Zum Organic Soap

Hello, my dears! I hope your holiday break has been splendid so far!

My bestie has spoiled me a lot lately, and something she knows is that I love my beauty products, as well as trying new products out. She had gotten me a bar before, but after getting me another slice, I decided it was time to finally blog about the product.

There is an organic goat's milk soap company called Indigo Wild, who, as I have suggested, sells organic soaps called Zum bars. Below is a example of one bar that I adore.

The bar is from their citrus line, comprising of sandalwood and citrus. How delicious sounding, right?! I use this soap all the time to wash my hands with, and it smells delightful! There is another soap which she had purchased for me, a Patchouli smelling soap, and I have to admit that it does smell a bit strong, however still smells pretty good. I am just not usually one for very musky scents.

Zum soaps are sold at local stores, such as Hyvee in the United States, specifically in the state of Missouri-it comes out of a company from Kansas City, Missouri-but can also be purchased online at their website. They sell many other products, such as bath salts, spritz sprays, and body washes, all at a relatively cheap price. The soaps do smell a bit strong, so I would recommend something that sounds a bit sweeter and less musky to start out with, otherwise it could be overbearing.

Now, as the title on the back of my bag suggests, Why Choose Zum? Zum contains goat's milk, which moisturizes skin and keeps oils balanced; it contains 100% pure essential oils for aromatherapy; is manufactured by hand (impressive!); and contains Grade A Juju. The bags which the soaps come in at the super market are recyclable, which is a wonderful way to help save the environment. Or, as a Lush bag once suggested to me, you can place the bag in a sock drawer and let the scent from the soap bag scent your laundry.

In conclusion, despite the nose one might need for these soaps, they are quite nice, if even for washing hands. In a world where we strive to be eco-friendly, then I say why not give this a try?

Merry Christmas, Darlings!

I hope that you all have a happy holiday season and a very Merry Christmas day! Peace and love to all!

Picture (C) of the website I found this one, which can be found by clicking on the image.

~ExactaCrafts

Zapzyt-A Cheap Solution to Acne

I bring you all one of the cheapest, best solutions to fighting zits, ZapZyt. It can be found at local drugstores or markets such as Walmart-this is where I find my supply. The bottle is small and is perfect for carrying in one's purse. The serum is also very easy to squeeze out, making it one of the least time consuming products I've ever tried.

The product is simply applied, with a small amount, to any problem areas on the face, or specific zits that are wanted gone. I have been using this for about three or four years now, and it has been very affective. I used to apply it every night without cleaning my makeup off or using any other products, and this is where that product went wrong. You can use this product only as a side product after cleaning your skin and using your skincare routine. It cannot stand alone, or your skin most likely will become extremely dry as mine did. My skin was so unhealthily dry, yet I was obsessed with having no zits on my face that I continued to use it until my parents halted me and gave me the Obage skincare routine. I now only use dabbles of ZapZyt in moderation with my skincare routine.

I cannot stress how important it is to wash your face every morning and every night. Not only does washing your face in the morning brighten your complexion and make you look more awake, but also washing your face at night is important to remove all of the dirty, grimy makeup oils. Even if you do not wear makeup, washing your face is important to get rid of oils and dirt which can still attach to your face throughout the day, whether from your hands or simply from being outdoors. Washing your face will clean out your pours, and by splashing cold water on your face, so Melanie from Beauty and Bows says, this will close your pours, thus preventing acne.

This is the ZapZyt serum. The picture is (C) of Drugstore.com, although this can be found many other places.

In conclusion, this is an affective creme to use for preventing acne, but I highly recommend not using it alone. Be sure to wash your face every morning and every night-no more, because then the wash will become ineffective for that day.

What do you use for your skincare routine? Were you bad like me, never washing your face daily and nightly, or have you been very good about keeping care of your skin?

(THIS STORE IS NO LONGER OPEN.)

Hey there, girlies!

Happy belated Thanksgiving, m'dears! I hope that it was wonderful, for those in the United States, and for those who don't live in the USA, a Happy-belated-the-24th-of-November-day to you!




I made a purchase earlier this month from Hip Hop Candy again-that store is SO cute!-and I thought I would do another review over the products I bought/share with you all the inexpensive, fantastic products!

I purchased the following products from her store:

Discontinued: Sweet Sunflower Roll-on Perfume (This picture was taken from her website)

Cotton Candy Clouds Foaming Body Wash (This picture was taken from her website)

Button: Rainbow Cloud (Picture taken from her website)

And I must say that I am impressed with all of the products once again! Not shocker there, admittedly. The body wash does not quite smell like Cotton Candy to me, but it is still yummy smelling and perfect to use as a shaving soap. The button was a gift for my best friend, and she adored it, and as the other one was made with wonderful quality, so is this one. And finally, the sunflower perfume is a hit at my job! Many have complimented saying I smell really nice and are delighted when I tell them it is my perfume. I must say that the perfume is indeed my favorite product from the purchase.

She was also kind to give a freebie surprise gift, a PB&J candle votive. I thought that that was the sweetest thing in the world! Although, I am admittedly allergic to peanuts and gave the candle to a friend (simply because I did not care for the smell..), I am very thankful for the gift, and my friend adores it.

In conclusion, all of the products are wonderful, and I plan on purchasing an item or two hopefully from her Christmas line!

The following items can be found at the links below:

Sunflower Perfume
Cotton Candy Bodywash
Cloud Button


Thank you so much again, Hip Hop Candy, for making my order a wonderful one!

I HIGHLY recommend her store.

Take care, turkeys!

Halloween Spirit

Hello, everyone! Sorry that I haven't updated in a long while, work, school and commissions have kept me extremely busy.

Since Halloween is rolling around, I have decided to share a little Halloween-y product that my best friend bought for me from Bath and Body.

It is a glitter spray with the oh so beloved Dark Kiss scent. This smells so delicious and literally does make me sparkle! I accidentally sprayed a paper with it and my paper glittered like Edward Cullen himself (c) Stephanie Meyer.

Doesn't this bottle just have character? Haha! I love the skull, truth be told. I wish that they had had one with a bat-now that I think about it, she said they did, but it had the Cherry Blossom scent which I have grown tired of...

I adore this and use it quite frequently, more so than my perfumes.


Also, to get into the Halloween spirit, I have purchased a pair of orange fingerless gloves, which were custom made for me by a friend of mine, as well as a pumpkin mug from Walmart, some stickers and some clothing to help me get into the Halloween spirit. What are you doing to get into the Halloween spirit? Do you celebrate Halloween where you live? Although Halloween merchandise may seem usable for only one holiday, most items really can be used throughout November for Thanksgiving, here in the United States.

Happy Halloween, everybody! Stay safe!

Purchase from QueenNekoyasha of DeviantArt

I recently purchased a few charms from QueenNekoysha and received them today in the mail.

First off, I must say that I am very happy with how quick the shipping was! I felt that it might be longer than expected, but they seemed to arrive just as soon as she told me she was shipping them.

I purchased a ghostie charm, as seen below:

A friendship cookie charm:

And a storm cloud, which I will be giving to my mom as a little gift this Christmas:


 

I am very happy with the charms, and the quality and craftsmanship are wonderful! I will certainly be saving up to buy more in the future!
Her prices are also very reasonable-VERY-and you get more than your money's worth. I highly recommend her charms!

Thank you, QueenNekoyasha!

Obage With Vitamin C Cleanser Review

Hello, lovely ladies-I've been noticing a blog trend of bloggers opening up with complimenting their readers.

Well, I realize it's been a while, but I am ready to begin updating once more! College and work has remained busy, but I will try to keep up.

I have been using an anti-acne product for the past two weeks-getting rid of my acne has been an immense hassle and issue for many years. Luckily I found this beauty in my mother's shower because it has been doing wonders to my face!

Obage RX Cleansing Gel With Vitamin C has been the pride of my recent purchases. The gel is a dark peachy color and goes on well. A small, pea-sized amount is only needed to lather between your fingers and massage over your face. It lathers on your face really well, creating a soapy face mask. After leaving it on for about twenty seconds, it is washed off with cold water-cold water closes the pours, whereas warm water re-opens them, setting one up for more acne.

I have been reducing my acne and feel more confident with my face now. It seriously does a great job!

Unfortunately, the price is a little hefty, amounting to $30.00 where I buy it, however it can be found for $33.00 on this website: This is also where the picture above was taken from. 

This cleanser is $23.75 here.

Despite the large price, it is definitely worth the money.

Would you consider buying this glorious item? Would it be worth the splurge? How often do you take care of your face?

I used to not take a whole lot of care of my face-I would never wash my day's makeup off at night-but have been getting into the routine and am satisfied with the results. A little goes a long way, so take the time out of your night and morning to feel pretty. It's definitely worth the time and shows.

Peaches and Scream Giveaway Review

First off, I am sorry that it has been forever since I've updated this blog. I have been busy with college and work, but now have some time to update.

I had blogged last month about a giveaway that was being held on DeviantArt for an adorable toast charm. Well..I won that giveaway! It is the first giveaway I've ever won, so I was pretty darn ecstatic. Thank you, Peaches and Scream, for holding this giveaway and for the prizes!

To start off, the packaging was SUPER cute. I didn't take a picture due to the package advertising too much private information-addresses, etcetera-but she had drawn on it and made it look all pretty-like. It really was a very cute, personal touch that I enjoyed immensely!

I quickly opened the package due to my excitement and found the most adorable charm inside a just as cute bag, paired with a couple freebie stickers!

=

I blacked out her name for privacy reasons, but look at how cute that bag is alone! It was personalized as well, which adds such a creative touch. It adds a sense of care put in to everything.

And here are the stickers and keychain! They all are SO adorable, and the keychain is very well made! I am completely satisfied with everything, it was all personalized so well and are very cute.

Thank you so much again, Peaches and Scream, for the giveaway. I appreciate it all and am very happy with the keychain!

Hello Kitty Mac Kabuki Brush Review

I purchased a Hello Kitty kabuki brush off of Ebay two weeks ago and received it last week. Finally after half a week of having it, I've decided to write a review.

Right off the bat I can say that I love this brush, and it was better than I anticipated. The brush is primarily used for applying blush, which is what I've been using it for every single day, and it applies the blush so well. Kabuki brushes are well known for having a blunt tip so that when blush is applied, it spreads on evenly and over the cheekbone perfectly; that's exactly what it does! My previous blush brush didn't work well and would add too much blush to one cheek while smudging blush on the other. It looked like a mess, which is why I purchased this life saver. Now my blush is completely even, the right amount is applied, and the blush doesn't remain on the brush after use so I can easily use it for something else. A little goes a long way with this brush.

The brush may appear tiny, but it's perfect for traveling and daily use, as explained above.

I also really liked the cute touch of Hello Kitty.

The brush is from MAC and was part of their Hello Kitty line, however because they no longer carry that line, I had to purchase it on Ebay. Truth be told I was hesitant at first because the brush hairs evidently are made of wool, which I am allergic to, however I had a feeling that if I gave it a try it wouldn't hurt. I was correct, the brush doesn't irritate my skin at all. Perhaps things are looking up for my allergies as well?

Aside from that small tangent, this is the bag that the brush came in. It's just..perfect, honestly, because of its teensy size! I love it.

Would you consider using a kabuki brush, or have you used a kabuki brush before? Would you necessarily buy from the Hello Kitty brand?

Hip Hop Candy Haul Review Part 2

(THIS STORE IS NO LONGER OPEN.)

Hello!

So, I took a shower tonight to try the new body wash that I'd purchased from Hip Hop Candy, "Frosted Cupcake".

I must say that the body wash slightly disappointed me because it made my skin rough after I washed it off, but honestly what soap isn't rough? The only soaps that I've found soft after washing off are Bath and Body soaps, therefore it's difficult for me to be super pleased with any soap or body wash that isn't from Bath and Body Works' line.

The pros to the body wash include the label not coming off (! I was super happy about that!) and the smell. It smelled so fantastic in the shower. However, I can't smell it on my body at all right now, so it doesn't linger.

All in all, pretty good body wash. I'll use it in the shower I think when I want to smell that yummy cupcake smell, but otherwise I won't use it as my definite body wash. It lathers on well, may I add, which was another plus!

Thank you again, Hip Hop Candy, and although this wasn't one of my more optimistic reviews, I still deeply appreciate the products you make and am satisfied with the body wash. It just smells too good for me to be begrudging towards those minute cons.

Would you be willing to try one of her body washes? They certainly would make wonderful party favors or gifts, I think! As I said before, I am super picky with my soaps. Not even Lush's soaps could impress me, and that's saying something.

Hip Hop Candy Haul Review Part 1

(THIS STORE IS NO LONGER OPEN.)

Hey, guys! Okay, this is "part one" because I am too excited to post a review about the products I bought from Hip Hop Candy to wait on the body wash and do a review after I've tried it.

So! Hip Hop Candy is an online store run by a woman in New York who makes her own products! And I must say, she is talented, and her products are fantastic!

The first set of products I bought are shown below, and they include "Blue Raspberry Fizz" body spray, "Raspberry Lemonade" body spray, and "Frosted Cupcake" foaming body wash. First off, they all smell amazing, especially..well, all of them! The Frosted Cupcake is SO yummy smelling, as is the Blue Raspberry Fizz, and the Raspberry Lemonade is sweet. They all smell pretty much like the real deal, which surprised me and delighted me to no end.

I loved them so much that I HAD to share them with my close friends and family, and they were in love with the smells as well, especially the Blue Raspberry Fizz (which is my personal favorite).

My package also came with a button that I ordered for my very good friend, as well as a cute business card and wonderful freebie gift, the whimsical and equally cute bookmark! The bookmark happily surprised me because I had really liked it when looking on her site.

Overall, I was EXTREMELY happy with my purchase. Not a single product let me down, and my friend loved her bunny button-it was super great because it came on a day when she wasn't feeling too well and needed a sweet surprise.

The products were well made and encased in appropriate containers, and almost seemed like real products one would buy off the shelf at a beauty store! They have a paper coating which advertises the name of the product and shows ingredients on the back. One thing that I'm concerned about is the paper melting off in the shower for the body wash, but that really isn't a problem. The bookmark and business card both are laminated in super thick lamination (?), which assures me that they won't bend or tear easily-or at all! The button is just like a professional button one would buy from a store like Claires-I just pulled a store from the top of my head, but it really is well made, to get to my point. If I'm not mistaken, she also does all of the artwork for her stationary, bookmarks, business cards, buttons, etcetera herself, which shows how creative and multi-talented she is as a business dealer and artist.

One last thing that I appreciated was the fast shipping! I had read she wasn't feeling too well but still shipped my products despite feeling under the weather! That shows a wonderful characteristic of a great business dealer. My products arrived in four days!

Thank you, Hip Hop Candy, for the amazing products and free gift, I deeply appreciate it! Your business is great and didn't disappoint me one bit-I was confident it wouldn't though! Keep up the fantastic work that you do.

Tell me, bloggers, have you shopped at her store before? If so, what did you get and did you like the product(s)? If not, would you consider it? Her products are perfect when wanting to stay on budget as well, so I recommend her all the way.

Happy Cosmos Review

I consider this review "beauty" related because I recently ordered a, what I would consider to be, makeup bag from an Etsy store called Happy Cosmos.

I had had my eyes on this particular item for about a year now, and I noticed that she was having a sale in her store, so I decided to finally purchase it. I didn't want anyone else snagging it!

What I ordered was a makeup bag/pencil pouch of a Kappa. The Kappa is an, in my opinion, adorable Japanese mythological creature.

Isn't that adorable?! The pouch was wrapped in that pretty pink tissue paper, a sweet touch if I do say so myself.

The package also came with a kind note from Wendy, the maker of this product, which is seen below alongside a couple business cards. I think it's smart on her part to put two business cards in because now I can give one to my friends! I love advertising self-owned businesses, they deserve love; especially hers because it's so cute!

Finally, I found a little surprise! It literally made me coo aloud, it was so-let me find more synonyms for cute, haha-precious!

Isn't that cute?! Such a tiny surprise. The little things in life literally make me happy. Thank you, Wendy!

IN CONCLUSION, her shop is great, you guys should go check it out here: Here!

Thank you again, Wendy, keep up the fantastic work!

Burt's Bees Review

Yesterday I purchased two Burt's Bees lip shimmer balms because I'd been curious to try them out and they were half off.

The two I chose were Champagne and Guava, as seen below.

After trying the products, I was a bit disappointed because I didn't really know what to expect as far as smell and flavor. Both are minty and smell minty as well. I'm not a huge fan of mint, simply because it's too boring for me, but the outcome of color and the way it applies is wonderful!

The lip balm applies very smoothly, even over dried lips, and leaves lips smooth for a long while after use. The color tints are impressive as well, because I was skeptical that they would leave any color at all.

On the left is Champagne, and on the right is Guava. I'm really partial to Champagne because it's sparkly, as is Guava, but it's sheer and looks more natural.

Overall, pretty good! Better than most lip balms and chapsticks I've had. I only wish it came in flavors with better scents. I feel great though knowing that I'm applying an organic lip balm, so that helps me get past the hard feelings.

Have you tried this lip balm before? How do you feel about it if so? Would you be willing to try, or is there another lip balm you prefer?

Lush "Haul" Review: Part 2

Hello, everyone!

Today I FINALLY used the Big Blue bath bomb. I decided to make today a pamper day, and that was first on my list.

I literally squealed with excitement as I dropped it in the water, and I tell you, the overall results nearly made me faint-not really, but it was *awesome*.

My water looked like the ocean, and it smelled so amazing. Seaweed filled my tub-not a whole lot, but just the right amount-and made it all the more relaxing. I literally felt like I was in an ocean. As I relaxed from the warm water and aroma, I began to feel like I was floating in the sea, my Yiruma playlist playing somewhere off in the distance. I have never felt as relaxed as I did during the moments I was in the tub.

I would one hundred percent recommend this to everybody, it is fantastic. Great smell, wonderful size, the seaweed is great for skin and softening skin, and it was a wonderful price. I will definitely be buying another one of these as soon as I can!

Candy-Delicious!

Hello, girlies! I've been traveling a lot this week, so forgive me for not updating my posts.

While in one of the areas I was visiting, we decided to go to an imported foods store. The store was full of delicious looking Asian food, including an odd Japanese ice, Popsicle treat. However, I didn't buy those. What I did get are the following:

Shown here are the front and back of a Rice Candy pack I bought. The candies were wrapped in rice paper, which dissolved in my mouth once on my tongue and revealed a fruity, chewy candy in the middle. It was quite odd, especially the rice, however I sort of liked it! The rice became a little old after a while, and I really just wanted the chewy gummy, but that's what makes it worth eating. There was also a free sticker inside of a Japanese child on top of a turtle's back.

The second candy pack I got was a pack containing a bunch of gum. There are four balls of gum in each Strawberry, Melon, Grape and Orange pack, and then one single piece for the other three special pieces. I have tried the Strawberry and Grape, which released their flavor too quickly and lasted about five minutes before tasting a little bland, however the Peach gum I tried was delicious and lasted much longer. All in all, I will be going back there again when I get the chance to buy this gum pack again. I also purchased Banana milk, however I haven't tried it yet.

What is your favorite oriental candy? Is there a candy you love that isn't sold where you live?

Lush "Haul" Review: Part 1

Okay, so this is "part one" because I haven't tried the bath bomb yet. I'm saving that baby until I buy more, haha~!

I did try the Honey I Washed the Kids Soap sample-cut a bit off as suggested by Melanie of Beauty and Bows-and I must admit that I am halfway okay with the soap. It smells *amazing* and *delicious* and wondrous, however it's very rough on the hands after washed off...Not too soft. Not too delightful. But hey, the smell's great, so that's a plus! I'll be buying more, regardless. Who cares if soap is rough, eh? Not me.

The second and last item I shall be reviewing is the famous Dream Creme. Oh my goodness, that stuff is heavenly. It is SO soft and goes on the skin well, and only a little bit at a time at that! My best friend used it for her eczema and the results were almost instant; it took away the red bumps, made her arms smooth, and stopped the itching a little bit. It really is a miracle worker. Not only does it help eczema, or dry skin, but I put it on my face last night over my normal, cheap-o acne creme, and it literally took away some of the acne. Okay, bear with me on this when I say that, but I will try it again for the next week and come back to say whether it seriously helps or not. If it does, it will literally be a gift sent down from Heaven. Also, the smell is delightfully cool and herbal, very nice in my opinion.

What is your favorite Lush product? Which product do you REALLY wish you could have?

Pretty Jewels, Pretty Finds

I was ecstatic to receive in the mail today a ring from Charlotte Russe. But not any ring..the same ring, albeit chunkier, like the one I lost in the airport!

This baby cost me $12.00 with shipping, which isn't too bad, but is quite a bit more than I paid for the replica of this from Claire's which I lost in the airport bathroom last month. My father actually found this online for me, and bless him because I'd been moaning and groaning over the loss of my other one. This, among other things, brightened up my day today.

My mom was going through her sterling silver jewelry today, and happened across a few bracelets she didn't want. These aren't sterling, but I still think they're cute and classic.

And finally, I found buttons today that looked gorgeous and classic as well! Aren't these beautiful? I don't know what I will use them for, but I know that more crafting is in store for the future!

Pardon my lazy blogging today. I will hopefully share more makeup related reviews tomorrow or later on this week.

What bracelet do you wear the most? Are you for gold or for silver?

Gracious Gifts

Sometimes All the time I feel like I have the best friend in the entire world. Enough said.

Anyway, so on Thursday, she went shopping and brought me back a few goodies from Bath and Body Works.

The first of these is the lotion directed at left, which is called Paris Amour. I am a fan of their lotions, but had never heard of this one before she bought it. It smells SO amazing. Once applied, it smells rosy and floral and strong, but then turns into a citrus-y smell. Quiet odd to describe, but simply fantastic! However, once going on to their website to see the fragrances, this is what I got: French tulips, apple blossoms and pink champagne. Well, I've never smelled tulips-at least not in a while-nor have I smelled pink champagne, so I could just have a really bad nose for smelling, or you can take my word for it anyway that it's amazing.

The second item she got me was this amazing smelling hand sanitizer with bats on it. The smell is "gum ball" and very mouth watering. Also, may I add that the bats glow in the dark. How's that for some hand sanitizer fun? She's gotten me many, and now I can add this to my wonderful collection with Vampire Blood and Bat Bite.

I was very fortunate to receive a couple of other special gifts this week, one being from my mother's god-mother. She's Greek, so when they came back from Greece she bought my mother and me "Evil Eye" bracelets. The evil bracelet is supposed to ward off evil. It's very stylish and cute as well.

Also, a family friend of ours are Chinese, and they just got back from China this week! They were very sweet and brought me back a gorgeous bracelet by Chengxin jewelry.

What special gift have you gotten from a friend or from family?

Top Ten: A List For Pampering

Hello, girlies! I've decided to comprise a top ten list of girlie pampering ideas. I love pampering myself, as I find it a perfect way to de-stress after a taxing day.

1) If you're feeling down or angry, try making a journal. Make one yourself, or find a pretty notebook from a local store or craft store. I found the one below at Hobby Lobby, the roses were too pretty to let this $1.00 baby go. Writing is a great way to lay down your thoughts and de-stress, as it helps let go of your anger or dismay. With mine, I write down positive moments from my day that made me happy and plan for my blog in it. I find enjoyment out of planning for my blog, and writing down things that made you happy that day is wonderful to look back on for a pep up.

2) Relaxing piano music is wonderful to listen to when pampering oneself. I've tried listening to metal before, believe me, and that only triggers migraines which cause more stress and pain rather than help. Yiruma is a gorgeous, Korean pianist who is calming. Might I suggest Kiss the Rain, as it sounds nostalgic and relaxing. Kiss the Rain-Yiruma

3) Taking a nice long bath with bath bombs is great for relaxation. The warm water soothes while the bath bomb's aroma fills the bathroom and clears the mind with a delicious scent. Bath bombs also leave the skin soft and fresh. I love Body Nature's bath bombs, although I've heard that Lush has some great ones as well. For Lush Bath Bombs, Go Here

4) After your hot bath, some lotion couldn't kill, so slather that stuff on. It keeps your skin from drying out after a nice bath, and leaves it soft to touch all evening. If you have dry skin like me sometimes, then there you go, it's perfect! Smother it all over your legs, arms, face, etc. Don't forget to grab a warm bathrobe and some fuzzy slippers for a super boost of girliness. Both my robe and slippers happen to be pink and fleece. Super soft~!

5) You can put makeup on after you're dry, however I prefer not to and instead let my natural beauty shine. It's great to let your skin breath every once and awhile and allows confidence of natural beauty to build up. I am beautiful without makeup, and so are you. Even though you may not be showing the world whilst in your robe and fuzzy slippers at home, you yourself are reassured, and that's a great feeling.

6) A movie can always be in order afterwards, preferably a romantic one. It really depends on your mood. I love romance movies and usually pop in "Pride and Prejudice" for a boost of happiness. It's classic, witty, cute and very girly. So you're not into that, but want something girly, then may I suggest "Gilmore Girls" or, goodness forbid, "Sex In the City". That show can be crude at times, but it promotes strong women and real life situation dealings. The clothing they wear in that show is so chic and inspiring to me, I can't help but catch a few clips of it when I can.

7) Treat yourself to a treat. I prefer strawberry cupcakes with pink icing, simply because my best friend can make them like no other, and they're VERY girlie looking. Put them on a decorative, effeminate plate and enjoy! So you gain a few calories, if you're bothered by packing on those pounds, try something healthier that is just as cute, such as carrots or grapes. I like strawberries myself; with a little bit of sugar, they're tasty and girly!

8) Tea is also a nice treat to have. I love tea, I honestly can't express how much. I'm a Chai girl myself. Black tea is a bit hard to build up to if just drinking it head on without having had tea drinking experience before-seriously-so might I suggest lemon or mint tea. Both are just as tasty, calming, cool and relaxing. Personally, I love adding honey to my tea, no matter what kind it is. Honey is also a great food for staying healthy, among other amazing reasons. I may do a honey post some other time and spare you guys for now.

9) Candles smell great and are calming as well. Just by watching the flickering flame, I become entranced and relaxed from the smell the candle(s) pervade(s). My favorite candles right now include vanilla tea lights, pumpking spice tealights, and berry red tealights, all which are inexpensive! You don't need to buy an expensive candle to enjoy it. All candles are lovely. Below is a French tealight candle display that my Godmother gave to me for my Birthday this year.

10) Finally, a friend to do most of these things with. Have a sleepover, it doesn't matter how old you are. Dress up in cute pajamas-might I suggest indulging yourself in a cute pair of pajamas that you'll love, mine are floral and silk-watch a cute movie-Tangled is really nice as well!-eat those cupcakes and fruits, share lotions, light candles and give each other pep talks! Also, raiding each other's closets is pretty fun, haha~! Have fun, and enjoy your pampering, because you've deserved it!

What do YOU like to do to relax? Do you have pamper days often?

Belated Bath Reviews

I have had three bottles of bubble bath, two empty-to nearly empty, sitting underneath my sink for a while, and I think it's about time I write reviews for them.

First on my list is a Hyvee branded bubblebath. This bubblebath is bubblegum scented, and is DELICIOUS. It is a child's brand, however I find that adults can find just as much pleasure from this as a young one. It's fantastic. Not too expensive, not too high class, and yummy! Next is the Pirates of the Caribbean bubblebath featured to the right. The scent is "Mariner's Musk", and this bubblebath was gifted to me long ago whilst in my "pirate phase". Honestly, I didn't like it. It turned my bath water an odd blue green color and smelled terrible. It was honestly too musky. Not my cup of tea. Finally, the bottom right featured bubblebath is from Avon and smells of roses. This one is nice. Just nice, really. The scent is VERY strong. Of course, I added a lot of bubblebath, however I love A LOT of bubbles. If you're for rose scents, then I would definitely recommend this! If not, well..this isn't your cup of tea either.

Also, today I tried a bath bomb that my friend purchased for me from the Mr. Bubbles company. It was shaped like the character and was supposed to smell of bubblegum. It didn't, however it DID turn my bathwater pink, which was wickedly awesome.

Overall, not too bad. I'm still searching for the perfect bubblebath.

What is your favorite bubblebath?

Lush Splurge and Goodies Galore

Over vacation, a friend and I went to a mall and went crazy at the Lush store!

Because I hadn't gotten a bath bomb for myself the last time, I decided to splurge and get one that I've had my eye on for a while. 

Yes, ladies, it's Big Blue! I was able to try a sample in the store, and it was delightful. The seaweed, which is mixed in with this soothing scented piece, helps soften skin and adds a bit of health to it. I was arrested immediately once I read it on their site and am anxious to try this out.

Also, some samples were in order.

Honey I Washed The Kids is a favorite by a blogger I follow, Melanie from Beauty and Bows, and I decided that I wanted to try it. It smells delicious, I love honey, so what could it hurt? I also got a teensy bit of Dream Cream because I loved it so much after giving it to my friend. It's quite nice, I'd recommend it!

After Lush, we went shopping around a bit to other stores, including Teavana-wonderful tea store, although wasn't really excited to pay the price for only 2 ounces-and I got a Black Chai tea called Taj Masala. It is spicy and gives a kick. Of course, I adore chai, so it was definitely worth every penny. I believe tea is wonderful for the soul, and it gives me an air of grace when I drink it, haha!

Afterwards, and a few other stores later, we headed into Claires. My friend bought a ring, which broke not even a couple hours later, which is very disappointing. However, she bought me a bracelet which is a bit childish but adorable and sweet.

I am currently into pearls, and the sweet pink faux pearl caught my attention.




Then came Sephora, a popular makeup store in the United States. It is VERY expensive in my opinion, however I bought an eye primer pen which was on sale.

The unfortunate thing is that the pen no longer works. How upsetting..



Overall, a pretty good shopping trip, I'd say! Lush was my aim, and that ended successfully. I thought later about how much I wanted other samples!

And now, for the other goodies. My friend and I went to a fun, child-aimed museum and bought a "Help Japan" Hello Kitty doll. It is too precious, and what filled me with joy was that the proceeds went to Japan's disaster!

I'm honestly a sucker for dolls.



Also, while walking back to our hotel, she found an unopened bottle of lotion on the ground in our cellar. It seems a little unorthodox to pick up a bottle of lotion on the ground, however it is from Bath and Body Works, and I honestly couldn't pass it up!

It smells delicious and may become another favorite of mine from Bath and Body.

Have you found anything neat on the ground that you've kept? What was your best Lush or Sephora purchase? If none, would you be interested in shopping there?

Lavender Shock and Gorgeous Blush

I finally tried the last of my trio, the infamous Lavender bath bomb.

I was pleasantly surprised, both by the smell and result! It pervaded my bathroom with a lovely, aromatic scent of Lavender, and turned my bathwater purple! That honestly excited me more than the smell, haha~

Today, I decided to splurge on blush-my normal, one shaded blush from Mary Kay costs about $5.00-and bought a lovely, mineral blush by Physicians Formula.

The palette was so pretty, I couldn't resist! The color is PERFECT on my pale skin as well and gives me a bit of shine and color. It cost me about $10.00, but I am thrilled with the outcome.

This is a bit trivial as well, but I was THRILLED that the pearl was on the blush container when I took the blush out. I thought it was attached to a plastic surface on the inside of the box, but it turned out that that plastic surface was the container itself! It adds to the prettiness of the it all, I think~

Also, one thing I really enjoyed about the blush is that it contains natural pearl and is allergen free, which is wonderful for those who are allergic to EVERYTHING like me. And! And, and, and there is a built in compartment which contains a mirror and brush!

What is your favorite blush to wear? What colors do you prefer? Any brand preference?