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?

More Dark Kisses and Bombs Away

Hello everyone! I have just had a lovely pampering day with my new bath products!

To start off, while on vacation I decided to buy a small travel bottle of shower gel from Bath and Body Works. I had so many to pick from but ended up choosing Dark Kiss. I tell you all, it smells even better than both the lotion and spray! It has such a refreshing, fruity scent, very delicious! I was so excited to use it, that I decided to cheat and use it before traveling once more. SO amazing, I can't describe it. I recommend buying/trying the entire Dark Kiss collection!

Next on my list: bath bombs! My dearest bestie was kind and gave me a pack of bath bombs when I came back! The "bath bomb trio" from Village Naturals Bath Shoppe contained Vanilla Amber, White Tea and Jasmine, and Lavender and Chamomile. So far, I have tried the first two and have been EXTREMELY pleased.

Vanilla Amber turned my bath water a lovely, petal pink and emanated a lovely scent which immediately calmed my mind. It left my skin smooth afterwards, yet not too oily, and kept me smelling sweet.

White Tea and Jasmine has been my favorite of the two however, for its even more astounding scent. The scent was unspeakably calming and delicate, I..can't really describe it, haha. One of the best scents I have ever smelled, and certainly one that has me wanting more.

I've saved the Lavender one for last because I honestly am not a fan of Lavender, however this company's set may prove me otherwise.

What are your favorite and not so favorite scents?

Something Lost, Something Gained

Hello, dears!

As you all know-or maybe don't-I have been obsessing over Lush products for a while and have yearned to buy a product or two. The prices are a bit hefty, however the items bought were TOTALLY worth the price.

However, I must admit that I didn't buy the two products for me, but my friends.

The first product I chose was a Bath Bomb-which I ADORE-for my dear friend, CanvasCandy (you should check out her blog). It is the Pink Bath Bomb, a delicious smelling pink ball of candy and joy.

Pink Bath Bomb

The second product purchased was for my bestie, who shall remain unnamed, and is the Dream Cream, a cream that is specially designed to help eczema. The cream smells fresh, organic, and is very smooth once put on. It has a cool, refreshing feeling after applied, and the best part is that because there is so much, and a little goes a long way, it lasts until its expiration date! I was shocked even at the lack of allergen ingredients in it! For somebody like me who is allergic to the entire universe, Lush products are perfect.


Dream Cream


Have you ordered from Lush before? What is your favorite product? If not, what product(s) would you love to have? Remember, a little indulgence for yourself-or friends-can be a wonderful thing.

Okay, now for the bad news. I posted a couple months back on a ring that I absolutely adored, the one that had black jewels and fit over two fingers. While on vacation, I accidentally left the ring in an airport bathroom. *smacks forehead* When I realized eight hours later, my mood literally shifted from being ecstatic to dreary. Luckily it was very cheap, and perhaps I can find it online. It was a bit of a bummer though...

Have you ever lost something you adored?

Really Adorable Charms! And They're Being Given Away!

On DeviantArt, the site that I adore, there is a kind deviant who is holding a giveaway until August 1st for two adorable charms as seen here:

http://chiharunekama.deviantart.com/#/d3sr5cs

So, my dear followers, if you're interested, go ahead sign up for the giveaway as well! Not only would you receive a mega-adorable charm if you win, but it could make a fantastic gift for someone else.

Of course this blog is about beauty and cute items, so here we go!

What would be your favorite charm to wear? Do you prefer pancakes or toast for breakfast?

July Update-First Update In Forever!

Hello, everyone! Sorry I haven't updated this thing in forever, I've been busy and neglected my blog. So much has been going on, in my own life as well as my beauty life, I suppose.

I went to NYC last weekend for the first time and fell absolutely in love with it. I may start a travel blog to write down and keep track of what I've done, although I keep track in a travel journal. I recommend to everyone that you buy a travel journal because it's a wonderful feeling writing down adventures and memories. One thing I'll spoil from my trip is that I got to see a Cirque du Soleil show, their newest installment Zarkana. It was AMAZING. I have taken so much inspiration from both Zarkana and Cirque du Soleil overall for my fleece hats. I have also been considering clothing design...We'll see how that goes. It's just a thought, may not happen.

In other news, I was FINALLY able to go to a Lush store. I went in like a girl in a candy store and came out with a bath bomb (which smells delicious) and a bottle of creme for my best friend. Definitely a splurge, but well worth it. I definitely plan on doing a review on the products, however I am already planning to go back.

Being in North Carolina for about two weeks has given a lot of time to shop. Jewelry pieces upon clothing pieces, GOODNESS, so much. There is a cute store named Glitter which sells jewelry pieces for ONE DOLLER. Regardless of the stability and quality of the jewelry, I think that's a wonderful deal. If the cute jewelry lasts at least a year, then I'll be a happy girl. And I guarantee it will last longer than that, so hooray for me and for that store!

I have had so much going on that my brain can't take writing it all down right now, nor can my fingers. Too much to write! Hopefully updates will be done, and I can't wait to hear from you all!

~Exacta

TELL ME. What is your favorite inexpensive store to shop at? What store do you splurge on?