. The scent of Blackbird Cottage I'm still trying to puzzle together, it's sweet and playful with a bit of wicked mysterious edge. I like it but I'm not sure I would purchase a larger bar. Perhaps I'll change my mind in the coming weeks before this shop unveils some Fall scent treats. Solid Shampoo Bar in Villainess (scent: Pomegranate, Warm Vanilla, Sacred Woods) (Ingredients: Sodium Lauryl, Sulfoacetate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl, Betaine, Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Butylene Glycol, Sodium Lactate, Hydrolyzed Silk, DL-Panthenol, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol & Caprylyl Glycol & Sorbic Acid) It's hard to believe I've gone this far in life without trying a shampoo bar but here we are tonight, haha. This sample was the most fragrant of them all as I immediately smelled the dark alluring pomegranate wafting from the paper and something like amber hiding just underneath the tempting fruit. As I said this was a first for me so I learned eventually through my bath and shower that cold water is not as effective as hot warm to get the silky froth going with Villainess. Once I learned that little lesson I immediately felt a positive change under my fingers with the texture of my hair. That feeling only magnified itself as I rinsed, towelled my head and started brushing out my long mane. It's so soft and it did a decent job with aiding in detangling alone (with a lovely aroma of romantic vanilla to top things off). After all that, I went to the ETSY site and started loading up my basket from this charming storefront, but noticed the shampoo bar was missing. Messaging the owner (fabulous customer service by the way; very courteous, knowledgeable and prompt) I was told that the shampoo bars will be restocked in the coming weeks. Good thing because Villainess and me are quite the pair and I feel the need to hoard, haha. I finally found an elegant pomegranate fragrance that brings to mind what Persephone would don. The search is over. Folktale Bath Apothecary |
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28th of January 2023) NOTES/COMBINATIONS and Stones CURRENTLY ON THE HUNT FOR: Naughty Licorice/Star Anise Cardamom Cardamom Cake with Roses Smoky Honey & Leather Leather and Florals Pomegranate Colder Tuberose scents Smoked Florals with Cinnamon and Honey Graham Cracker and Incense Double strand of Rose Quartz or Moonstones or Black Tourmaline Chainmaille Jewellery Houses of Fragrance and Interest on the Horizon (shops that contain such temptations): LurkerAndStrange Good Spirit Wolf Rapt In Maille ToadStoolSoaps DSH Perfume Baphomet&Co Harvest Moon Haven Granny Hootenanny's Shop
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