Today seems like a good day to talk about the worst of the worst. I made it out the house today- even though it is cold. Yay me! While out I decided to get an Auntie Anne pretzel. I haven't had one in years. I had low expectations- and was still disappointed. It wasn't the same pretzel of my childhood and really did not taste fresh. It was rather stale. I guess if I really want them I'll have to make them myself.
But anyway..let me stop distracting myself and get on with the post.
Nudy Rudy Soaps- These aren't the worst soaps I have ever tried. But I really dislike them. It's mostly the scents. The packaging seems nice- love that it's made in Australia. But these really smell like cheap soaps. The Killa Vanilla smells like hot dog water with a nice vanilla scent mixed in. The Berrylicious gave dollar store scent. And the Honey Bunny....just meh. I have one more and I'm really not looking forward to using it....
Maison Francis Kurkjian A La Rose- Who would have thought such a luxury priced soap would make it here but the scent of this...I did not enjoy it and was disappointed in the packaging. Especially at that price point. I think this is mainly on here cause of the price. Expected so much more.
Biologique Recherche Creams- I tried two. And the STENCH! It smells like rotting fish. It might be amazing for your skin but I can't take the scent on a daily basis. Next year I do have a feeling they have product that will make my favorites though...
Estee Lauder Turbo Lash Serum- Messed up my eyes. I do feel like I got a little growth but it wasn't worth the irritation.
Lancome Definicils Mascara- I didn't like my lashes when I used this and at that price- I expect better. Most Lancome mascara is good though. This just wasn't.
And that's all! Of course I tried a few other products I didn't vibe with but these were the standout terrible products whether generally horrible or just horrible for the price. I'm actually surprised by how much there is because I thought I would struggle more with this list.
This is one of my favorite posts to do- and yet I put it off because it takes so long. I basically come through my posts from last year and pick out my favorite products. I also do the one products I hate at the same time to save myself some time.
I think I had a pretty good year- but honestly I never know until I finish the post.
1. Plant Therapy Fresh Meadow Blend- I don't know if I will come across this brand again but this is such a fresh, unique, and pleasant blend. It really smells like a freshly brewed cup of Jasmine Green Tea.
2. Pre De Provence Rosemary Mint Bar Soap- I love trying new soaps. Of all the things to try it is my favorite. I tried a lot of soaps from this brand because I had a sampler pack. I found their soaps to mostly be OK- except the Rosemary Mint bar. It isn't just your standard Rosemary Mint scent- it is a sophisticated scent with the perfect amount of Rosemary and Mint. Best iteration of the scent I have come across.
4. Lush Scan Me for Scares Shower Gel- Smells like my beloved Roasting Chestnuts shower gel from Lush . I love that scent and this is identical or so similar it's a perfect stand in.
Honorable Mention- Lush Grass. I super enjoyed this. It's a very unique and fresh scent.
5. Alaffia Black Soap- I loved using this on my face. I went through three bars of this. It's not authentic African Black Soap but it's nice.
6. Poppy and Pout Marshmallow Creme Lip Balm- I love these balms. I especially love that the packaging is plastic free and easily recycled. I also have the pomegranate peach scent- both yummy scents. Can't go wrong with them...I want to try them all!
7. Danessa Myricks Lightwork V- I'm so glad I was able to get my hands on this. I bought the newest iteration and this one is definitely the favorite of the two. I think it just has more fun colors. And the flaky blue shade is LIFE.
8. The Unbrush- Changed my life as far as detangling. I was slow to try it thinking it was hype but this one was worth it!
9. Fresh Soaps- I find the Fresh soaps to be very, very nice. The shape, the packaging, the scents. They aren't overpowering and are more subtle but so far every single one I have tried I have mega enjoyed. I wish they would bring back the Patchouli so I could try it. My faves are the Waterlily, Freesia, and Citron.
10. Apto Turmeric Mist- Love the packaging, the price, the ingredients...just everything about this. Makes the skin glow!
I'm kinda surprised, I thought we would have a lot more but I think that's it. Ten favorites. I tried a lot of different brands this year- a lot of candle brands and I definitely found a lot of stuff I really like. But I guess just not favorites! The standards for these year end favorites is high.
I'll probably be back to post the opposite of this list in a few days. For now. I really can't keep my eyes open. So I'll probably some tea- wash my makeup off and drift off to Dreamland.
This month has really been a rough month. It's just one thing after another. So I shall blog some of the stress away. Or at least try to.
I tried to order more Lush shower gels last year but the order I made ended up getting canceled due to some strikes. Even though I still have quite a few of their gels, I figured I would order the rest of the ones I wanted to try. They are from the Retro line and I'm not sure how long they plan on keeping some of this stuff around.
So here's what I got:
Plum Rain- I hear this was named in connection with Prince- Purple Rain. I was most curious about this one. I saw so many people raving about it. And it's nice. But I don't know that I think it's worth the hype. It's very much a fruity (sour fruit) fresh scent. Certainly it's unique. I'll hold off judgement until I get through more of the bottle though.
Sonic Death Monkey- What a name! The main scent notes are coffee-chocolate- orange. Definitely you get chocolate orange. But it doesn't stand out as a chocolate, more of a very background chocolate note which I prefer. There is something else that makes it slightly more sophisticated. I like it. Not sure I needed a big bottle. I wish the retro line came in smaller bottles for those of us that just want to try it.
The Comforter- I've used the Comforter Bath bomb and bubble bar in the past and I like the scent. It smells slightly different in gel form. I think I like it better in the bath. But it does smell nice. Maybe it's not as vanilla-y in this form. I definitely did not need a big ol bottle of this one. But I think I will happily use it up!
Passion- Last up Passion. I was expecting more a rose scent based on the description. It's more fruity. It smells similar to the Comforter in the bottle. I think this one is nice but forgettable.
It will probably take me a while but I do plan on eventually reviewing them all. I have them on rotation and as soon as I have used them enough...review.
Have you tried any of these? What's your favorite shower gel scent? Favorite brand?
I just ran out of foundation so I've been trying to figure out what to get next. Spent more time than I wanted trying to shade match on a website with their shade matcher- which did not work. Only to just pick one like I always do, try to check out and find they don't ship to my address. I finally found it on another site and just looked at the swatches and went by that so good luck to me. I guess I'll find out when it gets here how good the shade match is. If it doesn't match I will probably just mix and matching and customizing. Most of the time I tend to pick a shade too dark for me.
But back to this post that I have been putting off. Yet at the same time I do want to see just how long this list is.
So here we go!
Lush The Juice is Loose Shower Gel- It's true this smells like grape soda but there was just a weird note that would come out every now and again and it really did not smell pleasant.
Capri Blue Blue Jean Candle- This candle smells like boo boo. It has put me right off of buying anymore of their candles. Their Paris scent is an honorable mention.
John Paul Gaultier Classique Perfume- This would definitely make the worst perfume list for me. I did one years ago and if I did an updated one- this would be on it. Another one that isn't as bad but worth mentioning was Korres Black Sugar.
Illume Hinoki Sage Candle- Smelled awful. I hated this candle until the very last burn. I also wasn't a fan of the Yankee Candles I bought this year...nor the Caldrea. It wasn't a great year for candles for me in hindsight.
Merula Menstrual Cup- I still have this but can't see myself ever using it again.
There were a few more things I didn't really like...some of the Philosophy shower gels etc. But they weren't bad enough to make this list. Overall, I think the category I had the most dislikes were candles.
Not a bad year for me in beauty after all! I'm curious as to what this next year will look like...I'm thinking I will have even less next year just based on my spending..but we shall see!
I've been putting off this post- but I can't put it off any longer. They are some of my favorite posts of the year to do- except that I really do have to look through everything from the whole year which takes time. And I haven't really been wanting to take that time. But it is always nice to see if I found as many faves as the previous year etc.
Tangle Teezer Ultimate Detangler- I love this brush....but I am currently testing out the Unbrush. I'm curious to see if my fave will be de-throned. I probably want to test it out for a few more months before I come back with my opinion so we shall see!
Camille Rose Curl Maker- I didn't like the scent of this but I love the ingredients and that it defines my coils without too much buildup. I need to get my hands on more of her products...
Aveda Nutri Plenish Deep Moisture Conditioner- I think I prefer the light version of this conditioner but this is still right up there as far as favorite conditioners go. I just wish it didn't cost quite so much.
I have two favorite palettes- both by Danessa Myricks! Love is Love was a great buy but Lightworks VI- amazing! I love that the only two palettes I bought this year are my favorite.
John Master's Lip Calm- It does feel a bit oily but it's one of the best lip balms I have used.
Claus Porto Voga Soap- My favorite bar soap of this year...and I tried quite a few. I want to get my hands on more by the brand.
Estee Lauder Turbo Lash Mascara- Very pricey but I don't find mascara faves often and this is a great one if you like thick, long lashes that build easily and quickly
And that's all! I was very worried in the beginning because it really seemed as though I was not finding any favorites...I guess the beginning of the year was a bit rough. I definitely tried a lot of above average products and things I liked and would recommend that didn't make the favorites...sometimes I like to keep the list tight.
Stay tuned for the worst products I tried in 2024. Hopefully I'll post that in the next day or two. Definitely my goal to post before February. We shall see!
I'm going to knock out two posts before I get into doing all the Sunday things...cooking, cleaning, washing my hair, working out and on and on. Today just a simple more lux toothpaste review. I love their Jasmin Mint toothpaste so I wanted to try some of their more classic flavors to see if they stand out in any way.
Marivs claims:
Marvis - The cult toothpaste from Florence with a sweet, cold hint of mint, carried by a fresh sea breeze. Aquatic Mint removes bacterial plaque just like other stubborn plaques, fluorides build up the tooth enamel and peppermint oil provides fresh breath. Aquatic Mint A Touch. The breeze of the sea. Crystal clear water and the delicate freshness of cold mint. A pure, pulsating wave in the tube.
This is an Italian Brand of toothpaste that has been around since 1958. The way the branding looks- it definitely seems older.
This is supposed to a breezy mint. An ocean mint- aquatic. Not really anything I would have thought to combine. I think this is like your standard mint toothpaste with a little more fresh mint kick to it but nothing too crazy. I don't get the ocean vibes at all.
It's a classic mint toothpaste. Nothing special about it like the Jasmin Mint so I don't think I would buy this one again. But it was still fun to try! I do see they have a Rose, Lily, and Osmanthus toothpaste which sound interesting, I might try to get my hands on those eventually. They are limited edition so hopefully they have a long run.
It's that time of the night where I just relax. But before that I figured I would knock out a post. Hopefully it's not too long. Since I've googled Bridgerton- all kinds of posts have been popping up. The one that tickled me the most was the one where an interviewer tried to shame the actress that plays Pen about her body. I love, love, love her response. Love it!
But anyway..this post is about relaxers. I'm not sure why but I was thinking back to my relaxer days. I would never, ever go back to a relaxer. I love my natural hair too much and would miss it immediately. Not to mention, the health risks. This article details the risks better than I can. Relaxers are extremely caustic- they eat through skin and will even dissolve hair if left on long enough. I remember the burning, the relaxer smell (eww), and the scabbing all too well. It's crazy for me to think back to the scabbing and chemical burns- because at some point that become normal to me. Also the rinsing- my hair always felt so flat and missing whenever I would rinse that relaxer out.
But let's back up to before I got my relaxer. I got mine in the 6th grade...and up until that point I hated my natural hair. I envied every girl with long straight hair that hung down their shoulders and they would easily brush through in class. I hated getting my hair combed or braided and brushed...because it hurt. I thought my hair was nappy and short., I never saw any coils in my hair. It was just puffy and frizzy. I also never, ever got any kind of compliment on my hair- which just reinforced in my mind how ugly my hair was. It's making me a little sad to type this. Where I was, I was only 1 of 3 brown girls in my grade and also the only one with natural hair. I had one friend with decent relaxed hair hair- the other had thin and relaxer eaten hair. But I had heard about this magical straightener and I wanted one...badly. I thought it would make me feel "pretty".
So my Mom gave in to my begging and relaxed my hair with the Just for Me kids relaxer. I still have the pink comb that came in the box and remember how excited I was when we read through the directions and finally applied it.
This song sounds familiar but not sure if I actually saw it growing up. I just remember I would get the box and stare at the cover just wishing my hair would come out exactly like that. I don't remember what my hair came out like. But the next 2-3 times my Mom had a friend that did my relaxer. She hooked my hair up, that's all I remember.
Not long after that we moved...and suddenly my Mom didn't want to do my relaxer anymore. I was in the 7th grade by that point so I started buying and relaxing my own hair. I was still pretty young so there was overlap going on. So much overlap. My hair was long at first then it seemed like it stopped growing. I blame it on the Just For Me Relaxer. I started buying a different one each time- Optimum Care, Dark and Lovely, Africas Best, Organic Root Stimulator. I was trying everything in the store at least once. Super and Regular. I remember some relaxers would work amazing and others my roots would end of puffier and frizzier afterwards. My hair was OK at that point for the most part.
I didn't really know how to take care of it. So I washed it, dried it, and then used a curling iron. Or hot rollers later on. I never used heat protectant. I liked to experiment with the products I used on it, I tried BB Castor Oil Hair Lotion..I especially remember using Profectiv Healthy Ends, Elasta QP Mango Butter.....and my Mom's favorite which was Luster's Pink Lotion. Oh and lots of sheen spray! I also had a few months where I used Blue Magic. My hair seemed to grow like crazy and retain length when I used that. I bought it because my aunt used it and her hair was always long. I think I also tried a few Motions products as well.
I would buy something different every time I needed to re-up. Then we moved again...and I still mostly did my relaxers, occasionally I went with my aunt to a stylist and had it done. She liked using the Precise Relaxer, which did not come with neutralizer in the box. And when I bought it to use on myself, I also did not use a neutralizer. Which is the ultimate no. I would just try to rinse as much as I could. I should have been bald. I really should have.
Eventually I started going into Sally's. And decided to try the Motions product line, eventually going with the Salon Herbals relaxer. That was my favorite relaxer. I loved it so much that when we moved again I found a website that sold a huge tube of it and used it until I ran out because I decided box relaxers just wen't for me. I was a lye relaxer believe. My hair really thrived with the lye relaxers. I can't find a picture of the relaxer but I did also have the shampoo as well and will never forget those ugly green and yellow bottles/packaging.
Even though I was doing the worst things you can do to hair...my hair grew and stayed thick and decently long. Even using heat and no heat protectant. Eventually I had a haircut and most of my hair was cut off, I was a hair "model" so I really had no say. I did really like that haircut though. And then I experimented with color. I dyed the bottom of my hair black and the top a brownish red shade and my hair started to grow back.
I relaxed my hair all through my very first semester of college. From there I started having nightmares where I would put relaxer in and then fall asleep in it. In the dream I would wake up a couple hours later and run to the dorm showers to rinse and would end up rinsing most my hair off. It was literally coming out in clumps in my dreams. It was so realistic that I question today whether it really happened or not. I even had dreams of using a relaxer with heat, for some reason I applied it and sat under a hooded dryer . The nightmare was so real. Around that time I ran out of the relaxer so decided to go natural. I also didn't feel like buying more. So I grew out my hair for about 6-7 months and then big chopped.
And I've been rocking the natural ever since. I did recently relive relaxers by watching a few people do their relaxer on youtube. Afterwards the hair just looks so limp and lifeless once the relaxer is rinses out. Curly, Coily, or Kinky hair just has so much life and character to it, it's so beautiful to me. It can be big, wild, and can grow to heaven! It's crazy to me that the beauty standard is straight hair and that I even felt the pressures of that as a child.
And I think I'm done rambling for the day....It's been fun!
I thought it might be fun to break up the constant reviews with something different. I've been reading the hair boards- of course- and one thing you always hear people mention is how back in the day their mom used grease and this or that and their hair was down to theirs butts. I really think it was the fact that when we were younger we always had plaits, didn't use relaxers or heat and that allowed the hair to flourish.
So that got me thinking back to what was used on me as a kid. I never had hair down to my butt. It got to a good length but it always shrunk so you can never tell how long my hair truly is. My hair is the same today, I embrace the shrinkage. It was definitely longer when I was younger...then it seemed really short in 5th/6th grade. Which is around the time I got a relaxer. I want to talk more about the relaxer in a another post...
First thing I remember was White Rain. I don't remember if my Mom used this often to wash my hair...but I remember the bottle when I was around 5/6 and that was when I was bored enough to just randomly read product packing.
I used to hate leaning over the tub to get my hair washed. Sometime later she switched to this- I think she used this more on my sister though...I remember the watermelon scent and the blue bottle the most. I didn't know they discontinued these now....
For conditioner- she loved this Mane and Tail one. Now that I think about it, I think she used the Shampoo sometimes too. I'm not sure if horses really use this stuff- but I guess the thinking is if it gives horses long thick, and shiny hair- why not use it? I don't know if it's truly used on horses or just marketing but I do remember buying it in high school and not liking it much. But I did have a relaxer then so maybe I should try it on my relaxed hair.
Next up detangler. . I was looking for this a few months back but it's long since discontinued. We always had a bottle of this in the cabinet. I thought the kids on the bottle were so cute growing up and loved their hair! I don't remember if it worked...but I did really love the way it smelled. I even remember the comb my Mom used to use- I feel like I saw it a few years back- it was a Goody Teal Comb with beige and white on the tips. I don't have the best memories of getting my hair detangled with it though- My Mom was ROUGH! I used to think I was tender-headed but I think she just didn't know how to be gentle.
And GREASE! Who doesn't have memories of getting their scalp greased. Getting your hair parted and then a healthy slather of grease. I ditched it after high school. But I did have a brief stint with Blue Magic grease. My Mom kept the BB Super Gro grease on hand- she used Sulfur 8 herself. I never really had scalp problems - no dryness and no itchiness...unless I used certain hair products. These days there are better oils- but I might buy a jar for nostalgia purposes if I see it in the store.
I think that about sums it up...very simple. I can't think of anything else used on my hair as a kid.
But I did want to share my new shower cap. I bought it from Regal Ivy. I usually use the cheap plastic ones for conditioning my hair- but I need a nice one for the next time I straighten my hair and I wanted a good quality one. This one is handmade in a beautiful color from a black owned company- Regal Ivy!
It has satin on the inside too which is in a pretty green shade- so you can wear it reversible. I'll be showering in style 😁
What do you remember using as a kid? Are the products still around?
UPDATED to add Tressemme! My Mom loved buying the big ol bottle's of Tresseme. I don't remember them working that well in my hair- but they seemed to work for her! Their conditioners always smelled like grout to me though.
