Better Homes and Gardens Wax Cubes Review

I am ALLLLLL about smelly-good things! I've used (and currently use) plug-ins like Wallflowers. For home fragrances that need to burn, I started with scented candles, then moved to tarts, then to fragrance oils. BBW has really started to disappoint me with their oil selections. There are some that I've loved but they've discontinued, and it seems like the variety of oils available has started to dwindle. Even if a scent is introduced in Wallflower and candle form, it might not be available in the oil. The Body Shop will occasionally have a scent I like, but they usually only have maybe 8 scents available at a time. Also, there isn't a store that close to me so I'm less likely to duck in and sniff. Boo and boo.

Anyway, I was at Walmart a couple of weeks ago looking for plain ol' tealights to use with my warmers when the display of Better Homes and Gardens Wax Cubes caught my eye. The packages weren't sealed, so I was able to sniff guilt-free. At only $2.00 each, I thought it couldn't hurt a thing to grab a few scents and try them out. I picked up 4 packs: Pomegranate Passionfruit, Soft Cashmere Amber, Lemongrass Verbena, and Ginger Spice Cake.

Before breaking the cubes apart

One popped out... a total of 6 (duh) in each package

What I like: unlike tarts, the cubes are small enough to use 2 in one warmer, allowing you to customize scents. For my first test, I used 1 Soft Cashmere Amber and 1 Ginger Spice Cake. I really liked this combo. I also used a single Lemongrass Verbena that smelled yum. I think the throw is pretty good with these and the lasting power is decent. I'd say that the Amber/Ginger mix lasted about 4-5 whole tealights. Not bad! I'm also pleased with the actual scents. They don't smell too fake and are fairly layered and complex for a home fragrance.

What I dislike: one of my reasons for giving up tarts is that they're such a mess to change. Also, unless you pop out the wax to save for later, you're stuck with the same scent until you use it up. So far, that's my only dislike!

Zale's Room Redo in Progress-- Boyish on a Budget

I guess it's fortunate that poor Zale doesn't have to wear hand-me-down clothes since his room has always been a collection of hand-me-down furnishings. The crib, then the twin from Raine, then the queen from Raine (which was ours when we first got married!), the toy boxes, etc. His dressers and chest were new to him, but craigslist buys. Side note: not only do I love snagging a bargain on craigslist, I also thing it's the green and responsible thing to do. And, you don't feel so bad when you want to change your decor since you haven't spent much!

So we've been in our house for 4.5 years now, and it was time to repaint the kids' rooms due to scuffs and wear. I also decided to spruce up Zale's furniture because it was slightly banged up. I got his matching chest and dresser on craigslist for $80 including delivery. They're unfinished pine and very sturdy and very manly and very rustic-y looking. I truly try to let him be a boy and not make his room too soft and matchy and shabby-chic (he-ek? for a boy) like I'm tempted to do, but I was over the furniture. So, this past weekend I painted his room and some of his furniture. He previously had a pale aqua blue color on two accent walls. I painted the entire room a light green (Olympia River Reed). You can see the old paint color on the left and the new on the right. I love it!

His furniture I'm trying to rework or revamp includes a wood headboard, stained wood dresser, white cabinet that we use as a bookcase (Raine hand-me-down, it's gonna go), plus the unfinished chest and the matching dresser (that lives in his closet).

Headboard as-is

Leaving this as-is

I really didn't want to carry his furniture down the stairs and outside, so I opted to use a primer that doesn't require sanding (Zinsser Bullseye 1-2-3 Primer). Here's the chest before, which actually looks nicer in the pic than in real life:

And here it is after a coat of primer:

I first decided to paint them blue, because I felt like it complimented the cottage style and duh, was boyish. I used Olympia Mountain Stream. I actually liked the furniture a lot this color but I felt like it didn't flow in the room. 

My funny feet

Paint's just paint, right (?), so I made a quick run to Ace (because it's closer than Lowes) to pick up a creamy yellow color. The chest goes in his room, but since the dresser goes in his closet, I just left it blue. I want to eat the chest! I really like it. The lighting was weird in this pic but I guess it looks accurate enough. I am planning to get a different placemat to go under the plant. Probably a wood, chain link looking one to incorporate the wood tones. 

And here's the blue dresser in his closet:

I'm still working on pulling together the rest of the room and finalizing furniture placement, wall art, etc. I don't really plan to spend much more. I need a cabinet or short armoire for books that I'm keeping an eye out for on craigslist. The white one from Raine has to go! Maybe I'll get a throw pillow and a new piece of art. I'm also craving new linens, but I'll probably hold off. I'd really love a simple down coverlet, so we'll see if I come across a good deal or sale somewhere.

Lip Stuff and Nonsense

I'm not a fan of lipstick much. By far, I prefer glosses. Revlon has a much-hyped, limited edition shade called Fashion Night's Pout that I never heard of until I randomly saw the display at Ulta. It was only after purchasing that I looked on MUA at the reviews and saw all the hoopla. One of the few lipsticks I own and wear from time to time is Fairest Nude by L'Oreal and this shade looked to be in the same family. PS- Revlon Colorburst Soft Nude is considered by some to be practically the same shade, however I bought Soft Nude a while back and hated it immediately and returned it. I think Fashion Night's Pout is pinker.

Swatch in low light

My thoughts are mixed. I don't feel like my lips are terribly peely, flaky, or crusty, but this kinda emphasized all of that. I also felt like it needed a gloss on top (but I'm like that with practically all lipsticks). The shade is pretty nice and flattering so I suppose overall I like it. I used Sally Hansen's Lip Inflation in Mocha on top of Fashion Night's Pout in this pic.

Moving on to some Etsy... I assumed the lip balm I also ordered from TMTM would have been in the same package as the perfume samples, but it wasn't. I waited about a week to contact Lysa, in case she'd shipped it separately for some reason. She replied within the same hour and was profusely apologetic and mailed it the same day. When the package arrived today, she'd sent an apology note along with an extra lip balm! What great (proactive) customer service. The balm I ordered was Sweet Cream and Honey and the extra was Peach Cobbler. These smell great and taste great and I love the little oblong tubes. The ingredients are: beeswax, shea butter, sweet almond oil, cocoa butter, vitamin e, and a blend of essential oils and fragrance oils. They feel very nice on the lips, but I mostly think they are great fun to use!

ETSY Perfume

I love Etsy because I love:
Handmade items
Organic and/or natural items
Supporting small business owners
Supporting WOMEN small business owners

I don't love Etsy because I don't love:
Not being able to see, smell, or fondle (hehe) the items
Paying for shipping
Not always being able to purchase samples

Several months ago, I purchased some perfume samples from Wiggle Perfume and Sundries. The fragrance descriptions were so colorful and enticing and the samples arrived quickly with a nice hand-written note. Unfortunately, even though the perfume smelled nice in the vial, all but one of them turned into a soapy smell on my skin. They were also a little too feminine for my liking. The one that did work was Nicosia. I liked the concept and the individual notes, but it was still a little too sweet and light for me. Here's the description from the store:

A blend of fig, olive blossom, clove, golden honey and sandalwood, this scent is all fresh breezes and dusky-haired women draped in sun-bleached cotton.

So when I had the Etsy urge again about a week ago, I did a search for some of the notes in Nicosia to try to find a figgy perfume that was a little darker. Athelia from The Morbid the Merrier is the one that struck my fancy. Now, just keeping it real, it's a good thing I didn't notice the name of the shop first, because that would've turned me off AND make me assume they all smelled like straight-up incense and patchouli. But, the fact that I'd already swooned over some of the other fragrance descriptions from the shop in addition to the fact that she offered samples won me over. I looked online for reviews and blog posts about TMTM, and although I didn't find too many, the ones I did see were mostly positive. I ordered the Pick 5 Sampler with the following scents and descriptions.

Athelia
It's the blackest fig, accompanied by spice, wood smoke, earth and moss... softened and sweetened with lotus flower. 
Aurora
The first notes out of the tin are definitely chocolate and coconut, but soon the sweet, smoky woods and amber emerge, balancing with a delicate sugar. 
Baltus
Pumpkin (it IS part of the Sleepy Hollow set, after all), black fig, 3 musks and 2 sandalwoods, swirled with bittersweet cocoa and a drop of espresso. 
Katrina
A trio of white flowers, smoky almond, and spiced pumpkin. Sweet, but somehow really earthy, especially on the dry-down.
Natali
Sweet, ripe orange marbled with creamy vanilla and a hint of sandalwood, cloaked in rich black chocolate.
Maximo (free sample Lysa included)
A complex and beautiful blend of sweet cocoa, spicy black pepper, earthy patchouli with a heart of vanilla and wood.


The samples arrived in 3 days, beautifully wrapped, with a hand-written note.

I tested them all once, with a highly favorable first impression, but I waited to review until after the second round. Overall, I was soooo impressed that none of these turned fake, chemically, or synthetic on my skin. That never happens. Second point, they lasted only about 3 hours, but that's not a huge factor to me since they are very reasonably priced. Which brings me to my last point-- since they ARE so reasonably priced, I imagine that the ingredients used are not of the highest quality in the world. But... I don't give a care, as long as they smell nice on me! Now for each scent more specifically, keeping in mind that I don't "do" too much perfume technicality:


Athelia
Yes, yes, yes. Fig is yummy. Spicy and warm without being too heavy. I plan to order the full-size.


Aurora
This worked okay for me. Amber usually turns a mess on my skin. After the dry-down, all I really detected was amber. Not a bad smell, but I wanted the other notes to last!


Baltus
This was pretty delish, too, but as with Aurora, it quickly ended up losing notes and settling into patchouli with a touch of chocolate. I liked it for sure, but not enough to order a full size.


Katrina
The other winner! So pretty without being frilly. 


Natali
Accurate description of chocolate and orange. I liked it, but with only two notes, it wasn't complex enough to order a full-size. This would be a great candle.


Maximo
This was the free sample, so I'm not complaining, but this didn't work. It smelled like aftershave with a hint of chocolate and maybe a little BO. It didn't smell BO-ish in the vial, so I'm thinking it was my chemistry.

Blogging When No One is Looking

I initially thought to try blogging to document our vacation, and I have to say that I am soooo glad I did. Even just a few weeks later, it's amazing to be able to look back and re-live it all. I wasn't really sure if I would continue blogging or not, but... I think I shall.

I don't care that it's likely no one will read it. I am, after all, a bit of a private person, not ever really putting my affairs out there or seeking attention; I don't really do status updates on facebook and lordy knows I am way too dull to twitter. I think part of my reason for continuing is my freaky-deakyness about being 29-- my last year in my 20's, what?. It's not so much that I'm worried about getting old (okay, well, kinda); it's more about not remembering how I got here because time sure does go by too dang fast. So I figure blogging-- even if I'm writing about nonsense, or perfume and makeup (which both make me so happy), or random daily drudgery-- will help me recall.

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Eyeliner Trio-- Review and Swatches

Eyeliner is tricky. You really can't tell by looking much about the product or performance, so... I've been through a lot of eyeliners looking for ones that work well for me. Physicians Formula new Shimmer Strips Eyeliner trio was $10 at CVS with $7 back in extra care bucks. I bought the trio for Hazel Eyes inside of Blue because I have been really wanting a taupe liner. This set came with a basic black, pink, and taupe. The pink is horrid, but the black and taupe are amazing! There's a sharpener built-in the end caps, so that's another plus.

This wears very well on my waterline, it doesn't smudge or goop up my contacts, and is cheapy-cheap! I definitely plan to purchase other trios.

UK Beauty Products Haul

Haha @ Me in the Mirror

Well, I actually didn't get a ton of beauty products on vacation because I didn't want to spend too much AND I didn't have a whole lot of room in the suitcase. Here's the small haul list:

BODY PRODUCTS:
Imperial Leather Bar Soap
Imperial Leather Night Blooming Jasmine & Cotton Milk Shower Cream
Radox African Savannah Body Wash
Winter Black Pepper & Cardamom Body Wash

MAKEUP:
2 Barry M Dazzle Dusts in Shades 27 & 39
2 Bourjois Eyeshadows in Shades 08 & 74
Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in Shade 54
Rosy Vaseline Lip Therapy

Okay, so for the body products, I've only used the Radox African Savannah body wash. It's average for cleansing and moisturizing but the smell is special! Rooibos tea and red thyme makes it nice and spicy.

For the makeup products, I've tried them all! Bourjois is a higher-end brand in America (sold at Ulta, etc), but it's a drugstore brand in the UK. The Healthy Mix foundation is really lovely, has a lot of natural ingredients, and smells good. My only blunder was getting a winter shade, so I can't exactly wear it (even now) because I've gotten a touch of sun at soccer and just being out and about. But I can mix it with a darker foundation and make it work.

The Bourjois singles are great... you get so much product (.05 oz each!). Shade 08 is a perfect highlight and Shade 74 is a nice taupe-y color that's not too brown and not too red and not too grey. Very pleased with these!

Now, for the Barry M Dazzle Dust... I was most excited for these! I love loose pigments for foiling on the lid, but I can't say that I'm impressed. They kinda clumped and globbed up when I tried to foil them, so maybe you can't use that technique with Barry M? The shades are pretty, but I need to learn to work with them better.

I used both Barry M's (Shades 27 & 39)

You can see the fall-out in my lashes.

And lastly, Rosy Vaseline is a little thinner than regular Vaseline, but it gives a nice pink tint to the lips and smells like a heavenly bed of... roses! And I don't usually even like rose scents.

Marshall's Area Rug Lurve

I re-did my formal living room a couple of months ago. It's off the foyer and down a hall, so it's kinda separate from the rest of the house and doesn't really need to flow with any other rooms. Although I like dark wood and use it in the rest of my house, I was excited to do something a little different and used lighter colors and white furniture. The main parts have been in place, but I've been keeping my eye out for a rug and some wall decor.

Okay, I'm mad cheap. I would never buy a rug from Pottery Barn or even JCPenney not on sale. My rug budget was around $100-150. I saw this rug at Marshall's for $129.99 about a week ago and the rug in my family room (which is so heavy and nice and wearing well) was bought there. I really liked it by itself, but I was concerned that it didn't incorporate any white into the pattern (although I understand why rugs with white are hard to find-- so impractical!). I decided to go ahead and try it in the room, knowing that Marshall's is really generous with returns even if it were just the wrong color, and yay (!) it was still at the store. I'm still pondering if I want to keep it, but I think I like it!

So this room ended up being primarily the Wii Room, but oh well. It's a pretty one! The wall color is "Gravel" from Lowe's... drab name. The armoire is one that I already had-- a Pottery Barn armoire that I bought for $150 at an executive home sale and changed the hardware. The TV stand (dresser, really) and end table were bought as a pair from craigslist for $60! The sectional was bought at Showcase Furniture in Mt. Dora. It's an Ashley sectional, and although I'm not sure how much it was at Ashley, I know it was more than the $736 (including delivery) that I paid! The floor lamp was $39.99 at Old Time Pottery and the table lamp was $29.99 at HomeGoods. The curtains are from JCPenney, and I can't exactly recall the price right now. Cheapish I'm sure. Now, I just need some wall decor (I'm thinking a large mirror). I would also love a swag chandelier for the corner... such a swanky Wii Room haha!