Neom Perfect Night's Sleep Magnesium Body Butter Review

 Lately I've been watching food challenges on youtube where people do extreme budgeting for their groceries. Eating for $10.00 a week, $100 a month, $20 a week etc. It seems like a pretty cool challenge, but I'm not sure I could do it. I definitely will splurge on groceries, I think I spend anywhere from $60-80 a week. Maybe more if I am buying a specialty item. And I like specialty stuff so sometimes that puts me way over. I do wish that grocery prices would go down though, They are still super high and I think it's mainly because grocery stores (mainly US) rose the prices simply because they can! 

Neom claims:

Super floral and blended with the magical wonder mineral that is magnesium, these dreamy Body Butters not only nourish and soften the skin but they're also packed with our signature sleepy scent too.

With super floral lavender, chamomile and patchouli, these essential oils all help you to prepare for the Perfect Night's Sleep. Combined with a blend of shea butter, aloe vera, grapeseed oil and coconut oil, they're also the ultimate treat for the skin.

Smells like freshly cut lavender - tranquil and mind-melting. - Alice du Parcq, fragrance expert

• Our Body Butters contain 88mg of magnesium per 5ml of product. Massage the equivalent of a heaped tablespoon all over your body and breathe in the relaxing aroma.
• 88% felt they had the best night's sleep after using the Perfect Night's Sleep Magnesium Body Butter*
• 100% natural fragrances / 200ml (6.76 fl oz)

*External Blind Consumer Study on 54 people over 7 days

I actually bought this as a gift for my Dad but he said it makes his skin itchy so he gave it back to me. I have a hard time falling asleep so I figured it can't hurt to try. Mostly I find eating cherries to help me the most- I tend to fall asleep faster when I snack on a bowl of frozen or fresh cherries right before I go to sleep. But I don't sleep as long. 

I had a candle from them awhile that smelled great although the throw could have been better. Not so with the body butter- this stuff is very strongly scented. There is nothing artificial about the scent- it smells like they use the strongest essential oils ever. The main oils are English Lavender, Sweet Basil, and Jasmine. I definitely get some patchouli, a lot of Lavender, maybe some basil (which is definitely a very relaxing oil), and no Jasmine. I don't get Jasmine scent at all which is kind of disappointing. But it does smell really nice and using it really scents the room and make it smell amazing. 

It does definitely calm me down and make me feel sleepy. I don't feel like I necessarily fall asleep that much faster. It may take me an hour less time to fall asleep and as with anything else- I tend to take hours to actually fall asleep, I don't sleep longer. I seem to sleep a lot less than I want...I'm not sure maybe the quality of sleep is higher so I need less of it?

It is definitely a butter- so it's not one of those light lotions that you put on and then wonder where it went- it feels like it's actually softening and moisturizing. Could be considered greasy by some but it's my type of moisturizer. By the time I wake up  it's completely sunk it and my skin still feels hydrated. 

This is an older bottle- they have changed the main oils on the cover but I think it might be the same thing? Maybe I'll get a tube of the hand cream to see. 

I'm happy with the ingredients- I do like that the first ingredient is Aloe instead of water. I am seeing more high end formulas that are made that way. 

Ingredients:

NGREDIENTS : Aloe Barbadenis Leaf Juice, Aqua, Magnesium Chloride, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Pentylene Glycol, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Cetearyl Alcohol, Parfum*, Cetearyl Olivate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbitan Olivate, Linalool, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Limonene, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral. *Made with 100% natural essential oils including English lavender, sweet basil & jasmine. Made with 59% organic ingredients.

Overall, I like it. It is expensive....and you could probably make a sleep blend and DIY something similar enough. But I do like it. It makes for a good night time routine. I have been sniffing it as I am writing this post and yawning. I might need to go grab some black tea to wake me back up because I definitely can't nap at the moment. 

Off to make some blueberry muffins! 

Hearty Meatball Soup and Buttermilk Waffles

 I am trying to decide if I want to get one last workout in for the day...I think I have just one more in me before I go into relax mode after this post. Maybe just a really short one. 

In the meantime...this is what I made this week.

Heart Meatball Soup- I really liked this. It made the perfect thing to reheat and take for lunch and kept me from eating junk at lunch this week -which is a win. I have been so bad lately but I am trying to get it together. So these coming weeks I am really going to focus on making sure I am making something easy to reheat and take to work so I can stop straying from junk. But this was really good. I just did Beef Meatballs because I had ground beef in the freezer....If you like tomato soup type foods you would like this! 

Then I made Buttermilk Waffles. I don't make waffles nearly as often as I should since I did buy a whole waffle maker.  I thought I would start with the recipes in the book that came with the waffle iron. I've never made Buttermilk Waffles..and this recipe was a little different in that it uses polenta which gives it some texture. It was ok. I didn't dress them up or anything. I have a waffle recipe I like more so I don't think I would make these again...but glad I tried them. I probably shoulda added some blueberries!

Project Pan #43

 I did it! I panned the ABH Modern Renaissance palette. I chucked about two and a half of the shades and used all the rest. It took a couple of months but I'm happy to have used up a palette in my collection- it was a gift and it makes me happy when I use a gift up. The last color was very easy to use because I love orange eyeshadow. It's a color I can wear all by itself. I just blend it out a bit, add mascara, and go. Originally I planned to save and depot the color because it was a favorite in the palette but then I realized I have a lot of other orange shadows that are similar enough. 

I already ordered my new reward palette, I ordered the Danessa Myricks Love is Love palette. Those Multi-Chromes were just calling my name! 

I really wish the palette contained more of the rainbow shades but I'll make it work. I do also want to pick up some of her holographic liners and the muti-chrome flakes but maybe I'll use that as a reward for myself once I finished up another couple of shadows. I do keep track of the shades I have used up and I'm down 134 shadows- some given away or chucked. Maybe when I get to 140 I'll get some of her liners.

I don't plan on starting up another Project Pan post until after the summer and into the fall...I kinda want some freedom this summer to wear whatever and also I want to do a first impressions of the Danessa palette when I receive it. 

And that's all.....

Ruby and the Romantics

 

All of the music posts have been very quick, one song posts. And here is yet another one. This time taking it way back. 

I originally know this song as "Hey There Lonely Girl". This is one of those songs that a ton of oldie groups did. So I have a few versions. I have the OG version by Eddie Holman, another version by The Softones, and this one. 

Love the oldies 😁

Mario Badescu A.H.A Botanical Body Soap Review

 I think this will be my last Mario Badescu review for awhile, I've tried a few things from the brand and they have all just been ok. Nothing I loved and wanted to repurchase...I'm not done with the brand. I just wanna try some different brands. I bought this mainly because it was on sale for $5.40. Can't pass that up, I think it was on a major sale because Nordstrom is not going to carry the brand anymore. They were coming under some heat for some shady stuff they did a couple years ago.

Mario Basdescu claims:

AHA Botanical Body Soap visually improves uneven skin tone and texture and refreshes skin for a fresh feel and luminous glow. Fruit Enzymes, Ginseng, Grapefruit and Linden hydrate, brighten skin and provide a refreshing burst of scent and revitalization.

#MBSKINTIP: To treat body blemishes, use the A.H.A. Botanical Body Soap with our Special Cleansing Lotion "O". To treat dry, bumpy skin, use our Papaya Body Lotion after showering to increase skin brightness and smoothness.

I really wanted to try the Rose soap but I missed the sale on it...I have just been craving rose scented things. I want candles, soaps,  and lotions in rose- but I keep getting distracted and the buying something completely different. 

I did want to try this anyway because it has AHA's which are known to smooth and brighten the skin.

We will start with the packaging- I always like the packaging. It looks simple but still different to other brands. I think I mostly like the cap. You get an 8 ounce bottle which is a good size and should last awhile because a little seems to go a long way. I do tend to use a lot though because I want to get rid of it faster.

Mostly because of the scent. I thought I would really like the scent but it hasn't grown on me. It's like a burst of fresh flowers with lovely green foliage which is all good until I get whiffs of what smells like old school potpourri. I don't like that scent at all. It's like spicy, potpourri from the 70's. I was thinking due to them mentioning fruit enzymes it would smell fruity...but nope. 

Other than that it does lather nicely. It also does rinse clean. It only cleans ok. 

I can't say I have noticeable smoother or brighter skin. But my skin has been dryer and my elbows don't feel the smoothest. 

The ingredients are a bit nicer than even more expensive shower gels. It has stuff that is supposed to smooth and brighten- although I didn't personally notice results. 

Aqua (Water, Eau), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Glycolic Acid, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Tilia Cordata Flower Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Panthenyl Hydroxypropyl Steardimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum (Fragrance), Sodium Hydroxide, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Sulfate, Caprylyl Glycol, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citronellol, Limonene, Benzyl Alcohol, Geraniol, CI 19140 (Yellow 5), CI 14700 (Red 4)

I wasn't very impressed with it, I think I would have enjoyed it more if I liked the scent better. 

Soap Haul

I was up until the wee hours of the morning reading all the history of all the Targaryen Kings from Game of Thrones/House of Dragons. It was almost three in the AM but I was determined to read a little something on all of them. Also I'm pretty sure I read all the spoilers for House of Dragon-but it's OK because I am always still so excited for the next episode drop. I might watch the last episode again after I'm done with this post. 

I was looking through my soaps and realized I was running low- I always keep a stock. I'm not sure why, I just really like buying them and I do use them all up so I don't really feel like I'm wasting money or buying things just for the sake of buying them. 

Some of these I just bought- others have been in the collection for a month or two already. Here's what I got: 

Buttah Body Black Gold Polishing Bar and Oatmeal Shea Cleansing Bar- I bought these from Nordstrom's. They are a black owned brand (yay!)  come in a two pack. They were on sale. They smell so good, almost like something you want to eat but in a good way. I can't wait to open these up and use them. I also want to try more from the brand- I have heard good things about the skin care.

Jo Malone Red Roses soap- I haven't tried a lot from Jo Malone but what I've tried I have enjoyed. I want to try all the scents- but I have especially been craving something rose scented. This smells like a real rose, it's amazing. I haven't opened it though so I want to see what it's like in the shower. I also want to pick up the candle but because the price is so high I have to pace myself. Love the way these are packaged though..all fancy and in a box with a ribbon. 

Claus Porto Voga Soap- This is a Portuguese brand that I have wanted to try out for awhile. I saw this on Amazon and wanted to use a gift card I had so into the cart it went. I guess it's supposed to be Acacia Tuberose. I'm very excited to try this one! The packaging is beautiful.

 L'occitane Shea Lavender and Shea Verbena Soap- I like the L'occitane brand and I have wanted to try the Lavender version for awhile. I'm not sure about the Verbena scent though- I haven't tried anything Verbena scented that I have liked so we will see. I did really enjoy the Extra Rich Shea Milk Soap.

Korres Pure Greek Olive Blossom Soap- I've never tried anything from Korres and I have always like Olive oil soaps....it has a very clean smell. Maybe I'll do a best list of for  pure Olive Oil soaps. This one is from Greece. 

Last up Maja soap from Spain. Really did cover a couple different countries with this haul. I had a mini of this soap- no scent-   but this is the larger size. The packaging on this is so pretty and it smells amazing. I don't think I have ever smelled anything like it. I bought most of these off Amazon.de and they have a surprising amount of variety- I only order things stocked and shipped from Amazon. I don't trust 3rd party sellers.

It will probably take me forever to get through these and get the reviews up but I'm gonna get it done! I also want to get my hands on some more Lush Shower gels but I need to use up 1-2 of these first. 

What's the most interesting soap you have tried?

Harlem Candle Co. Speakeasy Luxury Candle Review

 Harlem Candle Co. is one of my favorite candle brands. I've tried a good amount of their candles now and my ultimate favorite was the Josephine which was the first one I tried. I also really enjoyed their Billie Holiday inspired candle...which I think is my third favorite. This one definitely comes in second place. 

Harlem Candles claims: 

SPEAKEASY transports you to Harlem’s clandestine nightclubs and secret lounges during the 1920’s. The intoxicating smell of bourbon and the glamour and bustle of New York City immediately seduces you.

It opens with notes of cardamom, smoked incense, bourbon and pimento berry. A dramatic heart of golden saffron, licorice, plum blossom and tobacco leaves evolves beautifully to a warm, sensual base of aromatic Palo Santo and patchouli. Creamy vanilla and dark chocolate add a gourmand nuance to this highly addictive blend.

Notes: 
Top: Cardamom, Smoked Incense, Pimento Berry 
Middle: Saffron, Licorice, Plum Blossom, Tobacco Leaves
Base:  Palo Santo, Patchouli, Vanilla, Dark Chocolate

The description on this one does it for me! I'm surprised I didn't try it sooner. I bought this in the Macy's Black Friday sale- which it doesn't even look like they carry Harlem Candles anymore- boo. This is the last one in the Haul I have to review and definitely the best of that bunch. 

The first time I lit it, I was not sure about the scent. There was a licorice smell that was coming through very strong. I don't like licorice at all so it was reminding me of eating the candy...eventually it stopped standing out as much and I grew to really enjoy it

But the scent of this is reminiscent of the Josephine candle-yet so different. It almost reminds me of the Bath and Body Works Black Amethyst scent that was my favorite years and years ago. It has a smokiness to it . I don't get any cardamom or spice at all even though it's a top note. From the middle notes I do get plum, a dark plum probably due to the tobacco notes. And of the base notes I was excited to see Palo Santo- I don't know what it smells like but there has been so much hype for it in candles, I really wanted a Palo Santo candle. There is definitely vanilla and dark chocolate, those notes do stand out to me. 

It just blends to make a beautiful, unique, dark and smoky scent that I could imagine in a 1920s nightclub. It's intoxicating and I LOVE it. If any of that sounds like your vibe, you should give this candle a try.

I think Harlem Candle really excels in the throw. I've never had a Harlem candle that I could not smell. And the throw is always almost immediate right after I light. This one will even linger for hours after you blow it out. It's supposed to be a soy candle, which we love to see. I think it has a few other waxes in there as well since it doesn't burn like a 100% soy wax.

The only thing I dislike about the Harlem Candles are that they do tend to smoke and soot after awhile so you have to keep any eye on them. And with the two wicks they seem to burn down quickly. I have found I really prefer the slow burn of a one wick candle. I do see that have released a one wick version of most of their candles so I will have to check it out.

The packaging it always nice. Love the boxes that come with a map of Harlem on it. And I like the glass jar- although most I tend to place in the recycle bin once burned. I might keep this one though because I love the color of the glass 

I love this candle and it's one I would repurchase. I am trying to stretch this candle out so I won't be finishing it anytime soon (that's how you know I love it) and I do plan to keep trying more from the brand. I want to try them all! 

Marvis Aquatic Mint Toothpaste Review

 I'm going to knock out two posts before I get into doing all the Sunday things...cooking, cleaning, washing my hair, working out and on and on. Today just a simple more lux toothpaste review. I love their Jasmin Mint toothpaste so I wanted to try some of their more classic flavors to see if they stand out in any way. 

Marivs claims:

Marvis - The cult toothpaste from Florence with a sweet, cold hint of mint, carried by a fresh sea breeze. Aquatic Mint removes bacterial plaque just like other stubborn plaques, fluorides build up the tooth enamel and peppermint oil provides fresh breath. Aquatic Mint A Touch. The breeze of the sea. Crystal clear water and the delicate freshness of cold mint. A pure, pulsating wave in the tube.

This is an Italian Brand of toothpaste that has been around since 1958. The way the branding looks- it definitely seems older. 

This is supposed to a breezy mint. An ocean mint- aquatic. Not really anything I would have thought to combine. I think this is like your standard mint toothpaste with a little more fresh mint kick to it but nothing too crazy. I don't get the ocean vibes at all.

It's a classic mint toothpaste. Nothing special about it like the Jasmin Mint so I don't think I would buy this one again. But it was still fun to try!  I do see they have a Rose, Lily, and Osmanthus toothpaste which sound interesting, I might try to get my hands on those eventually. They are limited edition so hopefully they have a long run. 

Raspberry Vinaigrette and Hot Chocolate

I've got another two recipes today....Gotta keep making new things! Keeps things spicy.... 

Vinaigrette is hard to spell but luckily it's easy to make. We are on recipe two for the salad dressings. So far I haven't had the best luck- but I think that's mainly because I have been using cheaper olive oil and it has a bitter taste to it. From now on I guess I'll be buying the higher quality oil. It makes a difference. Anyway...this is a raspberry dressing with not much raspberry flavor. The flavor that came through the most was the apple cider. It's OK. But I wouldn't make it again. I added black beans, walnuts, and avocado to jazz up the salad.

And next up, an easy recipe! Just some hot chocolate. This is from the Unofficial Harry Potter book and it's supposed to be Mrs. Weasley's recipe. It was OK. I haven't made a hot chocolate recipe that blew my mind so I don't think I would make it again. I did both the light and heavy version. Nice to sip on while watching a movie... I'm still skipping the candy recipes and there are quite a few to skip in Mrs. Weasley's chapter. I made homemade vanilla whipped cream to top it with. 

And that's all until the next post! I think I'm off to bake some cookie dough I have had sitting in the freezer and get a workout in...

Ruben Studdard

 

Quick post today because I need to spend the rest of the night watching House of Dragon. I went to watch the newest episode and then realized I forgot most of the what happened in the first season. I'm on the second episode now. I almost want to pull an all nighter since tomorrow is a holiday.

But back to the music post. Back when American Idol came out I used to watch faithfully...at least the very first two seasons I did. Then I just watched sporadically but I do remember catching a lot of Ruben's season. I was definitely rooting for him to win. He has a lovely voice. I thought his career was going to go further but I think what's missing from a lot of his songs is the ability to connect with what he's singing so although he sounds good, it's missing emotional connection. At least that's what's missing for me. One of his big songs Sorry 2004 demonstrates it perfectly IMO. 

I had more of his music in my iTunes collection but most of it ended up getting deleted because I kept skipping the songs anyway. But After the Candles Burn is my jam. Underrated song. He should have released this one as a single.

It almost sounds like another artist style but I can't quite place my finger on who. If it comes to me I'll come and update this post.

And now I'm off to watch House of Dragon. 

My Relaxer Story

 It's that time of the night where I just relax. But before that I figured I would knock out a post. Hopefully it's not too long. Since I've googled Bridgerton- all kinds of posts have been popping up. The one that tickled me the most was the one where an interviewer tried to shame the actress that plays Pen about her body. I love, love, love her response.  Love it! 

But anyway..this post is about relaxers. I'm not sure why but I was thinking back to my relaxer days. I would never, ever go back to a relaxer. I love my natural hair too much and would miss it immediately. Not to mention, the health risks. This article details the risks better than I can. Relaxers are extremely caustic- they eat through skin and will even dissolve hair if left on long enough. I remember the burning, the relaxer smell (eww), and the scabbing all too well. It's crazy for me to think back to the scabbing and chemical burns- because at some point that become normal to me. Also the rinsing- my hair always felt so flat and missing whenever I would rinse that relaxer out.

But let's back up to before I got my relaxer. I got mine in the 6th grade...and up until that point I hated my natural hair. I envied every girl with long straight hair that hung down their shoulders and they would easily brush through in class. I hated getting my hair combed or braided and brushed...because it hurt. I thought my hair was nappy and short., I never saw any coils in my hair. It was just puffy and frizzy. I also never, ever got any kind of compliment on my hair- which just reinforced in my mind how ugly my hair was. It's making me a little sad to type this. Where I was, I was only 1 of 3 brown girls in my grade  and also the only one with natural hair. I had one friend with decent relaxed hair hair- the other had thin and relaxer eaten hair. But I had heard about this magical straightener and I wanted one...badly. I thought it would make me feel "pretty".

So my Mom gave in to my begging and relaxed my hair with the Just for Me kids relaxer. I still have the pink comb that came in the box  and remember how excited I was when we read through the directions and finally applied it. 

This song sounds familiar but not sure if I actually saw it growing up. I just remember I would get the box and stare at the cover just wishing my hair would come out exactly like that. I don't remember what my hair came out like. But the next 2-3 times my Mom had a friend that did my relaxer. She hooked my hair up, that's all I remember.

Not long after that we moved...and suddenly my Mom didn't want to do my relaxer anymore. I was in the 7th grade by that point so I started buying and relaxing my own hair. I was still pretty young so there was overlap going on. So much overlap. My hair was long at first then it seemed like it stopped growing. I blame it on the Just For Me Relaxer. I started buying a different one each time- Optimum Care, Dark and Lovely, Africas Best, Organic Root Stimulator. I was trying everything in the store at least once. Super and Regular. I remember some relaxers would work amazing and others my roots would end of puffier and frizzier afterwards.  My hair was OK at that point for the most part. 

I didn't really know how to take care of it. So I washed it, dried it, and then used a curling iron. Or hot rollers later on. I never used heat protectant. I liked to experiment with the products I used on it, I tried BB Castor Oil Hair Lotion..I especially remember using Profectiv Healthy Ends, Elasta QP Mango Butter.....and my Mom's favorite which was Luster's Pink Lotion. Oh and lots of sheen spray! I also had a few months where I used Blue Magic. My hair seemed to grow like crazy and retain length when I used that. I bought it because my aunt used it and her hair was always long. I think I also tried a few Motions products as well.

I would buy something different every time I needed to re-up. Then we moved again...and I still mostly did my relaxers, occasionally I went with my aunt to a stylist and had it done. She liked using the Precise Relaxer, which did not come with neutralizer in the box. And when I bought it to use on myself, I also did not use a neutralizer. Which is the ultimate no. I would just try to rinse as much as I could. I should have been bald. I really should have.

Eventually I started going  into Sally's. And decided to try the Motions product line, eventually going with the Salon Herbals relaxer. That was my favorite relaxer. I loved it so much that when we moved again I found a website that sold a huge tube of it and used it until I ran out because I decided box relaxers just wen't for me. I was a lye relaxer believe. My hair really thrived with the lye relaxers. I can't find a picture of the relaxer but I did also have the shampoo as well and will never forget those ugly green and yellow bottles/packaging. 

Even though I was doing the worst things you can do to hair...my hair grew and stayed thick and decently long.  Even using heat and no heat protectant. Eventually I had a haircut and most of my hair was cut off, I was a hair "model" so I  really had no say. I did really like that haircut though.  And then I experimented with color. I dyed the bottom of my hair black and the top a brownish red shade and my hair started to grow back. 

I relaxed my hair all through my very first semester of college. From there I started having nightmares where I would put relaxer in and then fall asleep in it. In the dream I would wake up a couple hours later and run to the dorm showers to rinse and would end up rinsing most my hair off. It was literally coming out in clumps in my dreams. It was so realistic that I question today whether it really happened or not.  I even had dreams of using a relaxer with heat, for some reason I applied it and sat under a hooded dryer . The nightmare was so real. Around that time I ran out of the relaxer so decided to go natural. I also didn't feel like buying more.  So I grew out my hair for about 6-7 months and then big chopped. 

And I've been rocking the natural ever since. I did recently relive relaxers by watching a few people do their relaxer on youtube. Afterwards the hair just looks so limp and lifeless once the relaxer is rinses out. Curly, Coily, or Kinky hair just has so much life and character to it, it's so beautiful to me. It can be big, wild, and can grow to heaven! It's crazy to me that the beauty standard is straight hair and that I even felt the pressures of that as a child. 

And I think I'm done rambling for the day....It's been fun! 

Black Bean Burgers and Dutch Baby

 I've got another food post today....I want to get this one out the way so I can start making my grocery list for the next two. I thought I bought everything I needed for the next one but just realized I am missing most of what I need. Of course! 

Anyway- first up were black bean burgers. I've made a ton of recipes for black bean burgers. I love them! These were really good and easy. I did start with dried beans so they did take quite awhile. Especially now that I don't have an instant pot anymore. I did use my food processor- which was probably too small and not powerful enough since I had to take it out and do it in batches. Next time I would start with chopping the red onion and then move on to the rest of the ingredients. I was too lazy to steam veggies so I just did raw chopped ones. You can't really see the burgers but I promise it was under there. I had them on brioche buns.

Then I made a Dutch Baby. I don't think I have ever had a Dutch Baby...so I was really excited for it! The OG recipe called for making them in a muffin/cupcake pan but I didn't feel like doing it that way. It rose so much in the oven. I wish I took a pic while it was in there. So good, and also so very easy to make! I will definitely be making this again...It's supposed to have rhubarb mulberry topping but I just did fresh fruit. 

Also..had to buy this. Throwback to childhood and ultra processed food that does not resemble real cheese in the slightest but was still fun to eat anyway. I have not had this in forever but as a kid it was top food on a cracker. I forgot to buy crackers of course.😁

Milani Eyeshadow Primer Review

 So I watched Bridgerton Part II last night and it was much better than Part I ..but I don't think I will be watching the next season. I think that's it for me, mostly because I'm not into the new casting choice. But this part II....there were moments I loved but .I still can't get into Colin though, I don't think he's attractive and his acting was a bit performative, stiff, and unbelievable.  They did go a bit spicier than I was expecting, which was unexpected. The queen still sends me, I always love her hair and style. There were some part where I did tear up, I think I've just been extra emotional this past week or the scenes on friendship were just that touching Maybe after this post I will go and watch it again....

But eye primer! 

Milani claims:

• LIGHTWEIGHT, INVISIBLE PRIMER: Intensify the color of your favorite eyeshadow and increase its wear from day into night by adding our lightweight, crease-proof Eyeshadow Primer to your beauty arsenal. Our eyeshadow primer makes our eye shadow palettes pop with color! 
• WORKS ON ALL SKIN TONES: It goes on nude and dries invisibly; you’ll know it’s working by the professional and smooth look of your eyeshadow. 
• VEGAN, CRUELTY-FREE BEAUTY: Eyeshadow Primer is formulated to be the perfect base for your flawless style. Formula is vegan & never tested on animals. 
• TIPS & TRICKS: Swipe a small amount across each eyelid before applying eye makeup. Then choose your favorite eyeliner and eyeshadow shades to create a look that lasts all day. 
• WE ARE MILANI: Born in East LA, we've always been connected to the rich diversity of our neighborhood, because it’s a place that truly embodies the melting pot of Los Angeles. We're not inspired by couture and top models. Our passion is real people, living real lives. Beauty is for everyone. No matter who you are or where you come from, we're here to fuel your self-expression with makeup for every shade, attitude, and ethnicity. No judgment. No exceptions.

Made in USA

Eye primer is a necessity for my eyelids. Without it, my make up will NOT last. It will crease and fade off within 2-3 hours. I love eyeshadow and wear it most days so I have to have a decent primer. I have been hearing great things about this one for years- so when it was time to re-up, I went ahead and bought this. I had also heard great things about Milani and all these years later...here we are. 

I do think this is a great primer. It does exactly what I need it to do. My shadows last the whole day. It also goes on more pigmented and everything seems to blend the same as it would without a primer. It's not sticky feeling and it blends out clear- as long as I blend it enough. I don't like the primers that go on ashy and I have to make sure to cover every inch. 

I think it works perfectly- the only thing I notice is that my shimmer shadows don't necessarily go on as shimmery or popping as with other primers. I think that's down to it not being very sticky. 

I do like the packaging- it has a nice tip to squeeze the product out. I am not a fan of the lip gloss tips that some of these primers have. So they get points for that. 

It's unfragranced and you don't really smell it unless you sniff. It smells odd...but I only know that because I deliberately smelled it. It just smells like 'product".

Ingredients: 

Isododecane, Talc, Mica (CI 77019), Cyclopentasiloxane, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Trihydroxystearin, Polyethylene, Triethylhexanoin, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Dimethicone, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-40 Stearate, Synthetic Beeswax, Propylene Carbonate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Water (Aqua ). +/- May Contain/PEUT CONTENIR: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Iron Oxide (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499).

Overall, I like it. I think it might be the best drugstore eye primer...it's affordable and lasts forever. I haven't tried many drugstore primers but this would be the one I would highly recommend. 

All the Cleaning Things-Fave Products and Reviews Part II

I'm still addicted to buying cleaning stuff. I have to stop myself from just buying things constantly which I've been pretty good at because the cabinet is full. But most of it was stuff my parents left here and I am just trying to use everything up.  Here's the next iteration of cleaning stuff I have been using...

 

I bought this for move in cleaning. I have a lot of cleaners but none of them disinfect or sanitize. I don't use a disinfectant or sanitizer on a daily basis unless needed or for especially dirty or grimy jobs. Or when I am cleaning light switches etc.  But when you are moving into a place..you want to make sure everything is clean, clean . This get's the job done. Taps sparkles, grime, oil, grease and dirt break down...this is a good product. But I wouldn't purchase it over my Method spray unless I needed the disinfectant part. This is also super cost effective. Diluting it means this bottle will last forever! The only reason I used some of it so quickly is because I poured more than needed to mop. It still does work well diluted but some things you will want to use it extra strength. I don't usually like to use it in the kitchen because you do need to rinse it when you use it on food surfaces and I don't do that most of the time. The scent is Sparkling Lemon and Sunflower Essence. Whatever that is. It just smells like any old Lemon cleaner. I'm not really a fan of the lemon cleaning product scent-so I would buy this again but not in this scent.

Comet Lemon Fresh

Comet is such an old school brand. I grew up cleaning the bathroom with Comet. It came out in 1956 and I love watching the old commercials for it. It's definitely not the same formula though. This one has bleach. I don't usually like cleaning with bleach because it gives me a headache so I usually mask up when I use it. I've tried it for a lot of different things- I don't really love it in the kitchen but it did remove grease very well when I fried chicken a few months ago. I mostly use it in the toilet. And occasionally on the sink- it cleans the sink until it sparkles. Faucet included! I don't like it in my shower because I feel like I inhale too much bleach. It does have a slight lemon scent- artificial lemon. I don't know how it compares to the OG. But it does work well. 

Ajax Triple Action Orange Dish Soap/Lime and Vinegar/ Lemon Dish Soap

Very watered down and it goes fast. I don't remember ever using Ajax dish soap. It could do better with greasy dishes as well. It will eventually get the grease but you have to wash whatever you are cleaning multiple times. I thought it would have a nice fruity orange scent but it just smells like lemon cleaning stuff. I do like it to mix in with Vinegar/Water  or just water to make an all purpose cleaning spray. I don't notice any difference between Dawn and this when I do that. The lime and vinegar is pretty much the same, watery and takes a lot of get things clean. I will say I think it does clean slightly better than the Orange one but the scent could be better. The lemon is maybe the best smelling. Still super water-y so the bottle goes quickly but does seem to get rid of grease when you use a ton. I don't think I would buy these again though. 

And last up, dishwasher pods. Cascade Platinum in Fresh scent. I like to wash most dishes in the dishwasher. I run it about 2x a week so pods will last almost forever, which is good because these are a bit on the pricier side. We usually used the German ones but I just picked these up because I was running out and this is what they had in the store I was in. They get everyday dishes and the dishwasher sparkling clean. They are also easy because you don't need any rinse aides or salts. It's all in one. It's not a miracle though so if you have a burned on stuck on mess, and I mean really burnt on- it won't get it. But for most things- it works great. I want to try the regular pods to see if they work just as well for less money- so that's what I'll buy next. Oh..one more thing! I don't like it on silicone dishes because it makes them taste funny. So I can't wash spatulas in the dishwasher with these. I would also rather an unscented product- it has a very strong "lemon" cleaning product scent. 

Frosch Citrus Washing Machine Cleaner- I bought a combination washer/dryer so I need to be sure to take extra care of it as I don't want any problems with it. On my machine you are supposed to clean the drum every thirty cycles. So far, I've been on top of it! Yay me. Anyway, this worked fine. I think the one I got prior was a little better- the drum came out a bit shinier and there was less stuff I needed to wipe off the door afterwards. I would probably try other less expensive brands and cycle back to this one eventually.. This one does say citrus but it didn't have smell...

Was a bit late for the next washing machine clean- I picked this one up which is on the pricier side. De. Beckman. I don't think I've tried much from him...this does have a smell but once you dump it in the machine and turn it on- it's really nothing. I guess it did a good job- everything was sparkling except the drum door which I always have to wipe all dust and lint off of. It worked but I am going to see if the cheaper ones do the job just as well.....

The Pink Stuff Miracle All Purpose Cleaner Review 

I really like the paste so I figured I would give the spray a try. And I really like it. It smells like Rhubarb. I had a few Bath and Body stuff and this smells so much like those products. So I definitely like the scent. And it cleans very well. The hardest thing to clean in my place are the glass shower doors....(and oven but I didn't use it in there). This works well and makes everything all shiny, sparkly,  and clean. I like it. I just wish they would make refill bottles that you can add water to. Save some plastic. 

Calgon 4 in 1 Power Gel 

I don't know if this makes a difference- the water is a bit hard here. But not as terrible as some places. I  bought this so I don't have to run the cycle to clean the machine so often. That's probably not a good idea. But it's what I've been doing. I don't see any results but it' supposed to soften the water and boost cleaning while cleaning out hard water deposits and keeping the washing machine fresh. I have never had a smelly machine but I let the machine dry out after I use it. Maybe I would pick it up again? It does smell really fresh though. But doesn't leave any scent in the clothes. 

That's it for now, I'll probably be back with another in a few months though!