Toni Braxton

er S

I've already complained about the heat enough for today..so we shall jump right in. As far as I can remember Toni Braxton was my first favorite singer. My Dad had her album when I was a kid and I just loved, loved, loved, when he would play it. I know we have some home vids of me in a plastic wig and singing along. Good times.

Anyway, Toni is one of my favorite singers of all time. I seriously love her music. I'm about to have Toni sing along right now. 

Another Sad Love song is from her self titled album. My favorite album by her. The cover is engrained in my head. My Dad has this album. It's probably one I would try to get on records if I ever get my hands on record player. Much of her first album was penned by Babyface. 

Next up, He Wasn't Man Enough For Me. This song got me through my first break up. This an another song, I listened to it literally on repeat. I don't think I appreciated this song until that point. It was off the Heat album which I bought- because I loved me some Toni. I rotated this one between my Mariah Carey, Destiny's Child, J-Lo, and Christina Aguilera albums. I love the music video. It looks like it was fun to shoot and of course the dance blew up on social media not too long.

Next up, the Heat. The second song on the album. I listened to it so much I know what song to expect next. I skipped this song a lot, didn't really start loving it until I was older. 

Just Be a Man About It is THAT song. Another one I didn't love until I grown. I was like..hold on- wait a minute. It's one I get stuck on and repeat, repeat, repeat. 

Speaking in Tongues was another great one of The Heat album. Whole album was fire really. 

Maybe was so underrated. I always felt my ears were a little too young. The song I had wasn't this slowed down. But I like it, you can actually sing along a little bit.

 

Then I found this little clip. I wish it was longer, I always wanted to hear this live. 

I was listening to Please just yesterday. She finally bought the short but back. No one rocks a short cut like Toni.  

I also bought the More Than A Woman Album. I don't think it was as good as her prior releases but it had some bops. This song is just fun. Wow, I just caught that Birdman is on this song. Hmm.

I just love the lyrics on Rock Me, Roll Me. 

Selfish is another good one of the album. I'm just realizing how well her songs fit the concepts of her albums. Wow.

Last song off the More Than a Woman album. Another one where the lyrics just get me. I think this is also the album where you see Tamar's name as background in all the songs. I think she was on this one. I wish I kept the album insert. 

And no moving on to the Secrets album. We are about to be here forever.  I almost didn't include this one but I'm listening and's a must have on the playlist. It sounds so 90's. Love that

We love the 90's over here because first of all, this song was a bop. And the FINE men in the video.  And all my favorite ladies from the 90's are in here too. Toni did get the finest one though....hehehe. 

Oooh. I love Talking in His Sleep. Very unique sound. I just read in the comment Brand sang background in this song- and now I can't unhear it. It's the build up for me. And it sounds like something you would hear at a Speakeasy. 

How Could An Angle Break My Heart is one I only listen to sometimes. I don't really start getting into the phone until I hear the saxophone. It's like a call and response to the sax. So beautiful.  I'm playing the music video now and surprised at it...I guess I've never seen it? But how is that possible? I love it though...

Let it Flow is another one. I can only listen when I'm in the mood though. Usually if I let it play a little bit, I start right back loving it and don't change it- but if I change the song before it starts to play- I won't listen. I don't know why I'm like that with a lot of the songs from the Secrets album. This song is really full of wisdom the lyrics really touch me.. Also you can tell it's very much so penned by Babyface. He wrote a lot of her second album and you can always tell his songs from the other ones. 

Beautiful and breathtaking song. Wow. That's all I have to say. I don't hear it often but every time I do it makes my ears happy. A sad song but still hauntingly beautiful 

Next...another break up song for me. I remember back in the day I did some ugly crying to this one. I wasn't crying for him (he wasn't even worth one tear), I think more for me. It used to be I couldn't even listen to this one without going back to that time period. Now it's a little bittersweet for me. I still love the song though...we went through it together. 

I don't think I've seen this music video either. I missed so many. Wild. This is yet another song I have to be in the mood for. 

Next, I love Me Some Him. This song has more view than I expected. I just love the title of the song though. I'm always in the mood for this song.

Unbreak my Heart is THAT song. I remember watching a video about how she didn't even like this song. Ironically it's her biggest hit. The irony. My favorite one to sing along to...all off key and can't hit any of the notes but I try and have fun doing it. I always thought he up and left her for no reason- but in the video he died. Plot Twist. Is it just me or does this song go all Spanish Guitar on us? That' probably the one song I really dislike by her. 

And now we are basically going to post all the songs off her debut album. I love seeing all the views on these old songs, I thought I was the only one in love with them. As alway another fine man guest starring in the video. 

Seven Whole Days is also one of my faves. As they all seem to be.  This one seems to be a little underrated. 

More Saxophone goodness. Sometimes I reconsider if this needs to be on the playlist- the the saxophone saves it. And of course love the rhythm and how she sings this one

Spending my Time get's in the head and never gets out. I'm sure I'll be singing this over all the other songs for the next two weeks. 

Love Shoulda Brought You Home- maybe my fave song on this album. Maybe. Idk. I love it though. Look at those scenes from Boomerang. I might need to watch that movie now.

I Belong to You is a Bop. It almost reminds me of a Mariah Carey song but not really. Maybe just the beginning. IDK. Oh and the shu-du-du- du's.  I love  this one though.

I really underestimate how many songs she released as singles and had video's for. most artist have 2/3 but she released so many more for her earlier albums. Not that I'm complaining. OMG, is that Shemar? Looking like a snack😂 They really look cute together.

You Mean The World is also my top fave. Along with these 50 million other songs posted here .If I ever had to rank the songs, I would be in trouble. I could not.

And that's it. I'm sure I'm missing some songs. I'm tempted to go ahead and listen to her catalogue again. Need to see what I missed, if I missed anything.  I know there are some songs that I already posted in the Babyface post- and I don't want to double post. One of my favorite singers of all time, I have loved her music since I was four and still love it every bit as much as I did back then..maybe a million times more.  

Beekman Sunshine Lemon Goat Milk Soap

 Finally- the last Beekman soap. Well, actually I have one more. But it's the pure one and I am only going to use it on my face so it doesn't count. I was excited for this lemon soap- especially with the weather. Lemon can be very refreshing.

Beekman claims: 

This ultra-hydrating, foamy bar soap is infused with goat milk prebiotic to deeply cleanse and moisturize skin, and enriched with a fresh burst of Meyer lemon, lime, rosemary, and jasmine to leave skin brightly fragranced. 

It's been a minute since I've had a lemon soap. But I have definitely tried more than my fair share. Jr Watkins has a lemon cream gel (not good), there was the long discontinued Sweet Lemon line from Body Shop that smelled pretty good but not strong enough. Then quite a few bar soaps- most not worth mentioning but my favorite being the Lemon Zest soap from Lush.

This is just going to do down as another forgettable lemon soap. Mostly because...where is the lemon? I only know it's lemon because they told me. Most of the time the scent barely registered for me. It didn't give what I always want from a lemon soap- sweet and zesty, punchy and supposed to smell just like fresh lemon. It can have other stuff there to round it out but should smell like lemon.

As for everything else- solid. It lather well, rinses clean, and isn't drying. And I don't think I've mentioned in the last few reviews for Beekman but I like the ingredients. Can't go wrong with a goat milk soap.

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.

Overall, a very forgettable soap. And now I'll be taking at least a years break from Beekman. I've reviewed more than enough from the brand- found them overall forgettable and now I'm ready to shake it up. Next up, I have a Jo Malone soap I've been waiting to dig into .

Brown Sugar Bacon Breakfast Sandwiches with Chipotle Mayo and Buffalo Ranch Fries

 It's 86 degrees in my apartment. This summer heat is basically setting records. I can't wait for it to be over. So many business closing early and even the pool is closed.  In the meantime, I've still been struggling to cook anything. No one wants to stand over the stove or start the oven in this. I've made a few things here and there but mostly I'm considering living off cold sammiches til further notices. I did manage to make the two things I really wanted to make for the week though..so here we are.

Starting with Buffalo Ranch fries. I only allow myself to fry once a month...and this was my fried food for the month of June. Nothing beats homemade fries made from real potatoes. I haven't managed to make them crispy but they still are really good. I never really eat my fries with anything but ketchup. Rarely mayo. But I did used to work at Charlies in high school so I've definitely made 100's of Buffalo Ranch fries. This is a little different in that they have Blue Cheese. Supposed to be gorgonzola but I didn't feel like going to the further grocery store to buy it so I just used what they had. It wasn't bad. I wouldn't make them again- but I liked them. I should treat myself to homemade fries more often. Excuse the horrible pictures.

And next up- a Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Sammich. I made this today for breakfast. I used Turkey Bacon. Thought I would switch it up because I typically only buy beef bacon. It was good. I would definitely make it again. The lettuce I used was lettuce I grew in my garden box. Yay me! 

And that's it. Lucky me, no soup recipes this week. But there is one coming up next week- I'm considering skipping it but I'll probably just suck it up and make it.

Granado Flora Magnifica Bar Soap Review

Another hot day in the continuing heat wave. I want to play my dancing games- but at this point it's just too hot. I can't wait until we get some cooler weather because this isn't it. Why can't summer just be 72 degrees, all day everyday.  Only thing this weather is good for is writing a quick blog post or two. Meant to do this one yesterday actually but I was too busy catching up on House of the Dragon. I'm really hoping this season redeems the last because- it wasn't it. I did finally watch Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and really enjoying that which is probably the only reason I even ventured to start season three. 

I bought this one clearance so I think I paid $20 for it. Not a bad price considering you get the cutest glass tray and two bar soaps all packaged in the nicest box. Maybe I paid a little more. I don't remember now and it's too hot to look it up. 

Granado claims:

Flora Magnífica is a tribute to Brazilian biodiversity and celebrates the union between classic perfumery flowers and the bold notes of tropical leaves. Its fresh and green floral notes exudes a natural scent of rose petals, jasmine and magnolia, while woody notes and coconut flowers define the fragrance with smoothness and a feeling of comfort.

This is my last Granado soap in the stash and I think I might take a break from it for a little while to try and review some new brands. Even though I like the brand- it's time to shake it up. This whole year I have mainly been reviewing this and Beekman. I prefer this brand over that one for sure. 

Anyway this is a floral scents. I don't think I'm big on floral scents in the shower unless they have an interesting twist to them. This more of a tropical floral. It's definitely unique- I can't think of a similar scented soap I have tried in the past. It's a very pleasant scent that is nice to experience once but I don't think I would be tempted to purchase it again. 

Other than that, it's a quality soap. This scent is not too strong but makes it's presence known. It's scented down to the last little sliver. It lathers well. Cleans OK And it's not too drying.

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, HEXYL CINNAMAL, CITRONELLOL. 

Overall, it's a nice soap. Wouldn't repurchase but I am really interested in continuing to try more of the brand sometime in the future. I do have a second bar that I might give away or just end up using as a hand soap or something...not sure yet.

Sriracha Egg Salad, Summer Squash Pancakes, and Cock- a- Leekie Soup

We've reached the point of summer where I have lost my motivation to cook anything. It's just too hot. I attempted to make breakfast today and things did not go well. At all. I need to move somewhere with central AC so I can keep motivation up. 

In the meantime..I did make three things this past week- although the struggle was real so I'll just share what I've got.

Starting with egg salad. I love egg salad. Back in college it was my go to thing to get at 7/11. That and the brownies. I haven't made amen egg salads. Not sure why not. It's just not something I think of. Also it just seems like so much work and I don't like to boil and peel eggs. I did really like this recipe though. And I also made fresh rolls to go with it although I do wish I made a crustier bread. I also just used Texas Pete hot sauce because that's what I have and I didn't feel like buying a different hot sauce. 

Next up, Summer Squash pancakes. I tried making these this am.I already knew it wasn't going to be something I didn't like- and I was right. I ended up throwing them out. The flavor wasn't bad. But as you keep eating it get's worse and worse. I also didn't really cook them up the best because the kitchen was hot and I just wanted to get out as soon as possible. The green color was fun- but I'm just not into savory pancakes. No picture because the plate came out just plain ugly. I got the recipe from my Vitamix book but these are kinda similar...

And last up- Cock a Leekie soup. Unlucky for me, I seem to be in the soup section of the unofficial Harry Potter book. Luckily I made this before the temperature because just plain too hot. This is another Scottish recipe- and I like it so much better than the last soup I made. This would be the perfect winter soup recipe- especially when you feel under the weather. And it's so simple. I ended up using the biggest leek I could find in the grocery store and it was perfect. This is a recipe I could see myself making again...but when it's chill out. 

Clinique High Impact Mascara Review

 Another hot day. I'm just trying to stay cool and move as little as possible. Figured now is the perfect time to knock out a post or two. I've been meaning to review this mascara for awhile now but I've just been too lazy to wear proper eyeshadow and take pictures. I took a break from shadow for a minute but I'm back into wanting to play and make fun interesting combo's. 

Clinique claims:

The #1 Mascara from a Dermatologist Brand in the U.S.* Kicks up the volume and length of each and every lash.

Ophthalmologist tested. Safe for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers. Allergy tested. 100% fragrance free.

A Classic for a Reason

High Impact™ Mascara is your go-to for buildable volume and natural lashes dialed up a notch. 

Kicks up the volume and length of each and every lash—and resists clumping.

Dramatic Range 

Rich black pigments give lashes intense color, adding to the drama.

Create the look you want with this lengthening and volumizing mascara, from your-lashes-but-better to lush, bold drama. 

Brush

The soft fiber brush was designed to comb and define every lash. 

Formula Facts

The Clinique Eye Safety Promise

Ophthalmologist tested

Safe for sensitive eyes

Safe for contact lens wearers

This Product is Also

Allergy tested

Fragrance free

Great to Know

Resists clumping

Free Of

Fragrance

Parabens 

Phthalates

Oil

I think I fell off because of this mascara. I typically don't like Clinique mascara and have tried a few samples- the only one I like is the high impact one in the green tube. I saw this in a set though and figured I would give it a go...

And it's every bit as disappointing as expected. I would rename this one to No Impact- or Low Impact Mascara. 

I feel it clumps my lashes in all the wrong ways- doesn't provide length or volume. I just get short stumpy disappointing results. 

What's most dissapointing is the price. I got mine in the set so I didn't pay full price. I always thought Clinique was one of the more affordable brands but the price on this is outrageous. Twenty Seven. For a Clinique Mascara. 

Supposedly on the website they claims it's the number one US Mascara from a dermatologist brand. I think the key to that is "from a dermatologist brand."

It comes in three colors- Black, Black Brown, and Black Honey. The Black Honey color does sound interesting. I probably won't pick it up since I dislike this formula so much but I do want to experiment with mascara colors soon.

It's not for me. The only people I can see actually liking this are people that already have amazing lashes and don't need their mascara to do much of anything. 

On the days I wear this I always tend to put a primer underneath it to give it all the help I can give it- and I still end up disliking it.