More OHWTO Buys | One Hand Washes the Other

I've ordered a slew of products from One Hand Washes the Other in the past few months, so it will take a few posts to get caught up. As I type this, I have yet another order en route to my home. :}

The following products were purchased back in September, based on some of my favorites from the past and also recommendations from friends.

My order consisted of two 2-oz amber bottles of Snake Oil {Snayk Oyle} in All the Fires and Oceanside, and four solid scents in Oceanside, Beach, All the Fires and Exhume. Two sample solid scents were included as freebies: Buttella {a play on everyone's favorite hazelnut spread - smells identical to it!} and I Smell Like a Witch.

All the Fires was a scent I received as a free sample earlier this year, and fell in love with it instantly. It has become my absolute favorite private stock scent from OHWTO. Unfortunately, it was released as a new summer fragrance for 2012, and is currently out of stock/out of season. I'm not sure if it will be restocked at any point in the future, though I seem to remember reading that it wouldn't be returning. So, I picked up a bunch of products in that scent just in case, which are on their way to me now. Anyway, I was able to find the description of All the Fires:

All the Fires: All of 'em. Green Tea, Squash Blossoms, Tomato plants, sweet Osmanthus, tangy Kumquat, Valencia Oranges, Vetivert, and the memory of a Wasabi burn.

This scent is truly amazing. I can't even begin to describe it, as it smells like pure perfection on my skin. I've never smelled anything like it before, and I doubt I ever will. Out of all the private stock scents at OHWTO, I would call this one my "signature scent." And now I'm to the point of hoarding everything in that scent that I can afford. :}

I also picked up Oceanside in both the Snake Oil and the solid scent, based on a recommendation from some super ladies.

Oceanside: "Oh, if I could only coax you overboard, to leave these lulling shores, to get you oceanside"... Inspired by everything ocean-y, most especially my little home by the seaside salt marsh. A cool Ocean breeze, Monoi de Tahiti, Beach grass, Sea moss, Tuberose, an oversized white Linen shirt, and Rockrose and Mimosa blossoms. Gorgeous.

I believe the description of this scent is quite accurate to what I smell when it's on my skin. I personally detect the tuberose note immediately, though it does blend nicely with the rest of the elements to create a nice, smooth fragrance. Oceanside is another Summer 2012 private stock scent that is no longer available. I'm sorry to present so many products that are unavailable — but on the chance that anything does come back next year, it's nice to have documented everything.

The four solid scents I ordered include All the Fires and Oceanside, as well as Beach and Exhume.

Beach: Smells like a day at the beach, the main scent being Coppertone suntan lotion (really!!). I got it to use in soaps and scents for those nasty cold days in February where all you want to do is escape the cold and lay out on the sand, it's one of those "take me to summer RIGHT NOW" scents :)

Exhume: The last olfactory impression one might experience before committing fully to the sweet release provided by Death; sealed inside a casket, buried in the Earth's embrace. Church incense, White spices, nutmeg, cardamom... Peru Balsam, Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Sugar... and a lone white rose laid across your hands to carry you into eternity.

Beach is a stock fragrance, while Exhume is an original private stock fragrance that many people have recommended. Both scents are available at this time. Beach smells just like you would imagine based on the description. Exhume is extremely complicated and impossible to accurately interpret based on my own perception of the scent, so I can only suggest trying it out yourself.

OHWTO has Winter 2012 scents available now — I'm really eying up Not Your Grandma's Fruitcake, which is described as "It's not, it's really not! Unless your grandma's from the tropics and throws holiday convention to the wind, anyway. A scent made to whisk you from the frozen tundra straight to the Caribbean- Jackfruit, Acai, Sliced Fruit, Pluots, Passionfruit, Banana, Sugar, Coconut Milk, and Nectarines." You can see all of the returning and new winter fragrances {here}. Are there any new scents you plan to purchase this winter, or any other OHWTO favorites to mention?

Stay Fabulous!

One Hand Washes the Other: Review

I've been using OHWTO products for months already, so this review/spotlight is long overdue. Becca, the owner of OHWTO, makes fantastic perfumes, bath/body products, facial cleansing products and more. I have yet to try something from OHWTO that I don't love.

:::  THE SPECS  :::

For this particular order, I purchased the following:

:::  Black Magic Breakaway Bar
:::  (4) Black Magic Sample Bars
:::  Black Magic Bar Soap
:::  Coconut Lip Butter
:::  Fresh Snow Solid Scent
:::  Carnivale Solid Scent

I also received free solid scent samples of Pasticceria and Besos del Sol.

Shipping was $6.25 but I was refunded the overage once postage was paid for, which is really great customer service. Her stated TAT is usually around 14-24 business {working} days, and I've never had it go over the TAT. She also keeps customers up-to-date with shipping timeframes, order details and sale announcements via Facebook, so I always felt very confident when ordering from OHWTO. The products themselves are pristine and high-quality, with so many unique fragrances to choose from.

:::  THE PICTURES  :::

{All of the goodies!}

{The free samples + business card}

{Black Magic Breakaway Bar}

{Black Magic Soap Bar}

{Black Magic Soap Bar — love the Celtic knot design}

{Black Magic Sample Bar — cute little flowers!}

{Fresh Snow and Carnivale solid scents, Coconut Lip Butter}

:::  THE OPINIONS  :::

Black Magic soap is to-die-for. It has really worked miracles for my complexion, reduced my random breakouts and evened out my skin tone. I purchased the small sample flowers for traveling, as well as a future blog giveaway. I keep them in the little baggie and they're perfect for a weekend away. I also have a large bar of Black Magic that I ordered previously, which has lasted about four months so far and isn't even half gone yet. It's in great condition and still works like a charm, so the Black Magic formula is obviously well-made and dependable.

For those who don't know about Black Magic soap, here's the info presented on the OHWTO website {taken directly from the site}:

Black Magic is my facial soap of choice. I haven't used anything else for years now and my face is STILL loving it! It's absolutely LOADED with ingredients long-used for toning and clarifying the skin: Tea Tree Oil, Peppermint Essential Oil, Grapefruit Essential Oil, Lemongrass Essential Oil, Rosemary Essential Oil, Vitamin E, Glycerin, French Green Clay, and Activated Charcoal. In addition, the soap is made after I HAND-INFUSE the base {and then filter it} with heaps and heaps of healing Calendula petals — you won't find another soap like this anywhere!

Now, you can go ahead and Google these skin-loving additives and see for yourself what their benefits are and how people use them {I encourage EVERYONE to do their own research and come to their own educated conclusions}, but I've compiled a list of snippets found via Google here in one place for your convenience:

- Tea Tree Oil: antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral, fungicide, antiseptic; it's believed to heal wounds quicker and protect them from infections, as well as help neutralize the scar marks and after-spots left by eruptions, boils, pox, acne, etc.
- Peppermint Essential Oil: Contains Menthol, which gives a cooling effect. It nourishes dull skin and improves oily skin.
- Grapefruit Essential Oil: an antioxidant, antiseptic, disinfectant; it's said it keeps the skin clean and is particularly good for treating oily skin and acne.
- French Green Clay: very absorbent, and literally drinks oils, toxic substances, and impurities from your skin. Its toning action stimulates the skin by bringing fresh blood to damaged skin cells, revitalizing the complexion, and tightening pores.
- Calendula: has a long history of use as a wound-healing and skin-soothing botanical. It has impressive healing powers, and can clear up many different types of skin problems.
- Vitamin E: helps skin look younger by reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
- Activated Charcoal: has the ability to attract other substances to its surface and hold them there. This is called "adsorpotion" {not absorption}. Charcoal can adsorb thousands of times its own weight in harmful substances.
- Glycerin: aids in preventing breakouts and keeping pores clear. It also can speed healing of present acne lesions. It is not inflammatory and will not irritate skin like many other products with harsh chemical ingredients. 


Now, this is what these ingredients are traditionally used for and believed to do for your skin; I'm not making any claims here, other than that my soap will clean your face, or whichever body parts you choose to wash with it...
I use gentle, SLS and SLES-free vegan soap base to create these soaps. There have been no colorants added; everything I've added to it adds up to create the green/black coloration of it. Additionally, I have left out any fragrancing, so this soap smells very medicinal — not unpleasant, but its not a bouquet of flowers-type scent, either. Think "herbal" or "apothecary" and you'll have a good idea of what to expect...


In my opinion, Black Magic soap is an indie beauty must-have. Simply amazing.
As for the other products I received, the lip butter is really moisturizing and has a nice, subtle flavor. Fresh Snow is a fantastic perfume solid that combines a fresh shower, fabric softener and an overall "clean" scent. It's one of my favorites now. Carnivale is one of OHWTO's custom scents {private stock}, and it blew me away! Ordering a scent without ever smelling it is always a gamble, but I was immediately convinced that I made a great decision as soon as I opened Carnivale. It's sweet, but not sickly-sweet, and wears down to a mouthwatering mix of lemon and cotton candy {those are the notes that I personally detect when wearing it}. I recommend OHWTO to anyone looking for that perfect signature perfume!

Stay Fabulous!