The Body Shop *The Sparkler* All Over Shimmer for Holiday 2014

Frosted Cranberry ... Vanilla Brûlée ... Glazed Apple

This is kind of an embarrassing story, but I'm going to tell it anyways with the hope that it will preserve my lovely readers from the same folly.  It goes like this:

It's a chill afternoon, and I'm just hanging out, moon-eyed over these vintage-inspired holiday shimmer poofs; I've never had a fragrance or powder with the pump balloon thing before (not "balloon thing", boudoir atomizer; I have since found out that it is an "atomizer"), and I am childishly impatient to give it a try.  Of the three, I select the "Glazed Apple" scent because it has frosty white shimmer and will match today's winter wonderland theme.  I wrench off the plastic cocoon around the balloon poof (atomizer, damn it), and then pause to regard the silicone insert in the blow hole.  Was that on the testers at the Body Shop??  I mean, it has a little dimple in it... could be that the shimmer bursts through this filter thing.  But it does have a tab on top... so what if I'm supposed to pull this off, too?  But what if I ruin the whole thing by doing so?  Best not to risk it; not my precious *Sparkler*.  So I start pumping away at the poof.  Nothing.  Stupid thing.  Maybe it's like a lotion pump, and I need to just keep going until something happens.  I feel like pressure is building, though.  I can hear the mechanism wheezing and by now I should have gotten one little twinkle, at least.  I squint at the silicone stopper and figure, well, to hell with it.  To hell with me, more like.

In that portentous moment when I started to pull away the insert, I can almost hear fate's wheel creak to a halt as the Norns pause while spinning time's thread to watch what is about to happen.  I feel a thrill of foreboding, and dimly the thought occurs to me that maybe I shouldn't be pointing this tiny shimmer bomb directly at my face.  But my fingers are already committed to the motion, and my brain is far, far to late to stop them as they pull away that tiny, silly, insignificant plastic tab... and my world goes white.  No, like literally; everything is absolutely white, and I cannot see a thing beyond the blizzard of shimmer that is engulfing my head.  As the glitter storm roils through seconds, tens of seconds, I am likewise engulfed in a tumult of emotions that I can only summarily describe as ecstatic terror.  Part of me knows that being hugged by a shimmer cloud, albeit ferociously, is kind of the manifestation of all unicorn dreams ever conceived... and yet the fact is that every orifice in my face has been bedazzled, I cannot see nor breathe, and suddenly, the concept of "death by glitter" is thrown into sharp relief for what it really is: a terrible, terrible idea.  These siren shimmers, so beautiful, so lethal, are going to be the end of me.  Then gradually the onslaught, and my hyperbolic hysteria, lift in a haze of glistening powdered mist.  After what was actually a surprisingly long, well-sustained shimmer attack (this stuff can float through the air for ages, like fairies, it's truly remarkable), I am able to perceive the fallout.

First of all, the shape of my head is roughly silhouetted on the armoire behind me.  The carpet now appears to have been woven with magic, and my face, hair, and clothes are fair frosted with shimmer.  I almost wish I'd had the presence of mind at this moment to take a picture, but as it is I set about reinstating my disguise as a normal human being, and try to sweep away the evidence of the glittering cloud (I'll never think of the Imogen Heap song the same).  I mean, despite the process of becoming so, I rather like being dusted with blinding amounts of dazzling powder- wheee!!  I'm a real fairy!!!- but I'm going to be entering the public realm soon and, well, I just don't think they're ready for this quite yet.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the rather pathetic tale of Marisa & *The Sparkler*.

I know, it seems counter-intuitive...

...but just so we're clear.

 

❄ * ♥ * ❄ * ♥ * ❄

  

"Glazed Apple": {mint} bright, sweet, and slightly tart scent, fruity tinged with floral, like sugared apple blossoms blended with pear // cool iridescent white shimmer

"Vanilla Brûlée": {gold} a decadent and rich vanilla // iridescent white and gold shimmers, sprinkled amongst slightly larger golden flakie shimmers

"Frosted Cranberry": {pink} festive, sparkling cranberry // cool iridescent white shimmer

Frosted Cranberry ... Vanilla Brûlée ... Glazed Apple

I'm not sure if it is just a side effect of this incident, but my "Glazed Apple" sparkler is by far the most prolific.  The others have a much more subtle, sparing effect, though like I say, "Vanilla Brûlée" has slightly larger particles.  If you were to only get one, I would definitely make it "Vanilla Brûlée", though honestly the fact that I bought the others tells you how lovely they are as well; in general, I don't even like apple and cranberry scents but these really are nice ones. 

Oh, and here's this...  powder levels, as follows: cranberry, never used; vanilla, spritzed a couple times; apple, SHIMMER CLOUD UNLOADED.

Frosted Cranberry ... Vanilla Brûlée ... Glazed Apple

I do wish that the scents lasted longer, however; like at first, the "Vanilla Brûlée" is the most divine vanilla you've ever encountered, but then it fades to an only just discernible sparkling of scent.  This is probably a great thing if you're like me and are constantly globbing on lotion in the winter, and would like these sparklers to accent your scent rather than overpowering it, but conversely, these smell nice and I'd kinda like that to stick around. 

It's not just the scent that performs a disappearing act, however; the shimmers also like to make a bit of a break for it.  It kinda makes sense, since they're only a loose powder, but my whole arm was just covered in sparkles a half an hour ago, and though I've done nothing but sit here dinking around with my computer they have now almost all vanished and/or migrated to the sleeve of my pajamas (that is correct; it is 3pm, and I am in my Christmas jammies).  Maybe oil yourself up like a seal prior to application??  These make totally adorable little boudoir novelties, and for what they are I still like them, but if you're really looking for serious lasting sparkle, a shimmer lotion, spray, gel, or anything with any kind of sticking power will be your best bet.

Frosted Cranberry ... Vanilla Brûlée ... Glazed Apple

*The Sparkler* All Over Shimmers are a limited edition holiday item that may be found at The Body Shop for $24 each, though with all of the holiday promotions that keep popping up you should be able to snag it for much less!  For example, I picked up mine during the 3/$33, 4/$44, 5/$55 Black Friday promotion for $11 each.

❄ * ♥ * ❄ * ♥ * ❄

Have you ever accidentally detonated a shimmer apocalypse all over yourself??  Hugs to you, honorary fairies.

XOXO
Marisa + Sprinklepuff