Pre De Provence Linden Soap Bar Review

I thought this soap was Linen at first and I looked all up and through their site for it until I realized it was Linden. I thought Linen sounded a bit of an unusual scent for a "French" soap brand anyway.  I had never heard of Linden - also known as Lime trees but unrelated to the citrus fruit. The reviews looked pretty good though so I was excited to try it.

Pre De Provence claims:

Fresh, warm floral aroma with delicate, sweet, honey-fruit top notes and a fine green, undertone of meadows and sweet herbal tea.

Bright, Sunny Floral.

For centuries, the luxury of French-milled soaps has remained the gold standard of excellence. Each time you begin to lather a French made soap, you enter a time and place where quality and craftsmanship have stood still. Traditional French soap is triple-milled to produce a completely uniform and smooth soap, without impurities, thus lasting longer.

Each bar of Pre de Provence soap is not only carefully made today by dedicated soapmakers in Provence following their proud traditions, but quad-milled to be smoother and have a richer lather to create our luxurious feel.

Using pure, natural ingredients enriched with shea butter, you can feel the difference in our unique quad-milling process. Aromatic fragrances transport you into a moment of calmness, vitality, dreaming, or well-being.

It's not worth the hype.

The scent is so light and unremarkable. Just a light, very forgettable floral scent. And you really can't smell it much. I was using its n the shower but took it out to use as a hand soap because I get more scent that way. 

Everything else was fine. Lathers well, rinses cleanly, not drying.

I don't see the ingredients listed on the site and they weren't on the box.

Overall, glad I have the mini...could be the full size has more scent but I won't be buying it to find out. 

Sly and the Family Stone

I made a mistake of taking a really long nap earlier, which means I'll probably have a hard time sleeping tonight. And I have to wake up early tomorrow. Yikes! I should probably make some iced coffee for tomorrow....

In the meantime...a quick music post. I love Sly and the Family Stone. If You Want Me To Stay is a classic. Very unique sounding song. I love that hat...it looks like something you would see on Good Times.

Gotta share the studio version- cause I like the vocals on it a bit more. Lyrics are just a bit stronger.

Everyday People might be my favorite Sly song. This song has an important message I think a lot of people would benefit from hearing these days. Short and to the point.

Essential listening! 

Urban Hydration Honey Deep Conditioner Review

 I had planned to review some liners I have  but I don't feel like putting make-up on today. More that I don't want to wash it off because I did technically already played a little in some colors. But back to deep conditioner. It's always my goal to regularly deep condition- I missed a couple months last year simply because this took quite awhile to arrive to me. I almost thought it was lost in the mail. Eventually it turned up though. 

Urban Hydration claims:

Immerse your hair in the nourishing embrace of Urban Hydration's Honey Health & Repair Deep Conditioner. This luxurious formula, enriched with Honey and Argan Oil, penetrates deep into each strand to repair damage, prevent breakage, and tame frizz. Infused with Sweet Vanilla Bean Extract, it promotes healthier, shinier curls while non-greasy Argan Oil provides weightless moisture and enhances elasticity. Experience the transformative power of this deep conditioner as it detangles, cleanses, and restores softness to your hair.

How to Use It? Indulge in this deep conditioning ritual by applying a generous amount to your palms and working it through wet hair from roots to ends. Detangle with your fingers or a comb, then rinse thoroughly. For an intensive moisture boost, leave on for at least 15 minutes before rinsing.

Our Honey Health & Repair Deep Conditioner serves as a powerful treatment designed to deeply moisturize dry and damaged hair. The unique formula features natural honey, which is known for its humectant properties. This means that it attracts moisture from the air to your hair, leaving it feeling soft and hydrated. Therefore, you will notice a significant improvement in your hair's texture and shine after just one use!

In addition to hydration, our deep conditioner helps to repair your hair from root to tip. With consistent use, this product nourishes the hair follicles and reduces breakage. The rich ingredients work together to strengthen each strand, resulting in healthier and stronger hair. So, you can enjoy the benefits of revitalized hair that is less prone to split ends and damage!

Made in China

I hadn't heard of this brand before...it seems like it doesn't have a strong brand identity. Just something quickly created to make some money but when I googled it does appear this brand is black owned. I was really surprised to see that. I think it's the name "urban" that throws me off. And the packaging.  Something about the brand still feels a bit off to me....but IDK. 

I got this for a great price though...it was on sale. I didn't pay more than 7-8 dollars. 

So we'll start with the scent. It's very light and pleasant. But doesn't stick around and is not particularly noticeable. I would say the scent is on the sweeter side- a bit reminiscent of an almond cookie. Doesn't leave any scent in my hair though. 

As for the actual conditioner- I read other reviews that said it was like applying lotion to the hair. It just doesn't feel like a conditioner. And definitely not like a deep conditioner. It doesn't provide slip so not the best at detangling. It doesn't really seem to do much for my hair unless I leave it overnight. So that's how I usually use it. Wash my hair and let it sit, then run the comb through the next day and rinse out. 

Even though it doesn't feel like it's done much- it does seem a bit heavy without feeling greasy. By that I mean it seems to add weight and weigh down my super tight curls and stretch them out the teeniest bit. The trade-off is my hair doesn't have that movement to it nor does it feel light and fluffy. I do think it helps with frizz though.

As for repair- I don't feel like any deep conditioner can really repair hair. 

It claims to increase shine- can't say my hair looks any shinier. Softness is OK. 

Almost forgot to mention- I don't like the packaging. I think this would be much better in a tub. It's just such a hassle trying to pump out and the pump seems hard on the hands because you have to push so hard and so little comes out at a time.

The ingredients aren't bad. Actually toward the bottom there are a lot of great ingredients. It looks like they may have recently changed them though because the list is a bit different on their site. 

Ingredients:

Water, Glycerin, Beeswax, c-12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, DMDM Hydantoin, Ginger Extract, Avocado Oil, Sweet Almond Oil,  Argan Oil, Aloe Leaf Juice, Panthenol, Honey, Disodium EDTA, Vitamin E, VitaminA 

Overall, it's not bad. But I have other deep conditioners I would prefer over this so it's not a repurchase.  

Dijon Lentil Salad and Peanut Butter ChocolateCrepes

Every now and again I have an off cooking week- and last weekend was that week. Everything from grabbing the wrong flour and burning a few things here and there. Happens to the best of us. 

Here's some of what went wrong...

I don't think it was me, it was definitely the recipe. Or maybe I was boiling the lentils too much but the water ran out and some burned on the bottom. And I for sure did not start over. I just took the top lentils and kept it moving. I made the dressing- which was amazing. I need to remember the dressing because it made a great oil free dressing- just 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 2 tbsp. of Dijon, and salt and pepper to taste.  Love the dressing but not mixed with the Lentils or the cloves. I also didn't boil the carrots and they had a very odd texture. Overall didn't like this recipe...but glad I discovered a super simple easy and healthy dressing from it. Served with burned plantains and cous cous.

Then---crepes. I've made crepes a few times. More than a few. They are an easy sweet treat. I didn't really like these though. Not much chocolate flavor. I did skip the "sauce" though. It just sounds wrong to mix cocoa powder in water with sweetener. So I didn't. And I used regular peanut mutter mixed with maple syrup. It was...fine. Overall, not much flavor. I would rather a regular crepe with Nutella any day! Also..it really did not look that appealing. I shoulda folded it the other way. I also think I missed using the whole egg, now I have a random egg yolk to use up. Not my favorite! 

And that's all! Hopefully this next batch of recipes will work out better for me! 

Nest Amber & Incense Candle Review

 I'm still not really a NEST candle fan so I think I am going to focus on trying other brands more and maybe just get one or two NEST candles a year. The only one I have really liked has been the Bamboo one- it's a very pretty daytime floral candle with some green to it. Oh...and the Holiday candle is pretty good too. It's the  holidays in a candle. I saw this and had heard good things about their main Amber candle ...so I thought I would give this a go. I think it was the word incense that got me. I didn't really realize this is meant for the holidays.

Nest claims:

Reveal new rituals with rich notes of crisp black amber, frankincense, and aromatic cedar for an exotic take on ancient traditions.

This Classic Candle offers an exotic take on ancient traditions with rich notes of crisp black amber, frankincense, and aromatic cedar.

MADE IN USA

Upon first sniff I didn't like it. It just smells like a hodge hodge of holiday scents that don't really go together. Maybe a Spice/gingerbread Cake, and some pumpkin with some pine trees and...everything else holiday. It just does not smell good. At all.

At some point I convinced myself I was starting to like it. But quickly realized I was wrong or maybe just having an off day and have since gone back to barely being able to stand it. 

Horrible scent. 

But the packaging is nice. I always like their glass jars and keep them to re-use. 

Nest candles are made primarily of paraffin wax. Not my favorite wax- although I do understand that paraffin usually produces the strongest throw. This candle does throw the scent around pretty well. Too bad it stinks. Almost head-ache inducing.

So...yeah. I recommend avoiding this candle. 

MAC Prep + Prime 24 Hour Extend Eye Base Review

 I've been watching Julia. I don't find a terribly exciting or funny show but I'm more so watching it for the history. It broke barriers in that it was the first show to feature a professional black woman. I know it was criticized at the time for being more fantasy, but I think it was important to show people of color succeeding. Of course it was also shown at a time when they refused to green light showing a family- with a present father. That didn't come until later. It's crazy to think how far we've come.

Also. love Diahann Carol. I have always wanted to watch more of her filmography so that's where I started. 

But really we are here to chat make-up. Eye base in particular.

MAC claims:

Specially formulated to prolong the look of your eye makeup. This primer keeps eye makeup looking fresh and vibrant all day. Extends the wear of your eye shadow for up to 24 hours! This innovative new formula saves shadows from creasing and fading, while allowing hues to stay colour-true for up to a full day. Comfortable and lightweight, it is infused with the rich antioxidant vitamin E and is ideal for all skin tones and types.

MADE IN USA 

I have oily lids so primer is not a step I can skip. If I skip primer my shadow disappears in 1-2 hours and the creases are galore. I love eye makeup and most days go for a colorful look so skipping primer is a strong no. It's a must have! 

MAC prices are really getting up there. This is really pretty expensive for a primer- I'm sure I didn't pay $32 for it. I got a set of MAC primers on sale at Nordstrom- I still need to review them.

I have to say I was a bit disappointed in the packaging. I like a more concentrated tip- like the old Too Faced Shadow insurance used to have. This reminds me of the Lorac where you just blob a bit out. I think it's because it's a thicker primer though. 

It feels like it's heavily loaded with silicones and looking at the ingredient list- it is!

But it works.  I would say it works pretty well too. Most days my eyeshadow ends the way I put it on. But there are some stubborn colors in my collection that tend to crease and disappear even with this. But I would say 99% of the time it works and still extends the terrible quality shaodows past the wear of most other primers. It's just those particular shades. So I would say it greatly extends and keeps most of my shadows from creasing and fading. 

Ingredients:

Dimethicone, Isododecane, Talc, Dimethicone Silylate, Trihydroxystearin, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Kaolin, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polyethylene, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Trioctyldodecyl Citrate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lecithin, Bisabolol, Triethylhexanoin, Silica, Alumina, Propylene Carbonate, Ethylene/Methacrylate Copolymer, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Caprylyl Glycol, Stearic Acid, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Peg-40 Stearate, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Bismuth Oxychloride (Ci 77163) ILN40999 

Overall, I think it's great primer. I don't think it's my favorite and I'm not sure I would repurchase it- especially at full price. I wasn't "blown away".  A more affordable option would be the Milani eye primer- I prefer MAC because it goes on a bit more clear.