Tracy Chapman

 I'm so glad tomorrow is Friday. In the meantime, a quick music post. 

I was late to listening to Tracy Chapman. I pretty much never heard any of her songs growing up. I really didn't listen to anything of hers recently. I want to take a deep dive into her discography because I feel like I am missing some gems. 

In the meantime- Fast Car. I kept hearing the remake on the radio recently- and it took a couple of listens but it really started growing on me. I googled it and the original came up. Had no idea it was remake. Listened to the remake and became a little obsessed. I think I've seen every live performance of this song. 

I love it. It just feels very American. A little sad- but hopeful.

I really want to listen to the rest of her discography and I will. I just need to make time for it.

In the meantime, I'm going to really try not to post every live performance of this song.

Last one, I promise.

So beautifully talented. I really cannot wait to dig into her discography. 

Samples Review: Maison Louis Marie No. 15 Vanille Infinite Parfum and Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk

 

 

Vanilla Perfumes have been pretty popular for a little while now. There was a time years ago that I was a little obsessed with Vanilla everything too- but then I moved on and forgot. I think it was mostly when I was using stuff from The Body Shop. This reminds me of the scent of one of one the body butters from them actually and a candle I had from Granado not too long ago. I wouldn't say this is my favorite vanilla scent- I don't love the top notes. I had to look it up and I guess they are Citron and Jasmine. There is also supposed Heliotrope, Tonka Bean, Sugared Amber,  Cashmere Oud,  Vanilla Flower, and Cloud Musk. I don't know exactly what I don't love about it but the vanilla part I do love. It's just not my blend. But I was really glad to have this sample. It comes in a hair and body mist, travel size, perfume oil, and candle so if you do love it, you have options. 

I think the Armani Foundation is one that is stocked in a lot of makeup-artist kits. At least probably celebrity red carpet artist. It's probably an amazing foundation- but I don't have any plans to purchase it myself anytime soon. The smell and texture really remind me of a foundation I had years and years ago from L'oreal. The HIP line in particular. I loved that foundation. It was amazing. Probably too red in undertone for me- but I liked adding red tones to my skin. I got this as a free sample from Macy's. My last package from them was very generous. I got a full sized eye cream completely free too. 

But back to the foundation. It's a darker shade- but I would still need a deeper shade to match my skin. I tried to wear it one day and I'm pretty sure I looked extra ashy and grey. Since then I mixed most of it into a pot with my current foundation and somehow ended up with the perfect shade for me.  So I'm not reviewing the foundation as is. I like the finish- I think what I mix it with makes it a bit shiny at the end of the day.  But this seems to have a very natural finish. I also like the coverage and how thin it feels/goes on. I'm sure it's an excellent foundation- maybe one day I will try it. But for now I have a few bottles and other things I want to try before I would purchase this. So far- not mad at the sample. I have it in Shade 9- I'll definitely be getting a deeper shade but not quite sure which would be my perfect match. I just know this isn't it- although it was really great to mix in with my current foundation that is a little too deep for me. 

Essie Partner in Crime Nail Polish Review

ignore the bad paint job- i literally painted them in the dark 😬

 I definitely meant to review this last week (or years ago) because this is a long discontinued shade. 

Essie claims:

a dark chocolate brown creme nail polish with subtle mahogany undertones. 

from the 2014 Nails to Kilt Collection.

This was my stand in for a black nail polish for years. Because it's so dark/deep it mostly passes for black. It only looks a little brown in the pictures/bottle. I love brown nail polish though- it just looks sophisticated. Maybe not this one in particular. But others I have seen.

This is from 2014 so this is definitely an older shade. I've probably had it since then. I don't pay much attention to nail polish collections- I think I grabbed this in TJ Maxx on clearance. I didn't have any shades similar to it so I thought it would be a nice  one to add to the collection. 

I'm glad I picked it up. I just wish it was more noticeably brown instead of just off black/ brown undertones.

It's a thicker polish-and very pigmented. I like to do two coats but you can get away with one. I usually like a sheerer polish that you have to build up over 2-3 thin coats.. I find them more forgiving. But this one is nice. Essie always wears the best on my nails- I usually get around 2-3 days of chip free wear. Could be a little more or less depending on the quality of the base coat/top coat though.

I almost forgot- I do really like it as a pedicure color too!

If I do ever finish it I wouldn't look for a replacement bottle- but I would pick up another brown polish (hopefully more brown than black) since I am a fan of brown.

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!