I put Lavanila Laboratories Vanilla Coconut Perfume on my bigger Christmas list because it seemed like something that I would love. At around $60 a bottle, though, I didn’t get my hopes too high. Imagine my surprise when I actually got it, and imagine my disappointment when I didn’t care for the scent at all. I should’ve known better than to ask for a perfume that I’d never even smelled before. Lesson learned.

Ingredients (provided at lavanila.com)- “Alcohol Denat. (from Organic sugar cane), Botanical Fragrance Blend (Cocos Nucifera & Gardenia Taitensis - Coconut Oil & Tiare Flower), Deionized Water, Lycium Barabrum (Goji) Powder, Terminalia Ferdinandiana (Kakadu Plum) Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium (Canadian Willowherb) Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive Leaf) Extract, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Chrysanthellum Indicum (Chamomile) Extract, Oat Amino Acids, Glycerin (Vegetable), Vanilla Planifolia (Vanilla) Oil.”

This product is not in the Cosmetic Safety Database, and guessing an accurate hazard score would be pretty difficult considering all of the data gaps. I’ve linked to each ingredient’s hazard score page so you can see for yourself.

Some great things about this product:

1. It’s formulated without Synthetic Fragrances, Synthetic Dyes, Phthalates, GMOs, Triclosan, Petro-Chemicals, Propylene Glycol, Parabens, Silicone, Mineral Oils, and Sulfates.

2. This product is cruelty-free.

Product Description (provided at sephora.com)- “Sweet Paradise Found.

Escape with Vanilla Coconut filled with an indulgent blend of young coconut, hints of monoi Tiare (a Tahitian white flower), and a warm sensual base of Madagascar vanilla bean. You’ll instantly be transported to an island of healthy delights.

LAVANILA carefully infuses pure essential oils with 100 percent active botanicals for natural fragrances that are fresh, clean, and nurturing. With each spray, proprietary natural technology wraps the skin with super antioxidants goji berry and kakadu plum, soothing willowherb, and hydrating olive leaf for a healthy dose of 30 essential vitamins and minerals and 19 amino acids. Imagine, a fragrance that not only smells good but also is good for you!”

Price-$19.00 for 0.32 fl oz, $39.00 for 1 fl oz, or $58.00 for 1.7 fl oz.

Performance- This perfume has serious staying power; a couple of spritzes in the morning are still detectable as I am getting ready for bed.

Scent- I was really hoping that this perfume would smell more like coconut than it does, but the scent is so overwhelmingly vanilla that I honestly can’t smell anything else. It’s not an altogether unpleasant scent, but it’s not what I was expecting and it’s certainly not something  that I want to smell like. It’s very heavy and rich, and it seems like it would be better suited for an older woman. Maybe I was expecting something a little more tropical? I guess I only have myself to blame; I shouldn’t have presumed to know what it would smell like. Also, the problem could be that it just doesn’t work with my body chemistry. Perfumes are weird like that sometimes, you know? I used to have a friend who wore Body By Victoria, and she always radiated this lovely, warm scent. I bought a bottle and eventually gave it away because it smelled very soapy and kind of weird when I wore it. Another thing that bothers me about this perfume (and I know that it’s a ridiculous complaint) is that my bottle isn’t filled with the clear liquid that is pictured online. The bottle that I received (which is pictured above) contains an amber-tinted liquid, and I find this off-putting for reasons that I cannot explain.

Rating- I’m gonna go with a 5 out of 10.  The scent lasts all day and the ingredients could be worse, but I’m not a fan of the way that I smell and feel when I wear it (and that’s obviously a deal breaker when it comes to perfume).

Would I purchase this item again?-  I would not, but I’m not suggesting that this perfume isn’t right for you. In fact, you might love it! What I am suggesting is that buying a bottle of perfume (or asking for one for Christmas) without ever having smelled it is a horrible idea.

Kirby gave me one of my Christmas presents early, and (with the help of my immediate family) I tried it out the night before last. It’s a clear glass tea pot with loose tea infuser and 12 flowering teas! The twelve teas are all green tea with jasmine (which is my absolute favorite, by the way), but they all have a different flower that blooms when you pour hot water over it! That guy always knows just what to get me.

I took out the infuser before putting the flowering tea inside the pot.

Here are the cute packs of flowering teas!

I chose the Noble Madam, and then I couldn't make the camera focus.

We were all amazed by how pretty it was.

I love a little teacup.

I drank four whole cups, one with a teaspoon of local honey and the other three by themselves.

I only look like I have man-hands.

The tea tasted a lot like jasmine, and I was a big fan of it. I could’ve had another cup, but I hate middle of the night pee trips with a passion.

My grandmother, who’s one of the pickiest eaters/drinkers I know, wrinkled her nose after trying it and said, “That’s just not my cup of tea. You ever heard that expression?” I love her, and I love Kirby for giving me such a wonderful gift.

Image Courtesy of supermarkethq.com

By the title, of course, I meant more environmentally friendly items for less money.  It may not be clever or original, but it made me chuckle. And if you’re usually broke like me, then you’re gonna love re-nest’s 25 Green Home Gifts Under $25. Before seeing this list, I actually purchased one of the items listed for Kirby as one of his smaller Christmas presents). I won’t disclose which one, since Kirby may or may not read my blog sometimes (probably not). Anyway, how cute are those lavender sachets?!  Annnd I don’t hate that solid brass bicycle bell.

1. Foxy iPhone pouch- I don’t actually need this, but I’m a sucker for animal-adorned accessories.

2. Beautiful Turquoise Netti Pot- Maybe I can finally stop using my boring blue plastic one!

3. Subscription to Dog Fancy Magazine- I love dogs, and I love magazines. The end.

4. Subscription to Natural Health Magazine- I have a feeling that this magazine is gonna rock my world.

5. Jasmine & Grapefruit Organic Deodorant- I’ve been using a sample that I received of the Lemon Sage Deodorant that’s also Erbaviva for about a week, and I absolutely love it (Review is on the way)! I’m asking for a different scent for Christmas in the hopes that it’ll be slightly more feminine.

6. Lavanila Vanilla Coconut Perfume- I know, I know. I probably don’t need any more perfume, but the ingredients are too dreamy to pass up!

7. Benefit Badgal Eyeliner- I’m almost out, and I don’t have the patience or energy to seek out a new, more natural eyeliner right now.

8. Karen’s Botanicals Rehydrating Aloe Vera Lotion- I can’t get enough of this stuff; it’s the best moisturizer that I’ve ever used.

9. Candles, Candles, and More Candles- To quote their site, “Pacifica Soy Candles are handmade with vegetable soy wax, lead-free wicks and Pacifica’s signature perfume blends with essential and natural oils.”

If someone wanted to buy me soap-making supplies for Christmas, then I certainly wouldn’t complain. I even found a website with tons of soap recipes that I can use! Once I get the hang of it, I can give the especially dreamy-smelling ones away as gifts. That would just be the best, wouldn’t it?

Jack Black All-Over Wash for Face, Hair, & Body

The product pictured above was another Christmas present for Kirby. He says that it’s fairly moisturizing (which is pretty important since he has very dry skin in the winter months) and that he really enjoys the scent.  It does smell great; it’s a very masculine scent. I’m frequently tempted to use it, but I never follow through because I’m not sure if I would enjoy smelling like a man.

I probably would.

This product is paraben-free, sulfate-free, and has certified organic and vegan ingredients…if you’re into that sorta thing.