The Spinners

 

I know why I haven't wanted to post anything- its the heat. I cannot take the heat this summer. It's like sitting in a sauna. Luckily I have old AC..I just need the window kit before I can set it up. Hoping it comes tomorrow- but more than likely won't get it til Wednesday. 

In the meantime..I will finish this post.

The Spinners are one of my favorite groups of all time.. My Dad loves them (I think) so he played them a lot. I know a lot of their songs. 

We shall start with The Rubberband Man.  I really have no idea what this song is about- but I love it. Judging from the views- it get's a lot of love. Rightfully so. I wonder if they know what this song is about? 👀

Mighty love might be my favorite! I think this one was on the Crooklyn soundtrack. I need to check. For years I thought this was a love song. Then one day I really listened to the lyrics- and no. Hilarious and they still amuse me years later. I mean " Once there was a boy and girl, the boy said I love you so. The girl said I'll never leave you, they grew older and left each other, cause that's the way love goes." I was flabbergasted when I heard that.

Ok, I lied. The last song isn't my favorite. Because this one is. Where are the views?? This one is a classic. I listen to this and go through all the feels- like I went through with this. I love, love, love it. The Dance moves about took me out though...cause this song doesn't even need all of that 😂 Actually, bummer because I can't embed the live version. But you should check it out on youtube. 

I'm not always in the mood for this one- but when I am. It' goes hard. It kinda reminds of something Rose Royce would do. 

I didn't always love Sadie. This is the one I wanted to be skipped as a kid. Now- I love it!  Love a grandma tribute song. It's in the same category as Grandma's Hands by Bill Withers. My great grandma's name was Sadie. I never met her but I thought that was so cool when I found out. 

I almost forgot about Games People Play. To be honest I never can remember this until I listen and then I remember why it's on my Spinners playlist. 

I first heard Phyllis Hyman's version of this song. Then of course I had to listen to the OG and I can't pick a favorite. I really love this one. I think I might prefer Phyllis but I have to have both of them. Now I have to go give her version a listen. 

We still have quite a few songs to go. Next, I'll be Around. My Jam. Feel Good Music. Also gotta appreciate a man singing about being dependable. 

I Love the Way this performance was filmed. I have definitely made my own remixes to this song. And they have all been a hot mess. But I love this song. They sound so good! 

Another one that was filmed amazingly. Great performance. This definitely has that "Spinner" sound. Unmistakably so. It does sound like their other songs but it still stands on it's own for me. 

Ghetto Child is one of those songs that tells a story. And it's worth a listen. I love this one. I know I have a lot of favorite's here - but this is top five. 

Last song. But not least And then I need to get ready to go to bed. I've been jamming...not even paying much attention to the time. That's how much I love all these songs.

And that's it. We finally made it to the end. Listening to all of these just reaffirms that they definitely are a  top five favorite groups of all time for me  .Give them a listen! 

Hummus and Grilled Vegetable Pizza, Thin Crust Vitamix Pizza Dough, Black Bean Salsa

 It's definitely too soon for a food post since I just did one. But I need to post these rather than sitting on them so I can make my grocery list for tomorrow. 

Today was basically a veggie week. Almost. Except for the chicken/turkey salami I put on my second pizza. 

Starting with A Hummus and Grilled Veggie Pizza. Surprisingly good. And vegan without using any weird vegan substitutes. I made the hummus and crust a few days before. Made a ton of hummus so I actually just chucked the rest in the freezer to eat another week. I bought the exact veggies in the recipe- zucchini, shiitake mushroom, yellow squash, and red pepper. I added garlic powder and chipotle powder to kick the flavor up a notch. If you need a vegan pizza this would be great option.

Next up was a thin crust recipe for pizza. Came from the Vitamix book and I can tell you it isn't my favorite pizza crust recipe. It was too wet. Had to add a ton more flour. Which diluted the salt a little too much. Wouldn't make it again. It did better after sitting a few days though. I made a chicken/turkey salami pizza. Yum! Also whipped up my own pizza sauce.  I prolly could have taken a better picture. I was really in the mood for square shaped pizza this week I guess...

And last up..black bean salsa. Just the type of summer recipe I needed and didn't know. I use some black beans I had already cooked and frozen awhile back. Added everything as per the recipe. I ate mine with cous cous and then the last two days I used some of the filling with cheddar to make a black bean burrito. Love it and perfect way to use up those frozen black beans. I probably could have taken a better pic. Whoops! 

Not a bad cooking week for me! 

Shopping Rules For Me

 I took an unplanned break from blogging. Mostly because I have been too lazy to take pics for the next post I want to do. But I need to do a food post so I can figure out what I'm making this next week- although I really should try to save money by doing a fridge/freezer/pantry clean out. I tend to buy so many more groceries than what I really need and store a lot of it in the freezer. 

But back to this. I want to set some shopping rules for me...and writing them down helps me to revisit and remember the rules I made. Kinda.if not I can always reference this post. 

I only really have two rules...but it's a good start.

1. No more Polyester. I hate polyester clothes and I try to avoid them. I read labels religiously but somehow still end up with polyester. I hate it for the most part. It's like wearing a plastic bag. Even the mixes. Because it's also so very hard to clean. I have been breaking my own rules over and over. In fact, I just recently bought the cutest sweater that's about half poly. But..I'm done now. Also...it's probably better for the environment to avoid buying because it can leech micro plastics. I'm more OK with Nylon but mostly prefer to avoid that too. Of course for some things like bathing suits...impossible to avoid. I will keep some of my half poly sweaters for now--but eventually I plan to cycle them out.

2. If it doesn't come in my shoe size- don't buy it. I wear size 10.5. Except for some reason shoes some in all half sizes EXCEPT 10.5. So often times I size down. Rarely I will size up. With the last pair of shoes I sized up and shouldn't have, I have started having heel pain. So from now on I will only buy shoes that come in size 10.5. If they don't come in my size I'm not spending my money! 

3. Looking for for natural materials. I've done a research into the decline of clothing quality. Fabric, construction- all have taken a hit. I have bought so many fast fashion, clothes that fall apart or pill in one wash and I am tired of it. Bad news is we are polluting our earth! So I will try really hard to find clothing made of natural materials when I can. Wool, cotton, etc. These materials also degrade so they won't stay on the earth not decomposing forever and ever.  Also...just have natural materials aren't enough. I kept shopping from Torrid and my clothes from them keep on fading, pilling, and falling apart. It was awhile before I realized most of the clothing quality is horrible! The only thing I love from them our the swimsuits....everything else. Meh! 

4. It's OK to spend on quality. I tend to love a deal and look for the cheapest of the cheap. But I have to tell myself it's ok to splurge on something if the quality is high and materials are good. I splurged on a really nice wool coat last winter- it was gorgeous. Unfortunately I need to pay better attention to care labels because I also ruined the coat after not even having it a month. I think I've learned my lesson.  Or at least I really hope I did. It was a very expensive lesson. 

5.  Buy the sewing machine! I have decided I am going to buy a sewing machine and teach myself to sew. I want to learn to alter and repurpose some of my own clothes. I plan on getting it after the summer..maybe I'll get it for myself as a Christmas gift. Or sometimes in the fall once I have taken all my "vacations". We shall see! 

And that's it. As I think of more I will probably update this....

Great Hall Bacon and Cheesy Chive Eggs, Red Velvet Cake, Greek Chicken Pockets

 Usually I do a few posts on Friday...and I think today we just have one. I'm too lazy to take pics of a foundation I want to review..and I really need to fix my eyebrows. They have been a mess for a few weeks. And I always say I'm going to do it tomorrow.

Anyway...here's what I made this week! 

I am still working through the breakfast recipes that would be served in the Great Hall in the Unofficial Harry Potter book. I think there are only two more to go! I actually really enjoyed this breakfast. They had a recipe for crispy bacon...and so I bought some Beef Bacon. I try not to eat it very often because I try to limit cured meats. But it was really good. And then I made the cheesy chive eggs. A little bit of heavy cream, shredded mozzarella, and chives makes for very delicious scrambled eggs! I ate mine with fresh strawberries, pomegranate tea, and some slices of fresh tomatoes. Part of this complete breakfast! And since I made the eggs, I have eaten them the exact same way at least three times. So it's fair to say I like them. 

Then this recipe wasn't in my list to make next- but I have wanted to make a red velvet cake for a few years. My grandma made the best Red Velvet cakes! Really the very best. I associate Red Velvet with my grandma and any red velvet cake I've tried has never quite measured up. I think most people make it from the box and I can tell. I am a bit of a self admitted cake snob. I made this recipe and it is not exact but it is sooo close to my grandmas. It made me so happy to bite into it. I just free-styled the icing. I use less sugar in the icing and added vanilla bean and vanilla extract. I should have added pecans because my grandma did that but I had been in the kitchen for hours at that point doing a couple of other things so I was ready to be done! But really fantastic and classic red velvet cake. I only have one other cake to make-since my goal is four. I'm not sure what flavor- maybe orange or lemon? 

I tried to ice it as a Naked cake to cut down on the icing a little. 

And last up- Greek Chicken Pockets. This was a Vitamix recipe that I really didn't follow. There are so many recipes in that book that should not use a blender. So I don't. I bought my very first Rotisserie chicken- I've had them plenty just never purchased my own. I even made Stock from it. So you make a Tzatziki. And then assemble the pocket. I made the flat bread myself. Then add the sauce, rotisserie chicken, olives, red onion, and lettuce. I think that was it. So good! I really need to get a Greek cookbook...because I'm a fan of Greek food. The only thing it was missing was feta. I messed up the pic-shoulda took a pic of the inside...Whoops! 

And that's all for this week! 

Miss Jessie's Honey Curls Hair Gelee Review

 I'm trying to convince myself to start baking. It's just so hot I really don't wanna run the oven. But I really want to make a cake. I think I'll do two more posts and then get in the kitchen to get started and hopefully some of the heat has dissipated. 

Miss Jessie's claims:

Oh, honey! Miss Jessie’s® has whipped up an excellent curl enhancer for you and your curls. The curl enhancer for wavy hair is handcrafted with love and enriched by Mother Nature’s natural nectar – honey! Honey is a natural ingredient that hydrates and locks in moisture. Our curl enhancer adds a natural hold without weighing the hair down. Inspired by our grandmother’s attention to detail, we blended Miss Jessie’s® Honey Curls™ curl enhancer to a perfect consistency to be spreadably smooth for maximum coverage without any greasy build-up. 

Miss Jessie’s® took extra time to create this new sweet almond oil-enriched styling emulsion that provides conditioning hold, moisture, and all-day shiny softness. The best curl enhancer for wavy hair. Just glide Miss Jessie’s® Honey Curls™ all over your hair and let your curls soak up the sweet feel of natural and curly perfection. This is the perfect choice if you’re looking for an all-natural curl enhancer with gentle ingredients! 

Made in USA

I'm no stranger to Miss Jessie's. I've used a few of their products- my fave being the Multi-Cultural curls. Since I liked that so much, I'm a little more open to trying more. And how can I resist something named Honey Curls?

The price isn't terrible- which is another thing that makes me more willing to try them. She used to sell the largest sizes at the highest prices. They have since come down and though this still isn't cheap it's a bit more reasonable.

 The texture is a gel cream. Seems to be a popular texture for curl products these days. It does leave my hair kinda dry though. So a moisturizing leave-in conditioner underneath it is a must. It goes on clear for the most part and dries fast.

I get definition and slightly stretched out curls. Just the teeniest bit. Which is different from most products that encourage more shrinkage. For the most part, I like it.

Almost forgot to mention the scent. So many of her products smell like laundry detergent which is a scent I hate in haircare/skincare/candles. This has a nice fresh scent that isn't too heavy and dissipates quickly.

It isn't greasy..nor heavy.

The ingredients are OK. It has honey (of course) and sweet almond oil. I'm not thrilled with all the acrylate/methyl acrylate, polymer type, pvp type of ingredients which would probably prevent me from repurchasing. I just don't think they are really good for the hair. 

Ingredients:

Water, Sorbitol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Acrylates/Steareth-20, Methacrylate Copolymor, Glycerin, PVP, Polysorbate-20, Carbomer, Fragrance (Perfume), Disodium EDTA, Honey, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Ethylhexlglycerin, Glycerth-2 Cocoate, Yellow 5, Yellow 6

Overall, it's fine. I didn't have any issue with it. I think I still prefer the Multi-Cultural Curls. There are other stylers I would repurchase instead of this and that's mostly due to ingredients.  But I would still try more from the line.

Samples Review: Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream, Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask

The weather has changed. Out of nowhere it has HOT. I'm actually considering seeing if I can hook up my air conditioning to avoid some of the heat that is already collecting in my place. But anywho....today we've got two little samples here...and I have a third Laneige Toner but I haven't cracked into it yet. I'll definitely review it once I start using it though...

 Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturizer

I got a deluxe sample of this from Sephora. I haven't tried a lot of Korean Skincare- but I know it's still all the rage. It is made in Korea and the regular size comes in a refillable pot. So it's a bit kinder to the environment. That being said, it's not for me. It adds a little too much hydration to my skin that is oily combination. I feel like if I put makeup on top I really need to powder it down. I also couldn't tell if it was making my skin break out, I got the hugest pimple when I started using it and then little white heads. Also my skin seemed to feel smoother before I started using it.  I've been using it a few weeks now and no more reactions now. I also don't really love all the acrylates and dimethicones in the ingredients. Not really a product for me. But glad I got to try it. 

Next up, the "sleeping mask". I saw these everywhere at one point. You are supposed to wear it overnight while you sleep. Nevermind that you can do the same with basically any lip balm. And I usually do when I remember. I have the little sampler in the berry scent. Which I thought I didn't like the scent at first but it's actually OK. I barely smell it once I put it on. It's a very thick and glossy product.It's also very expensive and I don't think it's worth the price- nor the hype. I think I would like it better if it was more reasonably priced. Maybe if you have problematic lips? I also am not a fan of the extremely long ingredients list- although it does have some goodies in it like the coconut oil, murmur butter, and shea butter. I can't see myself purchasing it. The free sample was fine. The original pot doesn't seem to be refillable. I wish I could tell if it was glass or plastic...hmmm.

And that's all! I'll probably be back with at least one more post later on today....

Sounds of Blackness

 With Juneteenth tomorrow, today is the perfect day to post this group. I grew up on Sounds of Blackness. Usually my family played the Sounds of Blackness Christmas album right after the Kirk Franklin album. The other albums were played quite regularly too.

So I have a few songs by them. 

First Up- Hold On Pt 2. I'm not gonna lie- this song scared me as a kid. Learning anything about slavery was a the worst horror story for me. And this is a Negro Spiritual. They can be hard to listen to, because I think of all the terror, pain, horror my ancestors have gone through. I would not have made it.  They just captured something in this song. I love this song now. I'm glad my parents exposed me to this genre of music as a kid.  I wish there was a live clip of this one on youtube. 

Can't have Part 2 without part 1. I think this was made to bring cohesiveness to the album.Their Africa to America album was truly a masterpiece. 

 

Sun Up to Sun Down isn't characterized as a Negro Spiritual - it's an African American Traditional Work Song. But this still scared me as a child. I do keep it in my iTunes library. I just can't delete it. 

Livin The Blues'. A classic song...I really like this song. This song is a history lesson. Honestly probably needs a few more verses to bring it up to date. 

Really, this whole album is THAT ALBUM. I need to redownload some of these songs...I just put on "I'm Going All the Way" Lyrics are speaking to me. "Whatever It Takes to Make it- I'm Going All the Way, I may be down sometimes, I won't be down always."  I still know almost all the lyrics for this album and I haven't heard it what years!  This really is a very motivational, spiritual album. 

And last up- Soul Holiday. Christmas can't happen without me listening to this one.  I will be listening  every Christmas for the rest of my life.

I feel like this group doesn't get the props they should- and that's a shame! 

Megababe Rosy Pitts Daily Deodorant Review

 I have been experimenting with a lot of natural deoderants- some are great. Most are not so great. I bought from this brand before-I had the cream deo. Which seemed more like pitt skincare than actual deodorant. It's not the worst brand- but for the money it doesn't really that well.

Megababe claims:

A clean deodorant that swipes on clear and actually works? Meet Rosy Pits Daily Deodorant!

This best-selling deo has been gently updated with additional odor-fighting and skin-boosting ingredients. Enzymes and extracts break down odor and absorb wetness without aluminum or baking soda. Antioxidant-rich botanicals give delicate underarm skin a boost while willow bark, oatmeal and amino acids combine to restore, soothe and hydrate. The water-based formula glides on like a dream — no tugging and no sticky residue!

Best of all, the fresh, rosy scent will have you sniffing your pits all day long!

Looking for more rosy in your life? Check out Rosy Pits Scented Candle

Awards: 2021 Byrdie Beauty Award "Best Deodorant"

Featured in: Allure, Elle, Glamour, The Strategist, Refinery29, The Cut, Repeller, The Today Show, Observer, Business Insider

Made in the USA

This brand is largely a more natural deodorant brand. They have all kinds of deodorants. I guess this one is meant for everyday? 

I'll start with the packaging. It's the super sturdy plastic- it says it's made from 100% recycled plastic and it does say to make sure you recycle. You would think that makes it great packaging...and nope! I couldn't get the lid off the top so I pull the entire stick out and use it from the bottom. Very inconvenient because I always get it on my hands. And that's not what I expect from a $14 deodorant. 

It does come with quite a bit of product at 2.6 ounces. Sometimes the higher priced stuff barely fills the packaging but I'm happy with the amount- even though it does go quickly with all the re-applying.

As for the scent- I thought it would smell like roses. And it doesn't. I kinda think it smells like men's deodorant. I can't really describe the scent at all. It's OK. And probably once I finish it I won't remember the scent whatsoever. 

Now most importantly- it does not work! Well, it works for a couple of hours...but I don't trust it in the heat. Especially with no air conditioning. Nor when working out. And not for more than 4-6 hours. It's one you have to constantly reapply.

It does have some nice ingredients...and I should have known from the ingredient list it wouldn't work that well for me. It contains a lot of really nice ingredients...rose oil, willow bark extract, caffeine, arginine, oat flour, green tea extract, aloe sage, and coconut oil. 

Ingredients: 

Propylene Glycol, Water , Sodium Stearate, Saccharomyces Ferment, Propanediol, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Fragrance, Hydrated Silica, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Squalane, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Caffeine, Arginine (Amino Acid), Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour, Glycerin, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Silica Cetyl Silylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Water.

Overall, it works better than a lot of other natural options. But not well enough.i I might still try others from the brand- but I wouldn't purchase this again.  And the packaging was a let down. I kinda wonder why the brand doesn't do refills or something to cut down on the plastic? 

Danessa Myricks Lightwork Volume V First Impressions/Swatch on Dark Skin

I saw this on the Danessa website when I was ordering the mini Pastel Dreams and before I even really thought about it...I had ordered this one too. I regret not picking up most of her past palettes...and I wanted this one. And I also really want the III and IV.  I don't think those will be released again...so I'll have to be happy with just getting this one.

So without further ado, let's take a look.

There are 18 shades in a variety of finishes. I lost the sheet that gives her descriptions so we will have to stick with mine. We have iridescent, flaky shades, multi-chromes, and metallics. Probably some that I am missing. 

It comes in a beautiful packaging. It is cardboard with an extra plastic piece on the outside. Really gorgeous. I don't expect that it will look pristine for too long- cardboard takes a beating. 

Please note I wasn't able to take photos that really capture the sparkles/color accurately. But they are gorgeous and absolutely brilliant on the eyes.

  We will start with the first row. 

We have Resilient- a gorgeous baby blue iridescent...maybe a bit of silver in it. And a hint of teal. It's a gorgeous sparkly shade. I don't wear this shade of blue often but it is nice to layer with other blues. And probably would be great with some purples.

Then we have Radiant. It's an orange in the pan with flashes of green and red. It's like a glittery multi-chrome.  It seems pretty similar to the shade Higher in the Lightwork VI. I think this one is more sparkly but its flash is very similar. Not sure I needed both...I do like the shades with green...just a little patted in the center of a green look really takes it there. 

Then we have Centered. A flaky shade! My favorite type of shades. It has a more natural flash so I'm thinking I can use it in everyday bronze looks. It does flash green and it's incredibly sparkly and dynamic on the eyes. I also do love it with some green. I prefer this one over centered. Also a good one to dab into some green looks. 

Next up, Protected. This one is unique to any of the Danessa palettes I have. The main sparkle shade is purple and it flashes pink at some angles. So nice to have this shade- in the DM palettes I have there are ton of pinks but purples. I love wearing purples so I am just I will get a ton of use out of it. 

Then we have Evolving. I really wanted more greens and this scratches that itch. I don't have a great way to wear it yet..but I'm sure I'll come up with something....

The shade Strong is a big reason of why I picked the palette up in the first place. It is vibrant blue/purple/pink shift. I played with it a bit today with some purples and I love it. I was a little intimidated by it at first...but I'll be wearing this one outside soon. 

Brave is a textured flaky shade that is brilliant on so many colors- blues, greens, purples. I think it might be one of my faves in the palette. It has very pretty light blue, turquoise sparkle to it. 

Fierce is a gorgeous red /green/yellow multi-chrome. The red isn't as red on my skin tone. I like it though..but I definitely like other shades more. 

Fearless is like a green/red/pink? It's really hard to tell what shade it actually is. Due to that I don't think I will reach for it a ton..until I figure out what I like to wear it with. I haven't even been tempted to dig into it and I've had the palette a couple weeks now. Looking at it, I do like the green shift- it seems a bit more on the lime side compared to the other greens. 

Loved is a muted pink to green sparkle. Very subtle on my skin-tone. I think it's almost exactly a shade I was looking for but now that I have it, no idea how to wear it.  

Healed is a gorgeous purple. So many purples don't stand out on my skin-tone and this one is the type of purple that does. It has some green and pink shifts. 

Inspring is one that I'm not sure I will get a lot of wear out of. It's a silvery purple shade? Maybe. I need to try it as a lid highlight shade. 

Abundant is the second reason I bought this palette. I love a green and this shade is brilliant. A very in your face green. It shifts blue/purple/lighter green. Dynamic!

Invincible is the Silver with Silver sparkles. It is the ultimate silver shade. I don't wear silver a lot but this is a great stepping out shade.  It is textured and flaky. It looks really nice as a topper shade if you apply it lightly. 

Unstoppable- I don't know why I haven't reached for this one...it doesn't have a special finish but it's a very pretty color. Probably makes a great based for some of the purple and blue multi-chrome shades. 

Powerful is a multi-chrome. It's similar to Unstoppable and Unbreakable...but this one is a multi-chrome finish. I need to see what it looks like on my lids. It has a lot of green shift to it. 

Unbreakable is another shade that doesn't have a super special finish. It looks like a satin metallic with subtle shimmer. I need to try this on my eyes because their shades do come to life on the eyes in a way they never do in a swatch. 

And last up..Enough. Gorgeous green. I don't know that this shade of green is flattering on me but I'm gonna make it work. It has the same finish as Unbreakable. 

I'm blown away by this palette and it really is so fun to play with..it is the perfect companion palette to make some of my older/outdated/boring formulas come to life. It was expensive but for me...worth it! 

Tuna Pasta with Peas, Brownies, Thick Porridge with Cream and Treacle

 I'm hoping to do two posts today...but we shall see. I'm also trying to get back into working out and I wanna do one more round after this. 

In the meantime, I need to get this posted so I can get started on my grocery list for tomorrow. 

First up...Thick Porridge. This is from the Unofficial Harry Potter book..so it's basically part of the selection that would be available for breakfast at the Great Hall. It is steel cut oats- I don't really make these because they take too long but I didn't mind this recipe. So I'm definitely feeling inspired to continue making steel cut oats. Then you serve with milk or cream and golden syrup. I've had a jar of golden syrup for years. I've been saving it but decided to open it for this recipe. And I think I'm gonna continue using it on the rest of the steal cut oat I have. I added some berries as well.  Yum!

Then I made the tuna pasta with peas. I made this begrudgingly. And I should have skipped it. It's not an appealing dish...it's just too bland and boring. But at least I tried it I guess...Never Again.

I made brownies. The post raved about this being the best brownie recipe and NO. If you like a cake-y, mild chocolate brownie...maybe you would like this. I like a fudge and deep chocolate brownie  with a crackle top....the King Arthur Recipe is the best I've tried so far. I shoulda just remade those...

Last up, I still have a ton of homemade marmalade...so I decided to make a wing sauce with it. And...I'm obsessed. I mixed it with garlic powder, gochujang, soy sauce, and ginger powder. Amazing! I still have some left so will probably save it for the next time I make wings. I also added the leftover that I didn't use on the wings to salmon. Also amazing...

And that's it! Two successes and two fails. Can't wait to see what the next post brings...

Lush Passion Shower Gel Review

 I only have a teeny amount of this gel left so figured I had better review it before it's really gone. This was part of the Valentine's Day collection and I think I only bought it because one of the scent notes is Passion Fruit. I LOVE eating passion fruit so I thought I would enjoy showering in it. 

Lush claims:

Seal the deal with red roses and something bubbly - this fresh passion fruit blend will show you a good time. Lather in a beautifully soothing red rose petal infusion, mixed in with a mesmerising plastic-free lustre, and brightening fresh passion fruit juice that'll leave your skin sweetly scented.

What's in it for you?

- Red rose petals for a passionate, floral scent that also soothes and tones.

- Enzymic fresh passion fruit juice is naturally rich in vitamins A and C to really indulge your skin.

Leaving the world Lusher than we found it

This self-preserving product is formulated to stay fresh and effective without added synthetic preservatives listed under Annex V of the EU Cosmetic Regulations (EC) No 1223/2009. Find out more here.

How to use:

Get steamy in the shower! Sweep this fruity little number over the body and rinse for fresh, fragrant skin.

It kinda reminds me of the Rhubarb and Custard Soap that came out a couple years ago. It has that same sort of sour fruity notes. Except it is Passionfruit.And that one was Rhubarb. I bought this expecting a Passionfruit and Rose scent..and nope. I don't get Rose whatsoever. It has the sourness of Passion Fruit. And it also has a note that reminds me of cherry medicine. I don't particularly enjoy feeling like I'm showering in cherry medicine so I'm not really a fan of this scent and overall felt pretty disappointed with it. 

I wouldn't be surprised to see this one not come back next year. 

Otherwise it's a nice gel. Very pretty bright red shade. Lathers decently, rinses clean, and doesn't dry my skin. 

As always I like Lush ingredients. They use things that you would never see in most other brands. Red Rose Petal Infusion is in there- can't really smell it. Passion Fruit Juice that has Vitamin C which is amazing for the skin. And then some nice essential oils.

Ingredients: 

Glycerine, Sodium Cocoamphacetate, Sodium Laureate Sulfate, Water, Red Rose Petal Infusion, Calcium Lactate, Fine Sea Salt, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Lactic Acid, Passion Fruit Juice, Buchu Oil, May Chang, Sweet Wild Orange Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Synthetic Plastic Free Glitter, Tin Oxide, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Citral, Limonene, Color

Overall, glad I tried it. Wouldn't buy it again.

Royal and Langnickel Omnia BOM-41 Domed Shader Review

 I usually like to do brush reviews after I've used a brush every which way and tons of ways but this one has me stumped. 

Omnia claims:

This multi-use brush can be used to apply a wash of color over the eyelid, apply a precise highlight, or blend makeup on small areas of the face. This dome-shaped brush is especially useful for those that have large eyelids.

Made in China

I was expecting this to be an eyeshadow brush...and not really. It's way too large to use as a shadow brush. It claims to be for larger eyes...I have large eyes. It's not an eye brush. I have used it to blend out hard to blend color..and if you need something more dense to really pull and blend the color out- this will do it. It's very large and very domed though. 

It may be useful to blend out something like the MAC Paint Pot. I'll have to test if I end up either another one.

It kinda reminds me something you might use to contour. It's slightly smaller than a contour brush. Might be useful for smaller faces that like precise contour applied in a small area.

It does say you can use for highlight but since it's so dense it would apply a lot. If you like that look it would work. I like a more diffused look for highlight. I don't wear highlight that often anyway though.

I'm thinking it might be good to blend out small areas of concealer too but I haven't worn concealer in a few years. Could be good for the under eye area. It's also very soft and doesn't poke at all...

I still don't like the gold color- nor the overlay they use on the brushes. After awhile it will start to peel off and degrade. I don't think it's good for the longevity of the brush. You can still use the brush- but it will look old...

So far no issues with this particular one but I haven't used it very much either. 

Overall, I don't have a use for it right now. It's a nice brush though- I just don't think it's quite an eye brush as they claim. I'm sure I'll find some way to get some use out of it. 

Random: 

I drank all my Downton Abbey Mrs. Patmore Pudding tea. I love Downton Abbey and she was a favorite character so when I saw this I got it. It kinda tasted like their caramel tea but better. I always buy caramel tea but I never like that much. It wasn't anything amazing though and sounds more appealing than it was...it was just fun to try because of the branding.

Soul II Soul

 Time for a quick music post. Usually I do these on Friday so it feels a little off to do this today. But here we are. We have Soul II Soul. This is a group I feel I grew up hearing but if you ask me who the artist is- I have no idea. And still after this post I won't have any idea. 

But I do really like their songs.

So we have Back to Life (However Do You Want It). This song is guaranteed to be in my head the rest of the night. It has over 100 million well deserved views. 

I also have Keep On Moving. Not sure I have listened to it since I downloaded it a couple of years ago. But listening to it again, it's a bop. Very Motivational. 

Criminally underrated because these songs go hard. 

Hawthorne Exfoliant Bar Soap Review

 I made the mistake of falling asleep not long after I got home so now I have been up for the last few hours  looking silly. I wanted to do this review though so before I try and get back to sleep...here we are. 

Hawthorne claims:

Unlock a deeper cleanse and bring out your skin's natural radiance with our Exfoliating Bar Soap scented with our refreshing Steamroom Cologne. This naturally-powered formula uses natural oat kernels and wheat bran to perfectly cleanse even the dirtiest and oiliest skin while natural olive oil and sunflower oil prevent your skin from drying out

• MADE FOR: A naturally-powered deep cleanse
• NATURALLY POWERED: Oat Kernel, Wheat Bran, Olive Oil, Sunflower Oil
• COLOGNE-QUALITY SCENT: Steamroom Cologne (Invigorating Eucalyptus Vapor + Shiso Mint)
• NO HARMFUL INGREDIENTS: Sulfate-Free, Paraben-Free, Phthalate-Free, Silicone-Free, Dye-Free, Cruelty-Free, Vegan
• PAIR WITH: Recharging Steamroom Set

Made in USA

This is definitely a mens brand. Over the last couple of years or so- men's skincare and bath and body exploded. I saw this on the Nordstrom website and figured I would try it because it sounded like a unisex scent- Eucalyptus and Mint. And sometimes it's good to switch it up. 

You get a nicely packaged big bar at 9 oz. Comes in a very nice box. Would probably make a really nice gift. I almost thought it was a handmade bar by the look of it..it just reminded me of some but it's definitely not. 

As for the actual soap, it works nice. Very bubbly lather. Rinses clean. And I don't feel like it dried my skin out. And you have the option to use it as an exfoliating soap. Most men's bars on the higher end seem to be exfoliating. I wonder why that is? Anyway, the issue I have with a lot of exfoliating bars is that they are either too harsh on the skin or they don't do anything. This one works and works well. I don't feel like it's scratchy. But your skin won't be as smooth as it could be if you used a separate exfoliant. I also love that the exfoliant is very natural and not chunky so it doesn't feel like it will clog anything up. 

The scent is very nice and I enjoyed it most days before I got tired of it. I tend to get tired mens scents quickly but when I enjoyed it, I really liked it.  It's like a really nice "aqua" type of mens colognes with the perfect hints of mint and eucalyptus. I was surprised that the mint was there but really blended in nicely with the rest of the scent. It's a scent that was done really well. Now that I've used up the bar, I feel like I kinda miss it. I'm sitting here sniffing the box 😁. 

I don't feel like it melts quickly- but it doesn't feel like a triple milled soap either. 

I like the ingredients. It has some good for the skin oils- I like that Olive Oil is a bit higher up on the list. I like the exfoliants. It also has Apricot Seed Powder which I'm guess is another exfoliant. It has Wheat Germ and a few extracts- Lotus Flower, Pomegranate, and Peach. 

Ingredients: 

Sodium Palmate, Sodium Cocoate, Water (Aqua/Eau), Glycerin, Fragrance, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Bran, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Seed Powder, Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera (Lotus) Flower Extract, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Fruit Extract, Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Pentasodium Pentetate

Overall, very nice soap and very good ingredients...I enjoyed it and would recommend it!