Bonita Fierce (Valrosa) Spanish Moss Candle Review

Candle season is coming. Today is definitely cool enough to light a candle- so I have one burning now. This one has been waiting all summer for its time to shine. 

Bonita Fierce claims: 

Step beneath moss-draped trees at dusk, where Spanish moss hangs like nature's lace from ancient branches. This ethereal plant, rootless yet resilient, has woven itself into the soul of the American South and Latin American folklore for centuries. Known as "salvaje" in some regions, it clings to nothing yet survives everything, a symbol of adaptability and strength that mirrors the immigrant experience. In Latin American tradition, Spanish moss carries stories whispered by abuelas, tales of duendes hiding in its silvery strands, of curanderas using it for healing, of a beauty that needs no anchor to thrive. It drapes over forgotten haciendas and modern porches alike, a living bridge between old worlds and new.

Our Spanish Moss scent captures this mystical resilience in fragrance. Earthy sage mingles with deep oak moss and warm amber, evoking southern twilight, ancestral memory, and the quiet power of things that endure. It's the scent of recuerdos drifting through time, of roots that live in the heart rather than the ground, of belonging everywhere and nowhere all at once.

Mood: The Plant Without Roots

Notes: Sage, Orange, Grapefruit, Lavender, Oak moss, Amber, Tonka Bean

Made in New York

Coconut Soy Blend

I bought this one on clearance (of course) and I think I can see why. It looks like the brand had to change their name and rebrand due to not being able to secure the name "Bonita Fierce." This is not my first candle from the brand- I had their Elote candle last year. Very unique candle. Not one I would want to experience again though. 

I figured Spanish Moss would be a little easier to enjoy. Moss is a scent that confuses me though- because what is Moss supposed to smell like? I really and truly do not know. But this is not what I really imagined. It's supposed to have a bunch of earthy scents to it- like Sage, Oak Moss. And Amber. Because Amber is a scent that's in everything. And for me...no. It kinda has a generic daytime candle kind of scent- I feel like I have smelled this scent in just about every candle brand. It's pleasant- just not my type of scent and not one I would ever search for. It reminds me of something you might get from brands like Bath and Body Works or Nest. 

Other than the scent not really being my jam- it's a good candle. It's a coconut soy blend. So it seems to burn down very cleanly. I haven't had issues with sooting or smoking.

And what sets it apart from most of the candles I have reviewed is that the candle uses a wood wick. So it has very light crackling which can add to the ambience of a room when you burn it. But to be honest I barely notice it. I do still like the wood wick anyway though.

It has a decently long burn time- I feel like I have burned mine hours and hours and still have a ton of wax left to burn through. 

I forgot to show the packaging but it does come packaged in a box...so it would be perfect for gift giving. 

I also love to see that the brand is Latina owned. I love supporting a minority owned brand. 

Overall, really not my type of scent. I think if you are looking for a more unique scent that is still supposed to be Moss I would recommend Voluspa Temple Moss.  They do still have some scents that I am very curious to try like Sacred Smoke, Marigold, and the Horchata candle. I might just have to place an order one day and get the mini sizes of those to test out.

Garlicky Mashed Potatoes with Tomato and Basil and Banana Fritters

Time to knock out a post- or two. 

This week's post is not terribly exciting. I didn't really spend much time in the kitchen...which sometimes you do need a break. I think next posts recipes will be a little more involved. 

But here's what we have today.

Garlicky Mashed potatoes with tomato and basil. I've made a million mashed potatoes- and always add the same things- garlic, chicken stock/paste, black pepper, sour cream, milk. These were very different. They are a Vitamix recipe. Where they want you to put the potatoes in the Vitamix to blend. I definitely skipped that part. I don't think that's necessary at all if you have potato masher. I just made as usual and added the tomatoes and basil. Very unique flavor- and surprisingly good. But is there anything that potatoes don't go with?   Served with seasoned chicken legs and peas. For some reason I had a billion bags of peas in the freezer so I was glad to use them up.

Then Banana Fritters. I was so excited for these because I have been craving donuts. I almost even bough the old stale Krispy Kreme donuts they sell at the Shopette but didn't when I remembered this recipe. I did buy some Butter Pecan ice cream to go along with and very quickly fried up the Banana Fritters. I didn't like them. They weren't worth my fried food allowance for the month. They weren't sweet enough, I didn't like the addition of corn meal, I just didn't really like them. I used the rest of the batter to make waffles this morning and didn't think they were anything special either.  But at least the ice cream was amazing....and my ice cream craving is gone.  The picture looks sad because the Fritters tastes sad.

And that's all for this week...

Drugstore Hand Soap: Dial

I spent that last little bit catching up on 911. Both Lonestar and the OG. I can see why I fell off watching them- they just got so ridiculous. Killing Bobby off in a way that made no sense- The space storyline and a lot more that I've already forgotten about. Lonestar got tiresome because I was so tired of watching the Captain Strand show along with his family. I always want more of just about every other cast member. Except Captain Vega. She is so much like Angela Bassets character in that when I am watching I'm really just asking "How much do they have to suffer?" They really get the most sorrowful storylines. But I guess I don't have to worry about Lodestar since it was cancelled anyway.

Anywho...
 

I want to review more Luxury hand soaps- and I want to be able to recommend/compare them to drugstore options so that means I need to review more of what's in the drugstore. So I think for the next year or so I will try to stick to drugstore and use all the soaps locally available to me. I think I'll add on to this post too so it will be ongoing and I will fresh publish it each time. Or not. Not sure yet. We shall see.

Dial Spring Water Foaming Soap; Starting with Dial. The hand soap I grew up using. The Gold. Now they have a lot more varieties. I like a foaming hand soap. Not more than a bar of soap. The only thing I don't like is how quickly I use them up. And the fact that I haven't seen an earth friendly refill option locally but it is pretty easy to DIY.  This one is nice though. Nice fresh scent that I don't think anyone would dislike. 

Dial Power Berries Foaming Soap- More Dial. I don't think I like their foaming soap. If you use them on wet hands the soap just slides right off. I have to use them dry. It smells OK but most of the time I don't even notice the scent. Also--- these bottle go SO fast. They don't seem very economical. I think liquid soaps last longer-go a bit further. 

Dial White Tea

They really make the foaming soap in a ton of scents- and I just saw the Fresh Pear at the store so I'll probably pick that up next. Just like the previous two I go through them so fast since I need four pumps to get a decent lather going to wash my hands. So I use it up extremely fast and it just doesn't end up being worth the price.  The scent on this is OK. It smells a little tropical- like coconut and mothballs. I can only smell the mothballs sometimes though. 

I'm sure I will be back and adding lots more to this post..

If you like hand soaps as much as I do- stay tuned! 

Tracie Spencer

Quick music post- because I didn't really get any sleep last night and I'm using all the energy I don't have to cook. 

The 90's gave us a lot of young talented women- Brandy, Monica, Aaliyah, Tracie.... And I'm sre many more I am forgetting about. I feel like Tracie is very underatted. Or maybe she just had one real banger. Tender Kisses was that song. I don't really remember hearing this song when I was younger- it was one I came across when I got older. And I missed out. 

I love, love, love this song.

Wish the quality was better- but who can forget her singing this with Eddie Winslow? 

And of course- live. Sounding just like the record. Except for the rogue background singer.

Stunning vocals. I wish she had more songs with this vibe. 

Beekman Pure Goat Milk Soap Review

 I had movie night last night and did a re-watch of Boyz N The Hood. I watched the movie once- years and years ago and then never watched it again. It's good enough to watch over and over. It might be one of the best coming of age stories out there. But it's a heavy movie. Lately on social media the thing is to use the saxophone clip to short videos- the same one that Ricky is basically shot too...and it's so traumatizing. Every time I hear that music I get the imagery of Ricky running- I skip those videos so quickly. Who made that a thing?  But anyway, I'm glad I re-watched it and now I don't need to watch it for another 10 or so years.

In the meantime- soap. 

Beekman claims:

This natural, triple-milled goat milk bar soap is the first product we ever created, and it's now our #1 best seller with over 60 million bars sold! 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:

• 100% vegetable soap base that gets you squeaky-clean–without the squeak
• 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
• made in USA

Anytime I get my hands on a fragrance fee soap I just demote them to a facial soap. I bought a ton of Beekman soaps and reviewed them all- except this one. It's probably not one I would have bought- but I do like goat milk soap. I like it for the face-  so here we are. Most of the Beekman soap line I was unimpressed with. The scents just don't really hit for me.  This won't have that problem.

So..it's goat milk soap. And goat milk is supposed to be excellent for the skin. It's moisturizing, a bit exfoliating, matches the PH of skin, and nutrient rich. Why wouldn't you want to put it on your skin? 

I like this soap- I don't think it's remarkable. I don't think it stands out as any other facial soap I've used on my face. But it hasn't caused any problems either. 

It's not too drying, gets of all my makeup off, lathers well, rinses clean. Doesn't trigger any skin problems. 

Ingredients: 

Sodium Palmate, Sodium Cocoate and/or Palm Kernelate, Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Caprae Lac (Goat Milk), Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Cocoyl Threoninate, Sodium Chloride, Pentasodium Pentetate, Tetrasodium Etidronate.

Overall, not bad. I probably won't buy again just because there are so many other brands/soaps to try. But if you like bar soaps as facial soaps and you like goat milk- it might be worth a try. 

Alberto V05 Island Coconut Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner Review

My last shampoo lasted me forever so after what seems like ages- I finally needed to pick up something else. The last few i[ I bought were more on the high end side so I decided to take it back to budget friendly and went to my old favorite - Alberto Culver. I used to love the conditioner and went though multiple bottles. It was something I used nearly every day. My favorite was the Strawberries and Cream. I haven't had a bottle in years and wanted to try something different- so here we are reviewing the Coconut.

Alberto claims:

Alberto VO5's unique formula blended with the Power of Five vitamins and natural oils provides beautiful soft, shiny hair. That’s the secret of VO5.

VO5 Island Coconut Moisturizing Shampoo is designed to cleanse dry hair while helping maintain moisture balance and softness. The hydrating formula works to remove buildup from the hair and scalp while supporting a smooth, manageable feel. The coconut-inspired scent provides a light fragrance that enhances the overall cleansing experience. The shampoo lathers easily and rinses clean, leaving hair feeling refreshed and prepared for conditioning. Suitable for daily or regular use, it can be incorporated into a complete hair care routine for dry hair types. Packaged in a 15 oz bottle, it offers a convenient size for home use. Apply to wet hair, massage into a lather, and rinse thoroughly according to the directions provided.

Made in Canada

I've used a ton of coconut shampoo over the years. From brands like Organix, Lush, Bumble and Bumble, and Suave. Every brand seems to have a Coconut line. I can't say I am particularly into Coconut Hair stuff but I always seem to end up with them. 

So we shall start with the scent. I don't particularly love Coconut Hair products- there are a few exceptions. Many of them tend to smell a bit sour and can go south in the hair. This doesn't smell bad- but it has a bit of a sour scent to it and I don't particularly love it in my hair. It smells very familiar though-- maybe it reminds me Suave's scent but it's been a couple years since I used that one.  This works a lot better in my hair than anything Suave ever has. 

The shampoo is fine. It lathers and bubbles like crazy and when it rinses it does leave my hair feeling a bit tangled and a bit too squeaky clean feeling. The only complaint I have is that I seem to be going through it quite quickly. I'm not sure that it's because it's isn't concentrated- I think the packaging just dispenses too much product. I've been going through both the shampoo and conditioner very quickly.

I like the conditioner. I feel like it really puts back what the shampoo stripped of my hair. It feels moisturizing, has slip,  and helps with detangling. My hair never feels dry once I am done with this duo. 

The main thing I look for in a shampoo and conditioner is silicone free. Mainly Dimethicone. And microplastics. I don't truly know all of the microplastic derived ingredients but I don't think there are any in this. It also has a few other goodies which is surprising at the price point. 

Shampoo Ingredients: 

Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Fragrance, Sodium Benzoate, Polyquaternium-7, Glycol Stearate, Clycol Distearate, Citric Acid, Disodium Edta, Glycerin, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Polysorbate 20, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Oil, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Biotin (Vitamin H), Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Benzophenone-4

Conditioner: 

Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearalkonium Chloride, Cetrimonium Chloride Fragrance, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Distearate, Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Disodium Edta, Glycerin, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 20, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Biotin (Vitamin H), Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Shea Butter, Benzophenone-4

Overall, for the price it's a bargain. I really liked it- except the scent. I wouldn't buy this scent again but I would pick up another a different one.