Lush Soft Coeur Massage Bar

Okay so i'm going to do a series of massage bar reviews after all because it is that time of year when getting a massage would be just the greatest treat to warm up from this overload of cold weather. Soft Coeur has to be my favourite massage bar and that's why i'm doing it first.

If you, like me, love the smell of Honey I Washed The Kids, you will also love this because they smell identical. As I just finished writing that run along sentence my massage bar just fell on the floor! So I can tell you that there is a huge chunk of chocolate/cocoa in the middle which is kind of a waste because there's not really much you do with it. Anyways this bar in Canada costs $7.95 for about 30 grams of product which is kind of on the pricey side compared to the other massage bars lush carries.

The smell however is just to die for. It smells like honey and toffee covered caramel candies with chocolates in the middle. So YUMMY! The only thing is, this massage bar seems to take so much longer to warm up and use. This would totally compliment a lovely Honey Bun or

Honey Bee bath.

What's your current favourite massage bar from lush?

lovelove,

Julia

I'M BAAAAACK

AHH I know I have been out of the loop for sooo long now but I promise i'm back. Things just came up and I know that's hardly an excuse BUT I'M BACK. I will be doing so many more product reviews in the next few days. ALSO have you guys bought anything from the Lush Xmas or Halloween collection? Any recommendations? I think i'm going to do a series of massage bars reviews from Lush since I apparently have a stash. Thanks for being so patient and sticking by me. I do appreciate all the emails and comments girls. =D

lovelove,

Julia

E.L.F. Mango Madness

[2 coats of polish+base+top]

Here's a quick swatch as promised of E.L.F Mango Madness nail polish. This formula was unfortunately kind of streaky which I believe was due to the incredibly quick drying factor. The first stroke of polish on my nail dried before I could even finish the nail! It is also semi-matte. I think this colour is very unique and would flatter golden tanned summer skin tones. I would describe the colour as tangerine-orangey. All-in-all this is an OKAY polish. I'm not a fan of anything matte or of course streaky so those definitely take a couple points off. I would rate this polish 3/5 stars.

Latest Obsession: Elf Nail Polish!

[in order from left to right: Light Red, Chocolate, Smoky Brown, Mod Mauve, Passion Pink, Mango Madness, Champagne, Desert Haze, Nude, White, Matte Finisher, Clear.]

Okay so different from my regular schpeel but definitely worth mentioning: Elf Polishes! I have been obessed with the E.L.F. line of nail polishes! I have heard mixed reviews about the consistency of the polish itself but when it comes to the dollar price tag..how could I resist!

So I picked up 10 coloured, 1 clear and 1 mattifying polishes. I have to say I am absolutely in love with these! I myself have not experienced any out of the ordinary streakiness and since I usually change my polish every 2 or 3 days chipping really isn't a problem. I think I like these better than most of my china glaze and essie polishes! The only complaint that I have is the horrible colour swatches on the website; they are terribly off. To get perfectly opaque nails I had to use 2 coats plus a base and top coat. Ohh how I love these so much. If you haven't tried them, in my opinion they are considerably worth more than the dollar they are purchased for.

So have any of you tried any of the polishes? I really want the mint cream and lilac but they seem to always be out of stock!!

Enjoy lovelies,

Julia

[mod mauve..excuse my terrible cuticles (=]

Oh Bargains.

[ingredients: aqua, sunflower seed oil, glycerin, coconut oil, stearic acid, cera alba, parfum, glucose, xanthan gum, tocopherol, orange wax, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, sucrose sterate, sodium borate, honey, whole dry milk, beta carotene, vegetable oil, rosemary leaf oil, glucose oxidase, lactoperoxidase.]

Recently my local shoppers drug mart was relocating and so they had a big sale on lotions, shampoos and a whole bunch of other things. I unfortunately found this out a little too late and the shelves were left with only a handful of items to choose from. HOWEVER! I picked up a Burt's Bees product: Milk & Honey Body Lotion. A 7 oz bottle of this luxurious cream apparently goes for around $15 but I got it for $1.99! STEAL RIGHT!?

So first of course the fragrance. It smells of vanilla bean swirled with hints of honey and just a touch of sweet mint. It is just SO lovely and fresh. It actually reminds me a lot of my Mint Angel body spray from Mad City Soap.

My skin just seems to drink up this creamy emulsion and a little really goes a long away. Also I find that it's fairly long lasting. After 8 hours my skin still smells sweet & feels soft and nourished. So this happens to be the first Burt's Bees product that I have owned well aside from their lip balm. I have to say I am pretty impressed. I don't think I would pay 15 dollars for a 7 oz bottle however I really want to try out their other products now!!

What have you tried from Burt's Bees? Would you recommend anything?

lovelove,

Julia

Giveaway Winner!!!!!

So before I announce the winner I would just like to thank everyone who participated in this exciting giveaway. Keep in mind there will be MANY more giveaways in the near future!! After plugging in my numbers on random.org the winning number was 22 & The lucky winner is....drumroll please... Ariel!! Congratulations Ariel and I hope you enjoy all your goodies!

Hope everyone is well and enjoying the weekend!

lovelove,

Julia

Reminder- Giveaway!

Hey lovelies! Sorry for the lack of posts lately; We have been getting the most beautiful weather and i've just been out and about taking advantage of it =). This is just a reminder that my giveaway ends at 12:00 am EST today. If you still haven't entered you can click here . I've been getting emails asking if it is open internationally and the answer is yes! So be sure to get your entries in if you have not already done so! I will announce the winner on Friday! Good Luck!!

lovelove,

Julia

Ritual Waters!

Recently I was sent 3 soaps to try out from a company called Ritual Waters. A fellow blogger, The Mom Chef, (who's blog I read religiously) kindly gave her good friend Marilyn, who is the maker of Ritual Water Soaps, my email address. Marilyn then contacted me and arranged for soaps to be sent out to me so I could try them out. So I picked Arabian Nights, Vanilla Mint and Cappuccino Delight. They arrived very quickly and were notably packaged well. So I've already tried Vanilla Mint and Arabian Nights in the shower however I have to wait for the last soap to cure for a couple more weeks before I can lather it up!

So...What do I think? We'll start with Vanilla Mint. It gives off a sweet cool tantalizing minty smell that just makes you want to jump in the shower on super hot days. It also has a sweet vanilla peppermint smell and I can actually smell it on my skin after which is a treat.

Next is Arabian Nights: freshly crushed coriander and pepper sprinkled with nutmeg is how I would describe the smell. It is like India in a bar! It's a very complex smell and would be great for cooler weather. It also says in the description that it has ylang ylang in it. I don't smell this at all in the bar and in the shower the fragrance is still not released. I would prefer if it had a little more nuttiness in the fragrance just to tone down the spicy coriander.

Last is Cappuccino Delight. I was quite disappointed with this soap. I have not used it yet however I have smelled it over and over again. So when you think Cappuccino you think coffee right? Well I can't smell any coffee at all. What I do smell is black pepper, cloves and cinnamon. I guess I thought it would smell like coffee because it looks like a cappuccino. (a coffee brown base that has soft white fluffy whipped peaks at the top) So If could change something about this soap. I would change the name to Masala Chai.

The lather of these soaps are just super. So creamy and so thick. Compared to other non-goat's milk soaps that I have used, this formula seems to be quite a bit more moisturizing. After drying my skin actually feels nourished.

Hopefully this is helpful to you and I hope you go and check out her store: Ritual Waters If you click that it will take you to her soaps page! She has a wide range of different fragrance blends so I know if you go and take a look you'll find something that you will love. I'm eyeing the Roger Dodger!

Beyond The Rack

Hi Girlies!

So aside from my soap addiction I also love all things beauty-related and I am really just a shopaholic in general. Last year my bestie referred me to a website called Beyondtherack.com. Basically they sell designer and high end merchandise (clothes, housewares, makeup, purses, sunglasses..EVERYTHING) at very very discounted prices. I have ordered anything from makeup, shirts, dresses, purses, ugg boots from this website and every time I have always been satisfied with the quality of the things I buy and the shipping time. SO I recently found out that whoever I invite automatically gets a $10 credit for joining..that YOU can spend on ANYTHING you buy. Then, if YOU buy something I get a $10 credit. SO if any of you are interested, just comment below with your email address so I can send your invite and you can get $10 just for joining!

Have a lovely day.

Julia

Grumpy Girl Cranky Cups - Wax "Smelties"

After ordering and ordering these cranky cups for a few months I have racked up quite the collection and I realized today that I have never talked about them! Basically they are wax tarts; you put them in either a candle or electric warmer and when they begin to melt, the scent is released and it makes the room smell just so lovely.

These melts are a blend of soy and paraffin waxes. I find that vnnnnnnnnbwith these tarts, initially, the scent throw is great. However within a few hours (I would say 4) the scent is for the most part gone and you're left with melted wax that you can smell if you stand over the burner but it doesn't really fragrance your room after that.

Don't get me wrong, when the scent throw is at it's strongest the fragrances are just amazing. However, after using 100% soy tarts I have found that they give off a stronger scent throw and for a longer period of time.

So would I buy more? Yes, probably but only because of the variety and complexity of the scents Sharon at Grumpy Girl Candle and Bath provides..Not to mention her excellent customer service and quirky packaging!

Lush Haul!

The other day I mentioned to you guys about the little clearance on easter/mother's day bath bombs at lush and so I did take advantage of the sale. This is everything I got! OH and all together my total WITH shipping was less than $40 Amazing right?

Hope you're all having a fab weekend! ENJOY!

lovelove,

Julia

PS: One of the lovely Honey Bun Bath Bombs will be going into my giveaway =D

G I V E A W A Y ! ! !

Yes, it is time! To thank all my lovely readers and followers I decided it was really time to host a giveaway. Included in this giveaway are natural handmade items that your body will also thank you for; Honey Bee Have Dusting Powder (retro item), Each Peach and Two's a Pair Massage Bar, Our Natural Creations Goats Milk Soap in Oatmeal Milk & Honey and a Grumpy Girl Lip Crack in Orange You Special. Of course I will throw in some soap samples for you to enjoy and a little something extra.

The Rules!

1. You must be a follower of my blog.

2. If you are under 18 please have permission from your parent or guardian before you enter.

3. Email me at soapaholica@gmail.com with your name and email address and tell me your
favourite bath & body product. (it can be anything really) This will gain you 1 entry!

4. For an additional 2 entries you can post this on your blog and send me the link just so I can make sure it's valid.

5. This contest will end on Thursday July 15th at 12:00am EST


6. The winner will be chosen using Random.org


7. Have fun and goodluck!

Haul & Mini Review

During my search to find Canadian handmade natural goat's milk soap, I came across Our Natural Creations! I was very excited because they are not only Canadian-based they are in my very own province! Also Christine has an extensive line of goat's milk soaps. She has so so many fragrances it's so hard not to just pick one or two.

I chose Black Raspberry Vanilla, Oatmeal Milk & Honey, Cherries & Chestnuts and Vanilla & Cream. She also sent me a small bar of Sea Coral. The first thing I have to say is that the fragrances are perfect! They're not too strong but they're not too faint either.

Secondly: the lather. Of course everyone who regularly reads my blog understands how important lather is to me and this bar exceeded my expectations. I used Sea Coral just because it was the smallest one and it lathered so well. It produced a thick creamy lather effortlessly. The one thing I noticed is that it wasn't a white milky lather like Creamy Creek Soaps, It was actually invisible for the most part and seemed to be even thicker! It rinsed clean, however did not leave that SUPER squeaky feeling that I dread. After drying it left my skin so baby-soft and smooth!

Each soap is left to cure for at least 4 weeks (most of the time 6-8 weeks) which explains why the bars are so hard. These will seriously last you forever! Even though they are hard you can still feel the creaminess when you touch the soap which is pretty impressive.

If you're interested in purchasing soaps from Christine, they are $5.50 per 4-5.5 oz bars. On her website she says that most of her bars are around 4 oz however when I weighed them they all come in over 5 oz so that's just a bonus. Like I mentioned scent-wise she has everything! So go check her website out and if you're interested in purchasing, just email her! (she is sososo friendly)

lovelove,

Julia

LUSH LUSH LUSH!!

I just wanted to let everyone know that Lush is having a sale online! Mum Flower Bath Bombs were previously $7.95 and now they're marked down to $2!!! Most of the easter stuff is already sold out however the Honey Bun Bath Bombs are still available. Originally 3.95 (because of how small they are compared to others) these are also marked down to $2. These SMELL AMAZING. They're just like Honey Bee Bath Bombs and are similar to Honey I Washed The Kids. AHH I'm just in heaven right now =)

Have a super night!

Julia

Haul! Mad City Soap Body Spritzers - Moisturizing Sprays

Hey lovelies! I just got a package in the mail today from Mad City Soap and thought I would share.

FIRST OF ALL. I'd like to talk about the ingredients. (water, octoxynol-13, nonoxynol-12, glycerin, propylene glycol, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, fragrance) Obviously these are not natural ingredients and in my opinion most of these could very well cause skin to be irritated. So why did I purchase them? Well it is summer and I do work out regularly and I am outside for the majority of the day. So I really don't want to be smelling like some kind of cave woman who doesn't ever shower. Body spritzers really just make me feel kind of fresh. That being said, I never spray my skin directly; most of the time I will either spray my clothes before I put them on or spray in front of me and walk through the mist.

Okay so the smells..TO DIE FORRR. I chose Cherry Divinity & Marshmallow (smells like maraschino cherries with fresh whipped marshmallow cream), Raspberry Coconut Cream Roll (smells just like the name unfortunately it has a slight hint of plastic), Mint Angel (smells like fresh cool peppermint and sweet vanilla) and of course Pink Sugar-type (dead on dupe no trace of plastic smell at all). I am really satisfied with the fragrances I picked out and mmmm they are just so yummy! Also I asked to sample the Kai-type fragrance because I had never smelled it before; it smells like jasmine, honeysuckle, peony and maybe even a hint of ginger. It's very floral and perfumey, lady-like kind of scent. I don't think it would wear it regularly just because I find that fragrances that are very floral tend to give me a headache throughout the day.

As usual Sue was very quick to send these out. I am super satisfied with my order and I know these are going to last me all summer. The prices of these are reasonable. You can pick 3 fragrances of 1 fl oz spritzers for $10 just to try out scents and a 4 fl oz spritzer is $6.50!

lovelove,

Julia

Creamery Creek Soaps

[ingredients: fresh goat milk, saponified oils of: olive, coconut, palm, castor, avocado, shea butter, soybean, and fragrance/essential oils]

Okay so a few weeks ago I got my order from Creamery Creek. They sell goat milk soap and I have heard such wonderful things about goat's milk so I decided to get a few to try. I picked Red Clover tea, Peach Tea and Raspberry Zinger. If I had to pick a favourite it would be Raspberry Zinger just because it's summer and this raspberry-lemonade kind of smell is really refreshing. My least favourite was Peach Tea; it smells awful. It smells like..vomit or other things of that nature.

Moving on... Regardless of the smell these soaps produce the most luxurious dense milky lather that I have seen yet! When I first got them I just used one of the little sample slivers that were included and I really wasn't impressed because it took a while to get a lather that was ideal. However after taking a full size bar in the shower I was just completely convinced. These soaps are amazing. I would compare this lather to whipped egg whites but with the density of heavy whipped cream. It is just like I am on cloud 9 or something.

Also, this soap doesn't leave my skin feeling squeeky clean which i've found that many soaps do. Even though I feel that I still need to put on a moisturizer after, I feel that the soaps are quite moisturizing despite being a bar soap.

If you have sensitive skin and find that bar soaps tend to try out your skin, you might want to give Creamery Creek soaps a try because of the goat's milk. Goat's milk ph level is very close to our skin's ph level and therefore works with your skin instead of againsts it. Also Goat's milk contains lactic acid which is a gentle exfoliant for your skin. It also contains a variety of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to your skin. At Creamery Creek, they use the milk from their own Nigerian Dwarf Goats; they have a 4-9% higher butterfat milk content than regular dairy goats. So this just makes the soap extra creamy and extra moisturizing.

So it is true that once you try goat's milk soap you will never go back. Lately I have been purchasing just goat's milk soaps from different companies and you will see that in future posts!

=)

lovelove,

Julia

Relaxing Spa Day - At Home Mini Facial YAY!

Today I got my little package from Lilith's Apothecary on Etsy. I ordered the Healing Herbal Spa Mask and the Clarify: Organic Herbal Facial Steam (for normal-oily skin). I haven't done a clay mask in just over a week because I ran out of my Mask of Magnaminty from Lush. So I thought it was the perfect opportunity to finally treat myself! So today I had a little mini spa day and I took pictures along the way so hopefully you enjoy this =)

Step 1: Make sure you have a clean face. I washed my face thoroughly with African Black Soap to remove any impurities and then patted my skin dry.

Step 2: In a pot, bring purified water (I just used brita water) to a boil if you don't have a facial steamer. Add an organic herbal mix to your boiling water if you wish or you can just use the steam itself. I used Lilith's Apothecary Clarify - an organic herbal facial steam for normal to oily skin.

Step 3: Carefully bring the pot over to a table after it has stopped boiling and place it on a heat-proof surface. Wrap a towel around the circumference of the pot just to ensure you do not burn your skin and to have a soft surface to rest your face on.

Step 4: With a clean face hover over the pot (or facial steamer) letting the steam open up your pores and do it's natural detoxifying job. If you find that the steam is getting too hot just lift your head up and take a few seconds to breath and cool down and then repeat. It's important you don't put your head too close to the steam because you definitely don't want to burn your skin. I found that resting my face on the towel was actually too close and I had to lift my head up about 12 inches away from the pot. However when the water had slightly cooled down I could rest my head on the towel and while blowing into the water it produced more steam. I steamed my face for about 15 minutes.

Step 4: After you have patted your face dry with a clean cloth you can then begin mixing your clay mask if it is not already pre-moistened. The mask I am using is Lilith's Apothecary Healing Herbal Spa Mask (for blemished or acne-prone skin). You can mix your dry mask with any kind of wetting agent including: purified water, rosewater, honey, yogurt, aloe vera or toner. I decided to use 100% natural fresh aloe vera gel. In a bowl mix 1 tbsp of your clay mask with 2.5 tablespoons of the wetting agent you're using. You should mix it until you have a yogurt-like consistency.

Step 5: Spread the clay all over your face using your fingers; avoid your eye and lip area. Once you have the mask to the thickness you desire you can take a nap, shave your legs. or take pictures of your green monster face and send them to your boyfriend until it has dried. Keep in mind, the thicker you apply your mask the longer it will take to dry!

Step 6: After your mask has completely dried (when there are NO dark wet spots and you can't smile properly..mine took about 25 minutes) you can then take a very damp warm cloth and begin patting your face until you have removed all the clay! I try to avoid rubbing the cloth into my skin because I find it just irritates it and it's unnecessary.

Step 7: When your face is clean of the mask, you can pat your face dry with a clean cloth. You will notice that your skin is quite red..like I mean red like you have just been baking in the sun for 3 hours. No worries! It will subside within 20 minutes.

Step 8: The final step to your mini spa day is to moisturize! I used raw unrefined shea butter for this step. In circular motions rub the moisturizer gently into your skin. Don't forget your neck!

You can follow this regime once or twice a week. It's a great weekend treat for you and your face! Detoxifying helps to purge all the excess oil and bacteria in your pores and leaves your face smooth, youthful and glowing!

lovelove,

Julia

UGH!

Alright so this is just going to be a rant post because I am kind of disappointed.. I have recently been looking for a new day-time lotion because I just ran out of my Carley's clear and smooth skin acne-prone lotion and I really really have been LOVING that lotion but I really don't like the fact that shipping is so high with that company.

So i've been loving etsy like crazy and I thought I found the perfect lotion with the ideal ingredients. On the website the ingredients consist of aloe vera, essential oils, jojoba oil & other carrier oils, vegetable glycerin, emulsifying wax and stearic acid. I didn't list the exact oils because I really don't want to single this company out more than I already am. As you can see the ingredients are just heavenly. As natural as a face lotion can get.

SO when I received this today I was so excited and the packaging was SO CUTE! And then I saw it...Phenonip. In the ingredients on the listing in the shop it never included this. Phenonip is a preservative that is pretty much composed of a whole bunch of different parabens. I guess what i'm trying to say is that I feel really mislead and i'm upset that the ingredients were not accurate on the listing. Anyways, that is my little rant for today. Since I've already bought this i'm going to use it up and hopefully it does work out with my skin despite the phenonip. =)

lovelove,

Julia

Haus Of Gloi - Vice Sugar Creme

[ingredients: organic cane sugar, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter) fruit, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernal oil, olea eropaea (olive) fruit oil, emulsifying wax NF, prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, theobroma cacao (cocoa powder), cetyl alcohol NF, fragrance.]

Oh Dearie me.

Today I woke up from the sound of the postman ringing my door bell and to my surprise it was my teeny tiny Haus Of Gloi order! I was so EXCITED and I opened it immediately. I expected the scrub to be melted due to the extreme hot weather we've been getting and indeed it was. It looked pretty gross to be honest; like melted butter and oil with ground coffee floating around =P. But following the instructions that are clearly outlined on the website in the product description, I popped it in the fridge for 10 minutes and it was just like new!

First I need to talk about the smell. This is the description on the jar,"Steam billows rolling off a vessel of fresh made turkish coffee, marshmallow goo tainted by graham cracker crumbs, toasted hazelnuts and blanketed in black chocolate". Holy moly the description is so accurate! It has such a delectable smell I JUST WANT TO EAT IT.

Secondly the actual scrub. It's honestly fantastic. I was worried that it was going to be too greasy for me considering how oily my skin is and to my surprise it was just perfect. I scrubbed all over my body until the sugar dissolved and after rinsing my skin felt very very oily. HOWEVER after drying off with a towel OMGOOOOSHHH hello supple, smooth, baby bum soft, dewy, moisturized (and all words of that sort) skin. I didn't even want to put any clothes on after! And the smell did linger on my skin after rinsing and gosh did I smell so yummy.

The only small tiny thing that I dislike about this scrub is the fact that it is quite runny. First I thought it was just the hot weather that caused this however when comparing it with my Mad City Soap Moisturizing Scrub's texture after taking it out of the fridge it had a much much more runny consistency. i'll put pictures up later comparing the two just to give you an idea. It's not SUCH a big deal but it does make the scrub quite tricky to handle and it tends to make a bit of a mess. =)

lovelove,

Julia

Facial Clay Masks?

Happy Sunday everyone!

So I have been searching for a clay mask for so long! I'm looking for one that really detoxifies and is suitable for oily, acne-prone skin. I really really loved the effects of Mask of Magnaminty from Lush and just finished up my mega pot yesterday however..I really wasn't a fan of the talc or parabens used in the product. So i'm looking for a dry (mix it yourself) mask or a premoistened mask that is paraben and formaldehyde free. Any ideas?

The Sugar Pink Cupcakes Haul Numero 2!!

YES ANOTHER ONE ALREADY!

Because I was just so thrilled wih my first order I put in another order immediately and it arrived today! So I'm just going to show you all my goodies and tell you what everything smells like!

Cupcake Tarts

I got 4 bags of cupcake tarts: Birthday Cake (smells like sweet buttercream frosting spread on top of a buttery white cake), White Cake & Strawberries(MY FAVOURITE SMELL EVER; juicy ripe gigantic strawberries tossed on a white sponge cake and sprinkled with sugar), Sugar Pink Cookies (smells like buttery sugar cookies topped with a creamy strawberry & cherry icing) and Strawberry Shortcake. (I really do not like this scent it smells like a burnt strawberry shortcake to me for some reason)

Breakaway Tarts

Anddd I got 4 packs of breakaway tarts: Pink Lemonade (smells like grapefruit and lemons with a hint of sugar), Better Than Sex Cupcakes (OMGOSH; smells like a chocolate almond cupcake with a whipped hazelnut icing), Pomegranate Cream (I don't smell pomegrante or cream it smells more floral with a distinct hint of cinammon & spice, it's a really nice complex scent) and Pineapple Upside Down Smoothie. (smells like a fresh pineapple blended with vanilla and hints of banana and mint)

Bath Bomb Fizzies-Bundt cakes

I also wanted to try these so I got 2 of them: Blueberry Cupcakes (smells like sweet gooey blueberry pie filling) and Frosted Lime Cupcakes. (smells like a really fresh lime flavoured icing)

She also sent me a sample of her sugar scrub which I have not opened yet and also 3 more of her white cake & strawberry tarts BECAUSE I CANNOT SAY BETTER THINGS ABOUT THIS SCENT!! So I'm really happy with my order! As you can tell everything was very neatly packaged and ready for gift-giving if that is what you're looking for. I'm disappointed that I didn't like the Strawberry Shortcake but we all have preferences and maybe you would like this scent. So if you haven't checked her etsy shop out I really suggest you take a little look and try something out! =D

lovelove,

Julia

Le Bella Beauty Bar

OMGOSH OMGOSH I just couldn't help but share my small bath bomb order from Le Bella Beauty Bar on Etsy! 5 are 2 oz and 2 of them are 5 oz. As I use them up in my bath or as a hand and foot soak I will be reviewing them =D. HOW CUTE ARE THESE! I got such a great deal on them so click the title of this post and you can too!

lovelove,

Julia

I have a secret. =X

[ingredients: coconut oil, soybean oil, rice bran oil, olive oil (pure grade), sodium hydroxide, natural shea butter, apricot kernal oil, castor oil]

So I have been using this particular soap forrrr...well going on 5 months now and I am just totally 100% in love with this soap. I use on my face and before you think "omgosh bar soap on my face" well YES on my face and I just absolutely love it. If I had to choose a holy grail soap this would be it. Let me tell you why..



The lather- OMGOSH! When it comes to soaps the most important thing about it has to be the lather. This soap produces a creamy, milky, sudsy just really glorious lather. It is like i'm on cloud 9 when i'm...washing my face lol. You can use this on your body as well and the only reason I don't is because it doesn't really have a smell.



The smell- If I had to describe the smell it would be pleasent and a very light clean smell. It's not offensive at all and it's perfect for the face.



The way my face feels after- Incredible! This soap completely removes all my makeup at the end of the day and since using this soap my face has been so soft. The texture of my face has improved and of course my acne situation has come to an end. I have also been using their Clear and Smooth Acne treatment for a full 5 months and after going through about 5 months with pimples popping up out of nowhere I really was so relieved when I tryed this and it worked! I can do a review on that product at a later date if you guys want, just leave a comment.



Now this soap is not pretty I mean it doesn't have any cool swirled colours in it or any different shape to it it's basically a plain yellowish-cream colour rectangular bar of soap. Oh and it's HUGE! This bar must weigh at least 8 ounces and each bar is only 5 dollars.

So if you're looking for a really high quality bar of soap that really has nothing to it, basically a very plain jane soap then give this a try. If you're really looking for a soap that lathers and is wonderful to use on your face then I would really recommend this! Please keep in mind that I do have oily skin and for people with very dry skin this soap may not work for you as a facial cleanser.

Gudonya Whipped Shave - Strawberry Fields & Original Almond

[ingredients: distilled water, glycerine, sugar, sodium cocoyl isethionate, sorbitol, disodium lauryl sulfosuccinate, bentonite, kaolinite, coconut oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil, olive oil, stearic acid, sodium chloride, fragrance, pentasodium penetrate, tetrasodium etidronate, colour, optiphen (formaldehyde and paraben free preservative)]

I've been looking for a replacement for shaving cream for quite some time now. I was previously using Gillette..you know those gel ones that come in the cans. Well I realized that the product is loaded with parabens and the actual cans they come in are not environmentally friendly at all. So taking a new eco-friendly approach I came across GudonyaTOO on etsy. They sell shampoos, whipped soaps, lip balms and lotions just to list a few of many items. They also sell shave bars and creams. I've never really tried shave bars before and I liked the idea of a shaving cream better so I went with the cream.

I chose Original Almond (smells like nutty sweet almond with a touch of vanilla) and Strawberry Fields (smells like a fresh ripe gigantic juicy strawberry). The texture of these are just so luxurious; they have the same consistency as whipped buttercream frosting. Like I mean REALLY whipped.

So I scoop one finger in the whipped shave and I take a very little amount and spread it all over my legs after I have dampened them a bit. It foams up just enough and a little amount of this stuff really does cover my whole leg. Mind you, it doesn't foam up as much as a shaving cream from an aerosol can would, but thats a given. Shaving with this cream is like a dream. The razor slides so easily and to my surprise I have not experienced any cuts or nicks on my legs. I always seem to manage to nick myself either near my ankle or near my knee, but not with this stuff!

After shaving, my legs are so so so silky smooth and they feel very moisturized. AND the smell of this stuff fills up my whole bathroom MMM! Knowing what I put on my legs is not packed with parabens and that the container it is sold in can be reused and recycled is definitely refreshing and really makes me have confidence in a product that I am buying.

lovelove,

Julia

The Sugar Pink Cupcakes

So today i'm going to do a review on some soy tart melts that I recently purchased on etsy from a store called The Sugar Pink Cupcakes. Now I did a review also on a store called Country Home Scents, what sets their tarts apart is what they're made of; these are natural soy wax tarts.

First i'm going to talk about the scents that I chose. For the cupcake melts I got White Cake N Strawberries, Pink Coconut Fluff and Cinnamon Sugar. For the break-away melts I chose Beach Baby, Cherries N Cream and Frosted Pumpkin Cupcake. Basically whatever the name is, it smells just like that. Pink Coconut Fluff however smells like a pina colada with extra coconut and Beach baby smells like tanning lotion mixed with a tiny bit of pina colada. Out of all of them White Cake N Strawberries is my favourite. IT IS HEAVENLY. I have been burning this scent since I received it in the mail and I really just can't get enough. It smells like fresh juicy strawberries tossed on baked sponge cake. It doesn't smell buttery or creamy which makes this a perfect smell for summer. INTOXICATING is the word that comes to mind.


Next..customer service. Impeccable is how I would describe Shantay & Stacy's customer service. If you have a question, they get back to you so fast and they will work with you if you need a custom listing or a custom tart. They also update you on shipping and if they're going to be out of the shop and when, just incase you have any questions. I have already placed another order with them because THESE THINGS SMELL AMAZING and I have noticed that they last forever.

If you're looking for tarts that are not overpowering but do smell true to scent and name then these are for you! half a dozen cupcake tarts are $5.95 and the 6 pack of breakaway tarts are $3.50 so definitely affordable. Everything is packaged very neatly and just smells SO good. This is my NEW go-to company for soy tarts and I really hope that you will go and check her store out because I know you won't be disappointed. She also does sell bath bombs as well and I will review them just as soon as I try them!

lovelove,

Julia

Mad City Soap~Scrubbin Bubbles Scrub

[ingredients: sugar, glycerin, sodium cocoyl isethionate, olive oil, sweet almond oil, sorbitol, propylene glycol, disodium lauryl sulfosuccinate, stearic acid, vitamin e, dimethicone, sodium chloride, diazolidinyl urea, iodopropynyl, butylcarbamate, tetrasodium edta, fragrance, cosmetic colourants]

FINALLY I am doing this review! I really really I mean really absolutely love these scrubs. I..unfortunately..was blessed with very oily skin and when it comes to finding a scrub that works for me it can be very frustrating and disappointing. That is until I came across these ones.

Firstly I need to talk about how fast shipping and tat is! I live in Canada so when I order things from the USA I always allow up to 10 business days to receive my products and if it comes within the 10 business days then I consider that decent shipping time. After receiving these, I placed another order on April 27 and I received that order TODAY! 6 business days from the USA to Canada, considering these were totally customized scrubs I am just so impressed by how quick Sue from Mad City Soap is.

Okay so getting on with the scrubs I ordered 6-2oz scrubs for $20 just to try out the scents and decide which scents I really liked so I got: Lush Island Retreat, Coconut Breeze, Mexican Vanilla, Cherry Divinity, Italian Cream Cake and Watermelon Taffy. All the scents are described on the profile section of her etsy store so just click the title of this post and it'll take you there. Out of all these scents, cherry divinity has to be my favourite; it smells like buttercream frosting topped with maraschino cherries-DIVINE.

In the shower, this scrub gave me the ultimate exfoliating experience especially because I requested turbinado sugar in them. It sloughed away all my dead skin and didn't leave an extremely oily film like most scrubs do. It also produced a very nice milky lather. After showering my skin felt moisturized, very soft and I didn't need to use a moisturizer after. Keep in mind that I do have oily skin and she does sell another scrub called Whipped Sugar Scrub which is geared more towards people who have normal to dry skin! (I will review this another day)

So, all in all I highly recommend ordering from this company. If you have any questions, Sue provides amazing customer service and she will get back with you asap. A lot of things can be customized so be sure to check with her if you're wanting something that isn't already listed in her store. As I said she is FAST, and definitely worth trying if you have not already done so!

lovelove,

Julia

Marshmallow Dream Soap

[ingredients: coconut oil, palm oil, castor oil, safflower oil, vegetable glycerin, purified water, sodium hydroxide, berry-based sorbitol, sorbitan oleate, soy bean protein, titanium dioxide]

I ordered this soap from Dazzle Dott on Etsy. After coming across a youtube review, I was so intrigued that I had to to try it out for myself! So when I opened this soap up to smell it when it came in the mail my initial reaction was..well I was disappointed. I thought this would smell like a marshmallow! I mean it looked like a marshmallow. However when I read the description again..it really didn't say anything about what the soap was supposed to smell like.

After using it in the shower...I can honestly say that I love this soap. It has sugar granules thoughout the whole bar and man do they ever do their job. It's a very gentle exfoliation that is perfect for every day use and when you get out of the shower OMGOSH..hellooo soft skin. Now going back to the scent..

I forgive this bar of soap for not smelling like a marshmallow.... not because I don't love the smell of marshmallow but because even though I really like sweet scents, fruity scents and bakery scents I really don't have anything that smells JUST clean. So this a new addition to my collection. The scent really just smells clean and soapy. You know when you had baths when you were younger and your parents would buy a huge bottle of bubble bath? To me it smells like that.

OH I forgot to mention I contacted the seller after I got it because it was REALLY soft like I could have probably squished it into a ball with my hands. She told me that the bar was supposed to be slightly soft but if it was extremely soft to just put it in the fridge for a couple days. So thats what I did and it did harden a bit but it is still very soft; that actually makes it easier to use in the shower because it won't slip out of your hands.

-Julia

MMM Bakery!?

Holy Yum!

So the other day I did a review about melting tarts from Country Home Scent on etsy.com. Seriously i've been burning the buttercream frosting one basically all week for like 3 hours at a time. It smells SO GOOD...like a bakery. I take a tiny piece off the tart like maybe 1/5 of the tart and it is just SO YUMMY. I really cannot say better things about this scent it's so amaaaazing. Okay well no review today, i'll have another one on Monday.

Have a great weekend loveerlies

Julia

Lush - The Sicillian

Over the weekend I decided to have a bath and I mean seriously, whats a bath without a bath bomb? So I chose The Sicillian from Lush. This is a retro item which means you have to either order it online or by phone. This 6.5 oz bath bomb itself is a plain white colour with the lush logo on top and also has some visable marigold flowers poking out of it.

When I first smelled this I could really only smell the tangerine and I looove citrusy smells so this was definitely a big pro. When I put it in the bath, it really didn't change my water colour..because it is white..BUT THE SMELL was just intoxicating. As it was fizzing you could smell fresh mandarain oranges mixed with tangerines, and the slightest hint of grapefruit.

So I was watching it fizz and enjoying my bath when OMGOSH, as with many lush bath bombs, there was a surprise! A whole orange slice was revealed as my fizz was coming to an end and it just made me laugh so hard. Like to have a real orange slice just floating in my bath..

ANYWAYS this bath bomb was slightly moisturizing I mean I still had to use a moisturiz

er after so it didn't really leave my skin feeling overly soft. It did however leave this great clean citrusy smell on my skin for the rest of the evening. Cleanup was minimal; there was a little bit marigold flowers and of course the orange slice. So overall I did really enjoy this bath bomb and will be repurchasing it. It's certainly one to lift your spirits!

lovelove,

Julia

Mad City Soap - Double Body Butter Cream

[ingredients: water, theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), emulsifying wax nf, stearic acid, caprylic/capric triglycerides, vitis vinifera (grapeseed) oil, glyceryl mono stearate, fragrance, camellia sinensis (japanese green tea) leaf extract, ascorbic acid (vitamin c), tocopherol (vitamin e), allantoin, disodium edta,diazolidinyl urea, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate.]

I recently purchased a body cream from Mad City Soap on etsy.com and if I could only describe in one word it would be Luxurious. When I first opened the jar and saw the consistency I was like oh my gosh, this is not even going to last a week! However when I was rubbing it into my body I was so amazed at how little i needed to use. I would say..if you used this cream once a day, everyday on your whole body like even including your back it would probably last you a good month for a 4 oz jar. So really, a little goes a long way.

I got this body cream in Fresh Marshmallow and it smells...like a fresh marshmallow. I was worried about the smell being artificial or too sweet or too overpowering. Surprisingly this scent is dead on. It smells like freshly made marshmallows; vanilla, cream, powdered sugar mixed together is just irresistable.

It is just SOOOOOOO moisturizing. I have been using it for the past 5 days and I put it on first thing in the morning after I shower and I can still smell it on my skin in the evening. It makes my skin silky smooth and I found I really didn't need to reapply on my arms throughout the day. It also didn't irritate my skin. Now I don't have sensitive skin really but I found that a lot of lotions that I purchase that are fragranced really tend to make my skin kind of dry. With this my skin is just delightful and I can't wait to purchase more in different scents.

The price for this was $7.50 for 4 oz. Now like I said this is going to last you and I mean $7.50 for a whole month of a single luxurious body cream? Sounds absolutely affordable to me. Sue has so many different smells like I mean TONS AND TONS. You will be sitting there on her etsy for hours trying to decide exactly which scent you want in each product!

lovelove,

Julia

Dennis Anderson Soap Company - Soap in a Jar

[ingredients: aqua, glycerin, sodium cocoyl isethionate, sorbitol, disodium lauryl sulfosuccinate, sodium chlorie, sweet almond oil, phenoxyethanol, tetrasodium edta, fragrance, oxide colour]

Soap in a JAR... I got these soaps in Coconut Obsession and Iced Oatmeal Cookie. I decided to use both of them before I reviewed them because well..how can I review something that I never tested out. So the verdict: I LOVE these.

I wasn't too keen on the Coconut Obsession when I smelled it at first. I'm more into sweet coconut smells...like a virgin coconut, or coconut juice. This is a dead on coconut milk kind of smell and has the same scent as The Body Shop's Coconut Body Butter.

Okay If anyone likes the smell of cinnamon oatmeal raisin cookies OMGOSH you will like be totally in looooove with Iced Oatmeal Cookie. ITS SO YUMMY. It smells like cinnamon and frosting mixed together to create this indescrible luscious scent. You will totally love this.

I'm not sure if you can really see the texture of the soap from my pictures, my camera is terrible and really does not do it justice. The texture of these soaps are creamy and very whipped. It's basically the same kind of texture as an icing from a container. In the shower they produce a very nice lather and just like with any other soap, the more you rub in and depending on if you're using a loofa or bath pouf, you can get some pretty impressive suds. In the shower the scent is amazing, it will fill up your entire bathroom.

The only negative thing I have to say about this product is, for me, the scent does not stay on my skin. No matter how many times I rubbed the product onto my skin; it just didn't last when I dryed off and dressed. But the good news is Dennis Anderson does make body lotion. So, when you place your order you can always get a soap in a jar with the matching body cream!

lovelove,

Julia

OMGOSH

A VERY QUICK POST, I just took my shower with a sugar scrub from mad city soap in the italian cream cake scent OMG i'm so in love, stay tuned for a full-review on my order this week!

Lush Canadian Gift ........ ..... ....

Okay I want to start off by saying that I REALLY REALLY wanted to love these products. When I was online ordering this gift, I was thinking: omgosh I absolutely LOVE the smell of maple syrup. Well... when I got my order in the mail and opened it..let's just say I was very very disappointed. The soap didn't smell sweet..nor like maple syrup, or sugar.. or anything that smells good. It smelled like rotten pine trees mixed with play-doh. It was just awful.

So I said...okay well maybe i'm just not giving it a chance and so I let it sit out for a couple days to cure more. Finally I decided maybe the maple-syrup note to it would be released if I used it in the shower..Nope it had the same play-doh gross smell.

Now for the mountie massage bar. It's supposed to smell like creamed coconut, vanilla and jasmine. It doesn't..It's not a TERRIBLE smell but I really would not like to smell like it.. It smells similar to the Nutts massage bar except its more earthy and piney and not as sweet.

Is it just me? I mean did anyone try these two products and like them? I just feel so let down. I bought 2 of these gifts. So when I got the first one and didn't like it, I was hoping maybe it had just spoiled or it was just a bad batch or SOMETHING. But unfortunately, to my dismay the second gift smelled the same..

lovelove,

Julia

PS: If anyone actually loved this gift and wants it, just let me know!

Country Home Scent---MMMMMMMM

They look like cupcakes right?! Or those little tarts you buy in the bakery section at your local grocery store. Actually these are wax tarts from Country Home Scent. It's an etsy store that I came across last week and man, these little things are AMAZING.

First of all they are so adorable. Each one to it's own, they are decorated according to scent. For example, the Pumpkin pie one that I got has an orange bottom, a lighter top and is sprinkled with cinnamon. Like a real pumpkin pie! Secondly, they are highly highly highly scented.. I mean they didn't just fill up the a room in an hour, they filled up my entire 3-storey home. From my basement where I was burning the Cinnamon Buns tart, to my bedroom which is on the top floor; my entire house smelled like sticky yummy frosted cinnamon buns. The scent was dead on...Like I wanted to eat the air. So about the tarts, they are wax-blend tarts containing the highest amount of fragrance oil that could possibly be put in. Each tart weighs 1 0z..I believe.. and the tart that I was burning was in the warmer for about 4 hours and there still was quite a bit left so they do last for quite a long time. In her etsy store she has SO SO SO many different scents and you can also pick and choose with her "stock up sampler" and "choose a dozen" deals.

If you like bakery scents, floral scents, fruity scents or ANY KIND OF SCENT then give her tarts a try because like I said the scent throw is incredible and you won't be dissappointed!

LoveLove,

Julia