Makeup Review - Bath and Body Review: Aqua Blossom

Aqua Blossom is another Etsy vendor I found through Heartsy.  For $10, I received $31 worth of store credit.  Again, if you like trying new things, Heartsy is the way to go.

Aqua Blossom sells mineral eye shadow, body scrubs, lip balms, and body butter.  The store really doesn't have any fancy advertising or catchy slogans.  The shop owner, Ashley, simply states that she is a mother of two who started making her own bath products with her children in mind.  She wanted products that did not contain harsh chemicals or ingredients.

I purchased the following:

• Mini Scrub Sampler - Choose 3 (2 ounce) jars of body scrub. I chose Butterbeer, Mojito and Orange Creme Cupcake
• Pick Any Five (5 ounce jars) of mineral shadow in Anemone, Sea Monster, Atomic Blueberry, Supernova and Oh My Darlin
• Whipped Shea Butter (4 ounces) in Caramel Apple

Packaging:

Turn around time was above average.  I ordered on September 12th and received my items on September 19th.  The owner contacted me at every step even notifying me that she was waiting on some minerals for one of the colors I ordered and that it may be delayed a few days.  There was definitely some excellent service being provided.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed, but not angry, at the packaging.  My items arrived in a bubble mailer that had been folded over and sealed with tape because the mailer was too large.  I receive these items at work, so I apologize for not taking pictures.  I'm not too picky about that.  What I am picky about is that was the only protection.  Normally, when I order mineral makeup and bath products in the same order, the packer generously separates the items in either cellophane bags or more bubble wrap, or both.  The reasoning?  Body butters and body scrubs contain oily ingredients.  The lids, even when secured with shrink wrap, can leak.  When I opened the envelope, all of the mineral shadows had loose lids and two had leaked minerals inside the bag.  It wasn't too bad, but disappointing.  In addition, the mineral pots were not shrink wrapped/sealed.  The only protection from leaking was a circle sticker on the inside.  Here, you can see that a third sticker almost popped off.  To add to things, all the items were a bit greasy.  One of the body scrubs melted a little bit and some of that syrup oozed out just enough to make all the containers a bit oily.  Having those enclosed in some kind bag, heck, even a sandwich bag, would have been nice.

The Verdict: Aqua Blossom Mineral Shadows

These are your standard mineral shadows.  There really isn't anything bad about them.  I wore Sea Monster to work today over Two Faced's Glitter Glue and it has held up pretty nicely.

As you can see by my picture, the jars took a beating.  You can see that Sea Monster (the green) and Oh My Darlin (the orange) had leaked.  The black lids are all scratched.  Not anything to be mad about, but I would like to see more care put into the packaging.

Here is the Aqua Blossom swatch over Two Faced's Glitter Glue.  All very pretty colors.  They are more shimmery than I thought they would be.  I was almost under the impression that these minerals might be more flat from their pictures.  You can definitely see sparkle, but a very understated sparkle.  This would be a lovely entry product for women who want some sparkle but not in-your-face glitter.  USE PRIMER or a BASE.

Overall, I was "satisfied" with the mineral shadows.  Will I purchase again?  I'm on the fence.  I really do love the colors.  I will just have to see if those colors are colors I can't live without.  So far, I love Sea Monster and Atomic Blueberry.  Would I recommend them?  I don't think someone who has more pigmented/sparkly makeup would enjoy this.  If I had to choose between Aqua Blossom and Facebomb - I would go with Facebomb because they have more pigmented/glittery minerals.  Definitely a personal preference and not a knock on Aqua Blossom.  I would recommend them to a friend that is afraid of too much bling.  Aqua Blossom is more shimmery.

These products are more for the person who wants fun makeup that doesn't come with the price tag.  They are reasonably priced, apply well and wear well, BUT I think these are more for a person that wants to try a more bold look.  I don't think it would be a product for someone who already has a collection of in-your-face colors.  I hope that makes sense.  This is entry level minerals.  There is nothing wrong with that.  They are fun and I will have fun playing with them.

The Verdict: Aqua Blossom Body Butter

I ordered the body butter in Caramel Apple.  When I took the lid off, the scent almost made me drool, but unfortunately, that is where the scent ended.  I applied some to my arms immediately and the scent turned into a faded memory.  I could still smell it, but only when I literally smashed my nose into it.  In comparison to other vendors I have tried in the past, the scent just didn't last.  As for the actual product, it was hydrating and did it's job.  It is super greasy, though.  It is, after all, a body BUTTER.  I recommend using it before bed so it has time to soak in your skin.  

Would I purchase this again?  Even though the scent length didn't live up to my expectations, I probably will purchase this again.  It is a good price and an awesome gift for a friend that may not like the lingering scent.  Not all of us want to smell like a caramel apple all day, however, I AM the person that wants to smell like the product I just smeared all over myself. Do I recommend it?  Yes, I recommend this product to people who want the benefits of the body butter, but maybe not the lingering, over powering scent.

The Verdict: Aqua Blossom Body Scrubs

I have only tried one of my body scrubs.  I opened my Orange Cream Cupcake.  Again, when you open the container, you receive a rush of scent.  In the shower, you are surrounded by this wonderful citrus smell.  The exfoliating power on this stuff is awesome.  The downside?  I walked out of shower, patted myself dry and barely smelled of orange cream cupcake.  I can't really knock the product for that.  I don't think I've tried a sugar scrub that actually has a scent that lingers.  It was faint.  My husband couldn't smell until he smashed his nose into my arm.

Would I recommend it?  Yes.  This is a perfect gift.  It is a wonderful exfoliant.  Would I purchase it again.  Maybe.  There is an emulsifying scrub made by One Hand That Washes the Other that is more up my alley, but I can still think of plenty of uses for this body scrub.

Overall, in my opinion, Aqua Blossom has potential.  I would definitely recommend this store for Christmas gifts for a teen/young woman.  I contacted the owner and let her know of my shipping mishaps and she immediately responded with an offer to replace any leaked items and admitted she wasn't happy with her recent stock of mineral shadow containers.  She took all my suggestions well and that always makes me happy.  I did NOT request replacements.  I told her I just wanted to let her know a few things other shops do to ensure that other products don't taint each other.  The prices are reasonable, the customer service was good and overall, a good Etsy shop.