November 2023 Favorites

Hey folksickles,

Alright, all the goodies I've been enjoying in November :) 

1. Bath & Body Works Berry Waffle Cone Scented Candle: This candle has already made it into one favorites and it's no surprise to me that it's made favorites again. This just smells so good and cozy which I think is perfect now that we've transitioned into colder weather. I would say its scent isn't so much ice cream as it is some kind of gently cinnamon sugar sweet dough. I think it smells delicious!

2. Bobbi Brown Neutral Rose Luxe Lip Color: I think this lipstick is just absolutely perfect because it's a nice neutral pink shade that literally pairs well with any eye look in a way where it looks harmonious and complementary without anything competing. The formula is lovely wherein it glides on, feels hydrating, and stays put nicely. My only issue is the high price point on this.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: The Bobbi Brown lipstick was a freebie from where I used to work.

November 2023 Empties

All my monthly trash on display for you to see. :P

1. UNICAT Loose Setting & Matte Finish Mineral Powder: If I'm being honest I purchased this powder because the packaging is just absolutely adorable. That said, it's a bit too matte for my liking - it didn't emphasize texture or anything like that but it gave me a finish that was more matte that I would have liked. I think this would work nicely for someone with somewhat oilier skin than me.

 

2. Disney Jasmine Storylook Palette golden sands bronzer: I have to admit that I am shocked that I used up an entire bronzer but here we are. This gave my skin a nice bronzy glow without being too intense or over the top.

3. CALA SPOOKY LASHES in Electra x2: These lashes are beautiful - I personally really love the wispy yet spiky effect that they have. That being said, I find that they like to pop off at the inner and outer corners of the eyes so they're a bit fiddly to apply.

4. Clinique Moisture Surge 72 Hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator: I really liked how hydrating yet lightweight this moisturizer is. It really makes my skin feel plump and juicy. 

5. lune + aster Yes We Can Lip Balm: I am so sad that this balm has now come to an end because I loved it so much. This gave my lips a nice bit of moisture while also having a very soft, rosy color to it that I think worked well with nearly any eye look I did. 

6. Bath & Body Works Golden Sunflower Body Cream: This is a really nice, hydrating body cream that smells nice too. Unfortunately these have gotten too pricey for me to purchase without the semi-annual sale ,however, as I don't feel like they're worth $17/tube.

7. Soapology Dead Sea Salt Scrub in Rose: This scrub smells absolutely delicious and decadent, a truly wonderful floral experience. It's also really abrasive and scrubby just how I prefer my scrubs to be. That being said, I personally found that this is somewhat greasy and tends to leave a residue behind on everything it touches whether that's surfaces or skin which is then, in my experience, difficult to remove. Additionally, as someone who shaves, I prefer sugar scrubs mainly because when salt gets into wounds it stings in quite a prominent way and that's no fun.

8. Bath & Body Works Berry Waffle Cone Scented Candle: I'm so sad that this candle has come to and end because it smells delicious and cozy. I enjoyed burning it every night.

9. Virtue Full Conditioner: I'm genuinely sad to have used this up as the Virtue Full line is my favorite out of all the hair lines I've tried. This smells so good and leaves my hair very silky and shiny. 

10. wet n wild photofocus Eyeshadow Primer: Unfortunately, this primer dried up before I was able to use it up completely. Other than that though I think it's a fantastic primer - it helps my shadow go on smooth and wear without creasing for 8+ hours. 

11. Juvia's Place I Am Magic Concealer in J21: I absolutely love this concealer - it has good coverage, you get a lot of product so it lasts a long time, and has a glowy, skin-like finish. My only issue is that this shade is a bit too light for me as it's difficult to perfectly color match online.

12. Shop Miss A AOA Studio Dermaplaning Face Razor: I honestly realize that even though I use them for dermaplaning, I prefer using smaller brow razors because they give me better precision. This feels too large and sort of clunky. 

13. Laura Mercier Powder Puff: This is the mini size that came with the mini setting powder. I find that this works really nicely to powder my face but I've had this puff for a long time now and it's gotten quite stiff and not soft the way it once was so I believe it's time that we part ways.

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the Disney, lune+aster, Soapology, and Clinique products which were gifts and/or provided for review. 

October 2023 Empties

  All my monthly trash on display for you to see. :P

1. ogx smoothing+ coconut coffee scrub & wash: Several people I watch on Youtube were raving about this and the matching body lotion and while I couldn't find the body lotion at a decent price, I did find this and decided to give it a try. This smells delicious, it smells like a toasted coffee to me, I don't get much coconut but I love it regardless. I found that this left my skin feeling soft and smooth although I will say the scrub particles in here are too small to do any actual exfoliation so I used a more abrasive body scrub in addition to this.

 

2. Julie G Nail Color in Kickin' It: I feel like I've held onto this polish for so long because it's such a pretty shade but I'm essentially entirely out of it where it's both goopy due to age and difficult to get to because there's not much left. It's that time to say goodbye.

3. Dr Teal's Shea Sugar Scrub in Prebiotic Lemon Balm: This was a bit more scrubby versus the one I had in the past, which I wasn't mad at - I feel as though it provided a nice exfoliation for my skin and left my skin feeling soft. That said, I felt like it kind of turned into soup by the end of its lifespan.

4. Ardell Professional Studio Effects Lashes in Wispies: I really love these lashes because they're on the softer, more natural side but they still add a bit of length and volume. Unfortunately, however, the inner corner of the left lash in this pair kept wanting to pop off my eye. 

5. Moana Dominican Handcraft Coconut Candles in Coconut and Orange: Despite this having instructions on how to burn the candles (nothing out of the ordinary) I personally think this was meant more as a decorative souvenir type item because the wax in these candles melted very unevenly, there isn't enough of it to try and salvage it out of the coconut to make a wax tart to use in a wax burner, and because they didn't burn for long in the first place. That said, the orange scented candle had nearly no scent and no throw but the coconut one smells really nice and made me crave Bounty bars as it was burning.

6. Charmed Aroma Strawberry Donut Candle: I am so sad that this candle burned out entirely because it smells absolutely delicious! I love that my bestie got this very yummy candle for me and the ring inside it is beautiful also. 

7. Nature Republic 49 Wild Pink Color & Nature Nail Color: I am so sad that this nail polish has come to an end because it's such a pretty sparkly silvery rose gold and definately has what feels like a party vibe. That being said, it's very dry and goopy at this point and it has also developed an off-odor. 

8. MAKE UP FOR EVER AQUA MATIC in I-30: This is another item that I'm sad to be parting ways with but I've got to come to terms that it's both broken and pretty much gone and it's also completely dried out so it's that time to say goodbye. 

9. wet n wild Ultra Black Breakup Proof Skinny Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Ultra Black: Honestly I have mixed feelings on this liner because at first I felt like it gave me really nice precise lines and it was easy to work with. However, as time went on this would fray (which I did fix by using a moist paper towel or wipe to taper the bristles back together) but the product itself also became slightly smudgy so I'd have to go in and fix things. 

10. Sephora Collection The Mascara: I honestly liked the mascara in terms of how it worked - this gave me volume, length, and definition as it claims to. That being said, if my eyes got even a little teary or wet, this would smudge. Additionally, when I went to wash it off it would seem like it all came off but by the time I went to apply my eye cream, this would give me racoon eyes. 

11. Duo Rosewater & Biotin Striplash Adhesive: Personally these Duo brush on adhesives are staples in my collection. I like this one in particular because I feel like it's a bit more conditioning than the rest so if this is available I get it.

12. Bath & Body Works Golden Sunflower Ultimate Hydration Body Cream: This is a really nice hydrating body cream, I love how it feels and how it makes my legs very smooth and silky. That being said, I feel like the price on these has become ridiculous. They're nice, but not nice enough to pay $17 for. I got mine on clearance. 

13. Trader Joe's Honeycrisp Apple Scented Candle: This candle smells delicious and had a great throw that scented up my entire room. My only complaint is I felt like I burned through it really quickly - it lasted less than a week. Other than that though I really enjoyed this candle.

14. Dr. Teal's Pure Epsom Salt Soaking Solution in Glow & Radiance: I'm going to be honest in that, because I used this to soak just my feet, I can't speak to it giving much glow or radiance. That said, this has a delicious citrus scent and leaves my feet feeling relaxed, soft, and smooth. 

15. ORLY Kiss The Bride Nail Lacquer: When I tell you, I am SO SAD to have run out of this nail polish, I absolutely adore it! It's a great milky pink shade that looks great with literally anything and everything and is perfect for any occasion. That said, because I reach for it so often, I am pretty much out. 

16. now essential oils 100% pure lemon: This is a really nice, sweet lemon essential oil that I like using in my diffuser. 

17. Biore UV Aqua Rich Water Essence SPF 50+ PA++++: As always, I'm sad to have used this all up - even though I went and bought a backup - because I love it so much! It's a great hydrating, yet lightweight SPF that also works fantastic as a primer for the face. I am a big fan!

18. Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap in Almond: I'm sad to have used this all up - I purchased a few of these at Marshall's at the start of the year and it seems like it's no longer in stock there so I have to go out and pay full price for the soap. I really enjoy using these to wash my brushes with. 

19. CALA SPOOKY LASHES in Electra: These lashes are beautiful - I personally really love the wispy yet spiky effect that they have. That being said, I find that they like to pop off at the inner and outer corners of the eyes so they're a bit fiddly to apply.

20. Dove summer care grapefruit & lemon balm body wash: Since I've gone to my doctor and gotten a cream for my eczema, I've gone back to using this for shaving and found that it hasn't caused me any further irratation. This foams up nicely, smells good, and provides a nice glide for my razor.

21. Soapology Dead Sea Salt Scrub in Waterlily and Jasmine: This scrub smells absolutely delicious and decadent, a truly wonderful floral experience. It's also really abrasive and scrubby just how I prefer my scrubs to be. That being said, I personally found that this is somewhat greasy and tends to leave a residue behind on everything it touches whether that's surfaces or skin which is then, in my experience, difficult to remove. Additionally, as someone who shaves, I prefer sugar scrubs mainly because when salt gets into wounds it stings in quite a prominent way and that's no fun.

22. HM mint essential oil: This oil, in my opinion, is alright. It's quite pricey for a small bottle and doesn't have a particularly strong scent where I felt like it carried through in my diffuser.

23. LASH ADHESIVE (this came with the CALA SPOOKY LASHES): I am tossing this because, frankly, for one it smells like garlicky mushrooms which I think is kind of strange. Additionally, and the main reason I'm getting rid of this, is because it's black. I personally just don't understand who a black lash glue is good for because if you mess up or need to hold it on the inner or outer corners to keep the lashes from popping off, it just will smudge and go everywhere. It makes a mess that is then difficult to remove because lash glue isn't just tint, it's also texture. Maybe I'm just not the best at applying lashes but because this makes such a mess, I cannot get my lashes to stick on in a clean way without making a giant mess and it's literally doing the opposite of sparking joy - it is sparking massive disappointment and frustration. 

24. Bath & Body Works Pumpkin Caramel Latte: Another item that, unfortunately, did not spark joy. Now, the issue with this is that my lovely best friend sent it to me, but he's been keeping it in his stash forever so because the wax was old, it burned very poorly and the candle wicks would constantly sink into the wax pool and go out. I was able to salvage the melted wax by pouring it into my silicone cupcake liners that I use to make wax melts out of remaining candle wax but I'm just sad I couldn't enjoy it as a candle. It smells really good though and it's a scent that really should make a comeback because I'm sure it would do well.

25. Green Pharmacy Rose Water and Almond Oil Facial Toner: I am genuinely so sad to be done with this toner because I loved it so much. It smells delicious and left my skin feeling very soft and smooth.

26. South of France Orange Blossom & Honey Triple Milled Soap: This soap smells so delicious and left my skin feeling very soft, silky, and pampered. This foamed up really nicely as well.

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the Moana Dominican Handcraft, Soapology, HM essential oil, Bath & Body Works (candle) and Charmed Aroma candle which were gifts. 

September 2023 Arrivals

Ok folksickles! Well, given that it's my birthday month I picked up some things just for fun.

1. Flower Knows Gifts: One of my friends very generously got me these beautiful products for my birthday and we all know I am very excited and grateful because I love mermaids.

Flower Knows Moonlight Mermaid Series Setting Powder in 02 Fair Beige

Flower Knows Moonlight Mermaid Series Hand Mirror

2. ColourPop Haul: I've been eyeing most of these products for a while now and with the Aurora Struck palette FINALLY going on sale, I just went for it:

Fourth Ray Beauty So Radiant brightening eye cream

party proof eye primer in translucent

Rock On Pressed Powder Palette

sage the day Pressed Powder Palette

Aurora struck Pressed Powder Palette

3. Trader Joe's Honeycrisp Apple Scented Candle: This candle legitimately smells the way you would imagine biting into an apple would taste like. I wanted to purchase one last year but the wax looked really odd in last year's candles so I hesitated but it looks great this year so I decided to just go for it. 

4. one+other Pro-Strength Nail Polish Remover Dip: The one I currently have has gotten quite gross so I've decided to replace it.

5. FRUDIA My Orchard Mango Mochi Cleansing Foam : This was an impulse purchase because I have these on my YesStyle wishlist but I saw it for $4 at Marshall's and decided to just go for it.

6. Tiam Snail & Azulene Sleeping Mask: I'm running low on my current sleeping mask and decided to give this a try since it's got ingredients that have historically worked really well for my skin.

7. Birthday Gifts: So one of my friends decided to get me all these beauty goodies for my birthday:

it Cosmetics Confidence in a Cleanser

OYAX Deep cleansing Nutrition Mask Avocado Sheet Mask

OYAX Hyaluronic Acid Whitening Moisturizing Facial Mask

essie nail lacquer in mint candy apple

8. CVS Mini-Haul: These are things I needed to replenish on because I either ran out or that time to replace them is coming:

COVERGIRL CLUMP CRUSHER Mascara in Very Black

Physician's Formula Eye Booster Waterproof Ultra-Fine Liquid Eyeliner

Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Disclaimer: I purchased everything listed above with the exception of the Flower Knows items and the other birthday gifts I mentioned. 

Candle Review: Trader Joe's Honeycrisp Apple

  Hi folks, so I have another home fragrance post for you. 

Candle: Trader Joe's Honeycrisp Apple

Availability: This currently retails at $3.99 for 5.7 oz. (162g) and is exclusive to physical Trader Joe's stores.

Would I buy this again?: Yes.

Notes: Honestly I purchased this candle because it smells delicious. This literally smells like biting into a sweet, sour, crunchy apple - there's even a hint of apple skin here. As the wax warms and burns, the scent intensifies but doesn't change. 

This candle burned very evenly and it does have a very nice throw which scents up my entire room.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: I purchased this myself.

August 2023 Favorites

Hey folksickles,

Alright, all the goodies I've been enjoying in August :) 

1. Charmed Aroma Strawberry Donut Candle: In keeping up with the tradition of having nicely scented products as my favorites, I have to say I absolutely adore this candle! It smells so delicious - it has this berry dough scent that I just love and I love having my room smell like it.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: The Charmed Aroma candle was a gift from my bestie.

July 2023 Empties

 All my monthly trash on display for you to see. :P

1. Bath & Body Works PocketBac in Winter Candy Apple: This hand sanitizer smells delicious and has a strong, apple scent. I really enjoyed using this.

2. Dr Teal's Shea Butter & Almond Oil Shea Sugar Scrub: This is a fantastic body exfoliator that's nice and gritty, which I prefer because I feel like it really gets my skin smooth and my circulation going. This one has a subtle, sweet scent to it.

3. Charmed Aroma Peach Sugar Kiss Candle: This candle smells absolutely delicious but unfortunately this didn't contain any jewelry inside of it and, instead of jewelry, this tiny mosquito decided to get in there instead so I will not be saving the wax to use inside of my wax warmer. 

4. Secret Waterlily 48 HR Invisible Solid Antiperspirant Deodorant: I feel like I have such a bad habit of waiting until my deodorant falls apart entirely until I replace it, as is the case with this one. This has a nice, fresh scent and does a good job of keeping me smelling decent as well as staying somewhat dry in this summer heat. 

5. Physicians Formula Eye Booster Waterproof Ultra-Fine Liquid Eyeliner: This is my favorite eyeliner of all time and I am sad to be done with it. I had this particular tube for several months now and it's really beginning to dry out so it's time. 

6. NARS Explicit Black Climax Mascara: I really enjoyed using this mascara despite my initial review of it not being the most positive; it coated my lashes nicely while giving them a lot of length and volume. 

7. DUO Rosewater & Biotin Striplash Adhesive: I initially purchased this lash glue hoping that it would be gentler on my lashes and I have noticed some lash growth and thickness, although I attribute it mostly to the eyeliner above, this might also be helping. 

8.  Trader Joe's Grapefruit & Lemon Hand Sanitizer Spray: I really love these sprays because they're lightweight, non-sticky, and smell great. Plus they're easy to throw in a handbag or anywhere else you might need a hand sanitizer on hand.

9. berkley jensen Scented baby wipes Refreshing Green Tea & Cucumber: Since I personally use these for wiping down surfaces I don't really mind that they have a scent. In fact, I think they smell really nice. I love these because they have nice thickness to them, contain a large amount of wipes per package, and when I store them upside down they don't get dry so every last wipe remains wet. 

10. Shop Miss A Precision Eyebrow Razor: Honestly, despite this being a brow razor, I use it to clean up any straggling facial hairs. Because it's so small, it's great at getting into precise spots like right under the nose.

11. Trish McEvoy Blackberry Beauty Booster Lip and Cheek Balm: This has developed a really off, fish-like scent to it, so I'm discarding it from my collection.

12. Palladio rice powder in translucent: I found that this powder was cakey and didn't set smoothly on my skin at all. I would venture to say that it's probably best for someone with oilier skin. Additionally, unfortunately this powder got caught on something while I was trying to get it out of my drawer and I had the powder just spill all over the place, which is why it seems that I went through it so quickly. 

13. Dove deep moisture body wash: I like to use these to shave with because they provide a nice glide to my razors, last a long time, and leave my skin feeling hydrated. 

14. Pearlessence Faux Mink Lashes Wispies: Despite them being faux mink, I find these lashes are easier to apply and have thinner lash bands. They have a pretty, natural appearance that gives a voluminous, full lash look.  

15. Sage Goddess Perfume Sample: Unfortunately I'm unsure which scent I had, this smells like jasmine but also has an earthy quality to it, as though there is also sage or incense. It was quite lovely and i enjoyed it.  

16. Beauty of Joseon Revive Serum: This is a wonderfully hydrating serum - I'm not surprised that I liked it because I tend to like snail mucin serums, they help smooth and hydrate my skin which I appreciate.

17. Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub: I absolutely love this scalp scrub - while it is pricey, the tub lasts me about a year with once weekly use. It does a fantastic job of scrubbing off any dandruff flakes and plaques I might have and leaves my hair feeling super clean while also rinsing out easily. I do, however, suggest following this up with a deep conditioner or mask of some sort because the sea salt in here can be a bit dehydrating. 

18. TONYMOLY I'm Rose Revitalizing Sleeping Mask: This is a nice, hydrating sleeping mask. I like that this has a gel texture because it adds a nice boost of hydration while being lightweight. It also felt cooling on the skin, which is a nice touch in this summer heat. 

19. e.l.f. Stay All Day Blue Light Micro-Setting Mist: I found this setting spray to be just ok - I'm not entirely sure if it did anything to protect me against blue light but that's not something that's visible to the naked eye so I'll never know. It did work to keep my makeup on but my issue is that the atomizer sprays in such a way that I end up choking on the fine mist particles. For this reason, I will not be purchasing this setting spray again. 

20. Soap & Glory Smoothie Star Hydrating Body Wash: Technically I bought this body wash by accident, as I had meant to order the Uplifting scent instead and somehow severely messed up. In any case, this is nice but I wouldn't buy it again. This smells like a creamy vanilla sugar cookie situation and I say it's nice because it felt hydrating and produced a nice foam. I was ok with the scent but it's a bit too sweet for my personal tastes. 

The following products all developed an unfortunate foul odor and I've decided it's best to discard them:

21. Sugarpill Teacher's Pet Liquid Lip Color: 

22. Sugarpill Nectar Pretty Poison Lip Color: 

23. Sugarpill Vertigo Liquid Lip Color: 

24. Sephora Collection We Have To Talk Sephora Rouge Cream Lipstick: 

25. Sugarpill Doll Up Liquid Lip Color:

26. Sugarpill Petrol Pretty Poison Lip Color: 

27. Sugarpill Hijinx Liquid Lip Color: 

28. Urban Decay 24/7 Radium Glide-On Eye Pencil: 

29. Dr Teal's Shea Sugar Scrub in Prebiotic Lemon Balm: This scrub smells incredible - it's very citrusy and lemony. That being said, I found that it was softer and more liquidy than their other scrubs. 

30. Charmed Aroma Cafe Latte Candle: This candle has a delicious, creamy, latte scent to it. It burned quite nicely/evenly as well and had a nice throw. 

31. beautyblender blendercleanser solid in lavender: I love this for washing my brushes as it gets them super clean and brand-new looking. That being said, this completely fell apart so it was time to replace it. 

32. Freeman exfoliating scrub mask: This was a really nice exfoliating mask that lasted me a long time. My only issue with this is that it seemed to kind of just melt into a liquid toward the end of the tube which was kind of odd and made this difficult to finish. 

33. Wander Beauty Nude Illusion Liquid Foundation: While this foundation has a beautiful, dewy/glowy formula, I do have a few issues with it. Firstly, I purchased this in the lightest shade available and it's still a bit too dark/yellow for my skintone. Additionally, the packaging for this is just, unfortunately, atrocious. Initially, the top of this burst out of seemingly nowhere and leaked product everywhere and then, toward the end of my using this, the wand wiper came apart from the tube which also made it difficult to finish up the product. For such a pricey foundation, I feel like it belongs in a nice glass bottle with a pump and ideally one of those vacuum type situations that allows you to pump out every last bit. 

34. Biore UV Aqua Rich Water Essence SPF 50+ PA++++: I absolutely love this sunscreen and am glad that I bought a backup of it. This is very hydrating while also being very lightweight. It feels more like a thick, hydrating serum than like a traditional sticky, heavy SPF which I highly appreciate.  

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the Bath & Body Works, beautyblender, Wander Beauty and Sage Goddess  products. 

June 2023 Empties

All my monthly trash on display for you to see. :P

1. Charmed Aroma Champagne Shimmer Candle: This candle really grew on me in terms of its scent, it's sweet and fruity. The candle has a really great scent throw as well.

2. PURITO PLAINET SQUALANE OIL 100: I'm sure one could've predicted that, as this is squalane, I really enjoyed using it. Like other squalane oils, this helped keep my redness in check and helped smooth my skin texture. It, like other things, unfortunately didn't help get rid of my eczema patch.

3. Juvia's Place I Am Magic Concealer: I really love this concealer because it's high coverage and blends into my skin beautifully while providing a natural, ever-so-slightly dewy finish. I tried to scrape every last bit of it out of the packaging because I love it so much.

4. Dove deep moisture body wash: I love these body washes to shave with because they're hydrating and provide a nice glide for my razor.

5. Skinfood Buckwheat Loose Powder: Overall, this was a nice powder with some slight mattifying and smoothing effects but I found that it creased on my under-eye area.

6. Dr. Bronner's Citrus Orange Magic Soap:  I used this for washing my makeup brushes and I really love the way this particular one smells. It's sweet and citrusy. 

7. essentials Aromatherapy Peppermint oil: This is a nice peppermint essential oil but I feel like it's expensive for what it is.

8.  Trader Joe's Super Lemon Room Spritz: This room spray smells really nice but also does a good job of keeping critters out of my room in the summertime.

9. Garnier Fructis Style Volume Hairspray: While the flexible control is my favorite of their hair sprays because it gives my hair hold without any crunchiness, I like this hairspray as well. It does have a stronger hold, and therefore does give my hair a bit of that crunchy texture if I get generous with this, but I find that it works well when lightly spritzed all over the head.

10. Harajuku Lovers Wicked Style Love: I really enjoyed this scent as it reminded me of a cross between grape juice and wild strawberries. It's a nice spring/summer fragrance to have and I think it smells fun. 

11. COSRX Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence: I am so sad to be out of this because I feel like it provided very nice, intense hydration to my dehydrated skin. My skin feels so much better and overall smoother and softer now since I've been using this. 

12. Trader Joe's tea tree oil: If I'm being honest, I feel like tea tree oil smells really intense and I mostly like using this to clean out my air conditioner vents because it has antifungal properties.

13. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer body mist sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 70: The ultra sheer formula has been a go-to for me for many years because as its name implies, it's a sheer, non-sticky formula that doesn't ball up or act funny on my skin. I used to purchase the 100+ but that seems to have disappeared.

14. MIZON Multi Function Formula Snail Repair Eye Cream: I am so sad to have run out of this because I really loved this eye cream. It provided a lot of hydration and helped to depuff and smooth out my eye area.

15. Tree Hut Exotic Bloom Shea Sugar Scrub: This has a sweet, floral scent to it that I enjoy and provides a nice, gritty, scrubbing experience.

16. Freeman Clearing sweet tea + lemon Peel-Off Clay Mask: I'm sure no one is surprised when I say that I am glad to be done with this mask. While it has good ingredients in it, I wish they would make this a wash-off mask because it being something meant to peel off, it's just difficult to remove and makes a mess of both my face and my sink.

17. Bisous De Provence Lemon Verbena Triple Milled Soap: This soap smells delicious, lathers well, and feels hydrating to the skin. I feel like it's a nice soap to give as a gift.

18. Trader Joe's Peony Blossom: Although my original review for this candle was less than glowing, this year's version of the candle in the rose gold/copper tins is incredible. The candle melted beautifully, smelled delicious - like a blooming garden, and had a nice throw that filled up my room. 

19. Pearlessence Faux Mink Lashes Wispies x2: Despite them being faux mink, I find these lashes are easier to apply and have thinner lash bands. They have a pretty, natural appearance that gives a voluminous, full lash look.  

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the essentials Aromatherapy and  M-61 products. 

May 2023 Arrivals

Ok folksickles! Look at me for a change, pretty much only buying essentials.

1. Mini Candle Haul: My mom had a coupon for these candles at BJ's so she let me pick out the ones I really liked:

Yankee Candle Seashore Breeze

Yankee Candle Sweet Violet and Basil

2. Mini Flip Haul: I mostly used this as a chance to replenish on products or product types that I was running low on:

Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub

The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane

Colourpop Shadow Stix in Honey BB

Palladio rice powder in translucent

3. e.l.f. Skin Holy Hydration Eye Cream: I'm running low on my eye cream and people have said good things about this line of products so I decided to check it out.

4. Trader Joe's Peony Blossom Candle: If I'm being honest, I had every intention of picking up the new Salted Caramel & Pistachio candle instead of this, but in my opinion that candled smelled very intense and not like the scent of the rest of the line so I got this one instead. This has a really beautiful, sweet, floral scent to it.

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Disclaimer: I purchased everything listed above with the exception of the Yankee Candle candles.

May 2023 Empties

All my monthly trash on display for you to see. :P

1. Charmed Aroma Seashell Candle: This is a beautiful mug candle that smells delicious and had a very beautiful ring inside it. I feel like, due to its single wick, it didn't burn the most evenly but other than that I really enjoyed having the candle.

2. Color Club Eternal Beauty: Unfortunately, as much as I love this nail polish, it has gotten quite thick and goopy. There's not much left in the bottle so it is time for us to part ways. 

3.  M-61 Hydraboost Cream: I feel like despite me liking this moisturizer that it is just a basic, scent-free, lightweight moisturizer that hydrates fairly well and therefore isn't worth its insanely high price tag for me especially when there are products I love more than this at lower price points.

4. Elizavecca Milky Piggy Sun Cream SPF 50+ PA+++: Although this sunscreen is full of great ingredients and has cute packaging, I find its finish a bit too matte and powdery for my liking and it's strange in the sense of that I tend to kind of sweat through it despite it being matte so my face is left feeling odd with an odd texture too. 

5. L'Oreal Superior Preference Color & Shine Conditioner: I really loved how this smoothed out and hydrated my hair while smelling really nice too. 

6. Trader Joe's Nourish Microdermabrasion Scrub exfoliating cream:  This is a fairly decent scrub that helps smooth out the skin and remove any dead or flaky skin bits that are hanging around. I personally find it to be fairly gentle and almost not gritty enough for my liking.

7. Tree Hut Pink Hibiscus Shea Sugar Scrub: I feel like either these got less gritty or the ones I'm used to from Dr Teal's are slightly grittier. This has a really nice sweet yet sour floral scent to it. 

8.  Soap & Glory Clean On Me Hydrating Body Wash: I am so sad that this has come to an end. This body wash smells delicious and left me feeling clean while giving my skin a nice boost of hydration and smoothness. 

9. Kara Beauty Fabulashes 3D faux Mink Lashes in 202 x2: These are a beautiful, soft, fluffy lash that I find are relatively easy to apply and work with. That being said, occasionally they do want to pop off at the inner corners.

10. Freeman clearing shimmer peel-off mask: This is a product that I am glad to have finished up because it was overall a mess to use, to remove, and to clean up after use because it made a mess of my sink. I wish they would've made this a rinse off rather than a peel-off mask because whatever they use to make this rubberized just makes a giant mess and does a terrible job of dissolving in water. 

11. MAC Tendertone Lip Balm in Hush, Hush: Now I realized this product is extremely old but mine smelled and felt fine so I used it up entirely. I really enjoyed the Tendertones when they were out even though I missed the first two launches. I think they're really fun and that MAC should re-release them especially in the fun colors they used to come in like the green and lavender. 

12.  Trader Joe's Rose Water Facial Toner: This continues to be a popular toner in my personal rotation because it's inexpensive, smells nice, and makes my skin feel refreshed. Overall, I think I might need something a touch more hydrating right now with my skin being a bit crusty but overall I really enjoy this product.  

13. Tresemme flawless Curls Moisturizing Mousse: I really did feel that, with combing this mousse through my hair, that it made my curls look really nice. I'm sad to have used it all up.

14. Maybelline 24 HR Color Tattoo in Front Runner: I am so sad to have run out of this because, especially with neutral palettes, I'd use this as an eyeshadow base on a near daily basis. It is a really pretty champagne shade that I think would be nice used as a cream highlighter for the face as well. 

15. Tree Hut Vitamin C Shea Sugar Scrub: I feel like either these got less gritty or the ones I'm used to from Dr Teal's are slightly grittier. This has a sweet, citrusy scent to it that I enjoy. I actually really enjoyed using this particular one a lot.  

16. Kose softymo Washing Foam Collagen: While I found this cleanser to be alright, I wish it was a bit more hydrating. If I'm being honest it was fine and did the job but I wouldn't go out of my way to get this again. 

17. Virtue Flourish Shampoo for Thinning Hair: I really like the spa-like scent this shampoo has and how well it cleans my hair. That being said, I don't love this on its own and wish it were a bit more hydrating or nourishing to the hair somehow. I really liked it paired with the matching Flourish conditioner.

18. AOA Studio Mochi Teardrop Blender: I find that this does a nice job of blending my makeup and works as well as most other sponges I've tried. That being said, I find these difficult to thoroughly wash as they seem to really want to hang onto foundation/potentially absorb a lot of foundation as they're being used.

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the Charmed Aroma and  M-61 products. 

Candle Review: Yankee Candle Home Inspiration Sweet Violet & Basil

Hi folks, so I have another home fragrance post for you. 

Candle: Yankee Candle Home Inspiration Sweet Violet & Basil

Availability:  This is available at bjs.com along with their physical store locations; it is priced there at $14.99. The candle contains 19 oz. (538g) of wax.

Would I buy this?: Absolutely!

Notes: Unfortunately I cannot find a description of the scent notes on any website.

I would describe the scent as a "spicy" floral. Now, I don't mean "spicy" in a peppery or burning kind of way, but in the kind of fresh kick that basil has wherein it's not quite just "green" but has a little extra something to it. That being said, the scent is largely floral with a hint of that "spicy" note to it, so I cannot say it smells distinctly of basil. It has a nice sweetness to it too so honestly it's giving me flower garden vibes and I really love that.  

I personally find that it smells the same both cold or hot, although the scent is slightly intensified when the candle is burning. 

I find that this candle has a good throw, it scents up my entire room. 

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: My mom got this for me.

Candle Review: Yankee Candle Home Inspiration Seashore Breeze

Hi folks, so I have another home fragrance post for you. 

Candle: Yankee Candle Home Inspiration Seashore Breeze

Availability: This is available at bjs.com and meijer.com along with their physical store locations as well as at beallsflorida.com with the price varying from $15-$18. The candle contains 19 oz. (538g) of wax.

Would I buy this?: Absolutely!

Notes: Unfortunately, I cannot find a description of the scent notes on any website.

I will say that this candle reminds me of Yankee's Willow Breeze scent that is now once again available. This has that fresh, sea without brine scent that I really enjoy in candles. Someone described this as a "linen" scent in their review and I can get how this gives that fresh laundry feel as well. Overall, the scent definitely gives off a feeling of a sunshiny day with a nice fresh breeze rolling in from a clean body of water.

I personally find that it smells the same both cold or hot, although the scent is slightly intensified when the candle is burning. 

I find that this candle has a good throw, it scents up my entire room. 

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: My mom got this for me.

April 2023 Empties

 All my monthly trash on display for you to see. :P

1. berkley jensen scented baby wipes in Refreshing Green Tea & Cucumber: As I always say, I love to use these wipes to wipe down surfaces, my makeup collection, and to remove swatches when I take photos for the blog. These have a nice thickness to them, I store the wipe packaging upside down so the top wipe is optimally moist and the bottom one is never swimming in wipe juices. Additionally, I really like how these wipes smell. 

2. OPALHOUSE Sparkling Yuzu Scented Soy Candle: This candle smells absolutely delicious! If you are a fan of citrus scents I highly recommend checking these out at your local Target. 

3. Trader Joe's Peach Black Tea Candle: This is another really yummy smelling candle. I hope they bring this back because to me it literally smells like a Snapple peach tea but with more of a real peach scent.  

4. Country Home Candle Happy Days: My bestie got me this candle and it, like the rest, was also very yummy smelling. Its scent reminds me of sweet and sour candy. 

5. Fourth Ray Beauty BLOOM SERVICE rose cleansing balm: While this balm did a good job of removing my makeup, I won't be repurchasing it. The biggest factor being that it kind of stung my eyes and made it difficult to see when I would use it to remove my eye makeup. Additionally, I wish this came with a scoop - I used one from another product - because I think it would be messy to go digging about in it with one's fingers.

6. Dr Teal's Shea Sugar Scrub in Black Elderberry x2:  I really love how gritty these scrubs are. This has a soft, sweet, berry scent to it. 

7. AOA Studio 3D Faux Mink Premium Natural Lashes in Terry:  These are a very pretty fluffy lash but as with the other AOA Studio lashes I feel that I have some trouble getting these to stick to the inner and outer corners of my eyes.

8. DUO Brush on Adhesive: This lash glue has gotten all thick and gunky so it was about that time to replace it. 

9. L'Oreal Paris Feria Power Shimmer Conditioner: I really enjoyed the way this made my hair hydrated and silky smooth.

10. Freeman Hydrating glacier water + pink peony Gel Cream Mask: I've been using this as a sleeping mask and really enjoy the extra boost of hydration this provides for my skin.  The eczema patch I constantly complain about seems to finally be fading away and it started doing so when I was using this so I'd like to think this product helped. 

11. MAKE UP FOR EVER Pro Sculpting Palette in 20: I am so sad that I've finished this palette up because they're no longer being made (or it seems as though it's no longer on the US market) and it was such a nice face palette. Everything was such nice quality where it melted into the skin and blended smoothly and easily. Additionally, the colors here were really flattering on my very fair skin. 

12.  Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly Starter: I'm absolutely devastated that I've run out of this primer. It gives the skin such a  beautiful, radiant glow; is lightweight, and feels very refreshing to apply. 

13. L'oreal Paris Excellence Creme Caring Deep Conditioner: This did a really nice job of providing extra hydration and shine for my hair. It also smells really nice.

14. Trader Joe's Oatmeal & Honey Soap: I absolutely love this soap! It's relatively inexpensive and I personally purchase it because if I end up with eczema, this soap helps to soothe and not further aggravate the condition.

15. ORIBE Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil: Either this oil is surprisingly lightweight or my hair ends were just really dry but in any case, I used this on damp hair and it absorbed without leaving my hair feeling greasy. This added a nice little boost of hydration but I personally find it to be too expensive for the effect that it gives given that my ends remained kind of on the drier side. It smells delicious though.

16. Soap & Glory Call of Fruity Hydrating Body Lotion: This has what I would personally describe as a tropical fruit - think papaya, guava, mango - scent to it versus the citrus fruit that is pictured on the packaging. While it's not bad, it just wasn't what I was expecting. The lotion gives my skin nice hydration but I would prefer something thicker for the soles of my feet.

17. Dove deep moisture body wash: Honestly, I like to use these body washes for shaving. This one in particular gives my skin a very smooth, soft, silky finish. 

18. Kara Beauty Fabulashes 3D faux Mink Lashes in 202: These are a beautiful, soft, fluffy lash that I find are relatively easy to apply and work with. That being said, occasionally they do want to pop off at the inner corners.

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the OPALHOUSE, berkley jensen, L'Oreal, ORIBE, and Country Home Candle products.