Capri Blue Honeydew Crush Candle Review

One more post because I don't think I will have time tomorrow...and this is one I wanted to review this week. I haven't had a Capri Blue candle in a minute...but I saw this on sale and I can't resist a sale. Plus I was curious about the scent of Honeydew in a candle.

Capri Blue claims:

Our juicy fragrance will leave you feeling refreshed and sun-kissed. Indulge in the perfectly ripe notes of honeydew nectar, grapefruit, green apple, violet leaves and peony blossom.

I have burned through a couple of their candles and so far Volcano is definitely my favorite. Even when put against their newest fruity candle- Honeydew Crush. When I first received it, I gave it a sniff and it smelled a little bit generic but like it uses great quality oils. I couldn't pick up the Honeydew on cold sniff. But when I started burning it I got notes of a ripe and juicy honeydew. It doesn't smack you in the face- but it's there. And it smells pretty authentic. It still is a generic scent but generic scent with honeydew. It's a nice daytime fruity and fresh candle.

It has a decent throw...but the throw has decreased as I have burned the candle down. 

I do like this smaller size- in the past I kept buying the larger jars. As long as the room is warm enough it does burn alright. I do use a little foil to help it along though. I like to make sure my candles burn to the edges so that way I am burning rather than wasting the wax. 

The candle itself is a paraffin and soy wax blend. I haven't had issues with it smoking but the wax has gotten a bit discolored. I don't mind a paraffin/soy candle. Or at least not this mixture. Some of them can give me breathing issues or make me feel unwell but Capri Blue's mixture does not.

This was a candle where it was nice to experience once- I don't think I will ever smell a candle with a hint of actual authentic melon. I think it's a hard scent to get right.  But I would rather try the other scents or repurchase Volcano rather than repurchase this one. I did also buy Havana Vanilla and Paris so those reviews are coming up soon. And I do really want to get my hands on Blue Jean.

Shanice

 

Time for post number two...Shanice! Underrated singer from the 90's.

My all time favorite Shanice song- I love Your Smile.  This one is always in my heads- and who doesn't love a nice smile? Her hair looks so pretty and voluminous, it's making me want to straighten and chop off my own hair. 

Next song is Silent Prayer. It's not a Christmas song but for some reason it's in my Christmas playlist. I think I get it confused with another duo that Johnny Gil has that is a Christmas song.  Voices just flawless and so beautiful. Also the lyrics...

Last song is Turn Down the Lights....Oooh I love this song! Shanice had pipes.. They do not make voices like this anymore. I think I do like the rhythm of the recorded version a bit better...but listening to it live is literally magic. 

One of the many artists that made 90's R&B special.

Mango Pineapple Chutney And Peach Julius

 I have a few posts to knock out on this cold Friday night. Mostly because I need to get my shopping list together for when I run to the grocery store tomorrow....

Starting with mango chutney. I don't think I have had a mango chutney for years and years- maybe the last time I went to an Indian restaurant? It's been a few years though. I didn't know you could make it. And I didn't know it was so easy to make! I liked this one and had it with salmon rice and veggies a couple of times. I also used quite a bit of it to add some flavor to  chickpea curry I made. I didn't take a picture of the curry. But I did get a pic of it with the salmon. I think if I made this again I would use crushed pineapple...I would add more seasoning. And I would add more cayenne (I used cayenne instead of crushed red pepper. 

And last thing I made was a Peach Julius. Peaches are not in season so I did use a mixture of frozen and canned peaches. It was so good I will probably make another one tomorrow! Idk why I don't make this type of stuff all the time. It would probably be easy to add spinach too. I don't have any in the fridge this week though...so maybe next time I made one. I probably need to buy prettier glass to serve them in....

That's all! This was definitely the week of all the orange/yellow fruit for me....

Taliah Waajid Curl Sealer Leave in Conditioner Review

It's Halloween, Halloween...and it's time for me pick some scary movies, make a cup of hot cocoa, and relax. I'm not in area where kids will knock on the door...so I didn't get to see any of the adorable costumes this year- but that's OK. 

Tallish Waajid claims:

Curl Sealer

• Light, alcohol free, and hydrating formula

• Helps to stop frizz and lock in moisture for defined curls

• Dries invisible for a flake-free shine

How to Use:

Apply after Clean-N-Curly™ shampoo. Use on wet hair to set in curls. Use on dry hair to revitalize curls. Avoid combing or fingering through hair for at least 10-15 minutes to help seal in curls and prevent frizz

The Curl Sealer gives best results when not combined with the Curly Curl Cream or Curly Curl Cream Lotion.  The Curl Sealer softly shapes and seals in curls.

What It Does:

Curl Sealer™ helps stop frizz, adds shine, shapes and seals curls. This is the perfect leave-in curl conditioner that never causes unwanted product build-up in your hair, so it can be used as often as needed! Curl Sealer™ offers a light, alcohol-free, conditioning and hydrating gel that helps stop frizz in its tracks. It adds moisture and definition while it shapes and seals in any size or texture for great, lasting curls. Curl Sealer™ dries invisible to give you soft, manageable curls that will shine without ever going flaky on you. It also holds hair in place for styles such as ponytails, pinups and twist outs.

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Polyquaterium 10 & PEG-14M, Polyquaterium 37, Polysorbate 20, Yarrow Extract (Achillea Millefolium), Jual Extract (Zizpkus Joazerio Bark), Lemon Extract (Citrus Medic Limonum Fruit), Caprylyl Glycol Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum).

I've used a few Taliah products...I can't say I'm a big fan. I hated the Curly Curl Cream but I did really like The Great Detangler and even bought a second bottle before I finished the first. I still have some in my cabinet to help with knots when they arise.  

I figured I should try more of the brand- I think it's black owned. And I know it's woman owned. 

First things first- the smell. I really dislike the scent in her products. It reminds mea fruity laundry detergent. Or a febrile scent.  I usually dislike detergent type scents in anything outside of laundry. I especially don't want it in my hair.

The texture of it is like a gel. You can use it to add definition or slick your hair back. I never slick my hair back so I can't tell you how well it works for that. I mostly just scrunch it through and shake my head around to try and define some curls. Some days it works- some days it doesn't. I think it worked better for me in warmer weather. Now that it's getting cooler, I don't see the definition like I got before. Also...it's heavy on Glycerin so because it doesn't have moisture to pull from the air like it does when the weather is warmer, it seems more drying in the winter. 

I do agree that it doesn't really build up. I don't get flakes...it doesn't sit oddly on top of a leave in I tried. But I didn't test it with more than one leave in. 

It does state on the packaging that it's for curly, kinky, wavy, and coily hair but when I looked it up they mainly show it being used on looser curls.

Overall, it's OK. Better than the Curly Curl Cream....but I wouldn't buy it again. 

Danessa Myricks Lightwork Volume VI Freedom Palette First Impressions

 I have really slowed down on buying palettes- I was really focusing on trying to use up shades rather than always buying more. I only bought two palettes this year- both by Danessa Myricks. Mostly I was drawn to this because I knew this would add something completely new to my collection. Most palettes that come out I feel like I can rock my old shadows and get a similar look. I can already tell you it was worth picking up and I love, love, love these shades! 

I was also super drawn to the packaging and how you can package it up to go and you can re-arrange the pans etc.  It just seems new and different from anything I have ever seen.

Now that I have added this into my collection, I regret not picking up Lightworks 3,4,and 5. But no worries, going forward I think the holiday Danessa palettes will be an automatic purchase for me. No more missing out. 

There are 18 shades. And the glittery, multi-chrome shades are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Definitely something you have to see in person to really understand. But let's swatch them and talk about them. 

First things first- the swatches do them no justice and they are truly pure magic on the eyes. 

Mini Palette 1: 

Proud- The way this one looks in the pan does it no justice to how it actually goes on. It's a multi-chrome with yellow, orange, and green in it. Really beautiful! 

Rise- Mostly seems like a gold-yellow sparkle shade. Not sure how I am gonna wear it, maybe with some bronze-eyes? 

Higher- A shade that works well with orange eyes...it has some beautiful coral-y red shift to it. I think this will end up being one of my favorites! I love orange on the eyes so I think I will get a lot of use out of it.

Gleaming- Greens always stump me but I wore this yesterday and I LOVE IT! It seems to have some purple flip to it..I mostly see the green though. I just popped some in the center of a bright matte green shadow look and it came out magical looking. I can't get over it and I think I have a new green go-to look. 

Unapologetic- This is a very unique shade- nothing shifty, shimmery, glittery about it...but I think it will make a good one to layer with. I plan to put this one on my eyes today.

Nirvana- I was looking at past swatches from her old palette and one of the shades I really want is called Gaia. This isn't a dupe but close enough that I feel less sad about missing out on that shade. I can't wait to try it on my eyes-I see a lot of colors in it- green, blue, yellow, AND pink. Stunning! 

Mini Palette 2 

Release- I used to hoard my Roadstripe Urban Decay shadow but compared to this- that was nothing special. This seems more of a topper shade- it has flashes of blue and purple and seems like one you add to any blue  or purple look to turn it into something special. 

Free is an unexpected golden orange shade. Looks white and flaky in the pan but it's really something special when you swatch it. It's kinda an odd one out compared to the other colors in this mini. 

Fluid- This is a very textured, bright, vivid blue. These are the hardest colors to pull off for me so I am looking forward to playing with it. If you look closely it seems to have some green shimmer and glimmer and sparkle to it. Not sure if that will translate to the eyes though.

Euphoria- I love, love, love a good purple and this one is beautiful. Seems to have some pink glimmer, shimmer and sparkle. I can't wait to put this one on my eyes. Purples are basically a neutral so we will see how it goes! 

Unbound is probably one of the most boring in a swatch? It's also lighter on the pigment but might be a good one to layer. I am now wowed by this one but may change my mind once I dig in. 

Empowered- A deep purple that looks purple can be hard to find, this one seems to have a blackened undertone to it. Looks pretty swatched but I'll see how I like it once I actually wear it! I think even though it's bit boring it will add something to the other shadows in the palette.

Mini Palette 3 

Dance- I was very excited for this mini because I love pink eyeshadow. I think Dance is pretty but I'm not sure it has enough pigment to look how I want it...but I'll have to see when I play in it. 

Serenity- One of the first shades I wore and I am obsessed. I used it as a topper on a deeper pink/brown look and could not stop staring at how it sparkled! 

Rejoice- Gorgeous multi-chrome. I see green and yellow in it...but the main color is the pink. I cannot wait to wear this one! It's so smooth and pigmented too. 

Joy looks really similar to rejoice...just a different pink base shade. I already know what colors I want to pair this with....I think this one will be another favorite.

Love- I feel like I have similar shades from Urban Decay. These seems like they may need building up...but I am going to hold off judgment until I get them on my eye. I think it will make a great base shade for the other shades. 

Bliss- This one is just slightly different from Love. And again- I do have similar shades already in the collection so it's hard to be excited for it but I am trying to hold off judgement until I get it on my eyes. I can see it working with with some shades in the blue/purple mini.

Overall, I am in love with this palette so far and I cannot wait to throw more of these on my eyelids. I will probably come back and update more as I use each and every shade. 

I really want to get my hands on more of her stuff like the chrome flakes and the multi-chrome liners. But that's for a later order after I use up some more products...possibly sometime next year unless I ask for some of her stuff for Christmas.....

OPI The Spy Who Loved Me

 I'm just sitting around waiting for my buttermilk to come to room temp so I can make some waffles....figured I would do a post while I wait. Continuing on with reviewing all the nail polishes I have in my small collection. 

I'm not the biggest red nail polish fan- but I do think it's necessary to have a least one in the collection. This is my "one." I got this for Christmas years and years ago and was really excited to see it because my all time favorite red nail polish- Ruby Pumps by China Glaze- was running a bit low. I thought this would be a good replacement.

This is a subtle sparkly bright red shade. Seems like the perfect color to wear to a holiday party. And it kinda reminds me of the Rihanna Viva Glam lipstick that came out years and years ago. It's like the same type of red. It does have some gold sparkly in the bottle but not detectable on my nails.

It is a very pretty red- but it's not my favorite. I have been wearing it a lot lately- and it's grown on me. I can happily finish the bottle but it's not something I would seek out again. For sparkly reds I prefer Ruby Pumps. But it was part of a limited edition collection for the James Bond movie so not like I could purchase it again anyway. It was the Skyfall collection and I actually had three polishes from that collection. 

It wears ok. I don't find OPI to wear the very best for me- but nail polish also never lasts on me anyway. I think brands like Essie work better on my nails but for some reason I have mostly OPI. I think because I heard they were the best back in the day and then that's all I bought for a minute. I do love the look of the OPI bottles though- so classic. I also really like their brushes. Makes polishing so easy!

This is a highly pigmented and thin formula so it dries reasonably quick and is very easy and smooth to work with. It can stain so use a base coat. Two coats if you can! 

I do have it on as a pedi color and at first I wasn't sure about it- but I don't mind it actually. It's not my favorite and I prefer wearing other colors but I won't be mad to rotate this one in every couple of months. 

Overall, it's OK. 

Random: I bought this tea a few months ago and it is AMAZING. It has very prominent fruity notes to it and is supposed to be from trees that are over 400 years old. It's Ancient Yunnan from Harney and Sons.