What to do with this blog?

Hey all you lovely peoples!

It's been awhile since I've posted. And it's been even longer since I've had regular reviews. This isn't how I wanted this to go, but unfortunately it can't be helped.

My life has become incredibly busy. I have been traveling a lot (again) these past few months. And I recently moved (again) to a different city in Alaska. I started working full-time and I am still trying to finish my degree. I also applied for a second part-time job. And in addition to my graduate-level classes, I have also decided to take an anthropology class at the local university this fall just for the fun of it. And, I am still working on starting up on online jewelry business with my boyfriend. As you can see, life is going to busy to the max over here.

And I don't know what will become of this blog. I still take product photos of new things I try. I still take notes on perfumes. But I have had trouble keeping up with this blog in the past. I don't know if it will even be an option for me now. I would like to though - I love my little blog. I will still keep it in mind and I will try to make an effort to post when I can. But when I get free time, I might just spend it relaxing with my boyfriend and watching Doctor Who...

But maybe I'll see you all soonish anyway. <3

Wild Rose Herbs Lip Balms {review}

Remember when I was having crazy blackberry cravings? Oh, and just bringing that up reminds me of my summer in Oregon and all those deliciously addictive blackberries, mmmmm...

Ahem. Anyway. During that time, I stumbled upon Wild Rose Herbs and their Oregon Blackberry lip balm. I was intrigued by their use of natural flavorings for all of their lip balms. To me, that makes me feel like a shop is doing all they can to provide products of the highest quality. And knowing me, when I want something and find something that sounds so good, I simply cannot resist!

I ordered several lip balms and lip tints from Wild Rose Herbs. (The lip tints shall be reviewed at a later date). The shop also offers other skincare items and beard creams and conditioners that seem to be wildly popular. I have only tried the lip products, but I do keep going back for more!

{the balm}

The texture of this lip balm is fantastic. It is so very smooth and creamy. It glides on easily and has that kind of wet and glossy feel but with enough substance to not feel greasy. The texture reminds me of Ella Dean's lip conditioners, but with a slightly thicker consistency. I admit that I do put a lot of it on because it just feels so good I can't help but layer and smack my lips. However, if you're not crazy like me, just a few swipes should be fine. It offers nice coverage without feeling too heavy.

The wear is about average. It lasts for about two hours and leaves your lips feeling soft and moisturized. However, I will say they are not intensely moisturizing as they are fairly light balms. But as the warmer months are coming around, these balms are perfect.

There is one small complaint I have about these balms. During packaging, the tops of the balms form sharp-ish ridges from how it settles around the cap in the tube. I'm sure there is a better way for me to say that, but I hope that makes sense. But upon first application, the ridges crumble off and are a bit annoying and slightly messy. Now I usually just use my finger and take off those parts and try to smooth the edges before applying.

But anyway, that does not deter me from these balms. They are truly wonderful and are quickly becoming some of my favorite balms!

{the flavors}

I can't get enough of these! Ordered these flavors over 3 separate orders. And more to come!

Oregon Blackberry - This has a lightly sweet berry flavor with a bit of tartness. I'm not instantly thinking of juicy blackberries but it is still quite pleasant. It does have a bit of juiciness of its own.

Hot Cocoa - This is the best chocolate lip balm I have ever found! It is so very chocolatey, it does remind me of a cup of hot cocoa. An extra chocolatey cup of hot cocoa! A very true to name scent. I accidentally sent this one through the wash (forgot in my secret pocket!), but I loved it so much I had to repurchase! If you're a fan of chocolate balms, this is THE ONE!

Jasmine Tea - I wasn't sure about jasmine in a lip balm but I thought I'd give this a chance. And I am so glad I did! This is probably my favorite balm flavor from this shop, and pretty high up there on my list of favorite flavors of any balms. It is so soft and feminine and oh so very relaxing. It makes me want cuddles. I use this every night before bed.

Pear Blossom - This is a combination of pear and violet. It is mostly floral smelling to me though. A light floral with a hint of sweetness. It is another feminine scent that has more of a clean scent to it. It's very pretty!

Strawberry - This one is a sweet strawberry scent. It doesn't smell exactly like strawberries to me. It has a bit of powderiness ot it. Kind of like powdered strawberry candy. It's also kind of tangy. It's not my favorite, but I do really like it.

One more note on the flavors. I've never been a fan of anything too floral. Especially in lip balms. But I have been branching out and trying new things. And I have surprisingly fallen in love with the floral balms from this shop! I am kind of wishing there were more! But if you're hesitant like me about florals, I would say it is definitely worth the risk!

{the ingredients}

Ingredients include coconut oil, beeswax, mango seed butter, rosehip seed oil, gotu kola, paprika, vitamin e, and natural extracts. Some flavors may also include green tea.

{final thoughts}

I would most definitely recommend trying out Wild Rose Herbs. The balms are amazing with wonderful, natural flavors. They are truly high quality lip balms! And even better, there is a sale going on right now! Use MAYDAY2014 for 20% off through May 4th. You should take advantage! I am tempted to order a few more flavors myself! Ah, so much love!

Crafty Things!

Hello all!

This isn't bath/body product related, but I just thought I would share a little snippet of my life because I have been super hyped up about this! But little background info about me... I am a bit of an artist at heart and I studied Northwest Coast art for my undergraduate degree. I love weaving and have tried my hand at a bit of carving. And I love to create things in general. There are so many things I want to learn how to do! I want to learn how to knit/crochet. I want to learn how to work with various types of metal. I want to learn how to bead. And a bunch of other things that are less reasonable with all of my other interests!

But one thing I do make time to do every week is to make earrings. I don't do anything too fancy - just make combinations that I think would work. But it still allows me to be creative and make beautiful pieces of jewelry. And creating things is so rewarding and has been good for my soul. I also love looking for new beads and materials that I often find in old pieces of jewelry at yard sales or thrift stores that I deconstruct for crafting. It makes everything an adventure and often my pieces are one of a kind.

Here's a few pairs that I made yesterday. Sorry that they're not the most professional looking photos - I took these on my iPhone and posted to my Facebook account.

The thing is, I think my skills are getting better in this process. And this is where the excitement comes in. I want to move on to the next level and start using more technique. I have reached a point where I am starting to feel limited on what I can do because I have all of these ideas, but do not have the skills or tools to bring my ideas to life. And so, I have decided to take the time and money and invest in what I want to do next: wire work!

I am really excited about this next stage. I have already bought a book on weaving and wrapping coil and look forward to actually testing it out. I need to wait a bit before I can buy the other tools and wire I would need. But in the meantime, my mind is racing with a bunch of different ideas and I am super excited! I absolutely love when I am feeling inspired!

And more exciting stuff... I don't just make earrings. I sell the earrings I make. So far it has all been locally and I have made enough money to cover the cost of supplies with a little bit of profit. My problem is that I keep on wanting to buy more and more beads even if I already have quite a bit! It's really just to feed my crafting addiction!

Anyway, I have been posting photos of my creations on Facebook and quite a few people have been interested in my work. I am thrilled that people are liking what I have been creating. I already sold the two pairs above within hours of posting photos! And I have a lot of people asking if I have an online shop, so that is also going to be my next step. I am going to work towards opening on online shop to sell my earrings.

And I am super hyped up about these next steps! Getting into wire work and improving my skills AND opening a shop to sell my work. I got less than 5 hours of sleep last night because I kept having dreams about earrings and waking up with great ideas. And I just had to share with you all because I can't stop thinking about it. I tend to gush about things when I'm excited! :)

I have also been wanting a drill that I can use for drilling glass. I have access to a ton of beach glass and that would be super cool to incorporate that into my pieces. But I have to do things one at a time here! But soon, I will have that drill in my hands! :D

I hope you all have been enjoying the weekend! I need to stop thinking about crafting and focus some of my energy on homework! But I will keep you posted on when I have that shop open!

<3 Alyssa

Darling Clandestine's Morderteile Kelah Perfume {review}

It's finally review time and guess what! It's another Darling Clandestine perfume review! Really, how could I not? Evonne's masterfully beautiful creations are my new obsession and I would be content using no other perfumes for the rest of my life. They are really that good! They are also quite complex so forgive me if I have difficulty in trying to interpret all the goodness!

But anyway, let's move onto the review part!

{the perfume: Morderteile Kelah}

"This is a fragrance I've created in honor of a magnificent lady with magnificent knockers. Amber, hyacinth, milk and strawberry jam are just a few of the elements that capture Kelah. As if anyone ever could capture her completely. You need a butterfly net, I bet. It's sweet and sultry and spicy and summery, and I'm so very happy with it."

I will be honest here and say I do not like this perfume when first applied. It opens with a warm and slightly salty green fragrance and the sweet strawberry. It kind of reminds me of... weed. Ahem. 

But after dry down, it loses that salty/savory herbaceous warmth. It becomes a lightly fruity sweet that is warmed by a bit of spiciness. The strawberry is very well done in this fragrance. It's not too sickly sweet or childish. It offers just the right amount of sweetness to be feminine, but not girly. The other elements lend a more mature hand to the fragrance, with a floral bite and some spice. 

I think Evonne's description is spot-on. It very much is sweet and sultry and spicy and summery. When I wear this, I feel a warm summer evening that might be getting a little sweaty. It is such a warm and inviting scent, it makes me think of soft, sweet kisses. And while I wouldn't describe this as a cuddly scent, it does make me want to cuddle up with my special someone and have a few of those sweet kisses. It is a romantic scent. In a casual sort of way.

As for wear, it lasts a few hours on my skin. The sillage is low - it sticks nice and close, right where I want it to be for a scent that makes me want cuddles and kisses. It really does add to the feelings of sweetness.

And I am loving this perfume. It is soft and sweet and makes me feel all kinds of good. I see myself wearing this often. It already is one that I reach for a lot. It is very easy to wear. And love!

{ingredients}

Ingredients include pure sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, rice brain oil, and grapeseed oil. 

{final thoughts}

And once again, I am left swooning by an original scent from Darling Clandestine! Try any and all of Darling Clandestine perfumes and I promise that you will not be disappointed! Really, that's all I can say. Tis perfection and all must try.

Another Update

Hey all!

I just wanted to check in for a minute here and let you all know that I haven't forgotten about my blog! I have been sick a lot lately since my last post. In fact, I have been sick every week since then. I'll start feeling better for a few days, then I'll start feeling sick again. I even had the flu for awhile there and that was the sickest I have been in a very long time! And for the past few days I've had some sort of stomach bug. I am so tired of being sick all the time! And with me being sick all the time, on the days I have been feeling well, I have been using the time to get caught up on homework. Just a few more weeks in this semester!

But I am hoping, crossing my fingers, and really really hoping that I am getting to the end of all of this and can get back to doing the fun stuff, like writing more reviews! I have been thinking about the posts I want to write next and might work in a little giveaway. I am hoping I can have a new review up within the next few days. 

Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know that I am doing my best to try to get back to working on this blog. I *will* return!

Hope you all are enjoying this lovely spring! And have been enjoying good health! :)

<3 Alyssa

Mini Blurb

Hello dearies!

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I've been traveling and dealing with tough things because goddamn life is hard. And I really need to get caught up on school work (story of my life). AND, today I am sick in bed. I am actually writing this from my phone. I am too sick to get up and do anything productive, but not so out of it to be consumed by sleep. So here I am!

I've been getting back into perfumes again. I have been reading perfume reviews all day. And I got a couple new Darling Clandestine perfumes yesterday. Have I mentioned before how much I loooooove DC perfumes?! I am becoming a DC hoarder. Must have them all! One of the amazing things about DC perfumes is that Evonne can take scent notes I don't like and make me love them. She has done this several times now - cantaloupe, strawberry, cherry. She builds such complex and beautiful fragrances I just can't get enough.

Well now I'm curious about Tapadero. The description says: "Tapadero begins bold and bright with sage and roses, and ends with dusky sweet smoke and leather. Unisex, clean and cuddly." Now I am not a fan of roses at all. I very much dislike the scent. I don't even like real roses - the scent is too much for me. However, lately I've been discovering it's not too terrible when blended right with other things. And I am wondering if Evonne is magical enough to make me love roses too. I think it might have to be something I give a chance! And I do have a fondness for leather in perfumes. This might be next on my list. Tis very shocking. 

Anyway, enough ranting about perfumes. Imma get back to those reviews. Just wanted to be a bit blurby since I'm in bed all day being bored! Hope y'all are feeling better than me!

<3 Alyssa

EE Update

Just a little note - I've updated my Epically Epic lip tint review! I decided to update it instead of creating a new review because it is one of the more popular posts on this blog. I've added in photos to follow my new lip tint review standards. Meaning, there's more photos! And just thought I'd let you all know! Check it out here.

I will also be working on going back through some old reviews and updating them to follow the current review format. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and want everything to be consistent!

Anyway, Happy Sunday!

Favorites Friday

I am supposed to be working on a homework assignment right now. So obviously that means it's time to blog! I know I didn't have a list last week but I wasn't really into anything last week. Thinking about how I might change up this weekly post as well. Stay tuned for that! Anyway, onto favorites!

1. Hot Cocoa lip balm from Wild Rose Herbs. I almost didn't order this flavor but I am so glad I did! It is super chocolatey and smells exactly like hot cocoa! I love me a good chocolate lip balm and this is one of the bests I have found. I can't stop using it! 
2. Sharkbender solid perfume from Darling Clandestine. This was one of Evonne's limited edition releases - I don't know if it'll make another appearance. It is a blend of her Love & Sharks and Hellbender fragrances. And I love the blend! It is a good balance of sweet and spicy that makes it quite intoxicating. I got a compliment on this one the other day!
3. Valiant Heart perfume oil from Sarawen. I am completely in looooove with this one! It might possibly earn a spot on my list of very favorite perfumes. The main notes are lavender, plumeria, citrus, English apples, and almond cake. And it is HEAVENLY! It is sweetly floral and spicy and sultry. Sexy! I want to wear this all the time. Oh, and it's currently on sale!
4. Suave Kids Naturals Head to Toe body wash in lavender. I don't usually use a lot of commercially produced items. I was desperate when I first tried this - I was traveling and needed shampoo and my only place to get some was at a department store. I am really sensitive to most commercial shampoos. The fragrances are too much for me and give me headaches all day. This was the least offensive one I found. And I found out it performs really well on my very picky hair. And the scent is gentle when in use, and leaves no lingering scents. My hair is always soft and silky when I use this shampoo! I was very sad when I ran out and had a hard time finding it in stores up here in Alaska. I gave in and ordered some online. While I do love shampoo bars, and still use them, shampoo bars are not good for washing your hair everyday. And now that I am working out, I have to wash my hair everyday or else I'll go around smelling like sweat all day. This is perfect for every day washing! Maybe I'll do a full review on this later on instead of writing a book here...
5. Small Saga solid perfume from Darling Clandestine. I am not a big fan of this when I first apply, but after a few minutes it is a beautiful fragrance! I am not even sure how to really describe it. It is sweet with a bit of zing in there. And a bit of creaminess and lightly fruity background. It definitely makes me happy!
6. Sra. Rosemary soap from Epically Epic. Of course I had to try the new EE soaps! And I have been into rosemary lately and this bar is perfect! It is a bit medicinal in smell but I really like that about rosemary - it's soothing and relaxing. And it is very strongly scented - I was surprised and impressed! It completely fills the shower when I use it and the rest of the bar I'm not using is making my room smell really good. Can't wait to try more EE soaps!

Pretty decent list this week! I recently placed another order with Darling Clandestine as well. I just can't stop myself! Looking forward to playing with new goodies soon. Also, in other news, I will be traveling again next week so I am not sure if I'll be able to post much next Friday. We'll see though.

Anyway, hope you all have a wonderful weekend! It is finally starting to get cold here. I pulled out my winter socks! Stay warm everybody!

<3 Alyssa

Elegant Rose Boutique Splash in the Sun Soap {review}

I have been having some new soapy adventures lately! I ordered a bunch of samples and a couple full size bars from Elegant Rose Boutique. Today I will be reviewing one of those soap samples: Splash in the Sun.

I was drawn to Elegant Rose Boutique because the scents all sounded so delightful and they are all created using essential oils. However, some of the descriptions of scents are a bit lacking. Some products simply list an "essential oil blend" in the ingredients without providing more information on the scent. I was curious about one of the scents and contacted the seller to ask for more information. I never received a response. A bit disappointing, but I went ahead and ordered anyway.

And I was definitely not disappointed with my order!

{the soap}

The soap lathers up quite beautifully. It has a soft and gentle lather that builds up quickly. And what I mean by that is that it doesn't take a lot to get a nice layer of lather to play with! I probably use more than I need to, but I like the silkiness of the lather and I just can't help myself.

There are also calendula flowers in this soap. It offers a gentle scrubbing that is not irritating in the slightest. It is soothing and very pleasant. I also think the calendula flowers make it very pretty!

The soap rinses off well and doesn't dry out my skin, even in this wintertime weather. My skin feels soft and clean after my shower. I have also used this a few times on my face and it works well without leaving my face dry and tight.

And for a sample, this is decently sized. I've been using this soap for almost two weeks now and there's still enough left for one more good shower!

{the scent}

The Splash in the Sun scent is heavenly! It is a blend of bergamont, orange, lavender, peppermint, rosemary, and clary sage. I mostly detect the citrus and mint in this soap, but in a sweet and mellow way. It is bright and refreshing with a soft zing to it. It's quite a cheerful scent. And I think I've mentioned before, I am not usually drawn to citrus-y scents. But I am completely in love with this and I just might need me some more!

{the ingredients}

The ingredients include olive oil, coconut oil, organic palm oil, unrefined shea butter, water, sodium hydroxide, essential oils, and calendula flowers.

{final thoughts}

I would most certainly recommend Elegant Rose Boutique. I have been enjoying all of the samples I have tried so far and the Splash in the Sun soap is quite a fantastical soap. The lather is delightful, it keeps me feeling soft, and the scent is bright and cheery. It is definitely a feel good soap so if you're looking for some good feelings check out the soaps at Elegant Rose Boutique. 

Favorites Friday

You know, after I went through that perfume phase and bought all those perfumes, I haven't been using them too much lately. Maybe it's because in a small town I don't really go out and do anything so I never get around to feeling like I should put on perfume. I should wear it anyway even if it's just for me! Er, and to review! I've been noticing that I haven't been having any perfume favorites every week. I'll try to change that next week!

Anyway, enough rambling and onto my favorites for this week!

1. Bifrost Coconut Peppermint lip balm (currently unavailable) by Darling Clandestine. I reviewed this (here) earlier this week and am still very much in love with it! It's sort of a neutral flavor that I can use at anytime. Sometimes I'm not in the mood for all the other flavors I have that are foodie or fruity or sometimes floral. This is one I never tire of! I seriously need to try more of her balms.
2. Citrus Zest Beer shampoo bar by Elegant Rose Boutique. I am tentatively putting this on my favorites list. I really loved it the first few times I tried it - it left my hair feeling soft while adding some body to it. I also didn't need an ACV rinse which is awesome! But my hair also got greasy quickly and it needed to be washed more than I like doing. But there were other factors in that too, like hot water running out and maybe not rinsing as well as I should have. And I also have to test out how it works with an ACV rinse. The smell is bright and citrusy though!
3. Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil by Nutivia on Amazon. I'm sure you've been hearing a lot about coconut oil! I just started using some myself. I put it on the ends of my hair to keep my hair healthy and hopefully avoid split ends. I am also planning on deep conditioning my hair with it. I've also recently started using it on my hands. Despite being an oil, it is surprisingly non-greasy. And it is so silky! And I love the coconut scent, it's so yummy! I've tried a little bit as a facial moisturizer and I think I'll continue testing that out for awhile. Overall, I've been loving the many uses for coconut oil!

Yeah, short list this week! What's up with that? Guess I haven't been straying too much lately. Hm, I have plans on trying a few new things this next week though! Maybe I'll have a list of newer things next week. We'll see!

But onto the other favorites of the week...

• Jillian Michaels: Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism workout video. I've been getting into working out again lately and with no gym, I've been using workout videos. This one is great! Jillian Michaels is intense and she gets me sweating! There's also a lot of jumping in the workout which I appreciate because it makes the workout more fun. I really like jumping! 
• Plain, non-fat Greek yogurt by Fage. I love the thick, creamy texture of Greek yogurt! And it can be eaten in so many ways, I've been having some every day all week in some form. Sometimes I'll mix in raw honey with it and eat it like that. I've been mixing it with stone ground mustard for a quick, easy dip for crackers. I've used it to marinate some chicken, making the chicken juicy. It's just a great thing and I've been loving it!

I am going to have a super busy weekend. Which I should have started hours ago, but oh well! So, onto that! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! :)

<3 Alyssa

Darling Clandestine Bifrost Lip Balm {review}

Darling Clandestine is one of my newest favorite shops. Evonne's perfume are unique and beautiful. BUT, she also makes lip balms and you know me - I love me some lip balm! And while I don't usually spend this much on lip balm (a single tin is $8-$9), the tins are huge and I have faith in Evonne's products so of course I had to try!

{the balm}

The balm comes in a sliding tin. I'm not exactly sure how much balm these tins hold, but they are huge! I mean, look at that!

The one thing I don't like about this balm is it is a bit too soft. Applying with my finger, there is more balm left on my finger than I would like. But I figured out a solution to this problem so it doesn't bother me as much any more. I rub the excess on the back of my neck! I don't know why I chose that spot, but it works. And I'm sure my neck smells delightful!

The softness may just be in this batch/flavor though. I have noticed that about lip balms from other shops. Some flavors have a softer texture than other flavors in the shop. Maybe it's just that batch or maybe it's the flavor. Although, I think the softness plays a part in the other things I like in this balm. 

I really do love the texture of this balm once it is applied. It is super smooth and silky. It is also very glossy, but not in a greasy sort of way. It almost has the "wet" sort of feeling which I really like. The wear isn't super long. Actually, it wears off very quickly. BUT, my lips are left super soft that I don't even feel the need to put any more balm on for a long time afterwards. Seriously, this might be one of the best lip softening balms I have ever tried.

And just a little note, this balm is perfect for kissing a certain someone who doesn't like to get lip balm on his lips after every kiss. I still get to use my balm, it wears off quickly, and my lips are soft and kissable!

Despite the huge size of this tin, I have already used up a surprisingly large amount. I've used up almost half of it! The balm really is quite fantastic.

{the flavor}

The flavor of this balm is called Bifrost. I love that this flavor is based off of Thor's story. The Bifrost Bridge is the rainbow bridge in Asgard (does this remind anyone else of Rainbow Road in MarioKart?). I haven't seen all of the Avenger movies (I know, I know - don't disown me!) but I have seen all of the Thor movies and love them! Mmm Thor...

Anyway, the flavor is a combination of coconut and peppermint. I thought this blend was quite a brilliant idea and one that I hadn't seen before. The flavors work very well together - the coconut adds a sweet, tropical twist to the peppermint. It also warms it up a bit so it doesn't seem too icy. The peppermint is strongest at first and then the coconut comes out, ending on that sweet coconut-y note. Also, while the peppermint scent is stronger, it is not too tingly once it is applied. I always appreciate this in balms with peppermint because I don't really like the tingle. The tingle in this is mellow and barely noticeable.

My mom also really liked this flavor. She tried this balm and said: "You always have the coolest things!"

{the ingredients}

Ingredients include shea butter, cocoa butter, beeswax, sweet almond oil, coconut oil, vitamin e, and peppermint essential oil.

{final thoughts}

I definitely recommend Darling Clandestine lip balms! The balm is smooth and silky and makes my lips super soft! Sometimes I just have to feel my lips because I am amazed by how soft they are after using this balm. The flavor is delightful and I can't wait to try more! The Violet Pear lip balm is quite intriguing. But yeah, ANYTHING from Darling Clandestine earns high recommendation from me!

And Evonne is always having awesome sales! Go 'like' her page on Facebook to find out about her sales! And jump - yes, really jump! - at the chance to order!

Favorites Friday

I know, I was supposed to post some reviews this week. I will get a few up soon, I promise! And now that I am back home, I have more variety in the products I've been using. Still, it might be a short list of favorites this week. But yes, onto those...

1. Mocha Marshmallow lip balm from For Goodness Grape. I'm not a fan of coffee, I never drink it. But I like the way it smells and the light coffee scent mixed with the sweetness of the marshmallow is delicious! Plus, I am really enjoying the creaminess that For Goodness Grape balms have.  
2. Splash in the Sun soap from Elegant Rose Boutique. I recently ordered some soap samples from this shop and this is the first one I've been trying out. I'm usually not one to go for citrus-y scents. Well, they don't usually appeal when I'm thinking about them but once I get them under my nose, I always like them. Weird, I know. But anyway, the scent of this is completely delightful. It is bright and refreshing from the citrus and mint. I might have to get a full-size bar. And the lather is heavenly!
3. Neem Tea Tree & Rosemary shampoo bar from Fresh as a Daisy Soaps. It's been awhile since I've used shampoo bars. With all the traveling, it's difficult to use them because I can't carry around apple cider vinegar for rinses afterwards. But now that I am home, it is back to testing out different shampoo bars. And I have really been enjoying this one. The light tea tree & rosemary scent is lovely and there is a surprising amount of lather, which is always nice for shampoo bars! And my hair has been clean, soft, and shiny. So much better than the roughness it had when traveling!
4. Lavender essential oil from NOW Foods on Amazon. I am still very much in love with the scent of lavender! I have been putting this in the ACV rinses and mixing with coconut oil that I use on the ends of my hair. I probably use more than I need to, but it makes my hair smell like lavender all day! 

And let's see, what non-product favorites do I have this week...

•  Blood of the Fold by Terry Goodkind. I am enjoying having time to read for pleasure before school starts up again next week! This is the third book in the Sword of Truth series. If you are a fan of epic fantasy series, this is an awesome one. There is even a show based off of the first two books, called Legend of the Seeker. Great show! 
• My bed! I've been traveling so much it is always good to come home to my own bed in my own room with my millions of pillows! After sleeping on a couch for over two weeks, my bed feels completely amazing and I have been sleeping way too much lately!

That's it for my favorites this week! What have yours been? Or maybe you shouldn't tell me, because I have an ever-growing list of things I want to try! ;)

Hope you have a magical weekend!

<3 Alyssa

Blackberry Ramblings

I have really been craving blackberries lately. When I was living in Oregon, I'd get blackberries all the time from the farmer's market when they were in season. I wish I had some of those now! I think this means I need more berries in my diet. Maybe I should try to seek out some frozen blackberries! But oh, if only I had some fresh, sweet, juicy blackberries...

Anyway, this has lead me to search out blackberry lip balms on Etsy. I go through these different phases where my "obsessions" change often. Last month it was perfumes, the last few weeks it has been soaps, and now it's back to lip balms. It always ends up going back to lip balm!

Here's a few lip balms and lip tints that I found tonight that I really want:

Blackberry lip balm from Wild Rose Herbs

Blackberry Lime lip tint from Bathing in Luxury

Blackberry Pomegranate lip balm from Lake House Soap Works

Blackberry lip tint from Orange Thyme

There's a few lip tints by Wild Rose Herbs that I really want too. I might just order some! I'll try to control myself for a bit though and not order everything off of my wishlist here. But they all look so good!

I was able to stop myself the other day from impulse buying. I was in Juneau wandering the shops downtown with a friend and found a peach lavender flavored lip balm that I wanted. But I resisted! But I am still thinking about it... sigh.

And speaking of Juneau, I am trying to move back there within the next few months! It seems that I can never stay put. For once I move somewhere, I already start planning my next move! Maybe I'll settled down for a bit there. I plan on it anyway!

But anyway, I'll stop rambling for now. Maybe I'll work on some reviews. I would have done one now but that requires more thought than I can handle right now. Hopefully I'll have one up tomorrow!

<3 Alyssa

P.S. And just to include a photo, here's one from my instagram (feel free to follow me @alyr3!) of making tracks in the new snow on the docks in Juneau the other day! Maybe it is this winter weather is making me crave blackberries!

Favorites Friday

I haven't been posting these every Friday like I should be. Mostly because I'm still spending my time in my second-home, away from most of my lovely products to play with. Not many new favorites from the stuff I have with me! So, this post will include my favorites from the last couple of weeks.

Onto a few of my favorite things:

1. Bifrost Coconut Peppermint lip balm from Darling Clandestine. I am loving the cool and yummy flavor and the glossiness of this balm! And despite the huge tin it comes it, I have already used a surprisingly large amount! 
2. Peppermint Hot Cocoa lip balm from Long Winter Farm (flavor review here). I have recently rediscovered the fabulousness of this balm! It was forgotten at the bottom of my purse for awhile and I just found it again the other day. Yay! It is perfectly minty and cocoa-y and always creamy. 
3. Lavender shampoo bar from Homesteaders Cache. I actually ran out of the soap I brought with me so I picked this up in a local store. It was the only lavender bar as the regular were sold out. And in my need for soap, I forgot to photograph this before I started using it. Sigh. But the lavender is delightful! It makes showers delightful and my purse is smelling pretty awesome since most of the bar is still hanging out in there! 
4. Ginger Souffle whipped body cream from Origins. I do not have this but I know someone who does. I tried it a few times and smelled it a few times more. It is freakin' amazing! Silky lotion and the scent is incredible! Ginger and citrus goodness. I need to get some for myself!

That's it for my favorites. A bit low for combining weeks, but nothing else has really wowed me lately. It'll help when I have more variety! And not forgetting my non-B&B favorites. Of which there is only one (that I can think of right now!):

• My new winter coat! And yes, it's a men's coat. I happen to prefer the sleeve length and length in general in men's coats over women's. I don't understand why they make women's coat sleeves so short! I don't want my wrists exposed every time I stretch my arms slightly! You know what I mean? Also, this coat will be good for snowboarding! AND, there's a ton of pockets including a little one on the sleeve the perfect size for a few lip balms! 

Hope you all have a good weekend! I will be doing some more traveling this weekend! Home this time. Hopefully back to being productive with things now! And maybe then these posts will have pictures. But anyway, cheers!

<3 Alyssa

Fresh as a Daisy Rooibos Tea Soap {review}

I have been eying Fresh as a Daisy soaps on Etsy for quite a while, especially the Rooibos Tea unscented shaving soap. Although I have already found an awesome shaving soap (review here), I love trying new soap companies and I wanted to give this one a shot. And as a treat to myself for finishing up my busiest semester (I always look for ways to treat myself!), I ordered a gift set of 4 soaps and a solid lotion from this company.

I also found the service to be excellent. Shipping was quick and I received quite a few free samples in my order. I love it when shops send free samples! I am looking forward to trying the shampoo bar sample I received.

But for now I will review the Rooibos Tea shaving soap! (I believe this soap is currently out-of-stock but the shop is working on restocking after the busy holiday season.)

{the soap}

I first tried it as an all over body bar and it has quite a pleasant feeling. The lather isn't as dense or as fluffy as other soaps or shaving soaps, but it is silky. It also has a bit of slickness to it. It feels like it is just covering me with a layer of moisture. It almost feels like it leaves a bit of residue afterwards, but in a good way. My skin feels super smooth!

As a shaving soap, it is decent. I wish there were more lather for shaving, but it is slick enough that there are no nicks. And my legs aren't itchy afterwards which is the most important thing I look for in a shaving soap. However, I also feel like I really have to build up the layer of soap before I can shave. I will continue using this soap for shaving, but I'll also keep an eye out for new shaving soaps to try!

As for the scent, this bar is unscented. It has that light clean soap scent that leaves you with a simply clean feeling. Keep this in mind if you try this soap - I know not everyone is a fan of unscented products. For me, as long as it's already a quality product, I don't mind it being unscented.

{ingredients}

Coconut oil, olive oil, palm oil, castor oil, shea butter, OG rooibos tea, and Australian red clay.

{final thoughts}

I have been enjoying this soap from Fresh as a Daisy. The lather is pleasant and leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. Although, I prefer it more as an all-over body soap than a shaving soap. And yes, I definitely give my recommendation for Fresh as a Daisy soaps! I look forward to trying and reviewing more of the soaps! And I might already have my eye on a few more in the shop. You should definitely turn your own eyes that way!

Queen Bee Productions Lip Balm {review}

I received two of these Queen Bee Productions lip balms for Christmas from one of my cousins. She knows me too well! The company is located in Hawaii, using local ingredients, like Maui honey and beeswax. I had never heard of Queen Bee Productions before so I am glad my awesome cousin found this shop and gave me a chance to try these lip balms!

{the balm}

The balm goes on smooth and creamy. It has a bit of a thick consistency, but just enough to give it a delightful creaminess without making it too heavy or lip suffocating. It also has that firmness so it doesn't get all melty in your pocket!

The wear is also long lasting, good for a few hours at least! When I put it on before bed, there is still a bit of balm on my lips in the morning when I wake up. I am quite enjoying this balm! There is even a bit of gloss to it.

{the flavors}

There are four flavors offered on the site. I have two of them:

Plain Jane - This one is unflavored, but you can smell the ingredients used in the balm. I smell raw honey with a hint of cocoa butter. I kind of love it. A million times better than balms with honey flavor oil! The real thing is much better!

Tangerine Dream - I'm not usually a fan of orange-y, citrus-y scents but I like this one. It smells lightly of tangerine with cocoa butter. I appreciate the light scent, otherwise I probably wouldn't like it as much.

{the ingredients}

Ingredients include sunflower oil, sweet almond oil, organic shea butter, organic cocoa butter wafers, Maui beeswax, vitamin e, and flavor.

{final thoughts}

I am so happy that I have been introduced to Queen Bee Productions. The balms are delightfully creamy and the Plain Jane might just have to be my new go-to balm when I'm needing something unflavored. Honestly, as much as I love all the fun lip balm flavors out there, sometimes my lips get overly sensitive and I need something without the flavor. I definitely recommend Queen Bee Productions for some simply flavored balms with damn near perfect consistency!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!

For me, 2013 was an absolutely amazing year! And I am looking forward to another amazing year full of more adventures! Here's a short list of a few of my resolutions for 2014:

- Learn how to bead and make wire jewelry! I love crafting and want to expand my skills and really get into the art of making jewelry! I already have a bunch of the supplies to get a good start!

- Try out snowboarding! I'll give it a shot and see how it goes, although at this point I'm just planning on the trying part and not so much the learning. I'm a terribly clumsy girl! But what the heck, I'll try anyway!

- Improve my massage skills! I've discovered that I like giving massages and would love to improve my skills! Hopefully I have the right touch because it is fun!

After I made my list of 2014 resolutions, someone shared this Cracked article with me: 6 Harsh Truths That Will Make You a Better Person. To put it nicely, it's about how people are defined by what they give back to the world and how they make themselves useful. It suggests developing new skills to "make yourself a better person". I really enjoyed the article and agreed with a lot of what it said. Definitely recommend reading it!

Apart from that, goals for this blog this year remain the same. I will work on getting into a rhythm for writing so posts will be more regular. I was supposed to be working on this the last few weeks, but again I have been mostly stuck without internet and traveling some more! It's been a fun winter break but I need to work more on being productive! Another resolution!

It's a new year and I hope to see good things for this blog! There's already a few good things coming your way, like some awesome guest posts! Stay tuned! :)

Hope you all are having a great start to the year! What are some of your resolutions?

<3 Alyssa