Salt & Stone Black Rose and Oud Body Lotion Review

 

It feels like we just had a heat wave a few days ago and now out of nowhere it's cold. Chilly enough to light candles and unplug the air conditioner. I miss burning my candles so I am definitely taking advantage and have one lit as I'm writing. In the meantime, it's also time to pull out the lotion. Not that I was able to put it away. 

I've had this for a little while now. My problem is that I'll buy a cheaper lotion and put this away to use up the cheap stuff. Now I'm out of the bargain stuff-which is good- because it's forcing me to actually use up my good stuff.

Salt and Stone claims:

A fast-absorbing body lotion infused with seaweed extracts and niacinamide. Deeply hydrates and dries down to a silky soft finish.

Bouquets of black roses and lilies bloom as you climb, engulfing your senses. Warm rays beat down. Refreshing. Powerful. Sensual. A wave of deep, warm oud meets fresh vetiver. Clove and amber invoke forgotten memories, cascading down to float, finally, atop woody cedar.

Notes:

Top — Black Rose, Lily of the Valley

Heart — Oud, Mahogany

Base — Vetiver, Santal, Amber

Made in US

I've wanted to try this brand for awhile and finally just went for it and ordered the lotion. I tend to love any scent that has Noir or Black in it.This is no exception. I love the scent of Roses but I can be very picky when it comes to Bath and body or perfumes/candles. I think my favorite Rose scent of all time would have to be Lush Rose Jam. It's a sweet rose with lots of vanilla. I think the problem is Rose is that it can smell old fashioned and old lady like. But this is different. 

I definitely get the rose but it's definitely blackened. This is a sexy date night Rose. I'm still trying to learn what oud smells like. I think it tends to be a very heavy scent but I'm guessing the Rose mellows it out. But this is not a mellow scent. It's also supposed to have clove, amber,  vetiver and cedar. I can't pick up individual notes, I just know that I really enjoy the blend of it all together. I'm actually really surprised to see that is has an element of spice to it. But it's very rare that I can pick out spice notes.

It's definitely a perfumed body lotion. But I don't think the scent lasts longer than two hours. Maybe two and half. But while you are wearing it in that time frame- if you let it warm up on your skin it really creates a cloud of scent that also get's a little soapy and clean smelling while still smelling dark and mysterious. I really, really enjoy that and it's what made me want to order another scent. I do wish it lasted longer though or maybe it's just that I go nose blind to it. 

I really like the packaging. I've only had this type of packaging for hand cream. But it is aluminum and as they say on the box, it is infinitely recyclable. I'm just always happy to see anything other than plastic so I am into it. The only plastic is the lid. When I saw this type of packaging I was expecting a thick lotion- but really it's pretty lightweight. It's not greasy at all and absorbs really quickly. 

I de prefer something heavier but I can appreciate it and it seems to keep my skin soft and hydrated all day even if it is a thinner lotion. I'm not sure it would be enough if you have dryer skin though. 

These days I am trying to avoid silicones in my lotions and this fit the bill. That's really the only requirement I have at the moment.

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Isopropyl Myristate, Cetearyl Olivate, Niacinamide, Shea Butter Glycerides, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Spirulina Maxima Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Macrocystis Pyrifera (Kelp) Extract, Porphyra Umbilicalis Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Fragrance (Parfum), Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Benzyl Benzoate, Eugenol.

Overall, I have really enjoyed this lotion and I definitely want to try them all. It kinda reminds me of the Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady scent. I think mainly because it's a darker rose scent. I probably won't repurchase anytime soon- but I could see myself eventually  buying it again once I have sampled all the other scents.

What's nice about it is it comes in so many other forms- so if you love it you can get the candle, deodorant, hand creme, body wash, etc. It also comes in a larger size than the 3.4 ounce smaller tube but I think I'll stick with the smeller size for now.

Dove Care & Protect Anti-Bacterial Beauty Bar Review

 

Dove has really been collaborating and branching out to make scents/soaps that I never thought they would. Earlier this year they had a Bridgerton collection that I would have loved to try but it was only available at Target and I think we are still boycotting Target. 

Dove claims:

Looking for a cleansing bar that removes 99% of bacteria while moisturizing your skin? Dove Care & Protect Antibacterial Beauty Bar combines a nourishing formula with antibacterial properties, protecting from skin dryness. This essential cleansing bar gives you the antibacterial clean you want with the moisturization you love and is more moisturizing than ordinary soap. in a 20-second wash test vs. E. coli Enriched with the Dove signature 1/4 moisturizing cream, this moisturizing antibacterial bar deeply cleanses, leaving you with soft and smooth skin. This moisturizing bar is designed to remove 99% of bacteria and protect the skin from dryness, giving you clean and soft skin after every use. in a 20-second wash test vs. E. coli To get the most out of your cleansing bar, start by rinsing your hands under warm water. Rub the bar between your hands to create a lather. Massage the creamy, rich lather across your body and hands before rinsing with warm water. Bathroom looking cluttered with skin care products? Dove Care & Protect Beauty Bar can be used on your body, face and hands, so you only need one staple in your bathroom cabinet to fit all your cleansing needs. Globally, Dove does not test on animals and is certified by PETA, going further to care for all.

• Beauty Bar, Antibacterial
• New. No. 1 dermatologist recommended. 
• Protects skin from dryness. Removes 99% of bacteria (In a clinical wash test vs. E. coli). 
• 1/4 moisturizing cream. 
• The Dove Difference: Our antibacterial formula has 1/4 moisturizing cream and cleans away 99% of bacteria (In a clinical wash test vs. E. coli) while protecting your skin from dryness. 

info

I would have never thought that Dove of all brands would come out with an anti-bacterial soap. They are largely needed and mostly unhealthy. All you really need is regular soap which is antibacterial enough. But I figured I would try it anyway.

I believe the main ingredient in antibacterial soaps years ago was triclosan but that has since been banned so I guess they have a new active ingredient in anti-bacterial soaps. As far as I can see it is generally considered safe in small amounts..but who really knows. We never really find out until years later if something is bad for us. But that may not be the case with this.

When I first opened it, I thought the scent was really good but as I've used it...it's not that great. It kinda smells like a clean, newly grouted bathroom. A few times it's also smelled a bit odd- it almost reminded me of the underlying scent of the Nudy Rudy bars. 

It's a beauty bar and not a soap. I don't find the lathering and bubbles to be as good as other bars of soap. It's OK. As far as feeling clean- I find some of the Dove bars are pretty nice but I didn't think this was that great. I didn't really feel as clean as with some other bar soaps. 

Packaging is fine- I always prefer a bar soap to save the world a little bit of plastic. It comes in a box wrapped in plastic- still a lot less plastic than if you buy the liquid version though. 

I've noticed Dove bars are so much smaller than they used to be a couple years ago. So this bar is definitely on the smaller side but it is a very pretty color.

I don't notice a lot of reviews or talk about this bar- except a few that look like ads because they all talked about Ivory and the videos really seemed to follow a format.  

The ingredients are typical for Dove. A few years back they used to use animal tallow in the bars- these days they are animal tallow free. I think I prefer the old version- simply because they were cheaper- with the reformulation Dove has really jumped in price and I don't really find it to be worth it most of the time. 

Ingredients: 

Active Ingredient: Benzalkonium Chloride

Inactive ingredients: Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Oleate, Sodium Stearate, Water (Aqua), Sodium Isethionate, Lauric Acid, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sodium Laurate, Fragrance (Parfum), Dipropylene Glycol, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Blue 1 (CI 42090), Yellow 5 (CI 19140).

Overall there are other versions of the Dove bar that I think are better. Not something I would ever buy again.

Avocado Breakfast Pita and Lightly Seasoned Chicken Legs

 I made the mistake of taking the longest nap- really you can't even call it a nap anymore and now I am up at this crazy time. I am just going to watch a movie and then force myself to go back to sleep. This week I made pretty easy things- really nothing special but I'm gonna post them anyway...and hope I can make it to the grocery store I have been needing to make it to.

Starting with a breakfast pita that wasn't a breakfast pita because it was too hot to make Pita Bread and the store closest to me isn't currently carrying it. Originally I bought some potato buns to make the breakfast sandwich- but I forgot the avocado. Then the bag of spinach I bought started going bag so it didn't really have a lot of Spinach. It was still pretty good though...I just used wheat bread because I wanted the wheat bread for something else....

And then last up- this came from my Unofficial Harry Potter cookbook- just some lightly seasoned chicken legs. Really this shouldn't be a recipe- you just oil and season legs and bake them. I used the seasonings they said and added a few more because I like seasoned chicken. They came out good. I would make them again. I was trying to be in and out the kitchen that day because..it's still too hot to really cook. So I just made quinoa and veggies to go with. 

I just realized I didn't take a picture...whoops. I really thought I did. I must have been sleep cooking/eating. I know I grabbed my phone at some point. Odd.

Anyway...I would definitely make the chicken legs again. I might even make them again this next week because they were that easy. Perfect and easiest thing to take to work for lunch....

Essie Bikini So Teeny Nail Polish

 Today I have the best selling Blue Nail Polish from Essie, according to Essie. For some reason I love buying blue nail polish- I don't particularly love wearing it so I don't know why I keep buying it? I have since acknowledged I have a problem and I've stopped. I seem to have re-focused and moved on to buying green nail polish....

Anyway...Essie claims:

Daring meets darling in pretty yet provocative cornflower blue. This sparkling nail polish bares it all with a wink and a smile and no strings attached.

Daring meets darling in Bikini So Teeny, a sparkling cornflower blue nail polish. This shimmery, light blue is your go-to nail color that turns heads at the beach, on vacation, and everywhere in between. Equal parts playful and polished, it's the best blue nail polish for when you want your manicure to do the talking. 

 

RICH COLOR & SHINE: All essie Original nail polishes offer a salon-quality, billion pigment formula that is vegan, providing saturated color payoff and shine in every coat. This is a very old bottle. I've had it for a long time. I have another color that is so similar to this that I really didn't need this. I've also stopped buying duplicates. Yay, me.  Essie is my favorite brand of nail polish. I find it wears the best on my nails. At the time of this picture I've had it on for two days with minimal wear- at least for my nails. 

Sorry about the blurry pictures...

I wish I bought my bottle with the new brush- which just so happens to be my favorite nail polish brush. I have the old style thin brush which works but I prefer the wider rounded shape. It makes painting easy.

This ia two coater- it will be streaky with just one. I find I get decent coverage with two. I've been wearing it for two days (with top and base coat) and it looks decent. I could probably wear it another two days with no major chipping.

As for the color- on my hands I think it's OK. I mostly love it as a pedicure color. It's a pretty cornflower blue/pastel blue that looks very summery. I really enjoy the color and quality of the polish.

Overall, I'm glad it's in my collection. I think it's a good nail polish. Not sure I would buy another bottle though because there are just so many other shades/brands/ colors out there to try. 

Curls Blueberry Bliss Reparative Leave in Conditioner Review

 Have ya'll noticed that AI commercials are starting to pop up on social media? It's the strangest thing- mainly I've started noticing them on wig advertisements. It just kinda feels like you are watching something very creepy and strange but you can't really put your finger on it. I've even seen AI remakes of video's from actual people. It's really so disturbing and I wish there was a button so you can turn it off or block it. I think the craziest thing about it is so many people don't even clock that they are watching AI...they will be like oh this person is so pretty..or the wig is is nice and it's literally all fake. Crazy times.

Curls Blueberry Bliss claims: 

Softening & Nourishing Blueberry Bliss Reparative Leave-in Conditioner Repair, restore, and condition your overworked curls with Blueberry Bliss Reparative Leave-in Conditioner, a top pick for naturally curly, wavy, and coily hair. This hair conditioner features an enriching moisturizing formula infused with blueberry extract, coconut oil, aloe leaf juice, and chamomile extract. Use after the Blueberry Bliss Reparative Hair Mask (sold separately). Make quick work of detangling while helping to repair and restore your curls with this leave-in conditioner. Our curly hair conditioner is perfect for wavy, coily. and curly hair. And the best part? It's free from sulfates, silicones, parabens, or artificial colors. Discover the magic of blueberries with our Blueberry Bliss Collection. Rich in antioxidants and essential vitamins, blueberries are known to shield your curls from environmental damage, preserving their vibrancy. Our formulas help define curls, strengthen hair, and lock in moisture, leaving your curls soft, supple, and hydrated.

Made in USA

It's been awhile since I've used anything from the Curls line..the most recent thing I tried was the Curl Control Jelly. I probably should have purchased both together to see how they work. Actually it's entirely possible I did and just never reviewed this. 

So we shall start with the scent. It smells exactly like those blue icees I used to get in the mall. I don't buy them anymore because they are chock full of high fructose corn syrup- but they bring back a flood of good memories. I like the scent but it isn't strong and it also does not linger. It's more of a leave in that just smells good as you are applying it and then it fades. 

 

The texture is like any other leave in/hair lotion type of product. It applies easily- doesn't pill and layers well with other products.

It just doesn't really do much. I was expecting a bit of hydration or some help with avoiding the crunch when I apply a gel over top and...it just doesn't feel like it does anything. It does say it's supposed to be detangling but I usually only detangle my hair with actual conditioner so...I'm not sure. It might be. If I end up testing it that way- I'll update. 

The price isn't bad-I see it on Amazon right now for less than $10 and I always appreciate when something is $10 or less. I'm not mad at the price at all.

The ingredients are fine. There are no silicones or artificial colors which is always nice to see. It has a few fruit extracts- blueberry (of course) Silk Amino Acids,  Aloe etc. 

ingredients:

Water/Aqua/Eau, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Glycereth-26, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Silk Amino Acids, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Lactobacillus Ferment, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Trans-Rose Ketone 2, Benzaldehyde, Benzyl Benzoate, Hexamethylindanopyran, Hexyl Cinnamal, Vanillin, Fragrance (Parfum)

Overall, not something I would buy again. It just really didn't do much of anything for my hair.  I think maybe Curls works best for looser type curls but it does look like they are starting to cater more to type 4 hair- so I might have to snag something that is specially made for my hair type to review. 

Tony! Toni! Tone!

When I was in the states, I was a little shocked at how much Tony! Toni! Tone! I heard on the radio- coming up on the youtube mix etc. Also..typing the group name out is a lot from we shall call them TTT from this point on.

We shall start with It Never Rains (In Southern California). I have no idea what this song means but it goes hard. It's the song I think of when I think of the group. Issa bop.

Next up, THE definitive anniversary song. If you have an anniversary and don't play this one, what are you playing? This should be in the rotation. 

I'm not sure how I didn't have this song before- it was a recent download for me. It was a sleeper song for me. 

To be honest- they have quite a bit more songs in the discography that are smooth and easy listening but these are just my favorites. Definitely a group worth checking out. I wish I could have seen them live before one of the lead singers, D'Wayne passed away.