Saturday 28 August 2010

Review: One Hand Washes The Other (OHWTO)

Hi everyone!

I really need to get back on this blogging thing but lately I have had tons of stuff to do. Some good news: I got a new job! I've been a temp for over 2 years and I finally got a steady job in a better position. I'm starting in my new position next month so I'm really excited!

So, back to the business. One Hand Washes The Other (or OHWTO for short) is a company selling soaps, perfumes, lipbalms and other sweet smelling stuff made by the very sweet owner, Becca. Most of the stuff is vegan and ingredients are clearly marked.

I think I first heard about OHWTO in Twitter and maybe read one of Grey's reviews. My first purhase was two roll-on scents, Green Tea and Black Tea.

Green Tea: Long prized in Asian countries for its health benefits, this is a true-to-life scent.

Black Tea: smoky, sexy and sophisticated fragrance is reminiscent of roasted tea leaves with strong overtones of tobacco. With surprising top notes of Italian Bergamot, Sicilian Lemon and Southern Orange, the blend winds down with Black Tea Leaves, Star Jasmine, White Cedarwood, Amber Crystal and a rich musk. This is a bold and unusual scent sure to intrigue.

I wasn't terribly fond of Green Tea but something in Black Tea made me go to that scent more and more often.

Now I've made 4 orders from OHWTO in quite a short time.

I love that everything is made by Becca herself. The scents are very true to life and her blends are exceptional. You can find the list of the scents here. Not only are the products top-notch, her packaging is lovely.


International shipping is extremely affordable and my orders have come to me in a week after Becca has mailed me my shipping notice. Every time I've stared at the package thinking "How come it's already here?" and then of course ripped it open and sniffed everything till I've passed out.

The customer service is just amazing. Becca'll answer any questions you have. I made some questions about her scents in Twitter and I had a reply every time. She also notified me right away when she was having some trouble with Paypal.

Although I originally ordered roll-on perfume oils, I'm now partial to Becca's solid scents. They're easy to use, the scent says on the skin for hours, they don't have the greasy side smell like some solids have and they make good travelling companions (since the liquid control is still on).

Here are some of my favourite scents from OHWTO:

Ginger Ale: This one smells JUST LIKE ginger ale, and I always get thirsty when I smell it. You'll swear that there are bubble tickling your nose when you get a whiff of this one!

I love ginger ale and now I love Ginger Ale. This smells EXACTLY like my favourite organic ginger ale I treat myself to every once in a while. It really does tickle your nose. The scent is very refreshing, not overly sweet.

Twigs&Berries: The smell of a deep forest and the wild berries that grow within. A bold, somewhat masculine fragrance, it's sweet without being food-y, if that makes any sense.

This is another go-to scent. I wore this to my job interview and now it's my official feelgood scent since I got the job. It smells autumn-y with the sweet fragrance of berries.

Viva La Juicy!: After reading the descriptions of what this boutique fragrance duplicate smells like, I HAD to get it for my shop. It's fruity and floral, with the two balanced very nicely. You'll smell wild berries and mandarins, honeysuckle, gardenia, and jasmine, complimented nicely by notes of amber, vanilla, sandalwood, and praline. It sounds like there's a lot going on in this one, and there is- it reminds me of Pink Lady, in that it smells a little different every time you sniff it. This one is definitely a fun fragrance to wear.

This is a very sweet scent but I love it. It's definitely a juicy scent and it makes me think about champagne for some reason. I wear this scent when I'm wearing a short denim skirt. Don't ask.

Yuzu: Yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit. This scent has wonderful sparkling overtones of grapefruit, citron, and a hint of mandarin orange.

Sweet and a bit bitter at the same time, I find this scent really refreshing.

Calaveras: Named for the sugar skulls which adorn the Day of the Dead altars, this fragrance is sweet and spicy. Cinnamon, sugar, orange, and sweet bread dressed up with a smattering of dried roses on a sandalwood altar.

 This is a bit of a food-like scent but not in a bad way. It's sweet and spicy, just like the description says. This is a Halloween limited edition scent so snatch it up if you want one!


I also have some of Becca's lip tints, which I love, so I'll try to make a separate swatch post about those!

I have nothing but praise for OHWTO so if you love scents, I'd recommend checking their stuff out.

Have you tried OHWTO? What are your favourite scents?