Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
It's really no secret I'm a sucker for Bath & Body Works lemon scented candles so of course I had to pick up Sugared Lemonade just to see how it would stack up against other lemon scents.
Fresh Lemon Juice, Sugar Crystals and Crushed Ice.
Not sure what Crushed Ice is suppose to smell like. But nah didn't detect that one in this candle. The lemon wasn't as strong as I expected it would be and stacked up against the other B&BW lemon candles I did like this one enough to buy another one. I low key expected this to smell almost like lemonade but that might had been a bit unrealistic. While the lemon isn't as strong as I'd like it to be, it's still a really nice soft citrus scent. If you're into that or aromatherapy with citrus scents then yeah 4/5 would recommend.
It's no secret that I love scents that just scream Spring Refresh to me, especially since I'm not a huge fan of Winter to begin with and this one was a perfect balance of being in-between seasons.
Hoping to pick this one up again if they ever re-release it in the future!
Did you pick this one up?
*this post contains links that help support this blog through commission at no extra cost to you
I'm one of those people who just couldn't find a wax melt from Scentsy that I liked. All the ones I had chosen previously were too strong and actually caused headaches (which never happens). So I'm pretty picky and hesitant about a few scents from Scentsy since some can be a little too much. And without being able to sniff them before buying, you're relying on the listed scent notes.
Someone on Instagram suggested I try Scentsy's Squeeze The Day; I'm a sucker for citrus scents as it is, they massively help when I have anxiety especially at night so I tend to melt a lot of citrus scents during bed time if my chest dubstep is going extra dubby. I tend to light lots of citrus scents through out the day in the kitchen as well, but I'm finding lately that candle scents I usually light (at least from Bath & Body Works) don't perform as well as they use to.
This one however smells like a straight up Starburst. It kinda makes my mouth water when it's melting. I don't even know the last time I had a Starburst but I think I might have to get some. The throw is strong but the scent isn't too strong that it can cause nausea and headaches. It's almost like lemon and vanilla cake. There's an extra hint of something else there that's making this balance work. One cube is usually enough for my bedroom, but for a much more open space either a cube and a half to two cubes (depending on how you want your throw) would be perfect.
The last order I made I ended up getting 3 of these as backups because I go through them so fast! I absolutely love this scent. I'm hoping to try out more citrus scents from them; I actually have Rainbow Sorbet (which was also suggested to me) on the way, so I'm hoping it has the same kind of citrus notes.
I recently signed up to be a Scentsy rep (I'm really just here for the Disney products because they're actually fire. Of all the Disney wax melts they've released in the last year there's only one I really don't like -- reviews on the others coming soon either here or on my Disney blog). If you're interested in trying out Squeeze The Day my current launch party runs until June 1st!
Join my launch party, look around, grab a drink and kick back!
Have you tried Scentsy? What's one of your favorite scents?
I'm always up to test new ones! Let me know in the comments below! And if you haven't, what's your favorite type of fragrance family?
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Winter isn't kind to most people who live in dry states. And as someone who's tried SO HARD to avoid dry states, here I am. lolihateithere. I've used a ton of lip balms for over night assistance but I'm always up for trying new products!
I decided to try Colourpop's lip mask. I tried one by Laneige which I liked okay but I couldn't really tell a difference.
This was the only product I picked up from the holiday Sanrio Colourpop collection; as much as I love makeup collabs with Sanrio, I always feel like they're such a hit or miss.
But with a lip scrub/lip mask combo, I figured it couldn't be that bad. Plus I've liked every Fourth Ray product I've tried!
The flavor says Peppermint Cookie but honestly it has a very faint scent and an even fainter taste. I was really looking forward to a Peppermint Cookie flavored lip balm, but this wasn't it. I really want to try other flavors of this product to see if they're just as faint or was it just this particular one.
The consistency is weird. I guess weird isn't fair. It's not something I'm use to. It wasn't sticky but it wasn't solid either. It didn't go on like a balm or lipstick, it was a lot more liquid than that. Pressing my lips together like you usually would with a lip balm didn't do much except get it in my mouth.
Maybe I'm doing this wrong? I'm not sure. But I didn't really notice if it helped or not in the morning, since I'd usually apply it before bed.
I really wanted to like this product, but I might have to figure out what I did wrong or if that's just how they work.
Looking at the reviews on the site, I think it's just me lol! Maybe I'll have better luck with a different flavor.
Final Thoughts;
Overall I didn't hate this product, I just expected a little bit more from it. The texture and consistency definitely threw me off. The upside is that it wasn't sticky and it did melt into my lips a lot quicker than I expected. The downside is that I felt like I might had used too much product because of how jelly like it is; and I didn't see a difference in my lip health the next morning.
Do you use lip masks? If so which ones would you recommend?
When was the last time I did an empties post?!
I've obviously been using products but I haven't really burned many candles down the last few months, I fell out of lighting candles which is so strange since it's kinda my thing. The bedroom light had randomly blown out though and so I started using this wax melt light up thing Bubba got me for Valentine's Day 2 years ago; picking a wax melt for the night for Tums and I has been something I've actually been looking forward to.
I'm ready to say goodbye to Summer, and hello to Fall and all it's foliage and beautiful shades of colors! Granted TX doesn't start to cool down until maybe mid Nov and even then it's like Summer dry heat one day and ridic cold 12 hours later. I honestly HATE Winter is TX, I have anemia and it physically hurts for me. I dream of the hot Winters in Florida I miss so much!
Here are my empties for the last bit of Summer!
LUSH Mermaid Tail Bubble Bar
Mermaid Tail from LUSH was one of the many bubble bars "Tums" got me for Mother's Day. I LOVED this bubble bar! The only thing is that the tail takes up a lot of space and so if you're trying to cut this one in half it's a little challenging. I didn't bother so I ended up just using the whole bar which I'm pretty sad about cause it was so pretty (I somehow forgot to snap a pic of my bath art)!
LUSH describes this bubble bar as;
The human world is a mess. Get away from it all with our undersea wonder, Mermaid Tail. This two-in-one bathing buddy combines a softening, silky bath oil with one of our classic bubble bars. Choose your own adventure: you can snap off the top for a dreamy, creamy bath to soothe dry skin and tired limbs; you can crumble the base beneath running water for sky-high bubbles; or you can combine them together for buttery, bubbly bliss. Meanwhile, the sweet citrusy scents of lemon myrtle and grapefruit oils will boost your mood, while a dose of heady ylang ylang keeps you grounded. No matter what you choose, wouldn't you say your collection's complete?
There wasn't really any problems with me and the glitter this product had... and I recently discovered I hate glitter in my bath products!
I'm a sucker for citrus scents, always! So this one was one that I also really liked scent-wise. I always find citrus scents to be so calming and I recently found out that it's perfect for anxiety aromatherapy! I just wish the scent was a little bit stronger with the bubble bars.
Other than that, I am finding LUSH's new products ARE becoming more moisturizing and I'm living for this considering I forget to put on lotion ALL THE TIME. Don't ask, I don't know why.
Hoping this bubble bar sticks around for a bit longer so I can grab another one!
Have you tried LUSH Mermaid Tail? If not, what's your favorite LUSH bubble bar?
Whaaaat I'm writing a review?! When was the last time I did that?!
Please don't answer that lol.
I realize that since I've sort of kind of stopped blogging I've fallen in love with a ton of different products (but sadly, not books. Last book I fell in love with was A Court of Mist and Fury and that was in 2017, sad, I freakin know) but haven't mentioned/talked about/reviewed them and if you know me you know that's not how I work.
I've seen the Expressie by Essie brand around, mostly at Target and always just passed by them. Well, sometimes the husband doesn't come with me in Target if the baby is asleep in the car sooo this was one of those days lol. I picked up the last two in the photo (I'll edit this once I remember their names, sorry) and ordered the first one off of Ulta (Afterpay is the death of my bank account).
As a new mom who only has a window of maybe 2-3 hours a day to herself you're gonna need to utilize that time (or what's left of it after you're done cleaning) as best as possible (I edit pictures at 3am when I wake up to make her another bottle, I haven't had a full nights sleep in a year and a half ya'll)! I was a little iffy about this actually being quick dry cause even with my favorite "fast drying" top coat my nail polish doesn't exactly dry quickly. And a polish without the top coat? I don't know man.
Well I'm here to tell you THIS IS QUICK DRYING. I applied it during my bubble bath and scrolled through Pinterest and IG for awhile (cause you know, not much you can do in the bath or while your nails are wet) and I noticed they dried pretty quickly. Like solid smooth dry. Not sort of dry or even mostly dry. It was completely dry. I don't know exactly how long since I didn't time it (I should and I'll update this when I do), but it was at least within half an hour!
I'm absolutely impressed with this line from Essie, I just wish they had more shades. There's a good range of shades to choose from now but I'm hoping for some dusty vibes for Fall!
Have you ever tried these? What's your favorite shade? What other "fast drying" polishes should I try? I'm currently obsessed.
I have a hard time sleeping. I always have, since around 2004. I literally can not fall asleep on my own, ever. And since 2004 I've been taking various types of sleeping aids. I've never gone to get this checked of figured out why, it never occurred to me this was a legit problem until recently if I'm being honest.
But for the last year or two I've been looking into other, more natural ways to fall asleep. I also struggle with anxiety, especially at night and I'm not 100% sure if the two are related but I discovered my love for the scent lavender and my love for oils some time last year. Both have helped me in relaxing and depending on the day sometimes they can even make me drowsy, but not all the time.
The beauty community had been raving about LUSH's newest body lotion called "Sleepy". The description reads:
Slather on this gorgeous pale purple lotion, breathe in its sweet, comforting lavender and tonka perfume and you'll instantly feel at ease. Glycerin, cocoa butter and almond oil work together to moisturize skin and lock in hydration to keep skin soft, supple and comfortable all day or all night long. Say hello to your new nightly ritual! Zzz..
Years ago when I was still living in California and my eczema had gotten bad enough that it started cracking the skin on my hand in multiple various painful places I used a similar LUSH body lotion: Dream Cream.
It's been a few years since then so I didn't really remember what I liked and didn't like about that product --- or about LUSH body lotions in general.
I held off on editing this photo so you could see it.
Sleepy is this really pretty pale lavender shade and it's sprinkled with a little bit of what looks like fine glitter on top. I can't tell if it's REALLY glitter, but it's shimmery so we'll go with glitter.
I think this is the large size (I don't remember, my boyfriend grabbed this for me tbh after I told him about it) and as you can see the tub size this is enough to last you a GOOD while, even if you use it daily. And all over your body.
I love the pretty shimmery shade of this product and I love how it smells. It's definitely a really comforting lavender scent that can put you to sleep, it's THAT comforting. I do like how it keeps my skin hydrated and moisturized even after I wash my hands.
What I don't like is that after the product settles into the skin the after feeling can feel a bit powdery and not in a good baby powder kind of way but in a way that it feels like it's coating your hands/body and it can be a little irritating if that's a feeling you don't really like.
I suddenly remembered having this problem with Dream Cream as well --- as much as I love the scent and product I really do not like that after feeling! I try to just deal with it most of the time for the sake of my skin being moisturized and scented beautifully with lavender but other days I just can not be bothered to deal. I wish there was a way to eliminate that after feeling!
This product can be a bit pricey;
A small 3.1 oz runs for $10
A large 7.4 oz runs for $20
And they all come in this tub format which I also am not the biggest fan of simply because it can be a bit of a hassle to unscrew it just to get to the product then with your hands oiled up and greasy from the lotion it's such a bitch to screw it back shut and make sure it's shut tightly! I tend to take a scoop and place it on my arm then screw it shut with my hands still dry THEN apply the lotion but even that seems like a bit of a hassle to go through. Not to mention with my OCD it gets tricky to convince myself that it's fine, it's clean before putting it on.
I would had much preferred if there was a pump option.
Have you tried Sleepy? What did you think?
If you've tried other lavender scented lotions are there any you recommend?
It seems every year there's a special Limited Edition Lip Smacker Mickey & Minnie Mouse lip balm set for Valentine's Day.
This year it featured Mickey in Marshmallow Hugs & Minnie Mouse in Sweet Candy Kisses.
I had the one from last year as well but I never opened/tried them and I didn't blog about it, though I'm not sure why I didn't.
Minnie has a cute Strawberry themed looking bow between her ears and Mickey is sporting a red heart on his right ear. But that's not all!
CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW CUTE THEIR LITTLE MOUSE BUTTS ARE?!
I loved the design they were dressed in and their little tails made it even better! I don't know, I guess I just assumed it was just the front face part that was designed.
I'm gonna start with my favorite former boss, Mickey.
The thing I've never been a fan of when it came to these TsumTsum lip balms is that they're so dang head heavy! And how small of product you actually get (granted I've never actually finished one of these, but still, roll with it) compared to the size of their cute huge heads!
When I first tried these two out I concluded that Mickey tasted like Magic Kingdom.
The scent and the taste of this lip balm reminded me of a really pretty sunny day walking across Main Street USA and eating my favorite Chocolate Marshmallow's from The Confectionery.
It's that kind of taste/scent. I'd say that he had a pretty heavy spot on taste and scent of marshmallow with a really nice powdered vanilla flavor.
When it came to Minnie, I felt like she tasted like EPCOT.
Like, if you were to take Flower & Garden Festival and wrap it up into one flavor, it would be this Minnie.
She had a really sweet fruity taste/scent to her. I could pick out Strawberries and Watermelon and a hint of what sort of reminded me of lollipops.
The only problem was as good as she tasted when first applied, as it faded it just started to taste/remind me of what a big huge sugary mess would smell like lol. I wasn't a fan of what it would fade into.
The scent/taste and the moisture factor for both of these lip balms lasted a really good amount of time. I didn't find myself reapplying it as much as other lip balms and it wasn't at all drying as it did fade.
I really enjoyed trying these guys out. I collect almost anything TsumTsum and I have a number of these lip balms and I USE to review them. I don't know why I stopped! I had so much fun putting this post together!
I'm curious to know what next years flavors are going to be!
The Glade fragrances I fell in love with last year came out in spray bottle formats and I'm wondering why I have more of the pink (my favorite scent) and green scents and none of the coconut ones... I don't remember if I hated it or if I ever talked/blogged about it and that kind of bothers me.
I didn't review it, even if it was just for myself.
So I decided to review more of things I use/love/hate this year to look back on later.
I normally post my book reviews on Readarella; but lately I've been feeling like book review bloggers aren't a thing like they use to be in 2009 when I first started. I feel like it's moved on to book vloggers which isn't a bad thing since I use to post video reviews too and into bookstagramers which I feel I'm at a disadvantage at sometimes because I buy typically digital books and while you can create a cool flat lay with a Kindle or your phone I feel like having a physical book works much better. Plus I'm not savvy on how to make a flat lay and I'm limited on what to use for props. Maybe when I move into my next place I'll actually set up bookcases and do all that flat lay stuff.
But I wanted to post a review anyway since I've gotten back into reading recently \o/.
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles #1
Release Date: January 3rd, 2012
Find It: Amazon | GoodReads | B&N
Summary:
Sixteen-year-old Cinder is considered a technological mistake by most of society and a burden by her stepmother. Being cyborg does have its benefits, though: Cinder's brain interference has given her an uncanny ability to fix things (robots, hovers, her own malfunctioning parts), making her the best mechanic in New Beijing. This reputation brings Prince Kai himself to her weekly market booth, needing her to repair a broken android before the annual ball. He jokingly calls it "a matter of national security," but Cinder suspects it's more serious than he's letting on.
Although eager to impress the prince, Cinder's intentions are derailed when her younger stepsister, and only human friend, is infected with the fatal plague that's been devastating Earth for a decade. Blaming Cinder for her daughter's illness, Cinder's stepmother volunteers her body for plague research, an "honor" that no one has survived.
But it doesn't take long for the scientists to discover something unusual about their new guinea pig. Something others would kill for.
I'll be honest, I read Cinder like last year-ish but since I continued on with the series I felt weird not reviewing this title first.
Cinder is about a cyborg named Cinder who works as a mechanic in New Bejing. I honestly didn't think I would be interested in this read for several reasons --- it takes place in a future world. It's about a cyborg and Cinderella was never really my favorite fairy tale. But as the story progressed, I found myself OBSESSED with this world. With who Cinder is and the people that make up her life. Yeah she still had that awful step mother but there were so many twists the author put on this story! Plus, it was a re-telling so I had to pick it up!
Cinder still had the two step sisters although one of them was one of her closest friends and I think that made this story that much better. Though the evil one could seriously suck it, in my opinion she was just as awful as her mother! Which is crazy because hello, her sister obviously didn't have a problem with Cinder. But whatever. Also there was Iko, lovely lovely Iko who I immediately fell in love with --- she's their household android assistant and she has such a big personality for something that should had been such a small role.
The story of The Lunars and of their dreadful Queen was also an interesting twist to put on this story and this world.
I remember at the time I read this I was totally smitten with the way Cinder and Kai interacted though I can't remember exactly why. But Kai in his own wasn't bad for the guy in the story. He had his own problems and his own things going on so while Cinder played a part in his days and in his story, his story was independent enough that he stood out as his own character in my mind and I kind of like that. Too many times the boys in YA books (especially in fantasy and paranormal) get so blended in with the girl in the book that there really isn't much to them when you think back on it.
The huge plot twist in this story did take me by surprise and it drove me to read the rest of the books (and it still is)! I wish I could talk about it but I hate including spoilers in my reviews, maybe I'll rewrite this review on Readarella and include all of my thoughts there :) who knows.
I absolutely enjoyed this read a lot more than I thought I would had and I'm so glad I decided to give it a go, after like 4 years of it sitting in my TBR pile.
Here's to the rest of the series!
Review | Strawberry Lemonade Mainstays & Lemon Cupcake American Home candle
Monday, January 23, 2017
I love Mainstays wax melts but I have never tried their candles. I mean, how different could a candle be from a wax melt, amiright? Clearly, very different.
I haven't tried anything from the brand American Home though I do own a wax melt that is similar to one of my favorite Yankee Candle scents and since they're owned by the same company, I thought I'd give it a shot (though I haven't yet). So I also picked up one of their candles.
These were pretty affordable and you can find both brands at Wal-Mart.
The American Home Lemon Cupcake burned like a Yankee Candle candle, it cooled into that plastic bubble wax looking consistency that always freaks me out. This particular scent had absolutely no scent throw which was sad because on cold sniff it seemed pretty strong. Though I find in my experience most of the smaller Yankee Candle's don't have a huge scent throw, it's the bigger ones that do and I wonder if this is the same case with this as well. Ah well, guess I'll have to buy a bigger Lemon Cupcake to find out (any excuse to buy a candle, right)!
Like I mentioned before, I love Mainstays wax melts and I use them all the time. They give off such a strong scent throw and the last for a good amount of time. Though I'll be honest, I didn't have high hopes for the candle but still this seemed like a fun spring scent so I gave it a shot. On cold sniff it was heavenly and made my mouth water thinking about getting Strawberry Lemonade myself! But again the scent throw wasn't really there. The candle itself burns evenly and very very smoothly. I loved the way it looked when it was all melted down and the flame would just flicker inside the jar. It was definitely a nice relaxing sight in the corner of my eye! I would definitely purchase these again just for the Hygge aspect of it but not so much for the scent aspect. I couldn't find this scent in a wax melt but I hope they make one for it soon! It's a lovely scent on cold sniff.
Have you tried either of these brands before?
If you know me, you'll know I am OBSESSED with Cadbury chocolates. I feel like here in the U.S. they only really come out to play during Easter. Cadbury Mini Eggs have been the highlight of my year since 2002 and I refuse to eat them any other time than Easter time (I mean it just makes it more special that way, don't you think?)!
I was browsing through World Market one day --- focusing on food/candy like I usually do --- when I stumbled on these!
Cadbury Creme Eggs Cookies?! Wait wait wait... who's the troubled genius who thought of this?! While doing some product shots I tagged a friend of mine who is obsessed with the actual eggs and he had not seen these yet. Oh I hope he tries them soon! I'd love to know what he thinks!
Okay, I'll admit, I don't know what I was expecting. But opening up the package (can I just note how beautiful the wrapper, packaging and presentation is for this? Anyone else pay attention to things like that?) I for some reason didn't expect a sleeve of cookies. So I slid them out carefully. Not wanting to ruin the prettyness of the first box (for filming purposes if I ended up loving or hating them) I went straight for the second. I noticed the cookie was sort of dripping Cadbury Creme Egg guts.
Biting into it, I wasn't expecting much. But OMG. So it's basically a flat Cadbury Creme Egg on top of a crispy chocolate biscuit that was then dipped in heavenly chocolate. So if you were to break the middle of the top of the cookie you would be breaking into the egg.
And as you can see, they kept the whites/yolk look going on. I'm definitely impressed.
I also may have stuffed two more in my mouth after snapping these photos.
I may be on my way right now to get more.
I had so much fun experiencing this! I love how snacks and candies are taking this really new turn lately and I'm thinking of making this a mini series on this blog.
So if you enjoyed this and want to see what other Easter candy reviews I'll be posting make sure to bookmark this link right here --- /easter candy review for more!
*This is not a sponsored post. I bought this product with my own money. Just thought I should mention that!
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