In the Pursuit of Fabulous: Review of Black Violet

Hello Lovelies!
   I am back again today and this time I am doing my first ever bath/scent beauty blog review from a lovely indie company called Black Violet. I am a HUGE bath and scent junkie and I love reveling in both. Mr Dreadful is often like a shark at times circling around any new bath goodies to see what he can snatch and take off to enjoy before I notice and then often reemerges from the bathroom smelling like my new goodies. But thankfully, I managed to open my goody package from Black Violet before he came home from work or else it may have been carried away only for me to try it after him.  Now I had heard the name Black Violet in the indie group that I frequent and from there I made my way over to her website to gaze at the amazing goodness that lay upon its' various pages.
    Black Violet specializes in bath and scents and I know that some people are often very hesitant to purchase scent items on the internet since you really don't have the option to try them to see what it actually smells like. The owner has done a wonderful job and has a true talent for describing scents in her scent library but I was still torn with all of choice possibilities so I messaged the owner, Leilani and asked her what scents were the most popular and what she would recommend. She was so wonderful and answered all of my questions. So after her email, I finally decided on what to get for my order. I picked out her body butter, which was one original items that peaked my interest in her company in the first place, two pick your potions and a perfume balm. After about two weeks this lovely amazing smelling packaged arrived at my door.

All of my goodies!

Extra goodies as well! A lovely handwritten note, a sample of Lilikoi body butter, a sample of Ice Queen in her old pick your potions size jars, some awesome candies and of course a business card.

    I immediately tore into the lovely black and purple packaging to revel in all of the scents! Her body butter which comes in 4 oz jar , which I ordered in Lemondrop,  is a lovely light vanilla lemony scent which isn't too heavy or overpowering and immediately melted into my super dry skin without a heavy or greasy feeling. Lilikoi was the free body butter sample that came with my order and is described as, "Fantasy is witnessing the unique phases of a Hawaiian passion fruit flower. As the striking flower closes, it transforms into a sweet lilikoi fruit- creating a fragrance beyond imagination." The scent is  perfect balance of flowery, fruity and sweet intermingled in a light scent that doesn't overpower the body if used all over. I immediately regretted not buying more body butters and wishing it came in bath tub sized jars so that I could swim in it.

Body Butter in Lemondrop starting at $8.00

Sealed

Opened with all the heavenly body butter scrapped off the seal

     Then I turned my attention to the two pick your potions that I had chosen which came in 1 dram sizes. Cathedral is described on the site as "rays of light beaming through stained glass, a carved canopy of rosewood and frankincense & myrrh." It is a slightly musky scent which I enjoy with a hint of rosewood mingled with the frankincense & myrrh. Super sultry and sexy! Next, I turned my attention to Red Lotus which is described by Black Violet as "with vermilion red beauty & hairlike spines, rambutans are unforgettable fruits from Southeast Asia which bring a tart aroma. Exotic lychee radiates a sweet note thru red rooibos tea. Red Lotus is complete with floating lilies and wild geranium".  I don't think that I could describe it better than what the site says however would say that its' light sweet, flowery fruity scent that is perfect for hot summer nights. Ice queen was the free sample which is described as ,"snow capped mountains, heliotrop, juniper berry, water lily, sandalwood, vetiver and a mist swept form the sea." I would say that is a light airy scent with a hint of flowers and berries. Another light and wonderful summer night favorite.  Both Cathedral and Red Lotus are limited edition much to my dismay since I want them to stay forever so you may want to head over and order before these two scents are gone forever!  

My two pick your potions :Cathedral and Red Lotus check out the lovely bag they came in! Starting at $5.50

    The perfume balms captured my attention next. I love applying scents however it is always disappointing when later on in the day they fade away and normally you can't reapply them without dragging a bottle which sometimes isn't always the best option. The perfume balms are the perfect answer for that issue. They are slim, discrete, durable and portable and great to throw in your purse to touch up your scent any time you need to. I originally order Sea Goddess for my perfume balm which is described as "Tropical waters, trade winds & ti leaves braided with orange blossoms. " It is a light and delicate flowery airy scent which makes me think of a lovely deserted tropical island.  The free perfume balm, Affagato is described as "buttery vanilla drowned in espresso, burnt sugar and a drizzle of amaretto liqueur." Normally I wouldn't have picked out a coffee based perfume since I am not a coffee drinker but  I was pleasantly surprised with how amazing this perfume smelled. It doesn't have a heavy overpowering coffee scent like I expected the mingling of sugar and vanilla and hint of amaretto balance  the scent out and create a wonderful scent that I have worn on many occasions.

I received only only my order of Sea Goddess perfume balm but a free balm in Affogato from a special that was going on her Facebook page!

Perfume balm in Sea Goddess starting at $6.00

Extra free goodies are always a happy bonus!

 Now finally on to the ratings!


Formula/ Scent Pay Off  - 9.8 out of 10 bats
   I have to say that not only am I super impressed with the amazing scents that Leilani has created with her amazing scent gallery I think that she has done a wonderful  job in describing them on the website. Her perfume balms are a nice combination of both firm and glide on with ease applying just the right amount of scent and not leaving a greasy trail after. All of the scents that I picked up were extremely well blended and nothing was overpowering even with first applying like some scents are. Finally if it wasn't obvious, I am in love with her body butter! The formula isn't heavy or greasy feeling like a lot of the body butters I have tried and it simply melts into my dry skin. A little goes a LONG way and leaves it moisturized and smooth for hours.

Affordability -9.5 out of 10 bats
   I have to say that I am extremely pleased with the prices of these amazing products. Originally I will admit that I was hesitant for spending eight dollars on body butter for a 4 oz jar but I had heard so many good things I decided to take the plunge and I was NOT disappointed especially with the fact that I use about what I would use normally in order to achieve the same results.

Shipping/ Turn Around Time -9 out of 10 bats
   As I mentioned earlier that it took about two from when my order was placed until these lovely goodies were in my hot little hands which I have to say is excellent especially for being completely handmade!

Customer Service- 9.8 out of 10 bats
   I am super pleased and impressed with my interactions with Leilani  from Black Violet. Not only was she kind and sweet in answering all of my questions about everything, she went above and beyond for keeping me up to date about my package. Thank you so much again Lelani!

Overall -9.8 out of 10 bats
   Needless to say I am in LOVE with Black Violet's products, no only has she created some amazing scent masterpieces but her body butter is simply amazing! Everything from the formula/ scent pay off, affordability, shipping/ turn around time and customer service were nothing less that fantastic. The only thing that I regret is not buying more things and having a bigger beauty budget however I will be back to order more from her in the future and you should too!

Until next time lovelies!

In the Pursuit of Fabulous: Vapid Lacquer Review!

Hello again lovelies!
   I am back this time with my first ever actual polish review! Recently I have been delving into the vast world of indie polishes. I will freely admit that as a beginner it was a bit overwhelming with various terms such as jelly and crelly, holos and thermals, I was a bit lost at the beginning. So, I did what any beginner would do and looked for an awesome polish to slather on my nails, definition be damned! By sheer dumb luck I managed to stumble across an awesome indie shop called Vapid Lacquer. I was enchanted with all the nail pretties on her page and seduced by the sale that was going on that I broke down and bought not one but two amazing polishes.

First up is the gorgeous Grape Stomp. Seriously take a look at it and just gaze into the purple holographic abyss....

Grape Stomp from Vapid Lacquer..look at all that holo goodness! 

  Now, that you have drooled and oohed and ahhed over it (cause I know I did after painting my nails with it for the first time) it is described as a vivid purple jelly that is packed with linear holo. While I do have to say that this description hits the nail right on the head, I am going to have add some more colorful adjectives to my own description. This bright medium purple nail polish isn't just packed with holo it is EXPLODING with it! It is billion of little stars were sprinkled on my nails every time the light hit it. I was entranced and bewitched with not only the color but the staying power as well.

Now on the the second color...Delusional

While this isn't the best mani photo ever I wanted to post it due to the holo capture and the fact that this is polish after 5 DAYS!

Now the site has it listed an olive to violet/blue shift with a linear holo that makes you think twice of what color you actually have on your nails. This is a true chameleon color. It constantly changes color depending on the light and and the holo makes it just looks like a universe on my finger tips.  I couldn't decide on what color it really was but it was just an explosion of of sparkles!

Enough yammering and on with my review...

Color/ Finish Variety- 9 out of 10 bats

    I have to say that Vapid Lacquer has a really nice variety of color and finishes in her shop. She not only has a nice variety of colors from lighter more pastel colors to the darker vampy colors that I love to slather on my nails.

Application & Formula- 9 out of 10 bats

  Both polish had a great formula that wasn't too thin or too thick. They were easy to apply to no major issues and both polishes too 2-3 coats for full opacity.

Staying Power/ Durability-10 out of 10 bats

  If you have read my reviews before you know that getting a 10 out of 10 for something is something that RARELY happens since I am such a stickler for it. I think that giving constant 10 out of 10s takes away from the awesomeness that it takes to achieve what I think is perfection. I won't lie I am horribly hard on my nails. I have three kids so that means I am a CONSTANTLY doing dishes and laundry and everything else under the sun. This polish lasts and lasts and lasts. The photo of Delusional is after 5 DAYS. Yes, that is right, polish that normally doesn't last more than 2- 3 days without chipping (with a base coat and a top coat ) on me. This one lasted a full week. Color me impressed.

Affordability- 9 out of 10 bats

   When I first dived head long into the world of indie polish I will say that I was both shocked and surprised at the price. These are run of the mill polishes that you are going to find at your local Walmart for 1.99. Don't get me wrong, I am on a tight budget just like everyone else so I have to spend my dollars wisely. While 5-10 dollar polishes are a bit pricey for your budget, Vapid Lacquer does tons of flash sales and regular sales throughout the month were you can spend without crying into your empty wallet later. 

Customer Service- 9.5 out of 10 bats

   Vapid Lacquer also has superior customer service. I pre ordered a bottle of her "Shattered Rainbows" polish (look for that review in the next week or so) and she was a dream to deal with. She answered my questions about it and really impressed me with her knowledge and professionalism. 

Shipping/ Turn Around Time- 9 out of 10 bats

   While I don't know if this is a big issue for polishes but I do know that it is a rather big deal for ordering makeup so that is why I included this rating. Her shipping and turn around time were fantastic. If I remember correctly it look a little over a week for these lovely bottles to be packaged up securely and in my hot little hands. 

Overall- 9.5 out of 10 bats

    Overall I have to say that I am really in love with Vapid Lacquer, not only does she create some really incredible polishes that make me ohh and ahh like a little kid when staring at my nails she is the utmost professional with handling orders, questions and processing them and getting these lovely polishes in my greedy little hands. I wouldn't hesitate to order from her again (and I have in fact and I plan to again soon..and perhaps next time I will try some of her lovely soap). So be sure to check out Vapid Lacquer . You won't be disappointed. 

Until Next Time lovelies!