The Sunday Haul

Hey everyone, Eva here. Lindsay didn't buy anything this week but I think I went a little crazy at Victoria's Secret this week. I made a couple of stops before work and did a little bit of damage each time that just kept adding up. This is the only Victoria's Secret store I like shopping at out of the three I can get to easily because the associate are so freaking friendly and wonderful.

I live in upstate NY but and a NJ native. I often go back to visit and I have had more than a few experiences with snotty associates back home, hence why I probably stayed away from trying VS products. It's unfortunate, but it's true. But this once store, every single time I go in, no matter who is working, they are always so nice and helpful. I'm not a regular at that store, but you can bet I will be.

Also, in a few weeks, I'll be headed back to NJ for a short vacation to see my family and Lindsay! You can most definitely expect for good hauls from us because we are self-proclaimed shopaholics.

Anyway, on to this week's haul!

Eva

I went to Victoria's Secret and did some massive damage.

All of the Fantasies were on sale for 3/$25 or 5/$30, as they almost always are. I got the scent Sparkling Sun (lemon chiffon and sun kissed orchid) from the Beach Dreams Collection in fragrance mist and lotion, as well as Ocean Bloom (ocean breeze and apple blossom) in fragrance mist and lotion. From the Brights collection, I got Love Rush (wild currant and bright lily) in lotion, shower gel, and fragrance mist, as well as Lemon Escape in the eau de toilette and body scrub (I LOVE this scent so much). In the scent Pure Seduction, I got a shower gel and fragrance mist. Then in Love Spell, I got a fragrance mist, lotion, shower gel and scrub.

From the PINK line, I got Sweet & Flirty fragrance mist, Ready To Party fragrance mist, and Wild At Heart body scrub / body wash.

Then Lindsay sent me some presents via my mother, who was in NJ for a few days, and she gave me another Sweet & Flirty mist, which my mother took off my hands, as well as Fresh & Clean fragrance mist and Wild & Breezy fragrance mist.

I also picked up some stuff from Victoria's Secret that I found on a sale table for 75% off that I picked up for Lindsay - Midnight Dare lotion, body wash, and fragrance mist (which was a good guess because she only has it in the body cream and really wanted it). I do believe Midnight Dare went on sale for Semi-Annual but some stores may have some left over. I'm not sure why it isn't discounted online though. I got each piece for $2.50 or $3.00. I also found a fragrance called Berry Kiss and when I saw the notes were raspberry and praline, I knew that had Lindsay's name all over it so I got her a lotion and fragrance mist. I can't even find that one online, so check your local VS clearance section!

By the way, I know I went a little overboard, but I am justifying it because I am taking a huge BBW Semi Annual Sale bag full of unused body products that have been collecting dust to Vera House tomorrow morning before work. If you haven't heard about Vera House and what they do, you can check them out at http://www.verahouse.org/. But in short, they do amazing work for women and families affected by domestic violence in the Syracuse area. So if you are ever looking to clean out your stash, instead of giving it away to family or friends, keep your local women's charities in mind.

If you are in an abusive or harmful relationship, don't endure it, speak out. Get help and keep reaching out until someone listens - you can always go to the police, to a hospital, to a doctor or anyone in a position of authority. There are people out there who care about your health and safety, I promise you, because I know I do. And please, if you know someone in an abusive relationship, don't stay silent or stand idly by and hope someone else takes action. Say something, speak out. You may just be what saves that person's life.

I'll talk to you all tomorrow,

Eva

Eva's Summer Loves: Beautiful Day

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't done a Summer Loves post in a few weeks; it's been hectic around here with work and I prioritize getting new collection info out over doing my regular posts. Oh well! Either way, I'm going to tell you about my second favorite fragrance from Bath and Body Works - Beautiful Day!

Let's start with the notes, shall we?

• Top Notes: Sun-kissed Apple, Dewy Pear, Sparkling Cassis
• Mid Notes: Wild Daisies, Lily of the Valley, Fresh Pink Peony
• Dry Notes: White Peach, Blonde Woods

Straight from the bottle, I was very excited because I love anything with apple and/or pear, and this fragrance definitely has both of these in excess. And then there it is in the mid notes, that awful "lily of the valley" that always turns me off from a fragrances. Good news for me though, because it is virtually nonexistent. There is a complexity to this fragrance from the other two florals (daisies and peonies) that is very complimentary. I don't get a lot of the woodsy-ness, but there is something slightly musky to this which I will contribute to the woods.

On me, this is absolutely fantastic. I pick up the apple and pear and the floral gets accentuated a bit, making it more of a maturing fragrance on me. But thankfully, not so mature that I should maybe be wearing an Elizabeth Arden fragrance! It is very fresh and the fruit isn't as sweet as it is in the bottle so it isn't at all overwhelming. I always get compliments whenever I wear this fragrance no matter where I go.

I give this fragrance a solid 10/10 and two thumbs way up. I just finished up the shower gel I had in this fragrance, but I still have the lotion, fine fragrance mist and super-fruit body scrub. I fully intend on getting another shower gel when it comes out in the new packaging and definitely in the Eau de Toilette. 

To the best of my knowledge, Beautiful Day is going to be around for a while because of its popularity (hopefully becoming permanent!). Beautiful Day is available in stores and online here!

Hey BBW, can you make this in candle form like you do for Twilight Woods or Japanese Cherry Blossom? 

Sincerely, Eva.

Upcoming Collection Information: Amber Blush

Sup y'all! I have some information about the next single fragrance release that Bath & Body Works will put out. The name is Amber Blush, and here's the fragrance story:

"Against a gorgeous backdrop of beautiful mountains, your cozy lodge is an oasis of luxury. Take a deep breath. The crisp mountain air is warmed by a glowing fire. Amber woods are sweetened with brandied apricot and a hint of rich merlot. Soft suede is touched with smooth silk. Surround yourself with supreme comfort and ultimate luxury with our sumptuous new fragrance, inspired by the perfect autumn getaway where rustic meets refined."

The notes are: 

• Amber Woods, Brandied Apricot, Rich Merlot, Raspberry Cordial, Gardenia Petals, Magnolia Blossom, Vanilla Suede, Crystallized Amber

Amber Blush will be available in: body lotion, shower gel, fine fragrance mist, triple moisture cream, shimmer mist, golden sugar scrub, golden shimmer body soufflé, eau du toilette and sheer perfume mist.

Amber Blush launches on September 9th!

It sounds like Amber Blush is going to be a very grown up and complex fragrance! I'm excited! Are you? Tell us in the comments.

Eva.

Lindsay's Top Five Summer Fragrances: VS Pure Seduction

So after acquiring permission from Eva, I have decided to include a Victoria's Secret scent into my top five. I used to wear Pure Seduction all the time in high school and have just recently repurchased it. I love it just as much now as I did then.

The only two notes mentioned are red plum and freesia, but honestly I smell mostly the plum with a small musky undertone. I'm glad to say it stays pretty true on my skin.

I find with a lot of scents recently from BBW, they are either prior scents renamed, or very similar to other scents. But with Victoria's Secret, all of their Fantasy line scents are completely unique!

I currently own it in the fragrance mist, hydrating body lotion and the daily shower gels. It also comes in ultra-moisturizing body and hand cream, deep-softening body butter or smoothing body scrub.

I give it a 10/10. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a fruity summer scent, but does not want anything tropical.

Pure Seduction is a permanent item and is available online here. Anything pique your interest?

That concludes my top five summer series, maybe if I get positive feed back, I will do another in the fall!

Until next time,

Lindsay

The Sunday Haul!

Hello all! So on Sundays Lindsay and I will post what we bought that is body/fragrance related. It may not necessarily be from BBW, but we will try our best to keep you entertained regardless.

Eva:

I ended up picking up a few things at the Semi-Annual Sale at BBW this week, including:

- Two car portable holders, this one that I have named Pingo and another that I can't find online :( It's a blue bird with a purple and white plaid bow.

- Three car portable scent refills; two in Wild Apple and one in Pinecone. Unfortunately, neither of these two are up online so check in stores!

- A deep cleansing soap cover that matches a candle holder I have. This isn't available online either, but it was a brushed steel with birds and flowers. Check for this one in store too because both the candle holder and the soap cover are on sale!

- This super cute cosmetic bag trio that came out with the Italy collection. High quality and very nice. On sale now too!

Then I grabbed a few PINK fragrances from Victoria's Secret. On sale (all the time I think) 2/$25 or 3/$30:

- PINK Pretty & Pure Body Mist

- PINK Sun Kissed Body Mist

- PINK Warm & Cozy Body Mist

Lindsay:

I got a few things from the Victoria's Secret Fantasies line, which were on sale 3/$25 or 5/$30:

- Love Spell Hydrating Body Lotion

- Pure Seduction Hydrating Body Lotion

- Pure Seduction Body Mist

- Vanilla Lace Hydrating Body Lotion

- Amber Romance Hydrating Body Lotion

If you want reviews on anything, leave a note in the comments!

Have a great week, everyone!

- Eva & Lindsay

Free-For-All Friday: Fragrance Fail Edition

Howdy y'all! It's Eva (again), introducing our Friday series called "Free-For-All Friday". What we post on FFAF is going to depend on what Lindsay or I feel like posting that week. Sometimes it might be a comparison review of two or three fragrances, sometimes it might be a fragrance review from a company other than Bath & Body Works, and sometimes (like today) it might be a Fragrance Fail.

For this week's Free-For-All Friday, I'm going to review a fragrance that didn't quite work out for me.

The fragrance in question? Victoria's Secret Sky Bright from the Brights collection.

Credit: victoriassecret.com

Let's get one thing straight for the record; I am NOT bashing Victoria's Secret or their fragrances (because there are quite a few I love...Love Spell or Lemon Escape, anyone?) or even this fragrance. Just telling you that the fragrance didn't work out in my favor. And here's why.

From the VS website: "Get Flirty in Sky Bright, a sunny blend of crisp apple and vibrant poppy".

Straight from the bottle, I really liked the fragrance. The apple is more of a clean "crisp" apple, not entirely clinical, but not at all like a warmer apple note that would be paired with honey or musk. And the poppy is most definitely there too, but is not overwhelming. Liking how it smelled in the bottle very much, I bought this fragrance in a body mist, body lotion, and the combination body wash/scrub. Happily ever after?

I think not.

I hadn't tried out the lotion or the body wash, just the body mist. I put it on one morning before school but quickly realized that I couldn't leave the house smelling like that. I don't know what happened to all the apple from the fragrance but it most definitely did not make it to my skin. Instead, I was left with strictly all the poppy from Sky Bright, only it turned very, very sour on me. So sour, it was like the floral arrangement that the late-for-anniversary-dinner-my-wife-is-going-to-kill-me-guy bought at the last minute and had neglected to smell first. Which is exactly what I forgot to do. I didn't try it before I bought it and ended up spending $25 on a fragrance that did me wrong. It isn't a total loss because I am going to gift it to a friend who will probably smell much better in this scent than I do!

The thing with fragrance that took me a long time to learn is that the way a fragrance smells in the bottle is not always how it will smell on you. Your body chemistry and natural scent mixes in with the elements of the fragrance you are wearing and can either compliment you...or make you smell like a dying sea monster. I was surprised that Sky Bright didn't pick up well on me (shocked, really) because absolutely anything with any kind of apple note (apple, apple blossoms, apple whatever) pick up on me extremely well. Why this one didn't, the world may never know.

This sounds like common sense to me now (and probably most of you) but I don't always follow that rule and end up making mistakes. It's okay to make mistakes though. That's how we learn. And sometimes, we just need a gentle reminder.

Overall, in the bottle, I give this fragrance a 6 out of 10. It's crisp, clean and fresh without making you smell like a fresh load of laundry or a funerary arrangement. I recommend that you go and give it a sniff  if you happen to like scents along the line of fresh and slightly fruity. Sky Bright is still available at Victoria's Secret stores and here.

Until next time, my friends,

Eva.

Sale Alert: $5 Fresh Picked Body Care!

Hey all! For today only, all body care in the Fresh Picked line is $5! If you shop online, you don't need a code. If you go to get it in stores, the code is 9336.

Happy shopping!

Eva.