OH MY GOD THESE CLIFFHANGERS ARE FREAKING KILLING ME.

Royalty Soaps and Sorcery Soaps Haul and Review

So I splurged and bought a number of soaps from both these artisan soap companies last week:

https://www.royaltysoaps.com/

And my haul just came in the mail and I just had to yell about it for a bit, I’m so excited. X3 (Forgive the somewhat crappy photos, I’m still getting used to my phone’s camera)

First Impressions
Shipping was prompt and quick from both companies. Packaging was pretty professional on both accounts as well, though I will say that I do think Royalty Soaps’ packaging was cleaner and more commercial looking. Customer service-wise, Sorcery Soaps seemed more personable;
when I placed my order,

I received an personal email from the company owner thanking me for my order and that she thought my email handle was cute. I was also sent a bunch of little surprise freebies with my package from them, which I appreciated immensely.

Royalty Soaps Review

Harvest Moon

I LOVED the design of this soap when I first saw the making of video for it, and I just had to have it. I wasn’t crazy about the scent at first when I first smelled it, but after using it, it’s actually really pleasant. The website describes it as “An alluring fragrance filled with fruits of nectar and exotic florals
blended with sweet vanilla and honey for an evening filled with romance” and… yeah, I can see it.
This was also my guinea pig soap to test out how these soaps perform (since they use the same recipe in every artisan bar). The first thing I noticed was how much prettier it looks when it’s wet; the colors get a lot more vivid and the swirls and micas show up better. It produces lots of big bubbles, which I liked a lot. The lather was also colored black from the mountains down there. The bar is also freaking HUGE; I can barely even wrap my fingers around it to properly use it. I can see why they recommend to cut the bars in half before you use them now, good grief.

Mermaid Treasure

Ya’ll know me, if it says mermaid on it, I have to have it. 😉 I just love how bright and shimmery this bar is, and the scent is super strong, sort of a fresh, clean, effervescent fragrance that reminds me of the ocean without smelling like ocean, if that makes any sense. This is definitely one of my favorite bars.

Artisan Soap Sampler Pack

A pack of 4 random bars that have been chopped up into small pieces. I didn’t get to choose which ones were sent to me, so I ended up getting these four.
Design-wise, I actually like all of these; you can’t really see the little pear seed embed in the Guilded Pear soap, but it’s there and it’s really cute. I like the golden glitter on top of the apple pie soap and the color palette on Mod for Men, but my favorite would probably be Stormy Seas, I just love that swirl.
Scent-wise… I’m not that crazy about any of them, tbh. Not that any of them are BAD, because they’re not, they’re just not scents that I personally tend to gravitate toward. Of the four, Stormy Seas has my favorite scent, sort of a bracing, briny smell that does definitely remind me of the ocean, and most people would probably say it’s a more “masculine” scent. Mod for Men, has, as per its name, also more of a “manly” scent, sort of woody and herby. Apple pie does genuinely smell like apple pie; I just don’t like apple pie. XD As for Guilded Pear… I just flat out don’t like it. It’s kind of fruity, but is overwhelmingly caramel/burnt sugar/honey, and it just doesn’t do it for me

Mini Diamond Soap Sampler

Same as above, this is a sampler of mini soaps in the Diamond Soap series, which is a separate line from the normal artisan soaps. I actually really like all of these smells, though if I had to pick a favorite, I’d probably pick Limoncello in all its sugary, lemony goodness.
As the Diamond soaps are a different recipe than the artisan soaps, I tested out Vanilla Fairy to see how it performed. Very bubbly, good lather, and the fragrance lingered for a long time. No complaints from me whatsoever.

Sorcery Soaps Review

Steampunk Seahorse

I think this is my favorite soap in terms of design of all the ones I got. This soapmaker’s schtick is that she molds embeds out of soap dough to put on the top of her soaps. All the items like the keys and seashells and gears were hand crafted. They don’t really show up well on the picture, but the swirls in the soap are also really gorgeous. The scent is very clean and calm, with notes of musk and florals, quite nice.

Arctic Fox

I got this solely because of the little soap dough fox on top (I named him Mattie), and really, can you blame me? LOOK HOW ADORABLE. The scent is very woodsy and musky, but in a way that’s subtle and not overpowering, so I like it. But mostly I just like the design of this soap a lot. It’s almost too cute to use.

Pink Grapefruit

This one smells really nice. Bright and fruity, but the fragrance isn’t overpowering or even that strong. I also just really like the design of this soap. It’s simple, but it works well.

Lemongrass

The descriptor says this fragrance is supposed to be lemongrass and coconut, but honestly, any lemongrass notes there might be get covered up by the coconut, at least to my nose. As someone who doesn’t much like straight coconut scents, I actually don’t mind this one, in part because this
is far more mild and subtle than any coconut fragrance I’ve ever
smelled, which might be actually be the work of the lemongrass, now that I think about it.

This was the Sorcery Soap I decided to test out for this write-up. It lathers well, with small, silky bubbles. It’s a very gentle soap. I can see someone with a skin condition really benefiting from this brand. As with Royalty Soaps, Sorcery Soaps uses the same recipe for all their soaps, so the performance would be the same on the other bars, I’m assuming. My one real gripe about this bar is that I really wish there was more glitter and flowers on top, like on the Pink Grapefruit bar.

Mistletoe Bunny (freebie 1)

This is a smaller bar than what they normally sell, hence why I think they gave it to me for free. The little molded candy cane pieces on top have a tendency to fall off easily, but the smell is AMAZING. It smells just like a candy cane. As someone who really loves the scent of peppermint, this is definitely one of my favorite fragrances in this entire batch of soaps I received.

Cinnamon Cocoa sample (freebie 2)

This literally smells edible. Not that I personally would eat it, since I don’t really like cinnamon, but if I were the type, I might actually be tempted.

Soap Cookies (freebie 3 and 4)

Aren’t these just darling? Such a good idea, too; these seem like they’d be perfect if you’re traveling somewhere and staying for only a couple days. The unicorn one smells woody, like a piece of furniture, which… I’m not quite sure how that matches up with the unicorn theme, but y’know, whatever. It’s certainly not bad. The rainbow one has no scent at all, as far as I can tell. Still super pretty, though.

All in all, I’m really happy with my purchases! This amount of soap is going to last me quite a long time, too, lol. I’d definitely recommend checking out both soapmakers and giving them some business if you’re ever in need of some hand-crafted soaps with good, healthy ingredients. ^^

Could someone please explain to me

How this dinky little list I made exactly one week ago that I expected to MAYBE get 5 notes max now has almost 250 notes?

Pet Peeve

People who eat while making reaction videos (that aren’t specifically about food) or talking on the phone.

bigger kpop tag!

Tagged by @curledlife (Sorry it took me so long to get to! 😅)

1.) 5 favorite groups?
BTS

VIXX

Astro

B.A.P.

AKMU

2.) Top 5 on your bias list?
N [VIXX]

Jin [BTS]

Amber [f(x)]

Jinjin [Astro]

Himchan [B.A.P.]

(Putting the rest under a readmore to spare your dashes because holy heck this got long)

3.) Ult Bias group and why you love them?
BTS. They were the group that finally tipped me into the bottomless rabbit hole that is Kpop, and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that they tackle subject matter that not a lot of music artists – not just Kpop but contemporary music in general – choose to cover. And it’s subject matter that I can personally relate to, as well. As an aromantic asexual who’s never had so much as a single crush on someone despite spending more than two decades on this planet, I can get breakup or love songs from an intellectual/empathic standpoint, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with them in the least, on the contrary, I very much enjoy them. But I can’t really relate to them. Now, a song about desperately missing a friend, or feeling trapped in the lies your own mind tells you, or feeling disgruntled with the older generation and the pressures they place on yours, or feeling that you don’t measure up to the people around you? That? That’s relatable. That’s real. That speaks to me and my experience and resonates with me on a level that very, very few other music artists have ever managed. Of course, their choreo is also straight fire, most of their songs are absolute bops, and the members are seven of the sweetest, most talented, genuine human beings on the face of the earth, so there’s all that, too.

4.) Ult Bias and why you love them?
Cha Hakyeon aka N of VIXX. I refer you to this treatise I wrote last year on the subject as to why, since I think I summed up my feelings pretty well there, and anything I said here would just be repeating myself.

5.) Favorite Kpop Meme
For the third time: Hongbin. And. The Bubbles.

6.) Favorite pic of your ult? (I dare you to only pick one)

(I haven’t used this one yet, so.)

7.) 5 Favorite Kpop MVs
We’re going to do five of my top faves if I don’t repeat groups or MVs that are also elsewhere on this list instead, since this list would literally be nothing but VIXX and BTS if I didn’t.

“Spring Day” ~ BTS

“Voodoo Doll” ~ VIXX

“Get the Treasure” ~ SHINee

“Dramarama” ~ Monsta X

“Breathless” ~ Astro”

8.) 10 Favorite Kpop songs?
How about we do top song from 10 different artists instead? In alphabetical order by artist:

9.) Favorite Kpop crack video?
hunger games simulator with BTS. It’s just… so hilariously absurd. The robotic voiceover dispassionately narrating events does not help matters at all.

10.) Favorite content creator within the fandom?
HECK, there are so many awesome ones, though?? How could I choose just one, especially when I’m in so many different fandoms? :< For the sake of brevity I’ll only list a few, but hnnnng the Kpop fandom is SO DANG TALENTED u guise, I’m so happy to be a part of it. ❤
@bagelswrites: One of the very best authors for
any Kpop fandom, her BTS were the first ones I really got into a year
and a half ago when I was dipping my toe into Kpop, and her characterization is still the gold standard for
me when writing the BTS members in my own projects.
@vietbluefic: Her
BTS fics are the perfect blend of the fantastical and mundane,
heartwarming and heartbreaking, with some of the most fantastic prose
I’ve ever had the privilege of reading, and best of all they’re all Gen,
praise be, glory hallelujah, my soul has been satisfied. TTvTT9 She
also makes great aesthetic posts for all her fics and fic ideas, too!
Erisette aka @quicktothebatjalopy: My
own dear partner-in-crime! o/ Her works are always so mellow and soft
and sweet, and many have a very distinct fairy tale-like vibe to them
that I find very charming. They move at their own pace and manage to
convey so much depth in such a relatively short span of time.

Also another great aesthetic maker, this one.
Smyang Piano: He does piano and music box covers of popular Kpop songs, and all of his stuff is just so soothing and pleasant to listen to, I love it. ❤
가가: She does the most absolute precious BTS/BT21 animations ever, I melt into a little puddle of goo and tears every time. ｡゜(｀Д´)゜｡
Kiera aka @seiyoko: The creator of the Cypher Pt 3: Killer and Mic Drop animations as well as a phenomenal artist in their own right (they draw the very best J-Hopes and Mangs). I love their landscape and background studies as well.
@00raito: Their VIXX fanart is just fantastic, as is the art they’ve done for other fandoms like BTS and Monsta X. My favorite piece of theirs has to the Eau de VIXX perfume series.
@azuppe02: Their VIXX chibis are my favorite Kpop chibis hands down, no contest. They have so much personality and charm, and the design for every one manages to be instantly recognizable.
@astrosupa: This person draws the very best Astro fanart. ❤ I love their bright, expressive art style so much, it fits Astro’s aesthetic perfectly.
@bloominflowers: Any Kpop group they draw is instantly recognizable, and their pics are always so vivid and brimming with life and personality.

11.) What fandoms would you say you’re an active member of?
ARMY, Starlights, Aroha… that’s about it, lol.
😅

I mean, I try to stay as up to date with comebacks as I can, and those aren’t the only fandoms I write for, but those are the ones I participate in most avidly.

12.) Take your top 3 biases- fmk

~~tbh I have never understood the appeal of this game~~
~~Fuck~~ Kiss: N
Marry: Jin (solely because he seems to be the best cook out of the three of them, and I’m shallow that way.)
Kill [with kindness!]: Amber

13.) If you could be best friends with any idol, who would you choose?
*nyooms to Korea to join the ‘92 liner posse at the speed of sound*

14.) If you could date any idol, who?
Eh. I’m good, thanks.

15.) What’s one Kpop album you think everyone should have listened to?
Hmmm. “Should” is a strong word, since everyone has their own personal preferences, but I will say that I think BTS’ WINGS album is hands-down the best thing they’ve ever done to date, and they try out a lot of different music genres and styles there, so even if you don’t like EVERYTHING, you’re bound to probably find one or two songs on there that you enjoy. Plus the lyrics of every song are just fantastic, so there’s that, too.

16.) Are you a soft or a hard stan?
Soft all the way, boy. Thirst blogging does not happen here.

17.) An idol that makes you go into soft mode?
Every member of my bias groups, tbh, BUT, if I were to choose just one that never fails to turn me into a doting, proud, sentimental auntie every single time I clap eyes on him, it’s this kiddo right here.

18.) An idol that makes you want to smash the empire state building with one single punch?
I’m? Genuinely not sure how to answer this question??

19.) Favorite vocalist?
How dare you try to make me pick a favorite vocalist when there are so many absolutely fantastic ones in this industry? >:O We’ll just do three of my top faves from both genders, instead, how about that?

Female
Soohyun [AKMU]
Amber [f(x)]
Lee Hi

Male
Eunkwang [BTOB]
V [BTS]
N [VIXX]

20.) Favorite Rapper?
It’s a three way tie between Suga [BTS] for swag

Ravi [VIXX] for style

and Bobby [iKon] for sheer energy

21.) Favorite dancer?
Again, top three because I refuse to go any lower:

Male
J-Hope [BTS]

Taemin [SHINee]

N [VIXX]

Female
Minzy [2NE1]

BoA

YooA [Oh My Girl]

22.) Things you have in common with your ult?
Well, we’re both pretty extroverted and clingy, and seem to be perpetually surrounded by people who never want to cuddle. XD I’m also fascinated by candle-making, though I personally have never tried it yet (I make soap instead). Our way of loving people and showing we care can come across as naggy or overbearing sometimes, and we’re commonly accused of being “bossy” even though we’re simply unafraid of speaking our minds and letting people know our opinions on things. I think we’re both also afraid of letting other people see how vulnerable we are; we crave it, that intimacy, that connection with other people, but we also don’t want to be perceived as a burden, so we can also hide how much we’re struggling, no matter how much we may want to let it all out and have someone comfort us, if we think it may be taken the wrong way. We both love animals and cute things, too. There are a few other things I could mention, but I think that’s enough for now.

23.) The most beautiful trait any idol can have?
A kind, considerate, and humble heart. As long as they have one of those, then they could never be ugly in my book.

24.) Songs that will always make you jam along?
tbh I should probably just make a playlist, because there are a lot… we’ll just list five for now though, how about that?
“FXXK IT” ~ Big Bang
“Nillili Mambo” ~ Block B
“Gee” ~ Girls’ Generation
“Sherlock” ~ SHINee
“Likey” ~ TWICE

25.) Your worst wrecker?
BTS’ Jin. He even managed to wreck me while I was in the process of writing this very post; I was THIS ==>||<== close to making him co-ult biases with N, I even wrote it up and everything before I ultimately decided that There Can Only Be One. That is literally how much this man wrecks me and how much I absolutely adore everything about him.

But if we’re talking about normal bias wreckers – aka people who would be my bias from any given group if my bias did not exist – then it’d be KARD’s B.M. for dudes.

And Oh My Girl’s

YooA for dudettes

*angrily smooches all their adorable faces*

26.) Any kpop concerts you’ve been to?

Alas, no. (╥╥﹏╥╥)

27.) Favorite choreo?
Ain’t no way I’m going to be able to pick, so we’ll do the top three I get from my personal list if I don’t repeat groups:

“Spring Day” by BTS

“Shangri-La” by VIXX

“Hide & Seek” by Astro

28.) Favorite live performance?
Yet another three way tie between BTS’ “21st Century Girls”

EXO’s “El Dorado”

and VIXX’s “Wind of Starlight”

29.) Favorite debut mv?
When it comes to JUST the MV, ain’t nothing beats EXO’s “MAMA.”

30.) Recommend a rookie group!
Stray Kids has really impressed me this year so far. Go check them out if you haven’t already!

31.) A kpop song you could listen to every day for the rest of your life?
IDK man, any song can become tiring if you listen to it for too long. But I could probably listen to “So Far Away” by BTS every day without too many problems. It’s such a gorgeous, relatable, inspiring song.

32.) Tag some cute mutuals you’d like to get to know better (and to do this challenge)!

@rainewhisper, @quicktothebatjalopy, @vietblueart, @crooked-inkwell, @renaitrev, @be-the-piano

Companion piece to this post. My top 8 female biases
from all the different Kpop groups I follow (again, not necessarily stan) in age order from left to right, top to bottom.

I feel like this is a much more eclectic and varied group of personalities than my male bias list, but idk, do you see any commonalities? HMU and let me know.

I tag: the peeps I tagged in the previous post. (so
@quicktothebatjalopy, @be-the-piano, @vietblueart, @kim-jongdawae, @renaitrev, @crooked-inkwell, @rainewhisper) XD Of course, you don’t have to if you don’t want to, and if you see this and want to do this, go ahead

I saw @wonshiks-tiddy doing this, and thought it looked like fun, even if I wasn’t tagged specifically. So here are my current top 8 male biases from all the different Kpop groups I follow (not necessarily stan, mind) in age order from left to right, top to bottom. Comment below or leave me an ask if you think you notice some common trends. 👀 I might do my top 8 female biases sometime, too.

I tag: @quicktothebatjalopy, @be-the-piano, @vietblueart, @kim-jongdawae, @renaitrev, @crooked-inkwell, @rainewhisper (you’re under no obligation of course) and anyone else who thinks this looks like fun. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･