Tone Loc- Wild Thing

This song was a recent download for me. I have been playing Dance Central again lately and looking back through all the downloadable songs that I missed downloading. I've been creating youtube playlists of those songs so I can at least do the dances...which is how I discovered this song. 

I love 80's/90's hip hop and somehow had never heard this. I was missing out. I downloaded this song immediately. 

Posting the Dance Central dance- cause it's worth checking out.  I love that game SO MUCH! 

I need to check the rest of his discography and see if there's anything else I need to add to my music collection.

Garnier Fructis Curl Shape Defining Spray Gel Review

Years and years ago Garnier used to be a go to brand. They are easy to find and pretty affordable. These days I avoid silicone/dimethicone in my hair stuff so that limits some of the brands/products I am willing to plunk down cash for. This is one of the few products they make that does not have the cones in them. Although there probably still are some questionable ingredients. 

Garnier claims:

Fructis Curl Shape Defining Spray Gel provides shiny and defined curls with strong hold and no frizz.

Fructis Curl Shape Defining Spray Gel is a strong-hold spray gel for wavy, curly, and coily hair types. Infused with coconut water, it defines curls, adds shine, and helps control frizz without weigh-down, stickiness, or build-up.

• Mist-on spray-gel format coats strands evenly like a hair spray with the control of a hair gel.
• Shiny finish with defined curls that stay in place yet feel touchable.
• Works on damp or dry hair; great for day-2 curl refresh.
• Free from silicones, phthalates, and DMDM hydantoin; Leaping Bunny approved.

No silicones, no phthalates, and no DMDM hydantoin. All Garnier products, globally, are approved by Cruelty Free International under the Leaping Bunny program.

For best results, start with a curly hair shampoo, then layer over a leave-in conditioner for curly hair or curl cream for curly hair before styling.

For all curl types.

This is not my first time trying this product. I had this back in the day when I still had a relaxer. Why? IDK. I guess I thought I would create curls from straight hair. Of course, it didn't work. I don't know how I ended up using the rest of the bottle. 

We'll start with something easy. Scent. It smells nice- kinda a faint light apple/fruity type scent. It's very light though and I don't think it sticks to my hair. But I do like it. Garnier never misses as far as fragrance for their products.

As for the product itself- it is a "spray" gel. I don't know why. I'm not sure I think it makes any sense to have a spray gel. I think I would rather have a squeeze tube or a tub. Spraying it onto the hands seems to be tedious and makes application take longer. It does say you can spray directly into hair for even coverage- I don't think so. It doesn't diffuse- just sprays in a straight line so I do not think that's the best method of applying. 

It does have some crunchy hold that feels a bit drying. Even layering over a leave in conditioner. It kinda defines my hair- but I do feel there could be more definition/stretch. This seems more a product that encourages curls to shrink up rather than stretching them out.  I think I want something to define and weight down my hair just a little more than this does. 

I think shine and overall look just end up being "OK". 

No silicones- which I avoid.  But it does have "acrylates" and PVP which never sound like the best ingredients. 

Ingredients: 

454049 F8 AQUA/WATER, PVP, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, PHENOXYETHANOL, PEG-40 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, PEG-70 MANGO GLYCERIDES, TRIETHANOLAMINE, POLYACRYLATE-3, LIMONENE, LINALOOL, PARFUM / FRAGRANCE, METHYL-PARABEN, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII BUTTER/SHEA BUTTER, HEDYL CINNAMAL, AMYL CINNAMAL. F.I.L.# D232780/1.

Overall, it's affordable but not something I would repurchase. 

Beekman Lilac Dream Goat Milk Soap Review

 I don't think I've ever had any Lilac scented bath and body care. It's not a common scent. I've never smelled fresh lilacs but I do really want smell them. I guess for now- this soap is as close I'll get to it. 

Beekman claims:

Rejuvenate your skin and senses with this hydrating bar soap formulated with creamy goat milk and our 100% vegetable base to deeply cleanse without stripping moisture. Enriched with the farm-inspired scent of lilacs in full bloom, this creamy lather will transport you to your own personal garden of grandeur.

Creamy goat milk and botanicals deeply nourish and moisturize skin, giving you long-lasting freshness with a velvety foaming lather that cleanses without stripping skin’s moisture. 

Benefits:

• Triple-milled to last even longer, extending all of the benefits of nourishing goat milk down to the very last lather
• Goat Milk boosts skin health with the same pH as human skin, and it’s rich in lactic acid, vitamins, and minerals to help renew and strengthen skin

Top: Jasmine, Lilac, Rose 

Middle: Gardenia, Lemon, Orange Blossom, Ozone 

Base: Musk, Vanilla, Amber Moss

I'm starting to get a little tired of the brand. It feels like that's all I've been using this year. Luckily after this soap is gone- I only have one more in the stash and then I am taking a long, long break. Although I am tempted to just grab the rest of the soaps just to say I've tried them all.

From what I have read this scent is retiring. And good riddance. Well actually, it's not that bad. I just didn't like it much.

I can't compare the scent to actual lilacs since I've never smelled them- but I'm sure it probably does not smell anything lilacs as Beekman scents usually don't smell realistic. I'm not sure how to describe it except it reminds me of a soap I recently used and reviewed from Granado.  I really didn't like that scent and this smells similar enough that I don't like this either. Luckily it's not strong. It's barely present.

Not impressed with the scent. But the soap itself is nice. My skin is soft, it lathers well, rinses clean and isn't too drying. 

Ingredients:

Sodium Palmate, Sodium Cocoate and/or Sodium Palm Kernelate, Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Fragrance (Parfum), Sodium Chloride, Caprae Lac (Goat Milk), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Aleurites Moluccana Seed Extract (Kukui Nut Oil), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Pentasodium Pentetate... and Kindness.

I just couldn't get into the scent so this is a pass for me. Last one in my  stash  is the Lemon scented soap- I'm looking forward to being done and finally moving on to trying other brands. 

Scotch Broth and Best Ever Banana Bread

 I've got two more posts I want to known out to make for my slacking the rest of the week. I've got another two little recipes of what I made this past week.

Starting with Scotch Broth. Of course it comes from my Unofficial Harry Potter cookbook. Which I'm still having fun cooking through. Even if I don't like some of the recipes. Scotch Broth is a Scottish recipe. I don't think I've ever made anything Scottish so I was excited for this. Basically it has Barley, red meat ( I used Chuck Roast) and lots of root vegetable. Lots of root vegetable. I couldn't find turnip so I used Kohlrabi. It also had celery, carrots, leeks, and cabbage. All the veggies. Too many veggies for me. I didn't love it. I didn't even really like it but I was glad to at least get all my veggies in for the week. 

Made a HUGE pot. 

Then I made the best ever banana bread. I cook from a lot of food blogs and one thing there is never any shortage of- banana bread. That's really the only reason I have made so many. This one was a little different than most other banana bread recipes in that it uses cream cheese and sour cream. I would usually sub those out for yoghurt. It only uses two bananas so it's not super banana flavored. Just enough I would say. And it used brown sugar instead of white.  I always decrease the sugar- I think I used 3/4. I also used 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour cause health- and I have some whole wheat flour I really need to use more. Also it uses the chocolate chip. I think my preferred banana bread would use Walnut instead of chocolate chips but overall, it's a nice banana bread. 

And that's all for this week....

Byredo Woods Candle Review

I meant to do this post way sooner- but I got caught up in playing video games. Really just one...but I felt I could not move on until it was done so I finished the game in one night. Look at me- being a gamer. Anyway, we unexpectedly have candle weather. So I've been firing up a candle on occasion. I have a few that have just a little bit of wax left and instead of having them sit around for the rest of the summer- I am taking advantage of the cool weather and burning them down. Except for this one.

Byredo claims: 

A scent evoking a journey through the forest. The diverse and complex scents of woodland, topped by the soothing energy of cedarwood, contribute to a relaxing fragance.

GOOD TO KNOW

• Woody
• Medium Intensity
• Recyclable packaging
• Intimate Diffusion
• Burn time: 60h
• Reusable glass jar

• Top: Raspberry
• Heart: Jasmine Petals, Tuscan Leather
• Base: White Cedarwood, Ambroxan

I love having at least one luxury candle in the collection. Just as a little treat for myself. I saw this on a list somewhere and decided this would be my next little luxury treat of a candle. That being said, I have only had one other Byredo candle- the most popular in their line Biblioteque. That one did smell pretty good but the quality of the candle left something to be desired.

The packaging is gorgeous. Nice and sleek. I love the black container. It's one I can't bring myself to throw out when I burn through them. Simple but chic. 

The one thing I don't love about Bryedo candles- the wicks are quick to mushroom and then soot. They can be a smoky sooty mess. Even with trimming the wick and not burning it too long. Their candles really require baby-sitting. And for the price I expect an easier user experience.

As for the scent...meh. It's ok. It is definitely heavy on the cedar wood. And kind of reminds me of a cedar wood mens cologne. It isn't very strong. I really have to remember I lit a candle in order to smell its presence but as I have been burning it down it's been getting stronger.

It's not a unique scent - at least not to me to me...not too long ago I had a candle from Brooklyn Candle studio called Fireplace. It's not an exact dupe but close enough. Brooklyn Candle was more straight up Cedarwood and lacked the slightly more cologne-y  complexity notes of the Byredo. For the price difference, it's fine. 

I thought I would love this candle because I love the idea of a woody candle- but I usually need a bit of sweetness or something to be mixed in with it like a floral woody, sweet woody- etc. I don't think just straight "woods" scents are my jam. So I don't love this scent.  It does claim to have notes of raspberry, jasmine, and leather but the cedar wood is mostly all I get.

I did buy it in the 240 grams size. I would have loved to buy the smaller size- but of course this does not come in smaller size. I wish I could find the reason why. Only a handful of their candles come in the mini.

Also--- always worth noting- I don't know what the wax is. I suspect it's not a soy candle- I'm thinking whatever blend it might be there is a lot of paraffin. But of course they aren't really transparent. 

Overall, the scent just isn't for me. I'll still light it up occasionally when I'm having a movie night or settling in with a good book. But it's not something I could see myself ever repurchasing. 

Granado Oasis Bar Soap Review

I was originally planning on doing a candle review but I used the last of this soap up today and so I want to make sure I review it while the scent it still fresh in my mind. This is the last of the gift set I bought on sale around the holidays. It's a Brazilian brand that has been around a long time. I think the brand is most known for their perfumes- I don't think I'll get my hands on those anytime soon but I do plan on eventually picking more of the soaps up. 

Granado claims:

Inspired by the richness and diversity of marine life, the Deep Sea Wonders collection immerses you in the world of perfumery, capturing the full vibrancy of Brazil’s expansive coastline, which stretches along the Atlantic Ocean from north to south.

Oásis is a refreshing hideaway for tropical summer days. Its citrus and marine notes convey the freshness of the sea breeze, while the creaminess of flowers and woods evokes the warmth and comfort of the sun.

Made in Brazil

I bought a set of three around the holidays on clearance. And then after I bought this one- I found another set on clearance that I also managed to snag. I already used up the other two in the set- first one I really loved and the second was not for me. 

 Mine came packaged in a cute metal ornament. I'll definitely be keeping and repurposing the packaging. This one had a cute little seahorse on it. 

Other than that it comes wrapped in paper- which is easily recyclable.

The scent is nice. I would describe it as a floral/marine scent. It's unique but also reminds me another soap  used a few years ago. It's been awhile since I have smelled that scent so I'm not sure if my memory is accurate but I would say it most reminds me of Bvlgari Au the Blanc soap. It's a very nice scent- it reminds me a soap you might use in a nicer hotel. I'm not good at describing scents- I just know I like it and enjoyed it very much. It also lingered on my skin. Also one thing- it's definitely a perfumed scent but not overly so. 

As for everything else- lathered very well, softened my skin, and, rinsed clean. My skin did feel a teensy bit dry so I did make sure to use lotion afterwards.  

Ingredients: 

ELAEIS GUINEENSIS OIL (ELAEIS GUINEENSIS (PALM) OIL), AQUA (WATER/EAU), COCOS NUCIFERA OIL (COCOS NUCIFERA (COCONUT) OIL), SODIUM HYDROXIDE, CALCIUM CARBONATE, STEARIC ACID, PALMITIC ACID, PARFUM (FRAGRANCE), ASTROCARYUM MURUMURU SEED BUTTER, GLYCERIN, SORBITOL, DISODIUM EDTA, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, MYRISTIC ACID, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, ETIDRONIC ACID, DISODIUM DISTYRYLBIPHENYL DISULFONATE, PEG-12, CELLULOSE GUM, TETRASODIUM EDTA, TOCOPHEROL, BENZYL SALICYLATE, HEXAMETHYLINDANOPYRAN, TETRAMETHYL ACETYLOCTAHYDRONAPHTHALENES, LINALOOL, LIMONENE, VANILLIN, CITRUS LIMON PEEL OIL (CITRUS LIMON (LEMON) PEEL OIL), DIMETHYL PHENETHYL ACETATE, HYDROXYCITRONELLAL, GERANYL ACETATE, CITRUS AURANTIUM PEEL OIL, AMYL SALICYLATE, COUMARIN. COMPOSIÇÃO (PORTUGUÊS): ÓLEO DE PALMISTE, ÁGUA, ÓLEO DE COCO, HIDRÓXIDO DE SÓDIO, CARBONATO DE CÁLCIO, ÁCIDO ESTEÁRICO, ÁCIDO PALMÍTICO, PERFUME, MANTEIGA DA SEMENTE DE MURUMURU [ASTROCARYUM MURUMURU], GLICEROL, SORBITOL, EDETATO DISSÓDICO, DIÓXIDO DE TITÂNIO, ÁCIDO MIRÍSTICO, PROPILENO GLICOL, ÁCIDO ETIDRÔNICO, DISSULFONATO DISSÓDICO DE DISTIRILBIFENILA, PEG-12, CARMELOSE SÓDICA, EDETATO TETRASSÓDICO, TOCOFEROL, SALICILATO DE BENZILA, HEXAMETILINDANOPIRANO, TETRAMETIL ACETILOCTAIDRONAFTALENOS, LINALOL, LIMONENO, VANILINA, ÓLEO DE CASCA DE LIMÃO SICILIANO, ACETATO DE DIMETIL FENETILA, HIDROXICITRONELAL, ACETATO DE GERANILA, ÓLEO DA CASCA DE CITRUS AURANTIUM, SALICILATO DE AMILA, CUMARINA.

Overall, it was a nice soap. I don't think it's a must try or something I would really go out of my way to buy again- but I did really enjoy using it everyday. I have one more soap from the brand in my collection and then I'll switch it up and try to get some different brands to review -but I can see myself buying/trying some of the other bars eventually.