Really a place to put my thoughts on various products, if only so I don't accidentally repurchase things I don't like. Thanks to the internet and wonky skin that commercial products just couldn't satisfy, I've become a bath and body junkie, and most of what's on here will reflect that *blush*
Shinies
birdzNbeez on Etsy
The two pendants I bought from birdzNbeez I adore (holy crow, in 2008), particularly The Book of Spells. The metal is good enough quality that my sensitive skin doesn't go QM$V)$Q# until the end of the day. I will say there is a distinctly metallic smell to them (at least the ones I bought), particularly if they've been resting against warm skin. However, it's not overpowering, and putting it on top of clothing helps. I prefer to actually slightly enhance it though and wear BPAL'S CC: Male, which works with the metallic and smells sort of glorious.
Thyme2dream on Etsy
'Fairy Elven Jewelry.' I'm honestly not sure what else needs to be said. Well, okay: they are very reasonably priced, quality is great. I will say with much sadness that I am not shaped for such fanciful earcuffs :( But I will keep staring longingly.
Clothing
blah
Smell-Goods
Blooddrop Clothing & Fineries on Blooddrop.com, Etsy, and Scent Addict
(special lines there, along with some of the limited editions once
offered on the other two sites). Interact with her and other fans on Livejournal.
I
adore Astrid, her perfumes, and those beautiful corsets she makes. She
is absolutely wonderful to work with, very flexible, very quick to
respond, and just generally fun. Also, turnaround time is wicked fast. As far as her perfumes, they are good
quality, and have some interesting scents. As with all perfume that
isn't alcohol-based, it varies from person to person, so while I
definitely can't wear all of her items, those that I do, I love. Also,
hit ratio is much higher than BPAL's, though that is a skin chemistry
thing and nothing to do with the company. I do not have the pleasure of
owning one of her corsets myself (yet!), but I've played with one and it
was...slightly divine.
Loreto on Etsy
I don't dislike or like anything (in the vial) I've sampled from Loreto, but that's only been seven or eight items. :( They tend to go acrid once they hit my skin though.
Easy to talk to and work with though. At the time I was getting my samples, Loreto was offering this really intense make-your-own scent. You could either choose your own scents or fill out this long, detailed survey and she'd make something that she felt reflected you.
Bath and Body
Blooddrop Clothing & Fineries on Blooddrop.com, Etsy, and Scent Addict
(see the whole list under Smell-Goods)
I've tried Astrid's lotions (no longer available), bath soaks (Etsy), Kiss Kiss (lip balm), washing creams, and sugar scrubs....and I have to say, I'm hooked on them all and watching in horror as my lotion stash dwindles. ._. They keep me soft and smelling good.
These don't have a category here, but Astrid also offers room sprays. They definitely work, though the smell tends to vanish relatively quickly, but I'm not quite as fond of them as I am of BPTP's.
DressGreen on Etsy
Their Pomegranate Juice shampoo bar smells glorious. It stays in your hair post-shower, and just...yum. My hair is too dry for them though, even with additional conditioner :( Also, this is not for people (like me) who just want to wash and go. Because it's a natural bar shampoo, it doesn't have the chemicals that strip the soap build-up off your hair, so you need to do that yourself with a vinegar rinse once or so a week. Actually, when I was trying it out, I didn't mind at all. But after six weeks and my hair still hadn't adjusted, I figured it was me again ~_~
Good customer service :)
GudonyaToo on Etsy, and can be found at a few e-tailers' sites as well
Hrm. I...am not overly fond of their salt shampoos, but my scalp is dry and finicky, and this exacerbated the problem. Your hair certainly squeaks after all is said and done, but I feel...stripped. Mayan Gold was more masculine than I anticipated (and I like my masculine stuff), and the smell of the salt reminded me of Galveston x_x.
Their customer service leaves a lot to be desired. Two of my messages went weeks without being answered, even while they were listing items, and their responses when they finally came were clipped and unhelpful.
