Sweet Creek Facial Butter Bar {review}

Sweet Creek HerbalCare just happens to be one of my favorite shops on Etsy. I have found many delights in the many different products offered in the shop, and still have much to explore! Up for review here today is the Facial Butter Bar!

{ingredients}

Let's start off with the ingredients, since it is what lead me to my purchase!

Ingredients include prime pressed cocoa butter, emu oil, castor oil.

{the product}

"This is a face wash without soap. Facial butter bars can be used conveniently to wash your face without soap or detergents in the shower, at the sink, even on the go with a few tissues about. Oils and butters are a great cleanser but are not water soluble. In the shower or at the sink, just rinse off the excess with warm water. It leaves your facial skin so soft and gently cleansed. Or, on the go, wipe off the excess with a couple of tissues. Your skin will glow and make you look and feel refreshed no matter how tired you are."

After finding this butter bar cleanser, I was very curious. I thought that it might be similar to the Oil Cleansing Method, which has been something I've been wondering about. But not wanting to buy a bunch of oils and doing my own mixings, I was glad that one of my favorite shops had a way I could get a bit of a sample of this cleansing method.

But to be honest, I haven't experimented with it as my sole method of cleansing my face. I will still use one of my lovely bars of soaps and then use the butter bar, as more of a moisturizer I suppose. After washing my face, I will rub the bar all over my hands and then massage the butter and oils onto my face. I then go about my other shower business and go back to it a bit later and massage some more and gently wipe the excess off with a warm washcloth.

When I get out of the shower, my face feels amazingly soft! The first time I used it, I was completely shocked by how completely moisturized my face was and everything was just so smooth and happy. Since I started using this bar, I've not had to use as much moisturizer. Some days I don't even have to use any!

I do not use this everyday. I use the butter bar around 2-3 times a week. And the bar has been lasting quite awhile now - I've had it for 4 months and have only used half of it so far!

{conclusion}

The Facial Butter Bar from Sweet Creek HerbalCare is fabulous all around. It offers unbeatable moisturization in an extremely long lasting bar. My face is happy and never feels greasy. For me, this is one of those Holy Grail items. Obviously, I would recommend that you try it!

More Epically Epic Lip Balms!

(I know, I said I was going to post a review by now... but I have the BEST reason for my further delay! It was sunny and HOT here for 3 days straight! I live in a temperate rainforest, so it's pretty much rainy here all the time. But it has been especially rainy here these past few months - something like 60 days of rain out of the past 65 days. So, when the clouds went away and the sun showed its pretty face, I took full advantage! Swimming, boat rides, kiddie pools, and smoothies. Ah, summah time!)

But yes, now that I'm back to the world of rain and mist, I can get back to my goal of keeping up with my blogging duties! And today, I am going to be talking about Epically Epic lip balm flavors. I'm not going to review the balms, as I've already done so here. However, I do feel that I need to update the list of balm flavors I have because the balms are just so amazing they need some more recognition on this blog! :)

Here are the flavors I've added to my collection (I have tried more, but will only be discussing flavors that are still being sold by Epically Epic Soap Co.):

Chocolate Malt: This is a deliciously creamy, mild chocolate-y scent. To be honest, I have no idea what a malt smells/tastes like, but I can tell that this is not just a plain ol' chocolate scent. It has a sweetness to it. It's kind of like a dessert for your lips!

Mango Lassi: The scent is a mixture of mango and cardamom. I find it to be fruity and surprisingly refreshing. It kind of reminds me of a cough drop. It's not my favorite, but still pleasant enough.

Mango Lychee: This one is a boldly fruity scent that is heavy on the mango. I like to wear it on rainy days when I need some cheering up from the dreary weather.

Peanut Butter & Jelly: Peanut butter is oddly enough one of my favorite scents and I was thrilled when this lip balm came out! It smells almost just like a peanut butter & jelly sandwich. I say almost because the jelly is blueberry-acai jelly - not my regular jelly! But I greatly enjoy the extra fruity twist it gives the balm. Definitely a successful peanut butter balm.

P.O.G (Passionfruit Orange Guava): I was a little hesitant about this one - feedback said it was floral. And I don't like floral. And it does smell a bit floral, but only in the tube. Once it's on my lips, it turns into a true tropical scent, being delightfully fruity without being over the top. It's perfect for summer!

Sleepy Time: This balm is meant to help you relax with the scents of spearmint and chamomile. I can't speak to the effects of that since I have a hard time falling asleep no matter what! But I love to use it after brushing my teeth - it's fitting with the flavor of my toothpaste. It's mildly minty, in a soft and sweet sort of way. Totally not overpowering at all, which I can appreciate in a minty balm.

Vanilla Bean: I've spoken of this one before, but should mention again! This happens to be one of my favorite EE balm flavors! It's a fantastic vanilla scent, which you may know can be hard to find. It's a straight-up vanilla that is perfectly creamy and sweet. And delicious!

Vanilla Coke: This balm is another one of my favorites! It smells just like a sweet cola. I love to use it when I have the flavor of food in my mouth and using some fruity balm just doesn't seem fitting. Is that odd?

I am hoping to add more flavors to my collection. I am patiently awaiting the day when new summer balm flavors are released! What flavors have you tried? Or want to try?

it's been awhile...

Hello all!

I'm sorry I've not been posting lately. Things have been hectic around here for the past few weeks. I finished up my first year in grad school, took on more hours at work, and just got back from a long trip for a conference and mini (very mini) vacation.

So now, it's time for me to settle into a new routine. And then, hopefully I'll be able to start working on this blog again! Be on the look out for at least one review by the end of the week!

Hope you all are doing well and enjoying warm weather activities! I'm still waiting for a warm sunny day here in Southeast Alaska. The rain just loves us up here... 

Cellar Door Soap Co. Soaps {review}

I discovered the Cellar Door Soap Co. after reading about it on Soap Obsessions. And I just couldn't resist all the wonderful minty soap options they offered. Because if you don't know this already, I love me some minty soap. And the soaps from Cellar Door Soap Co. have been known to take me to far off heavenly minty places...

{the soap}

But let's start off with talking about the soapy bits first. I love the description on the Cellar Door Soap Co. gives about their soap:

We make soap. Damn good soap.

And let me tell you, they definitely make some pretty damn good soap. The bar lathers up beautifully in the shower with  soft and gentle lather. It has that sort of creamy goodness that makes you want to lather up forever. I feel rather comfortable in the shower with Cellar Door Soap Co. bars. I love it when soap does that.

And with all that lovely, creamy lather, the soaps leave my skin feeling soft and moisturized. I also use these soaps a lot to wash my face and I feel little need to use any moisturizer afterwards. I've also used a few times to wash my hair and it was better than a lot of shampoo bars I've tried!

The soap is just pretty damn amazing.

{scents + ingredients}

I just had to order these bars of minty goodness...

Eucalyptus Spearmint - I'm reminded of spearmint gum at first, but once the water hits the bar the eucalyptus emerges and it's almost a bit medicinal, but soothing.

Peppermint & Tea Tree - I can smell the tree. I'm reminded of the dampness of the forest and I feel like I'm standing with my nose right up to a tree after the rain. This one is particularly fantastic on the face as well - it leaves my face super smooth!

Rosemary Mint - It is the mints of all mints. It is minty goodness at its best. It comes alive in the shower with an explosion of minty aromas that is so blissfully refreshing.

Ingredients include olive oil, coconut oil, distilled water, sustainable palm oil, sodium hydroxide, castor oil, shea butter, essential oil, sugar, titanium dioxide, bamboo charcoal (Peppermint & Tea Tree) and spearmint leaves (Rosemary Mint).

{conclusion}

I will tell you how much I love these Cellar Door Soap Co. soaps. When they are gone, I am going to repurchase them. All of them. I have never repurchased any specific bar of soap from anywhere. But I can't imagine being without these soaps. That is love. And I think you should go find yourself some Cellar Door Soap Co. love.

Honey Bee Holistics {review} part II

And so continues my review of Honey Bee Holistics (read previous review here)! And up next for review are… lotions!

Let me tell you all how I feel about lotions. Putting on lotion - it's not my favorite thing to do. They can smell pretty freakin' delightful and make my skin feel amazing, but I often neglect to use 'em. Call it laziness if you want, but… ah well, yeah let's just stick with that.

But that doesn't stop me from buying lotions. I always purchase with good intentions… mostly for my nose. And product junkie that I am,  I don't even want to tell you how many lotions that I have (like I even know how many). Let's just say there's a good amount from a lot of different places. And most of them don't get opened very often. Umm… oops!

HOWEVER, I use Honey Bee Holistics lotions every single day! They are the lotions of all lotions. They are everything I want in a lotion. Let's start with the best part: THEY SINK RIGHT IN! Oh yeah, you know what I'm talking about. I don't have to rub and rub and rub the lotion in. I don't feel greasy or slimy afterwards. They are light and moisturizing and completely fabulous.

L-R: Lemon Creme, Sugar Cookie, White Chocolate

Oh wait, that's not the only best part. Can all of the parts be the best? But yes, another thing I love about Honey Bee Holistics lotions are their versatility! The lotions are extremely gentle for there's no fragrance oils or preservatives. I use them for everything I would use a cream for - body lotion, hand cream, eye cream, daily moisturizer, and nighttime moisturizer. I use these lotions daily and I have them everywhere! There's some on my nightstand, in my desk at work, in my purse, and in my gym bag!

And now, let's delve into greater detail on the individual lotions…

{Organic Calendula Lotion}

The Calendula Lotion is probably one of the thicker lotions offered at Honey Bee Holistics. It has a nice creamy texture without feeling too heavy. With the calendula, the lotion feels very soothing and I love using after shaving my legs! My mom also really loved the Calendula Lotion! She has eczema on her hands and her hands get very dry, red, and itchy. After one use, she claimed that her hands already felt better and she had to order her own!

Another thing I love about this particular lotion is that it is basically unscented. It is great to use when I want to use a body mist/perfume and don't want to have my lotion competing with the scents.

{Organic Coconut Lotion}

I love the scent of the Coconut Lotion! It is a very sweet, light coconut scent that is completely amazing. To me, the lotion feels a bit more smoothing than the others. Until I ran out, this is all that I would use on my face. Now, I've moved onto other Honey Bee Holistics lotions/creams!

{Organic Lemon Creme Lotion}

The Lemon Creme Lotion smells like lemon cake! It is sooo yummy! The Lemon Creme lotion was my first Honey Bee Holistics love. I would say it is probably the lightest of the lotions, even if minutely so. It has more of that "watery" consistency which I personally enjoy because I know it will sink right in! Don't doubt it's moisturizing abilities though!

I also love that I can use this as a lemon cake scented moisturizer without worrying about fragrance oils irritating my face! :)

{Organic Sugar Cookie Lotion}

In the jar the Sugar Cookie Lotion smells like vanilla ice cream - I like to just sit there and inhale the scent on occasion! The scent changes when I put it on to a light, creamy vanilla with a bit of a chocolate scent, which is a bit odd since there is no cocoa butter used. Still a delightful mild scent!

The lotion has a kind of powdery finish, which I really enjoy. It makes my face feel sooo smooth!

{Organic White Chocolate Body Mousse}

Oh, this is all sorts of chocolatey goodness! It smells so delicious I actually took a little bite of it once! Seriously! And, it didn't taste too bad either…

The White Chocolate Body Mousse is different than the all of the lotions I've been talking about, but I figured I'd include it in this review anyway. It is super thick and is the kind that needs to be warmed up a bit before rubbing it. It's very creamy and decadent.

It doesn't sink in right away, but once it does it's extremely moisturizing. I like to apply to my hands before bed when I need not worry about having lotion all over my hands. It's also great as a nighttime eye cream!

{ingredients}

Ingredients include mountain spring water, local beeswax, vegetable glycerin, organic witch hazel, and may also contain organic olive oil, organic calendula infused olive oil, organic coconut oil, organic coconut extract, tahitian vanilla bean, organic lemon essential oil, organic vanilla essence, organic sweet almond oil, and organic unrefined cocoa butter.

{conclusion}

Honey Bee Holistics lotions are simply amazing. They're light (excluding the body mousse, of course) and moisturizing and always versatile. There's just so many uses! And you know what else? You can get a lot of use out of the small containers at a GREAT price! I have yet to buy a bigger size and I use these lotions daily! Definitely worth a shot, yeah? Get outta here and go check out Honey Bee Holistics!

Stay tuned for the continuation of my Honey Bee Holistics reviews! Yes, there IS more!

Winner Winner Winner!

Who's going to win the most Epically Epic lip balm?! Let's do a drawing, shall we?

And the winner is...

Yay for Deb over at It's Always Something...! Thank you to all who participated - I loved reading the comments about your favorite lip balms! I'm always on the hunt for new lip balms to try... ;)

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Oh silly me!

Just a little fun post... a blurb really!

I got this product lately that is a dupe of Lush's Honey I Washed the Kids. I have no idea what the real thing smells like. Living in Alaska, I've never come across any Lush shop so I really can't compare.

BUT, I used this product for the first time tonight and kept thinking that I smelled like I had just taken a bath with baby soap and shampoo.

And then I had to laugh at myself, because well...

DUH! It's a dupe of HONEY I WASHED THE KIDS!

So yes, I actually do smell like a newly washed and squeakly clean kid. I kinda like it. And feeling kind of dumb for paying no attention to the name and failing to make the connection until it was laughingly obvious.

And really... how silly of me! What was I expecting?! HAHA! :)

A wee giveaway for your LIPS! {ended}

I'm doing a giveaway! Woo!

Okay, I might be more excited about this than you will be. It's not the biggest giveaway ever, or big in any way, but it's a good one! And just to note, this is sort of my "get out of jail free" blog post for the week! I'm super busy with finals and whatnot, but will try to start posting more reviews soon - and on a more regular basis! But yes, the wee giveaway...

For your winning pleasure, I am offering up a lip balm from my favorites stash...

Epically Epic Soap Co. Lip Balm in Vanilla Bean! 

Allison over at Epically Epic Soap Co. makes some of the best lip balms in the whole entire world! They are smooth and super creamy and just all around delightful. I think I have about 20 of them... heh.

And Vanilla Bean just happens to be one of my favorite Epically Epic lip balms. It is the best vanilla balm I have tried yet. It's a straight up sweet and creamy vanilla without being buttery. I LOVE IT!

And I happen to have an extra Vanilla Bean lip balm that is waiting to be used, sooo... I thought I'd share the love with you guys! :)

To enter, leave a comment telling me what your favorite lip balm is! And don't forget to leave your email address, otherwise I won't have a way to contact you if you win! You have until Friday, April 27th to enter!

Honey Bee Holistics {review} part I

I am so excited to review Honey Bee Holistics, it is going to come in several parts (how many parts still to be determined)! And I've got to be honest, I've been holding out on you for awhile because I use Honey Bee Holistics products daily so these reviews are long overdue!

And on another note, the Marshmallow Honey Face Cream was sent to me by the seller to test. I volunteered when the seller, Melissa Carr, was asking for product testers on her Facebook page. I was asked to provide the seller with my feedback by answering a list of questions. However, posting a review to my own personal blog was NOT a requirement. Please note that I will be reviewing this product because I WANT to, not because I was asked to.

Now that everything has been explained, let's get on to the reviews! The first part will be… face creams!

Oh wait, before we get to the reviews I suppose I should explain my face (what an odd thing to say…). But yes, I fall between the normal and dry skin types. Most of my face tends to be normal with few blemishes, oiliness, or dryness. However, my eyes and along my lower right jaw tend to get quite dry to the point of flakiness. Sexy, no?

AND NOW...

{Organic Wrinkle Away Face Cream}

During the winter months, I was on the hunt for an ultra moisturizing face cream to help with those dry areas on my face. I wanted something with carrot seed oil since it seems to really work with my face. I also wanted something that didn't smell of roses, because I really detest roses, and it's strangely difficult to find carrot oil moisturizes without rosey scents. And so, I was super excited to discover that Honey Bee Holistics carried such a face cream, because by then I was already in love with the shop!

The Wrinkle Away Face Cream is thick and luxurious and quite lovely for slathering on when those dry face days roll around. It is also surprisingly light for being a thick cream. When applied, it sinks into the skin quickly and leaves behind a silky, powdery finish. I found the cream to be best applied before bed with just a little touch up in the morning. It left my skin feeling soft!

And, I completely adore the scent. It's so bright and fresh with a little green in there. But please note, Melissa never uses fragrance oils in any of her products! (LOVE that!)

Ingredients include almond oil, jojoba oil, beeswax containing bee propolis, evening primrose oil, mountain spring water, vegetable glycerin, vitamin e oil, witch hazel extract, and carrot seed essential oil.

{Organic Marshmallow Honey Face Cream}

This is a sample of the cream. When ordered, container will be different.

One of the great things about Honey Bee Holistics is the versatility of the products. For the Marshmallow Honey Face Cream, I discovered that it is an excellent night cream, a daily eye cream, a hand cream, and a moisturizer for those extra dry days. The more I use this cream, the more I love it. I mean, what other face cream can you find so many uses for?!

And here is what makes it so gosh-darn useful: It is ultra moisturizing and super gentle for sensitive skin. And when I say ultra moisturizing, I mean it. I would even go as far to say that this is the most moisturizing face creams I have ever tried. Well, the most moisturizing that doesn't leave my face greasy or sticky or suffocating under a just-won't-sink-in layer of product.

The cream goes on suuuper smooth and a little bit goes a long way. The cream is a bit on the heavy side and takes a little longer to sink in completely. But once it does, my face is soft and smooth and I can just feel the hydration!

I don't use the cream as a daily moisturizer, but I do use it as a daily eye cream. The area around my eyes tends to get very dry and this cream has done wonders. It's also great to use as a moisturizer when my face is generally feeling pretty dry, like after a little soak in the chlorine filled hot-tub that I just can't avoid. And slathering on some before bed results in some amazingly soft cheeks in the morning.

AND, the Marshmallow Honey Face Cream is a pretty outstanding hand cream. My finger tips can sometimes get really dry and this is the product I now turn to. My mom, who gets really bad eczema on her hands, really loved using this cream on her hands also. She was surprised by how moisturizing and soothing the cream was!

Personally, I think everyone needs some of this cream. At some point, we all need some ultra moisturizing lovin' and this cream can bring it. It's moisturizing abilities are deeply penetrating and soothing. It is just so much more than a face cream.

Ingredients include jojoba oil, beeswax containing bee propolis, evening primrose oil, mountain spring water, vegetable glycerin, vitamin e oil, witch hazel extract, marshmallow root infusion, and calendula.

{conclusion}

I am simply in love. Honey Bee Holistics makes some fantastic face creams. And I have found a face cream product that I don't ever want to be without! What else can I say? I use nothing else but Honey Bee Holistics products on my face. But that's not limited to just the face creams…

Stay tuned for part II of the Honey Bee Holistics reviews!

Bubs & Scrubs Soap {review}

You ever find a shop that you just so desperately want to try but continuously talk yourself out of it because you simply do not need [insert name of whatever floats your boat here]. But it sure as heck feels like it is needed! That is how I felt when I first found Bubs & Scrubs. And I finally caved and bought some soaps when they had a sale going on… how could I resist that?! Here's what I thought…

{the soap}

First off, I love the simple beauty of these soaps. They have that "I-am-a-wonderfully-natural-good-for-you" kind of look about them. And I could just see the creaminess. I kept going back to Bubs & Scrubs again and again because the soaps just looked amazing.

And when I finally ordered some soap, I fell in love with the scents. I ordered Creamy Peppermint and Calendula & Honey. The Creamy Peppermint (which I believe is not currently being offered) is amazingly minty! You know how much I love peppermint, and this one is up there on my list of favorite peppermint soap scents. Probably because the mint is so strong. It is still a bit on the sweet side though - it reminds me of candy canes!

And the aroma of the Calendula & Honey is equally amazing! Another note, I think the soap formula for this soap has been changed and is now called Calendula Bubs. But I think the scent should be the same - and I hope it is! Because ohhh-my-gaawd what a wonderful scent! When I first got the soap, it had a mildly sweet scent that I was expecting to disappear in the shower. But it came alive in the shower! Every time I use it, it reminds me of early summer when the salmonberry bushes are starting to blossom. What a wonderfully sweet floral scent! Never would I have thought that I would find something that smells like salmonberry blossoms!

As for the soap itself, I would have to say I wish it was as wonderful as the aroma. The lather is great - it's very gentle and on the creamy side. And it rinses off well enough, with no tightness. However, I have found that the soaps are not as moisturizing as I would like them to be. It's not a huge issue for me, because I often use body scrubs after soaping up and those are ultra moisturizing. But sometimes, I don't have the time to follow with a scrub and the soap just doesn't cut it in the moisture department.

{conclusion}

Would I buy again from Bubs & Scrubs? I'm a bit torn on this one. I love the scents, but I found the soap formulas to be a bit lacking. I might be willing to give the soaps another chance, especially if the formulas have been redeveloped. Also, there's quite a few new soaps being introduced that I haven't tried yet. Knowing me, I probably will eventually buy some more soaps from Bubs & Scrubs. It'll probably be one of those "I-really-want-to-buy-some-but-I-shouldn't-but-maybe-I-will-anyway-but-I-really-shouldn't" kinda deals. You know how these things go. :)

Baroque Solid Perfume {review}

I'll admit it… some days I don't take a shower. I wasn't able to take a shower the night before, I wake up late, yada yada yada. (Or sometimes I am just plain lazy). Those are the kinds of days that I like to wear perfumes and the like and make myself feel like I actually put some effort into getting ready to greet the world! One of my favorite products for such days are the "clean & fresh" solid perfumes from Baroque.

{the scents}

I'll start off with the scents for this one, both from the "Clean & Fresh" line:

Clean Cotton: This is definitely a clean scent! It kind of reminds me of fabric softener sheets. It also kind of reminds me of the way towels smell when they're dried by the sun and ocean breezes. I believe it is one of Baroque's most popular scents - which doesn't surprise me! It's wonderfully clean and airy and I totally dig it.

Fresh Laundry: I am completely in love with this one! In fact, I have never loved a perfume as much as I love this one. And I've never been a huge perfume fan. But this perfume smells EXACTLY like fresh laundry! It's amazing! And fresh laundry just so happens to be one of my favorite scents in the whole world! I never thought I'd be able to wear the scent as a perfume and I am in total bliss! It's just so wonderfully fresh and clean and oh-so-amazing.

{the perfume + ingredients}

The solid perfumes come in .07oz tubes and are also available .5oz tubes, called "Stallion Sticks". I have the small tubes, but they have been lasting me forever. The perfume is filled past the brim, so I haven't even had to twist-up the Clean Cotton one yet!

One thing that helps with making them last longer is that there is no need to constantly be reapplying the perfume. I can put it on in the morning and still be able to smell the fragrance late at night. Maybe not quite as "fresh", but definitely still clean! These perfumes have the longest lasting wear of any solid perfumes I've tried… and some regular perfumes too!

And being solid perfumes, the scents aren't too overpowering. I don't like it when people bathe in perfume and leave 20ft perfume trails behind them. I wear perfume for me and I don't want the whole world to know what I smell like. I like solid perfumes because they keep the fragrances close to me, so I can smell and appreciate them. And if someone gets close enough to appreciate it too, that's all well and good. Just as long as the person on the other side of the building doesn't have that chance!

Ingredients are coconut oil, beeswax, and fragrance.

{conclusion}

I would definitely recommend to anyone that they check out Baroque. The solid perfumes are the best of the best, as far as solid perfumes go. The fragrances are long lasting without being over-the-top. And in my opinion, they have the BEST perfume scent! Of course, you may not like "Clean & Fresh" fragrances as much as I do. But with the wide variety of fragrances available at Baroque, I'm sure you'd be able to find something you love just as much!

sunday shower...

I didn't mean to post two "sunday shower" posts back to back... guess I was a bit slacking on reviews this week! Ah, well. Soon to come, I promise! Anyway, here is what I lathered up with today:

Shampoo: Nature's Gate Shampoo in "Tea Tree"

Conditioner: Get Lathered Solid Hair Conditioner Bar in "Lemon Curd"

Body Soap: Cellar Door Soap Co. "Rosemary Mint" Soap

Shaving Soap: Mad City Soap "Fresh Snow" Parfait Soap and then switched to Sudsy Soap Scents "Banana Pudding" Cream Soap

Face Soap: Product Body "Fat Boy" Soap

Cleanser: Sweet Creek Herbal Care Facial Butter Bar in "Unscented" 


Did all this result in a satisfying shower?

In general, I did enjoy this shower. I was all stinky from working out this morning! I recently joined the gym... which is why I'm always having to shave my legs now. Bah. But anyway, I was super looking forward to the cleanliness a shower would provide. 

And in my testings of good shaving products (without actually having to buy a shaving soap), I thought I'd try cream soaps today. I had a Mad City Soap cream soap sitting around in Creme Vanille that I've been waiting to use, and today was the day! But alas, I accidentally grabbed the one that I was going to give away. I didn't particularly care for the scent, but I had already opened it in the shower so I thought I'd give it a chance. The Fresh Snow scent was not at all to my liking and that is why I switched over to using my sis-in-law's Sudsy Soap Scents cream soap. The banana pudding scent was very real and pleasant.

Another note, the Mad City Soap turned out not to be a good shaving soap anyway. That leg was left itchy. Bah. So the search continues through my crap load of products for a good shaving soap. The rest of my shower was fairly pleasant. I got to get all lather-happy with minty minty soap.

Working on some reviews for this next week! Hopefully I'll actually be able to get them up this time - grad school is time consuming! Ah, life.

Hope you all had pleasant showers (or baths)!

sunday shower...

Tonight I took a loooong shower! Here is what I used:

Shampoo: Nature's Gate Shampoo in "Tea Tree"

Conditioner: Mad City Soap Deep Conditioner in "Mexican Vanilla"

Body Soap: Cellar Door Soap Co. "Eucalyptus Spearmint" Soap

Shaving Soap: Product Body "Fat Boy" Soap

Face Soap: Product Body "Fat Boy" Soap

Cleanser: Sweet Creek Herbal Care Facial Butter Bar in "Unscented"


Did all of this result in a satisfying shower?

To be perfectly honest, I did not quite enjoy my shower tonight. Sure, I had some fairly new and perfectly delightful goodies in the shower with me, but I also had to shave my legs. Ugh ugh ugh. (And you're probably laughing now...). I absolutely hate shaving my legs and it's been an embarrassingly long time since I last shaved and now was the time to bite the bullet. The Fat Boy soap was decent enough for shaving, although my legs were a bit itchy afterwards.

And to whine just a bit more, I am dissatisfied with my shampoo options. I've been switching out between two and my hair is just not liking either of them. I have a great conditioner, but it can only take me so far. Hopefully the deep conditioning I did tonight will help. Bah. BUT, my new minty soap helped cheer me up a bit - it's so refreshing! And I am in love with the facial butter bar! Expect a review within a few days for that!

And because I can't think of any other conclusion at the moment, in the words of my 4 year old nephew, "Happy Trails!"

Cellar Door Soap Co. {haul}

Hey, I'm on a roll with these haul posts! I just happened to receive another package in the mail today! And oh, what a gloriously minty package! Just soooo very minty! Mmmm...

Yes, anyway, I ordered three soaps from the Cellar Door Soap Co. thanks to the review and recommendations I found at the wonderful Soap Obsessions blog! I was originally only going to order two, since I don't usually order so many soaps from a shop I've never tried before. But I trusted the reviews and I couldn't resist all of their minty soaps!

I ordered:

- Eucalyptus Spearmint

- Peppermint Tea Tree

- Rosemary Mint

And I also received 3 samples in:

- Green Tea Lemongrass

- Oatmeal Milk & Honey

- Sex Panther

Everything smells wonderful! I am seriously in heaven now! Complete BLISS! I will save discussion of individual scents for the review, but I will say I am having a hard time deciding which to use first for my nightly shower!
 

I will talk about ordering, shipping, and customer service though, which is something I never really go into detail on. But I figured since I have started doing haul posts, it can be a place where I go into more depth on my experience. 

Cellar Door Soap Co. also has an Etsy shop, but I decided to shop through their own site. It had a minor, although a bit frustrating glitch, but I decided to stick with it even though I knew Etsy would be faster and easier (not having to set up an account and all). I like to support indie shops as much as possible! The glitch was that I was not able to change my shipping address - both my billing and shipping address kept resetting any time I changed one of them. This probably won't be an issue for most of you, but I tend to move a lot so my shipping address is always changing!

There was a note section though, so I just asked if they could ship to my current address since I was unable to change it. The next day I got a little note from them apologizing and confirming they could honor my shipping request. 

Right after that, I also got an email saying that my soaps had shipped! I ordered late at night 2/13 and my package was shipped out 2/14 with a tracking number. I received my package today 2/17 only THREE days later! And I think I should point out that the company is based in Michigan and I live in Alaska. Just awesome awesome shipping times! 

Overall, customer service with Cellar Door Soap Co. was fantastic. My concerns were quickly addressed, and my order was put together in record time. I didn't even have time to start thinking about when my soap would get here before it was waiting in my mailbox. AND, samples were included, which are always welcomed! 

I am anxiously awaiting my shower tonight - I have a feeling I am going to be amazed! :)

My First Ever {haul} Post!

I thought it might be fun to do a little haul post of all the stuff I bought and received today... :)

Today was a pleasant day, a nice change from the usual routine. I went to work as usual, but afterwards my favoritest cousin in the whole wide world (who just started a blog!) picked me up and we went out to lunch at the best place for lunch EVER! And then we wandered from store to store, browsing mostly, and buying a few delightful goodies. 

Here is what I bought today:

First up are my thrift store finds! I spent a whole one dollar on these two items: the cute cup and the fabric it was photographed atop! I absolutely love floral patterns and I have quite the collection of cups with different floral designs on them. It will be amazing when I have my own home and can bring out my eclectic, sometimes tacky (I have a great love for tacky things - I even own a duck lamp!), collection of household items! As for the fabric, I think I'm going to give to my mom for the quilt she's been promising to make for me for the past... 5 years! One day, one day... 

But yes, onto the next item!

As funny as they may seem, Turbie Twists are amazing! My Gram would always give me some of these because she loved them so much she was always well stocked up. I remember she would use these all the time, even just to put her hair up while she was in the kitchen. My Gram was amazing! And now I love to use Turbie Twists myself, although just after a shower! This one was on sale and I bought with a rebate card - no money spent! SCORE!

And my final purchase for the day...

SOAP! Could I do a haul post and not talk about soap?! We ended up going to the shop that carries Homesteaders Cache soaps (read my review here) and we both bought a sampler soap stack. This one has a ton of mini soap slices! This one had the list of all the soaps it contained, and I got: Grandma's Garden, Plain & Simple, Little House Lemon, Oatmeal Milk & Honey, and Honey Almond. They are all classic and simple soapy scents! Ahhh... such lovely soap! 

And finally, here is what I received in the mail today:

I placed a small order with Sweet Creek Herbal Care recently and ordered a facial butter bar and two lip balms. Kathleen has a special going on this month - spend $10 in her shop and you can request a lip tint, a new item she's added to the line. I requested the Cherry Red with maraschino cherry flavoring and it's a very lovely shade of red. 

I also had to buy another maraschino cherry lip balm since I completely used up my last one! I have previously reviewed Sweet Creek lip balms (read here) - the formula for the maraschino cherry (and I believe the formula varies for different flavors) is smooth, glossy, and buttery. And I just looove the scent which always reminds me of cherry Fun Dip! I also ordered the Acai Honey which has an interesting scent, sweet and mild with a lightly floral background. It has a different formula, but it's still smooth and creamy. I feel I am going to get a fair bit of enjoyment out of this balm!

But I mainly placed this order because I was curious about the facial butter bar. It has three ingredients: cocoa butter, emu oil, and castor oil. I thought it might be similar to the oil cleansing method, which is another thing I've been curious about. Also, I love shopping with Sweet Creek Herbal Care - this order is my ninth! So, I thought I'd give it a shot! I'll let you all know how it goes, so be expecting a review!

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this haul post and hopefully I'll be able to post a few more soon!

the love affair

Happy Valentines Day!

For a little Valentines treat, I am going to tell you about my love affair… with lip balm!  :)

That is how this all started - my lip balm addiction. And by "all", I mean my love for handmade natural products and this here blog. A few years ago I got my lip pierced. It's a vertical labret and I love it! But having a lip piercing, I absolutely CANNOT stand to have dry lips. It just makes it even more unbearable. I used to use Melaleuca Sun Shades lip balm exclusively. That was until I was talking with a friend one day and she was telling me about her small collection of lip balms. And so, an idea popped into my head. Why not look for lip balm on Etsy?

I already had a bit of an Etsy addiction at the time. I loved to look at all of the beautiful handmade earrings! And so, that very night I started browsing Etsy for lip balms. I was completely clueless, overwhelmed, and had no idea what I was getting myself into.

I spent hours and hours browsing through all of the lip balms. And then I started searching for reviews. And then I started ordering. It quickly turned into a hardcore gotta-have-em-in-every-flavor addiction. AND THEN, my lip balm addiction expanded to include soaps, lotions, scrubs, and eventually even perfumes!

I began to realize how much better handmade products made with natural ingredients are for my body. And my body realized it to. Since I started using all natural products, I can't go back. Commercial lip balm brands now make my lips very irritated, itchy red bumps and all. Commercial body washes and shampoos give me headaches all day long because of their potent chemical scents. And I am so glad to have gotten away from all of those harsh products - I shouldn't have to build up resistance for what I put on my body!

It feels good to use good-for-you products. I am forever in love! And it is all thanks to lip balm!

And so, I think I will leave you with a list of my favorite shops to buy lip balm from!

{Epically Epic Soap Co.}

{Beautiful Twists by Ella Dean}

{Sweet Creek Herbal Care}

{Candle Lynn}

All of these lip balms are completely amazing and leave behind soft and kissable lips! Happy Valentines Day! ;)

Beautiful Twists Body Mists {review}

I looove Ella Dean! Love! Ella is always so sweet and offers amazing products! I first fell in love with her lip conditioners (read the review here), and have since tried a few of her other products. And I have discovered that Ella's body mists are equally amazing! LOVE!

{the mist}

I've never been one to really care for body mists and perfumes and all that. Of course, I still have to get the idea out of my head that all body mists are going to be as horrible as commercial brands. Silly me. But because Ella was offering them on her site, I was willing to try. And I have discovered they are some sort of amazing!

The mist sprays out with a very fine mist. I honestly didn't expect it to be so fine and misty and it took me by surprise. I guess it shouldn't have being called a "mist" and all, but I've found other mists to be a bit thick to the point where you have to rub it into your skin. It's nice to just be able to spray it on and get good coverage. Plus, it feels really nice to walk around in the misty cloud!

The scents are extremely long lasting! I can spray it on in the morning and still be smelling good late at night. And I find that the scents fade lightly into ultra soft and sweet scents. Another awesome discovery: when I'm in the shower after a long day of wearing Ella Dean's body mists, the scent is revived by the hot water and the shower is filled with all of those beautiful fragrances for a few minutes. Makes for an extra good shower!

{scents + ingredients}

Just to note, I am not the greatest at describing scents, but I'll do my best! 

Icelle's Frost Kisses: This starts out cool and refreshing, like sweet minty gum. As the day wears on, it becomes a soft and powdery sweet, almost fruity, scent. I am in love with the peppermint in this one!

Pistachio's (Sweet P) Pistachio Pudding: This one is my favorite! It is hard to find a good, nutty scent and I am always on the look out for nutty scented products (is that strange?). It does remind me of pistachio pudding; it's very sweet with a good amount of nuttiness in the background. It slowly merges into a milky sweet scent. 

Snowla's Lovely Snowwoman: I find this to be a very girly fragrance - it reminds me of my middle school days when I was "oh so cool" with the fruity body sprays. Except this one is better. It is fruity sweet, but not overly so, with a background of refreshing florals. 

Winter's Snowflake Kisses: You know, I think this may tie with the Pistachio Pudding as another favorite. I think this reminds me more of spring than winter, but I feel it's a great year-round every day scent. It starts off with green florals with a cool background and just a hint of sweetness and ends with a powdery finish. It's a very clean and refreshing scent that I love wearing!

Another note, when I was talking with Ella, she told me that her room sprays can also be used as body mists! Good to know for when I buy a room spray!

Ingredients include pure floral water from a daisy patch (how cool is that?!), spring water, natural preservative, essential oils, fragrance oils, and isopropyl alcohol.

{conclusion}

These are my favorite body mists ever! I am definitely going to buy more (and more and more) from Ella Dean! I am simply in love with Ella Dean's shop - she has the BEST customer service and her products are always amazing. The mists are quite misty with long lasting and delightful scents. I honestly can't wait to try more, especially since Ella always has fun and exciting fragrances! Do you shop with Ella Dean? If not, you should! And tell me about it! :)

in the shower...

... or "Sunday Shower", if you will. I think I'm going to be calling this little series that from now on and doing it every Sunday (obviously!).

For my shower tonight, I used:

Shampoo: Nature's Gate Shampoo in "Tea Tree"

Conditioner: Get Lathered Solid Hair Conditioner Bar in "Lemon Curd"

Face Soap: Product Body "Fat Boy" Soap

Body Soap: Aunt Nancy's "Eucalyptus Mint" Soap

Body Scrub: Avani Natural Mineral Body Scrub in "Citrus Vanilla"

Did all this result in a satisfying shower?
To be honest, I wasn't too excited going into the shower. I have a lot of lovely soaps, but tonight I was just craving something completely new. Such is the life of the addict, I suppose! But I ended up coming out of the shower completely and surprisingly satisfied. First of all, the Get Lathered conditioner bar reeeaaally works with my hair and it's been awhile since I've found such a conditioner. And second of all, my skin was left feeling suuuuper soft thanks to my INSANELY expensive salt scrub (I may do a review on it). I haven't used the scrub in forever and I forgot how amazing it truly is. So, right now I'm content and clean and watching Meet the Robinsons with my nephew! Hope you all had pleasant showers! Good night! :)