Good day, all! It’s been a…week.

Yeah. A week.

This past week has been filled with chaos and insanity. A lot has been happening here in Amber-Land. I put in my resume with a different print shop, my best friend’s cat got out and still hasn’t come home (thought he found a precious little tortie baby in his yard, currently christened Wander), my parent’s situation has gotten infinitely worse, and it’s COLD AND RAINY. There’s so much to process, and I find myself having panic attacks every couple days. I have to do my best to enhance my calm. I’ve been doing fairly well on my indie low/no buy though!

I spoke several weeks ago about the Athena’s Army Box by Sihaya and Company. A who’s-who of indie brands were involved in its creation, with the proceeds benefiting a member of the indie community in desperate need. Sihaya and Co., Paintbox Soapworks, Nui Cobalt Designs, Blooddrop Perfumerie, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, Corvus Cosmetics, Sixteen92, and Deconstructing Eden all contributed handmade items to the box. This box meant a lot to me for a couple reasons.

First and most important, this box directly benefitted someone who was the victim of domestic violence. My own experience with abuse is minor, but I feel incredibly strongly about the cause regardless, and I believe that NO ONE should have to live in fear of the people around them.

In addition, Athena is (with Guanyin from Buddhist mythology) one of my parton goddesses. In Wicca, it is typical to choose a god or goddess from mythology who’s qualities we wish to embody in our everyday lives and, as a goddess of wisdom, strategy, and heroes, I find myself invoking her quite often. Especially in today’s troubled times.

I received mine last Monday but, unfortunately, the Sixteen92 fragrance broke in transit; not because of anything on Sihaya’s end, but because the USPS is a pile of jerks most days. Christina was awesome and sent me a replacement! I did end up fixing the labels on the Blooddrop and BPAL bottles with a little tape since the oil made the labels come off. At least I can now provide a complete review of its contents for you!

Let’s get cracking!

Sihaya and Co. herself contributed Wisdom, which is an adorable silver pendant with a hand painted owl, set beneath a glass cabochon. The touch of glitter in the background of the painted owl is a beautiful and subtle touch to the pendant itself. I’m going to need to snag a silver chain to wear this on!

Nui Cobalt Designs contributed a Soy based candle in Adamantine – Ivy entwined with olive boughs and dewy cypress, smoldering myrrh and sacrificial wine, wild rose honey and offertory cakes on a platter of lush ripe fruit. On initial, non-burning sniff, the candle was very woody and rich, with a slight touch of sweetness from the honey and wine. The sprinkle on top of the candle itself is apparently olive leaf powder. Burning, it’s reminiscent of drinking mead in a damp forest…sweet and sharp at the same time. There’s a tinge of something very like vanilla in there (which may be the offertory cakes) and a mossiness as well. I REALLY like this a lot.

Deconstructing Eden created an Eau De Parfum, Athena Triumphant – Bright amber, supple leather, olive wood and blooms, salt air, the brush of owl wings, anthos flowers, basil, and a drop of lemon. This is my first item from DE and having used it I can see their popularity. This starts out as a light floral amber with deep, dusty, almost toasty leather and an herbal kick. It’s almost nose turning at first. After some time it transforms into a tart aquatic scent, likely from the apple and lemon. It’s not particularly sweet nor long lasting, and I found it smelled very different close to my skin than away from it, but I really enjoy it, even if I had to reapply.

Paintbox Soapworks created a Sorbetto Emulsifying Scrub in Abnoba- A deep, feral forest blend of birch, pine & juniper with shadows of red musk & patchouli, sage & wild apple. This stuff is INTENSE. A lot thicker and more dense than your typical sugar scrub, the scrub itself dissolves into an almost lotion – like consistency on the skin. The scent is refreshing, herbal, and very sweet from the apple in the jar, but when used the pine and juniper blooms without smelling too much like a Christmas tree. I used it on my elbows and legs, and the formula worked some serious magic on my dry spots. I’ll have to experiment with this brand further.

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab contributed Owl’s Wing – White sage and goldenseal, white sandalwood, hops, Atlas cedar, red benzoin, Somalian myrrh, lavender, cypress, champaca flower, and olive. I get pretty much just heavy, heady lavender and sandalwood, with no sage or cedar. It’s also SUPER powerful and sticks around a long time. After some time the sandalwood comes out more, and is very nice, but the lavender turns soapy and a little cloying. I don’t think this scent is going to work for me on my skin, but I plan to use it to anoint candles.

Blooddrop Perfumerie made Athene Noctua: Little Owl – Apples upon apples, clementines, acorns, lemon, nutmeg, and dark patchouli. Oh man, this is SO GOOD. Bright, punchy citrus and apples with a darker edge from the patchouli and acorn. Acorn has a weird smell that reminds me a little of burning chestnut, but in this case it adds a much-needed depth to the scent. And it stays bright and fresh for the duration of wear…which unfortunately isn’t super long. I’m happy to reapply this one though, and it’s definitely one of my favorites from the box.

Sixteen92 contributed Atrytone: The Unwearying- Smoked tea, black elder, ancient oak, white suede, sweet dragon’s blood, forest floor, golden musks. Oh man, this is so good. It’s dark, it’s deep, and incredible. Dragon’s blood is one of my favorite scents and this one does not disappoint. The scent starts out nearly herbal in quality, with a touch of leather and musk, and evolves into rich dragon’s blood and wood. I don’t get a lot of tea or smoke, but this scent wears beautifully and has good longevity. I’ll be hoarding this away!

The final item in the box is from Corvus Cosmetics, Acropolis. This highlight is a pale, creamy gold base with a subtle but glorious green duochrome, and is absolutely stunning. It reminds me of a satiny version of Shiro Moon Prism Power or Makeup Revolution Holographic Lights. I found that it did not emphasize my facial texture and afforded a soft, but interesting, glow to my skin. I’ve never tried anything from Corvus before and this highlight makes me want more!

All in all, I’m quite happy with everything I received in the Athena’s Army box, and for 80 dollars the products were an absolute steal. More importantly, the money I spent went to help someone out of a difficult situation, and that means more than any good scent or pretty makeup ever could.

Feel free to leave me a comment below! Thank you for reading, and have a great weekend.