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?