The Shower From Hell

I admit it; I actually used to like Jessica Simpson. I avidly watched Newlyweds, and thought she was quite a laugh. Wow. What was I thinking? I just don't have any respect for the woman. I mean, did you read the Rolling Stone article? Nick is a broken man because Jessica decided that she just wanted to party and sleep with Johnny Knoxville, or Adam Levine, or whoever it happened to be. She treated Nick terribly anyway so he is better off without her.

Any shred of pity I had for the woman (thesuperficial.com is really very mean to her) was gone today during my shower. I purchased Desert Beauty "Deliciously Kissable Sugar Scrub" in "Dreamy" (chocolate coconut scent). Sorry Jessica, my experience with your scrub wasn't dreamy, it was a nightmare. I wouldn't use this product again if someone paid me. The smell is tolerable at best; it just smells like cheap, cloying chocolate. Smoothing it on, I didn't have too much of a problem, it just felt like a basic sugar scrub. Then I had to wash it off, a feat not easily accomplished. Thank god I used it before my shower gel, because my arms and legs were coated with water-resistant, petroleum like substance with sugary chunks that wouldn't come off for the life of me. I used half a bottle of my Fruits and Passion Mango Cherry shower gel to no avail, and had to follow up with Pre de Provence Sage exfoliating soap (I love this product name dropping) to feel even close to clean. My shower poof was destroyed; basically it became coated with the petroleum like substance that destroyed its ability to lather with my shower gel. This product might be an environmental hazard, in fact. Think what it would do to the poor marine life if it got into an open body of water!

My hard work resulted in limbs that still felt sticky, two products I had to throw away (my poof and the vile body scrub) and a tub covered with nasty, sticky brown stuff. I would give this product a 0.0. The grading system doesn't go any lower. The only advice I can offer on this product is "just say no".

mmmm.... Japanese Cherry Blossom

Japanese Cherry Blossom by Bath and Bodyworks is my current scent obsession. I mean it is wonderful. I've probably gone through a good 4 oz of my 8 oz bottle of lotion in a few weeks, impressive for me considering I usually use a different lotion every day. I would describe the smell was amber, a touch of cherry, sandalwood, and a soapy smell. The notes according to teh company are "Japanese Cherry blossom, vanilla rice, oriental woods, and delicate mimosa blossoms". Bottom line: gorgeous and sophisticated! Plus this line has beautiful, sleek packaging. My favorite products out of the whole line are the lotion and the EDT, although I have not tried the bubble bath. I found the shower gel not as pleasant smelling as the lotion and EDT. The EDT is only 20 dollars for a 1.7 oz, really reasonable considering the complexity of the scent. This is definately one to check out! I would rate it a 3.8 out of 4.0, honestly this is currently my scent obsession, I have not been into a single scent this much in a very long time!

An Epiphany!

So I had an epiphany today....
I got a Suds and Light order, my first etail order EVER earlier this week. I was very happy with the quality of the products overall.
What I ordered:
Item Name: 7 DAYS OF THE WEEK FEATHERLITE
Item Options: Scent Choice: afternoon delight, cake batter, cheesecake pie crust, fresh brewed ice tea, green apple, red currant, sweet and sassy, all are 4 oz.

Item Name: 7 Days of the Week Perfume
Item Options: Scent Choice: birthday cake, caramel apple, cupcake, dreamsicle, peach buttercream, pink shimmer, sugar cookie, these are all 5 ml and sprays, which I really like, I don't really like the roll on applicators for perfume oil.

As you can see I got some very "foody" scents, and I realized that although I love foody scents, they are better, for me at least, in a wash, like a bath and shower gel or a shampoo/conditioner, than in a perfume, although I still enjoy them a lot in the featherlites (which is a light body cream- wonderful consistency).

In the perfume sprays for example, which I am so impressed with as far as potency, the "cupcake" scent is just too much for me personally. I love it, I really do, but as my friend Ashley would say, "I dont know if I would want to smell like it". Just because after a while it gets weird to me. As a wash, however, you get that burst of goodness and then it goes away. The featherlight (body cream) also fades in it's scent after a while. The perfume, however, is super strong- which is awesome because it makes it a better value, you really don't need much for it to go a long way. The cupcake was a very beautiful scent, so much better than the mass produced ones, like the Jessica Simpson line (which I have not been at all impressed with). I put it on in the morning, one spray on my wrist, and one on my neck, came to work and as soon as I walked in the door I was greeted with, "What is that? Is that coconut?" and this is coming from a man, who as you know have a hard time ID'ing smells and tend to have weaker sniffers than females. I told him it was cupcake. Then after I sat at my desk in the office I had three other coworkers comment that they could smell me in the hall, and they thought it smelled very good, almost like coconut or something they couldn't really identify. I clued them in and was embarrassed because I felt like I should have just used one spray! I want people to smell me but only if they are close. So I learned my lesson there. Tonight I went overboard and put on my cheesecake pie crust featherlite cream, and also tried on my birthday cake and sugar cookie perfume. I smell awesome, but it's starting to make me feel rather hungry, not so good at 10:30 at night. I have come to the conclusion that I do like foody scents but in a perfume base they have to be mixed with a fruit and not just straight desert- for example my peach buttercream is WONDERFUL and not overly foody, as well as the dreamsicle (orange cream scent). Overall though, I am really impressed with the quality of these products, and would definately recommend them.

My favorite scents in the perfumes:
Dreamsicle, Peach Buttercream, Cupcake

The only one I am not too fond of is the caramel apple, there is something a little "off" about it, but that being said with custom blended scents there is always going to be variations in batch, and the scent may need to settle a bit.

As far as the featherlite creams, I have only tried the green apple and the cheesecake pie crush so far, I enjoyed both but the green apple was amazing! Perfection: tart, crunch, granny smith scent. I love the consistency of the featherlites as well, they make me very silky and absorb quickly.

All and all, my first etail order experience was a lot of fun! I would definately recommend Suds and Light products (http://www.sudsandlight.com). I placed my order February 25th and recieved it March 13th, so it was a little hard to wait but expected as the products are fresh and made up per order. An added bonus is also that the thrill of the purchase is stretched out. If I go to Bath and Bodyworks I pick out and purchase the products and get them home in about an hour... this process took weeks, so during that time I didn't purchase any other Suds and Light product. In this way ship times work in the bath and body addicts advantage! Overall, I would give my experience with Suds a 3.5 out of 4.0, the only reason I wouldn't do a full 4.0 is that there are a few scents that I would not reorder, due to there being a slightly "off" smell about them. However, I want to be fair, as scent is a very personal preference, homemade products I am sure vary by batch, and there were some scents in the bunch that far exceeded their competitors in the mass market (cupcake and dreamsicle both have simliar fragrances in the Desert/Jessica Simpson line, but the scents through Suds and Light are 100%'s better in my opinion, as is the value of the product).

Fragrance Finds

I have made some very exciting discoveries at my local TJ Maxx and Marshalls in the way of great prices on perfume.
I purchased:
Curve Waves by Liz Claiborne for $24 at TJ's
Reaction by Kenneth Cole for $20 at TJ's
Liz by Liz Claiborne giftset with lotion and perfume for $22
Promesse by Cacharel for $20 at Marshalls
Escada Rockin Rio for $20

I was really shocked at what new perfumes they had their for around 20 dollar for a 3.4 oz.... Curious, Spark Seduction (this one was only 13!), Maimi Glow. I was very surprised to see Promesse as it is fairly new and by Cacharel.... Just thought I would share this info, it pays to shop around!

L'oreal Infallible Makeup

I bought this at Walgreens as an alternative to my usual TrueBlend foundation by L'oreal. I definately like the packaging on this one better, it's a pump dispenser that isn't messy and doesn't get all over (TrueBlend is a disaster in this respect). The consistency is thicker than TrueBlend as well. Infallible provides good coverage without being too heavy, and blends easily. The main claim of this product is it's lasting power, it is supposed to last 16 hours. I have yet to come across a long lasting makeup that lives up to its claim about being long lasting but still blends easily and looks natural. I don't feel like Infallible last 16 hrs, but does last slightly longer than some of the foundations I have used... however, I still have to touch it up at night if I am going out. Also, I feel like I am more shiny than usual at the end of the day with this makeup, as it does feel a little more moisturizing than TrueBlend.... With all the complaints I have had in this entry though, I have to admit that I come back to this foundation a lot, I use it almost every day right now. I am going to give it a 3.3 out of 4.0. It's not to die for but it's a good solid foundation.

Curling Mascaras

I have come to realize over the years that my helplessly stick straight eyelashes cannot by curled by any mascara. The latest test was with Avon's new Daring Curves mascara, which is definitely a good mascara, don't get me wrong, but doesn't do much to curl my lashes at all. The best thing about this mascara is that it doesn't leave your lashes super hard and to the touch and looks fairly natural while still defining. However, I would have to give it a 3.0 out of 4.0 because the major claim is that it dramatically curls lashes. I have tried other curling mascaras, for example Sky High Curves from Maybelliene, Panoramic Curl by L’Oreal, all with similar results.
From my experience curled lashes can only be achieved using a good eyelash curler, the most effective being a metal one. The Shu Uemura Eye Lash curler has been the best I have tried ($18 at Sephora). However, I have an unusual problem. If I use an eyelash curler for a few days in a row I get irritation around my eyes in the place that the eyelash curler has touched. The only explanation I have come up with is that since I am allergic to many metals, and the eye area is so delicate, I have a reaction even after very limited contact with metal. My solution at this point is to live with my straight eyelashes.
I tried to problem solve this by using plastic lash curlers, I have tried a couple from the drugstore and the Sephora brand, and don't notice much of a difference. I found it rather humorous that I went to Sephora, and asked them what they recommended in the way of eyelash curlers, and they said the Shu Uemura one (I have also read Kevyn Aucoin is very good although have not personally tried it). I asked about plastic curlers and the sales associate told me that plastic curlers really weren't effective. When I explained my circumstance to the sales associate they tried to convince me that actually the plastic Sephora eye lash curler (much cheaper) was one to try after all... interesting. Anyway I got suckered in and figured it was worth a try. Now I don't bother to use it as it makes a minimal difference.
The bottom line here is that from my experience, if you are looking to get nice curly lashes and are not naturally blessed with them, invest in a good eyelash curler (unless you are allergic to metal)... and don't waste your money on curling mascaras unless you like a particular one for other reasons- lengthening or thickening for example.

Avon Skin So Soft Hand Cream

I have this handcream in two formulations, the Replenishing Hand Cream and the Age-Defying Hand Cream (never to early to start on that)... I have to say they are actually very different. The Replenishing Hand Cream uses Avon's Patented Delivery System whereas the Age-Defying does not. I notice that the Age-Defying has a different absorbency because of this. It's a little more of a greasy, traditional handcream, with a light, indistinct scent. It works well but doesn't blow me away. I'd give it a 3.3 out of 4.0. The Replenishing Hand Cream, on the other hand, is brilliant. It is hard to describe how it sinks in- basically your skin feels very smooth and silky but not greasy or moist as some creams leave you. I feel the distinction here is that if handcream doesn't make you greasy it makes you have that moist/puffed up with water feeling. This is somewhere in between. Your skin in very silky but the coating on your hands is whisper light. You have to try it to see for yourself. I would recommend this one, it comes in three different scents, the original Skin So Soft, kind of an herbal smell (been told it's a natural bug repellent), light and lush which is rather citrisy, and soft and sensual which is more of a floral I suppose. I don't currently own any soft and sensual products so I can't give a dead on description of it right now. The original scent I have heard mixed reviews on. My dad hated it, claiming it smelled "awful". Sometimes I like it, sometimes I feel it does smell a little bug sprayish, but in a good way if that makes any sense. So I guess that means I always like it. Anyway these are ones to check out, 3.8 out of 4.0 only due to not completely loving any of the three scents although I do like them.

Best Website!

I have added another website to my links on the side column, I discovered it a couple of weeks ago, and it is great! It's called makeup alley, http://makeupalley.com, it is for us die hards, has a lot of good reviews on products, you can swap products (I don't know if I would trust that part? I have never done it), message boards, and see what others are purchasing. I think the reviews are invaluable, and they have the cutest little abbreviations in them like DH which is dear husband apparently, and HG of products which means holy grail. Loving it...! It's nice because it has a diversity of opinions on it. Good stuff. Check it out.