If you have been here before, you know I usually review books and movies and TV series but today I’m bringing my love of beauty products to the blog. Maybe you are looking for a birthday present for a loved one, or even a holiday gift (it’s never too early for Christmas shopping!), or buy yourself a present – you deserve it!

My usual purchases from Ulta and Sephora are things like anti-aging serums or deep conditioning hair masks, but today I am reviewing fun, sci-fi themed nail polish, perfume, and a bath bomb – a little “self-care” break from the chaos of current events.

My favorite eyeshadow palette is BH Cosmetics’ Supernova. It has pigmented shades with names like Nebula, Neutron, and Phoenix. I wanted to include it here but I don’t think it is still available. Boo. But it inspired me to seek out other sci-fi-ish beauty products, so here we go:

First up is Pacifica’s Cosmosis Natural Perfume. As an animal lover, I am a huge fan of this brand; their products are vegan and cruelty-free. (The aforementioned BH Cosmetics is vegan and cruelty-free as well.) I like most of the Pacifica products that I’ve tried, and their products are more affordable than some other brands. Their Indian Coconut Nectar and Island Vanilla roller ball perfumes smell yummy and are only $12. They also sell skin care and hair products, makeup, etc.

OK, so Cosmosis. This perfume is described as “deep, resinous, creamy vanilla blended with ash and cold sparkling ozonic top notes.” I don’t know if I’m smelling any ash or ozone, but I’m definitely getting the vanilla. I don’t really like floral scents so this was perfect for me. It reminded me of whippped cream, but it’s not overly sweet. Still, if you’re not into gourmand scents, you may want to skip this one. I liked it and wish the scent would last a little longer, but for $22 (Ulta.com), I would purchase this again.

Next is Mugler’s Alien Eau de Parfum, which I got as a sample from Sephora.com. This one has been out for a while, and I’m finally getting around to trying it. I like Mugler’s Angel scent so this one had me intrigued.

Mugler’s website describes Alien as “a radiant scent that inspires a spiritual journey to unveil our hidden beauty. The glow of Jasmine Sambac infuses a warmth that is intensified by the enchantment of Cashmeran Wood and sensuality of White Amber. A divine elixir that unleashes our inner strength and unites in harmony with the universe.”

I love the bottle and the promotional photos. So awesome! But the scent is … not my favorite. It’s not bad – but I’m getting mostly the jasmine in this and like I said before, I am not a fan of florals. The dry down was better – a powdery amber scent that was not as strong as the jasminey top note.

If you are someone who likes florals (and amber), you will probably love it. More recent offerings from Mugler include Alien Goddess (bergamot, jasmine, and bourbon vanilla), and Alien Fusion (ginger, cinnamon, tuberose, orange blossom, vanilla, and amber).

Alien is $85 for one ounce. (Now you know why I only tried the sample.)

Another sample I just tried is Sci Fi Eau de Parfum by Ellis Brooklyn. I bought this sample as part of a set called Chronicle Fragrance Discovery, and it also includes Myth, Rose, Fable, Fawn, Raven, and Rives. The whole set of samples was $22 from Ulta.com.

The perfumes are cruelty-free and vegan. Cool. Ellis Brooklyn’s website describes Sci Fi thusly: “This sexy yet intelligent scent blends vanilla beans with citrus, florals and the unexpected jolt of green tea in an addictive combination that will have you smelling your wrist all day. By taking the known but combining in an innovative way, SCI FI is like stellar science fiction: familiar yet attractively futuristic.”

The top notes here are bergamot and bitter orange and I like oranges even less than I like florals, so it wasn’t love at first spritz. But the scent quickly transformed to green tea, which was interesting.

I know perfumes smell a little different on everyone but this one, on me anyway, smells just like it says it does. The subtle scent of vanilla beans comes through in the base note. If not for that initial orange, I would like this a lot more.

So what does outer space smell like? Not oranges. According to this (2009) article from The Guardian, astronomers who investigated a giant dust cloud in the middle of the Milky Way discovered ethyl formate, which gives raspberries their flavor, and smells like rum. Perfume chemists, take note.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2009/apr/21/space-raspberries-amino-acids-astrobiology

This Galaxy bath bomb from da Bomb looks really cool when you order it online. But when I got it in the mail (Ulta, $7.50) it looked … not as cool, and also the packaging was a little bent up. If I was planning to give it as a gift, I would have been annoyed, but I bought it for myself so whatever.

The description on this bath bomb says “Fizz yourself right out of the stratosphere with this delightfully cosmic creation. Watch carefully as this black amber fizzer dissolves, because there’s a fun surprise inside. Perfect for adults and kids alike. (Everyone loves surprises).”

I’m not really a bath bomb aficionado but I was lured by the novelty of this one, and I will admit it was pretty cool. It smelled perfumey as it dissolved into the water and there was a cute astronaut charm inside. The water turned a purpley black and it was like being submerged in a galaxy of stars. Or maybe more like being submerged in grape Kool-Aid. It sort of looks like it might leave your tub the color of grape Kool-Aid, but it doesn’t. (The photo at the top of this post is my actual bathwater with the Galaxy bomb in it. Cool, right?)

If you haven’t relaxed since 2019, this bath bomb isn’t going to change that. Maybe if it was paired with … raspberry rum?

Moving on.

I reviewed one nail polish: Pacifica’s Bio Glitter Translucent Topper. It comes in five shades and I chose Alien (Ulta, $10). I love it – it’s very pretty and shimmery. You can’t really tell from the photo but there’s a lavender shade which shows through the green-blue color. It reminds me of mermaids. (Yes that is why I used our fish tank as the backdrop for my picture.)

It is described as an “innovative gel-formula designed to add an iridescent, glittery finish to nails.” I tried it over another color (gray here) and by itself – two coats is enough for an opaque look and gives you twice the sparkle.

There are a lot of glittery pieces in this. I have used similar top coats from other brands that leave you with inconsistent sparklage, but that’s not a problem with this one.

I think I’ll try their Plant Magic Polish next; there are some cool-looking colors: Tourmaline Stone, Mermaid Tail, Bronzite …

Next time, I will be back to my usual reviews of sci-fi movies and TV shows. I have a lot to say about the new Marvel series “What If …?”

Do you have a favorite sci-fi themed beauty find? Leave me a comment here or on my Facebook page!

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