Mac 137 Brush Review

 I just ordered myself some cookie cutters- in case I wanted to make some Christmas cookies this year. I have always wanted to do it..but laziness and I haven't had the tools. I bought a few Halloween ones and a decent sized pack of Christmas ones. Maybe this will be the year I make some. I even bought a few Halloween things- mostly dishes. I think each year I'm gonna give myself a budget and slowly build some holiday items to feel a bit more festive. 

But back to the review. I really thought I have reviewed this brush years ago. Then I was going through my collection- and nope. I did not. 

I bought this when MAC was slowly changing to all synthetic brushes. I prefer my brushes to be non-synthetic. Mainly because I am sick and tired of absolutely everything being made of plastic. I don't need plastic brushes. But I should thank MAC because once the brushes went synthetic, I stopped wanting to collect them all. 

These days you can still get the brush- it's just synthetic. 

MAC claims:

An ultra-soft tapered blending powder brush for a light dusting of any powder.

I can already tell you I have had it for years and I don't usually reach for it. I mostly stick to my favorites and then occasionally force myself to rotate other brushes in. 

I think this brush is more useful to those that are heavy handed and need to use a lighter hand in application. Have you ever seen the bronzer helmet look where someone applies so much bronzer in the wrong shade and it ends up looking like a helmet or dirt on their face? I very much dislike that look. Bronzer should just make you look sun-kissed without looking like a patch of makeup. But yeah..this brush helps with heavy handedness. Or maybe you have products that are a bit too pigmented. Mainly because the brushes are a bit more floppy than others and it doesn't pick up too much. I don't have that problem. I think mostly because my skin is pigmented and melanated and it's harder for me to apply too much. 

It works ok for bronzing/blush/ maybe a really light dusting of powder. But it's never been my go to or one I think of grabbing. I was looking for a video I remember seeing of the brush from MAC where they used it for highlight. I tried it with highlight and I didn't particularly like it. But maybe it's a skill thing. And I don't wear much highlight anyway....

It's a very unique shape and I don't really have anything too similar to it. Maybe only the Royal and Langnickel Omnia Highlighter brush. 

Overall, it really isn't a must have in my collection- but maybe iI'll run into a bronzer or a blush one day where it becomes the go to. I'm not mad that it's in my collection..I just very much so prefer other brushes over it. 

Molton Brown Orange and Bergamot Body Wash Review

 I wasn't sure if I was going to watch- but I'm kinda happy I did. I'm a big fan of the original show- and I did go to "Hillman" University. It really was a walk down memory lane and some memories I had long forgotten about came flooding back. Also..I'm really happy that we have another show highlighting HBCU's and hopefully the show can do what the original did back then and get more youth interested in attending. Also...I very much so enjoyed the handsome men in the show. Although...well I won't finish that thought.

Let's talk Shower Gel.

Molton Brown claims:

Our original iconic shower gel, vibrantly filled with uplifting notes of fresh orange, blossoming neroli and enduring musk.

I almost forgot that Molton was a brand I really wanted to revisit. I really enjoyed the scents I tried before and when I saw the sampler kit- it was an immediate add to cart and check out. This particular set gives me 10 to try- or 7 since I have used three of them before but I'm happy to have them again.

I recently wanted to treat myself to a nice hand wash so I ordered the Orange and Bergamot Hand soap. I LOVE IT. So I was really excited to test out the shower gel version.

They definitely smell different- but I still really like them both. The scent is literally orange and bergamot. The orange note is so nice because it smells like authentic orange. So many orange scents tend to be candy-like. I like those too- but I love how authentic this is. Then there is the bergamot. I've gone through a few bottles of Bergamot essential oil and the middle/base note is real and authentic bergamot. It's a very calming, uplifting and relaxing scent. I really, really enjoyed it..every last drop. And I would definitely purchase a full size one day- after I finish the sample set and also try out some of the other scents. The Tea Ceremony and Rose Dune scent are especially tempting to me. 

The scent is a medium strength. If I use enough it will linger around the bathroom. I kinda wish it was just a bit stronger though.. 

But it lathers nicely, doesn't dry my skin, and rinses clean. 

It has a lot of ingredients in it- shower gels usually do. It does have actual orange peel oil in it..always nice to see.

Ingredients: 

Water / Aqua / Eau, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Limonene, Fragrance / Parfum, Sodium Chloride, Coco-Glucoside, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Polyquaternium-7, Laureth-7 Citrate, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Amyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Eugenol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Tocopherol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Peg-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Ppg-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate.

If I ever opened up a bed and breakfast- this scent is what I would choose to stock the bathrooms with. At least as the daytime scent. I would probably stock Lush Sleepy as the PM shower gel.  Idk why I think that- I would never open up an actual bed n breakfast but it's fun to imagine.

Lanvin Eclat D' Arpege Eau De Parfum Review

I had a most goofy day yesterday. I did a load of laundry only to discover when the load was done that I had forgotten to add detergent. So I had to rewash it. Then I made orange chicken (my favorite) and forgot I had already added chili paste to it, so I also added red pepper flakes and made extra spicy orange chicken. It was good..just kinda shocking how hot it was. Luckily that was mostly the end. I think I just need to catch up on sleep. Anyway...today I have a perfume review. I bought this one while I was in the states and brought it back with me. I always try to bring one back with me- not that I couldn't have ordered it here. 

Lanvin claims: 

Eclat d’Arpège by Lanvin is a Floral Fruity fragrance for women. Eclat d’Arpège was launched in 2002. The nose behind this fragrance is Karine Dubreuil-Sereni. The fragrance features Green Lilac, Tea Leaf, Peony, Peach Blossom, Musk, Wisteria, Petitgrain, Chinese Osmanthus, Cedar and Amber.

Eclat d’Arpège is classified as fruity-floral. Lanvin revives the musical theme of his legendary Arpege perfume. The composition is delicate, fragile and angelic. Eclat d’Arpège’s first accords are green lilac and Sicilian lemon leaves which transports us to the first day of spring. Summer’s near , flowers are in full bloom, the scent is more intense, it’s a wisteria blossom that blooms at perfume’s heart, accentuated by lush peach blossom and sensual red peony. Airy green tea leaves are refreshing. The base’s white cedar of Lebanon, gentle musk and precious amber are like an enveloping caress. The nose behind Eclat d’Arpège is Karine Dubreuill who created this perfume in 2002.

I don't know too much about the brand- except that it's been around for quite awhile- 1889. 

I paid a lot more for it than I should have- I just noticed that on the website I usually buy from they have the bottle for just shy of 50 euro while I paid upwards of 100. It pays to shop around which I wish now I would have done. Because I think the 50 price range is about all it's really worth. 

This has been around a bit longer than I expected. Came out in 2002. For some reason I thought it was newer. According the notes- it's a floral. Kinda reminds me of Marc Jacobs Daisy. It's a floral but it doesn't immediately scream floral when I got to put it on. Maybe because it's a very fresh floral. Not a category I feel I come across a lot. 

When I first got it, I really liked it. But as I kept wearing it, it really kinda fades into the background and just becomes...there. I think it's very inoffensive though and very easy to wear everyday.. Ifyou like a light fresh floral scent maybe this could be worth a try. Just don't pay as much as I did. 

It has a lot of notes to it that I am sure I have never come across before....like Green Lilac, and Wisteria. Other notes I am sure I have seen before. 

I'm not sure if it has lasting  power or if I just go nose blind to it. But usually around the 3-4 hour mark I don't really smell it anymore but it's very much a "skin" scent and doesn't really project.  It can be a little generic and forgettable but also the safe choice for everyday. It's not headache including whatsoever. 

The most unique about it is the packaging. I was surprised when I saw it...almost everything I have bought so far comes in a box. And while I like the packaging, it's very unique...it's probably a waste of plastic so I would still prefer a box that I can chuck in the recycle. I will probably keep this along with the bottle because I don't want to throw it out quite yet. 

Overall, I do still want to get my hands on the original Arpege. That's the one I was supposed to try---I do still plan on trying it eventually but I wouldn't buy this again. It's just not really the kind of perfume I go for.

A Tribe Called Quest

 I wish I was more of a hip hop head. I know a little bit...but the songs I know really barely scratch the surface. I really like A Tribe Called Quest. They have a lot more songs than just this one song I'm sharing today...but this is my favorite, favorite song by the group

What a time, I really miss this period of music......

Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Pasta and Chicken and Ham Pie

This past week was a week of cooking food, food. Which I always appreciate because then I don't struggle trying to think of things to make. 

Starting with pasta. I love making a big pasta dish because it makes so much and the leftovers mean I can skip cooking a few extra days. I didn't follow the instructions exactly. But this dish was just..OK. Fine for a weekday dinner but not something I would make again. It didn't even begin to touch the Alfredo I made a couple of a weeks ago. But that also took a lot more work since I made the pasta myself. This was fine though...

Next up...Chicken and Ham Pie. Except...no ham. Just chicken.  And I really just did my own thing when I made this. Basically I made a chicken pot pie...with leftover puff pastry I made a couple of weeks ago. Maybe not the best looking pot pie I have ever made- but it was really good. I always try to make at least one every fall and winter. I got this recipe from the  Unofficial Harry Potter cookbook. And now I am finally moving on to the next section- which is desserts. It has a few candy recipes- which seem like they would be fun- but I don't love to make candy and I don't really have any candy gloves that would prevent me from burning my hands. So I'll probably skip those. 

And...I have finally started making matcha. It's something I wanted to do for years. My first matcha was from Starbucks and I thought it was absolutely disgusting. A few years ago I bought a set with the bowl, a whisk, and the scoop. But I didn't buy the actual matcha. I ended up buying Hojicha first- which I think I like more than matcha. But I've been having fun discovering exactly how I like my matcha made and actually drinking it. Yay me. I think I'll take a break and go back to traditional tea but I'll definitely try to rotate in and explore different matcha.

Kalastayle Soap Co. Swedish Dream Seaweed Soap Review

 Actually I'm not too sure what the brand name is supposed to be on this...it's confusing. But here we are trying a new brand...of which I have done an excellent job of this year. I bought this off Anthropologie- I think I was trying to make the minimum shipping as well as I was just very interested in giving this brand a whirl. It uses Swedish marketing (and some bars use Icelandic marketing)  but it's definitely a US brand. 

Kalastyle claims: 

Active marine algae extracted from select seaweeds act as a protective moisturizer for the skin. Seaweed is a gentle clarifier, removing impurities while leaving the skin ultra-fresh, clean & soft. These skin-boosting properties combined with our lightly floral, beachy scent make this a classic, top-selling bar.

Seaweed is: hydrating + nourishing 

Notes: a warm summer breeze with a hint of gentle florals

Key Ingredients: sustainable palm oil (RSPO certified), red algae, seaweed extracts.

made in usa

Many of their bars have a star ingredient that they seem to revolve around. This one being seaweed. You can find quite a bit of Seaweed skincare things- The Body Shop has a seaweed line for oily/combination skin that has been around ages. Lush has/had a seaweed mask, bath bombs,  and a few soaps that used it. It's really supposed to be an amazing ingredient for the skin.

I'm not sure how much it really does for your skin in a rinse off product- but I did notice my skin was really soft using this and not very dry at all. 

The only thing I didn't much care for was the scent. Floral beachy sounds like something I would love but it really reminds me of a baking soda carpet refresher I had from Arm and Hammer. It's not a bad scent at all...it's just not my cup of tea and I don't want to be reminded of carpet refresher. Mostly I would end up going nose blind to it anyway- it just seems to fade into the background after you bubble it up. I really wanted to love it though..and I wouldn't be surprised if most other people do. I can just be very picky sometimes.

Ingredients are fine. It is very annoying that they don't list the ingredients on the website- which they definitely should do...I would be interested in ordering from their website if I could see what the ingredients were supposed to be.

Ingredients

sodium  palmate, sodium palm kernelate, water, glycerin, sodium gluconate, red algae extract, seaweed extract x2, sorbitol, sodium benzoate, salt, parsley powder, palm acid, sodium chloride, palm kernel acid, titanium dioxide, fragrance 

It will run you 9 dollars for 4 oz...it's not cheap. But I do like that it's under $10. Wouldn't be a repurchase for me---but I am still looking forward to trying other variations from the brand. I also really need to try to get my hands on some actual Swedish beauty brands- I think that would be fun.