Smell This: A Zaftig Woman (AZW) Perfume Body Sprays and Triple Scented Soy Tarts

If you are a frequenter of online beauty paradise Makeupalley, you may be aware of the bottomless wealth of information that is on that website. Not only do they have the biggest collection of reviews on beauty products, they have forums dedicated to the many spectrums of beauty & cosmetics. Say you have a beauty question you need an answer to THIS MINUTE, simply post your question in the related forum and within seconds, you are provided with answers from expert beauty junkies.

My most recent MUA addiction is the bath & body forum. There’s a very interesting phenomenon happening there. Fragrance enthusiasts buy amazingly scented bath & body products from these online shops that specialize in all things scented. When their order arrives, they describe each scent in detail. I’m addicted to reading these scents descriptions. You don’t have to read much to figure out that A Zaftig Woman is the forum favorite. This shop is known for its delightful body puddings, maximum scented soy tarts and a scent menu of over 300 scents. This is way beyond Demeter, my friend. If you desire to smell like Lemon Buko Pie, Lemon Buko Pie you shall smell. So you’re sick of run-of-the-mills room fragrance from your local Yankee Candle Company, perhaps you need a Soy Tart in Cinnamon Doughnut, Strawberry Colada or Mexican Cocoa.

After reading these captivating scent descriptions and raving reviews about AZW, you can imagine my excitement when I was given an opportunity by AZW to try their scents. I’ve been on a fragrance kick lately and couldn’t have been happier to peruse their insanely large scent menu and choose my choice scents. To be completely honest, I wanted to smell like everything on the menu. Her scents sound amazing on their own but I was most excited about layering them with each other and with my signature scent to customize a scent that is all my own. Here are the scents I received; I will list the menu description and my impression of each scent.

Perfume Body Spray:

Tupelo Honey: This is an amazingly pure honey scent. No floral notes, no fruity overtones, and no spices. Only sweet, pure, rich amber honey, with nothing else blended into it.

This scent starts off very powdery on my skin but after a few hours it does mellow out to a true sweet honey scent.

Ooh La La Vanilla: AZW exclusive. I blended this for myself and received so many compliments that I had to add it. A special Spirituese/Tihota blend that is a delight for the senses!

This is absolutely delicious! True to its name, this vanilla is not boring at all. This would a great for those who love vanilla scents but is looking for a bit of oomph. I can’t pinpoint the note that makes this vanilla scent different; that’s what makes it interesting.

Yuzu: Yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit very much like a grapefruit, but with an even sweeter aroma. Perfect for spring & summer!

This is one of my favorites of the bunch. This is the most intriguing citrus scents I’ve ever smelled. It’s clean, fresh and sweet at the same time. My mouth waters just thinking about it.

Indian Rice Pudding: AZW exclusive. A very comforting blend of creamy rice pudding infused with rose petals.

How do you resist a name like that? I love Rice Pudding so I just HAD to know how this smelled like. It smells just as the description suggests: rice pudding + rose petals. I would be really interested in knowing how the rice pudding scent smells like on its own. I love the scent of rose water so this is right up my alley.

Fluffy Pink Blanket: AZW exclusive. A delightfully warm baby fresh scent with a pink sugar note.

I heard ladies rave about this scent even before I received my package. It’s not a favorite for me though because I can’t stand the smell of baby powder unless it’s on a baby. If you love baby powder, this would be the perfect scent for you; the pink sugar note really makes the scent into a more complex, feminine scent as opposed to straight-up googoo gaga. So yes, I can see why ladies on Makeupalley are raving about this.

Ginger Milk: A delicious infusion of luscious ginger, nutmeg and allspice blended with creamy milk. This is a silky smooth scent with hints of exotic musk and sandalwood.

If I could revise a scent, I would love to take out all the extra notes from this. I love ginger scents and I love milk scents. Having those 2 notes blend exclusively with be amazing. And yes, I believe if you ask, AZW would be happy to customize any scent. They can even adjust the scent level to your liking. The neatest thing: the labels can even be customized with Braille with no additional cost. I have to mention though, this scent irritated my skin (this is the only one I had a reaction to). If you'd like to try this scent, ask for it in a lower fragrance level. This is working nicely as a room fragrance; 1 or 2 sprays are all you need to scent the room.

Triple Scented Soy Tarts: I am absolutely AMAZED by their Soy Tarts. I love the fact that they don’t use any paraffin in their candles and tarts; they are made to be biodegradeable and long-lasting with soybeans farmed right here in the USA. And the price is so right at $1.25 a pop. I’ve been using these in my truck and I think they make the most amazing car scent. The Soy Tarts heat up perfectly inside the car and even when it’s cold, the Soy Tarts still have amazing throw. I’ve been taking lots of deep breaths in my truck lately. The following are the ones I’ve tried so far:

Coconut Chocolate Marjolaine: AZW exclusive. Layers of soft coconut meringue alternate with a dark chocolate and rum ganache filling.

This is soooooo good. Chocolate and Coconut goodness with something extra thrown in to make it more interesting.

Orange Cupcake: Sweet oranges and creamy vanilla cake batter. Best Seller!

This is a favorite of mine. It’s the perfect combination of orange and cake. The scent is so true, my mouth literally water when I smell this!

Hawaiian Sweet Bread: Fresh bread with hints of sweet pineapple and sugar.

Yum! Pineapple is definitely the dominant scent here but there’s a bit of gourmand in there too to make it more than just a pineapple scent.

Shopping tip: Before you get yourself mesmerized by the AZW scent menu, sign up for their email newsletter for a 10% off promo code. Once you’re ready to choose your scents, you’ll have a 10% off coupon ready to be used. Happy shopping!

Beauty Myth-busting: Shrinking Pores?

If you’ve ever read on bottles of potions claiming to shrink pores, it’s marketing fluff. Pores will not reduce in size, period. You can, however, minimize the appearance of large pores. Stay away from silicone-filled primers (if the finish of the product feels smooth, velvety and “coated”, it has some type of silicone). It’ll look pretty for now, but the silicone will build up in your pores over time. Once the residue oxidizes with dead skin cells, it will appear dark, resulting in blackheads. Using a good mineral foundation can be beneficial (my fave is Mineral Basics Complete Cover Concealer). When your skin appears flawless, you’ll be less inclined to fuss over the pores. Less fuss equals less picking at your skin, which results in healthier skin. A good mineral powder will also protect your skin from environmental elements.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, keeping your skin hydrated from the inside-out is the key to having smaller-looking pores- drink at least 8 glasses of water each day and try eating flaxseed or flaxseed oil daily. Our pores become overactive with producing oil when skin is dehydrated. Keeping skin hydrated and nourished from the inside out improves the condition of your skin over time, resulting in less overactive pores. Also, keep in mind that pores are there for a reason, they play a vital part in relieving our skin of toxins in our body. There’s no need to wear an “oil-controlling” or “pore-minimizing” lotion during the night; allow your pores to expel impurities while you sleep.