Okay, y’all know I love me some Bath & Body Works, and the fall scents are usually my favorites. I stopped in today for one reason: Winter Candy Apple. [Read more…]
Candle Haulin’
I love scented candles. I don’t know…my explanation to people is usually “chicks dig stuff that smells like stuff”. It’s true though isn’t it? Also the soft light of a candle is very soothing and comforting, even in a brightly lit room. ANYWAY, Bath & Body Works had a sale over Memorial Day Weekend for their lovely candles, so I dragged Mr. Boyfriend in after brunch and we picked up some new scents. [Read more…]
Updated: What’s In My Shower?
I don’t know if it’s the voyeur in me or if I’m just super nosy but I love “what’s in my…” type posts, like what’s in my bag, etc. I did a what’s in my shower post previously, but the contents have changed! So let’s take a look at what we’ve got, mkay?
The Storage Itself –
The corner suction basket/bucket thing and the mirror next to it are from Target. I love the bucket thing because it looks attractive, holds a surprisingly large amount of things, and also seems to be able to hold a lot of weight. It gets crap reviews on Target’s website, but whatever. I like it. I actually have another similar container that recently fell off the wall (see the lone suction cup stuck to the tile?) so I’m figuring out a solution for that…might have to get another one of these! I love that it has a hook on the corner, perfect for hanging a bath pouf or in my case, comb. There’s also a little tiny side pocket on the other side that I keep a razor blade refill in. I don’t know about you, but I never remember to change my razor blade until I’m actually in the shower. D’oh.
I really like having a mirror in my shower. I find it’s helpful to make sure I’ve removed all my eye makeup, and also helps me decide if there’s any specific areas I ought to target w/ my Clarisonic when I’m using it in there.
Hanging on the Mirror –
My razor of choice is the Venus Embrace. Not to say I haven’t tried other razors and liked them (the Schick Intuition is also pretty good, especially if you have dry skin), but I always go back to the Venus Embrace. It has 5 blades and gets such a close shave. I don’t like to mess around when it comes to shaving. I don’t wanna have to go over the same place a million times. This gets the job done!
In The Basket –
One product has remained constant this entire time– Kiss My Face Moisture Shave. I prefer the Peaches & Creme scent (SO yummy!) but I am not sure if they still make that as I can’t find it on their site. If it’s discontinued I’ll be kinda devastated (even though let’s be honest you KNOW I have like 6 bottles of it under my sink – I bought it in bulk from Amazon). However, I’ll use what I have and (in 20 years) switch to a different scent. If you have sensitive or dry skin you NEED to try this product. Not optional. NEED.
Other body-related yummies in my shower are the Bath & Body Works Supercharged Body Scrub in Coconut Lime Breeze that I reviewed previously and B&BW shower gel in Winter Candy Apple (one of my fav B&BW scents of all time – so glad momsy got me some for xmas!).
I change up what facial cleansers live in my shower (because I have lots, and also because I change depending on how my skin is acting). Right now I’m back to loving on Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser. I’ve been using it more than my Neaclear because I’ve been wearing a lot more makeup and Caudalie’s cleanser is better at removing makeup.
Peeking out in the back of the basket you can see my shampoo & conditioner of choice – Alterna Caviar Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner. Ever since I first tried Alterna in 2010 I have loved these guys. Others I have tried and enjoy very much are Redken (Color Extend) and WEN.
A couple products mentioned in this post were originally given as samples by PR, but I have since repurchased (or plan to) on my own.
Bath & Body Works Supercharged Body Scrub
I was getting closer to a problem. The sugar body scrub from Bath & Body Works in my shower was getting very close to empty, and the formula had been discontinued, and I wasn’t able to find something I liked as much.
Until now.
I wandered into my local Bath & Body Works last weekend, coupon in hand. The coupon was for a free mini bottle of lotion in their newest scent, Pink Chiffon. And at the front table was a new scent that grabbed my attention: Coconut Lime Breeze. Oh hell yes. I love anything lime-based. B&BW describes Coconut Lime Breeze as coconut water, lime blossom, and bergamot. There are base notes of musk and vanilla, too. Truthfully, it’s not super lime-y. But it smells fantastic. It’s a fresh, citrus outdoorsy beach smell. Do I wish it were a touch more lime-y smelling? Yes. But I really enjoy this fragrance anyway. I grabbed a body mist, and then noticed something new to me: supercharged body scrub.
Say what now? Body scrub = good. Supercharged? Uhh.
I’m still not really sure why this body scrub is considered “supercharged”. It does have “visible foaming action” (which by the way just means you can see it foaming up as you scrub with it). There’s aloe and jojoba oil and all that good stuff too. The consistency is pretty much a squeeze tube version of my beloved old sugar scrub in the jar (except slightly less oily) – basically that of toothpaste, but with scrubby granules.
Reviews on the B&BW site are mixed, but I’m on team “yes” rather than team “no”. I like that this scrub isn’t super oily and messy, but still moisturizing and definitely very scrubby. The scrubby granules do dissolve, and the scrub rinses cleanly and quickly. My skin feels moisturized but there is no residue, which is always a plus.
The foaming/dissolving action is effective. I read one complaint that it happens too quickly, but I didn’t have any issues with that. I’m picky about a body scrub. I expect it to really SCRUB and I get annoyed if a body scrub doesn’t have enough ‘tooth’ to it. This fits the bill to a T. It’s on the pricey side at $14 a tube (which contains 9.5 oz), but with Ebates and all of the sales B&BW has so often, you usually won’t end up paying full price anyway.
Bath & Body Works Discontinues Cucumber Melon
I heard something that made me sad. Last night on Twitter, Irene (pinkiecharm) reported that Bath & Body Works is discontinuing the cucumber melon line. The reason this makes me sad is cucumber melon shower gel is the first thing I ever bought myself from Bath & Body Works back when I was about 14. This scent has so many memories attached to it for me – you know how scents can do that! Irene seems to feel the same way, according to her blog post about it.
There’s a little bitty silver lining to this, and that’s if you want to stock up, cucumber melon (as well as the rest of the signature line) is buy 3 get 3 free. However, this promo ends tonight. So if you want to stock up now would be a great time. Shipping is free over $50. Yes, this is valid in-store as well.
If you can’t make it during this promo, I’m sure there will be more in the future. It would seem that B&BW is going to sell this until it’s sold out, as they have moved it to their Fond Farewell section for discontinued products.
Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple Fragrance Mist
I did a tag recently where I mention that I’m a Bath & Body Works girl, and that is so true. I know there are lots of fabulous etailers, and more indie apothecaries such as LUSH, but I grew up loving Bath & Body Works and I don’t think I’ll ever abandon my love for the B&BW. I love the consistency in the line (although they seem to have packaging ADD over the last couple years) and the fact that if I love a scent I can get it in a body spray, bubble bath, shower gel, lotion, etc…the list goes on. :)
I picked up Winter Candy Apple fragrance mist on a whim. I was shopping for candles, but I had one of those coupons that gets you a free body care item with $15 purchase, so this spray came home with me. I haven’t regularly used body spray much recently because they never seemed to have much lasting power and I got frustrated with having my scent du jour fade by lunch. However, WCA (I’m lazy, witness my abbreviations!) is such a fun scent and it was free.
B&BW describes the scent as having top notes of candy apple and orange zest, middle notes of mint and white sugar, and bottom notes of vanilla, musk, and balsam. To my nose, it smells very apple-y mostly. There is a hint of something else in there that I want to say is the vanilla, mint and maybe a bit of balsam, but I do not really notice the musk or the orange at all– and that’s fine by me! I’m thinking the orange might just give the apple its brightness, amplifying the fruity notes but not overpowering the apple. Kinda like how almost every fruit juice seems to contain apple juice to make it sweeter. (Seriously, have you noticed that?)
What makes Winter Candy Apple a standout for me is 2 things:
Lasting Power – Whoa! Have fragrance mists been updated? I don’t know if it’s just with this one or what, but the lasting power on this guy is AWESOME. I have had it on for about 11 hours now as I write this, and I can still catch a whiff every so often. That’s REALLY good for a body spray!
Not Just Apple – I like this because it’s not just your every day apple scent. A lot of cheap body sprays out there are so one-dimensional, or “something + vanilla”. This fragrance is dynamic enough for a grownup to wear without feeling silly or like she stole her daughter’s scented dolly and toted her around in her bra as a perfume for the day.
Bath & Body Works fragrance mists are $12 for 8 oz, but they’re having a sale where you can buy 3 get 2 free or buy 2 get 1 free! That deal is available online and in stores. If you go to the store, they’ll give you a little booklet with several coupons in it. Yay holiday deals!
By the way… another thing I noticed while candle shopping is that not only are all of the 4 oz candles marked down to $5 each (they’re usually $9.50), many of them have coupons attached for a $10 3-wick candle. Those are normally $19.50, so that’s even more savings. If you love the candles there, it’s worth grabbing some up! I highly recommend the Creamy Nutmeg. Loving that one right now!
Fabulous Fall Scents
California is finally starting to feel like it’s in fall. It has been cloudy, rainy, and the other day we even had thunderstorms. Such things are so novel here, lol. I love this weather though, and it really has me in the holiday spirit, too. The Boyfriend and I went to the market and got two great big pumpkins to carve. True story– I’ve never carved a pumpkin! I wanted to get two in case I screw up the first one, haha. We also have been placed in charge of decorating my parents’ house for Halloween, so we went off to Big Lots today and got some spooky props. I love it! What do you guys do for Halloween?
With the onset of cooler weather (ha, it’ll probably be sunny and in the 70s again in no time…sigh) I get in the mood for fall scents. I nearly lost my mind over a pumpkin-scented Fabreeze candle in Big Lots today. (By the way you should totally go to Big Lots and grab one, they’re $4.50). I made sure to bust out my Philosophy Cinnamon Buns shower gel today– so yummy! I have several other mini fall scents from the Philosophy Cookbook that was out last year. I’m going to be lathering up in all sorts of baked good scents for the next few months for sure.
I really want to burn some yummy fall candles or something but others in my household are not as keen on the scents so I haven’t yet. But come on who doesn’t like coming home to a kitchen that smells like spices and cookies?! (And yes, I’m going to bake real cookies, too.)
And then totally randomly I’ve also been on a major Bath & Body Works Sea Island Cotton kick. It’s strange. I was in B&BW not too long ago stocking up on PocketBac when they were 5/$5 and doing the usual B&BW thing of circling the store sniffing everything and hemming and hawing over my decision when all of a sudden I sniffed Sea Island Cotton and BAM I needed it. It’s a scent that has been around for a long time and I’ve never been interested in it until now. It pretty much smells like laundry to my nose– fresh, cottony, and clean. It’s not as strong and irritating as the scents of scented detergents though (I do not use those because they make me gag! I use free & clear detergents always!). I’m not sure if they made changes to the scent or if I’m just weird but I suddenly started absolutely loving the stuff. I might even decide I “need” a bottle of the eau de toilette. Just look at the bottle! It’s really pretty. The price is kinda high though. I don’t know why but I always feel weird about paying a lot of money for something from Bath & Body Works. But that’s what the semi-annual sale is for, right?
5 September Favorites
I cannot believe September is over. This month positively flew by. I am ready for fall and winter (ok, California does have seasons. Sorta. They’re just not as dramatic as other places. Really.) but California has other ideas. It’s been hot as hell here lately. A couple days ago it was 105. That’s absurdly hot for where I live. The sudden increase in temperature has my allergies going nutsy cuckoo. Lovely. :)
Anyway, favorites! My favorites this month are not very makeup-related because I haven’t been wearing much makeup this month, but they’re still on the topic of beauty.
Sally Hansen Extra Strength Nail Polish Remover
Finally. This nail polish gets the job done. It really is “extra strength”. Even with glitter polishes it takes everything off very quickly. I love it. The best part is it’s extremely cheap! It’s under $2 for a 10 oz bottle. Hooray.
Mango Extreme Hand & Body Creme by California Mango
This stuff is awesome. A friend of mine sent me this nifty little kit of California Mango products that included a small tube of this. It’s very thick, about the consistency of toothpaste, and so moisturizing. I use this on my hands occasionally (especially after a manicure because using nail polish remover can make them dry) but where this product really shines is for use on my feet. If you have a problem with dry feet and heels, try this. I don’t generally have dry skin but from the ankles down I am the Sahara. If that sounds familiar, get yourself to Sally Beauty! It’s the only place I know of that carries it.
Clarisonic Pro Skin Care Brush
I mentioned this in my “what’s in my shower” post, but it deserves another mention here. For the entire month of September I’ve been really vigilant about using my clarisonic at least every other day if not every day. I’ve been absolutely loving the results I get with it. I have had much fewer clogged pores and virtually no breakouts except for in the last day or so, but I chalk that up to allergies because I always break out from all the wiping/rubbing my nose.
Bath & Body Works Dark Kiss Shower Gel
I’ll do a more in-depth review of this shower gel soon on Beauty Debutante, but this shower gel is flippin’ fabulous. The scent is just plain sexy without being overpowering. The shower gel gives a great, luxuriously smooth lather, with or without a lather puff.
NYX Makeup Remover Gel Type
I like that this is a gel because you don’t have to worry about it getting in your eye when you’re removing your eye makeup. It works pretty well, and it smells incredible. It smells like coconuts! I wish this product was more accessible in brick & mortar stores. Actually, that’s my complaint about the NYX line altogether. It’s so hard to find in-store. Ulta’s selection is pretty lousy and they’re the only chain I can find the stuff in. Do try this out though, it’s so yummy!
That’s pretty much it for favorites this month. I haven’t tried that many new things that I’m ready to call ‘favorites’ yet.
I’d also like to mention that today I finally had to ‘retire’ (throw away) my tube of Revlon Grow Luscious mascara because I’ve had it open for about 4 months and I try to be good about replacing my mascara on a regular basis. It was starting to dry out a little bit. RIP Grow Luscious. But I should also mention that despite the fact that I have tons of mascaras I have been meaning to try, I grabbed another tube when Revlon was 40% off at Walgreens because it’s a really nice mascara and I wanted to have it on hand for the next time I try one that sucks and I need to be reminded that mascara is not my enemy. ;)
Samples of NYX All Purpose Makeup Remover (Gel Type) and BBW Dark Kiss Shower Gel provided for review.
Free Anti-Bac Soap at Bath & Body Works
I’m kind of obsessed with Bath & Body Works so I thought I’d pass this info along. In-store and online you can get a free antibacterial soap (up to $5 value) with any $10 purchase through August 29th! I didn’t realize this but there are over 40 fragrances. Geez! I’m partial to the moisturizing hand soap. I always stock up on this so I never have to go without. We have an apple-scented variety in our bathroom right now, but I really recommend grabbing orange sapphire or lemon vanilla. Those are two of my favorite BBW scents. In fact, I reviewed Orange Sapphire back in April. :)
If you want to get this deal in-store, the promo starts tomorrow and you have to print a coupon. This deal for online shopping is going on now and the code for online is FREESOAP.
Bath & Body Works Orange Sapphire
Orange you glad it’s almost summertime? HA. See what I did there?
I love the scent of oranges. In fact, I love the scent a whole lot more than the taste. One of my favorite scented products ever is Bliss Blood Orange & White Pepper! Blood orange just smells so yummy.
So when I was at the mall on Saturday I ducked in to Bath & Body Works to check out the new Orange Sapphire scent. They had a huge display right at the front of the store and I made a bee line for the tester.
Oh holy hell this is citrus heaven!!!!!!!!!! I’m in love. The top notes are bright citrus– blood orange, tarocco orange, grapefruit, peach, mandarin orange, and more. The middle notes contain some light florals like orange blossom, orchid, and jasmine. The fragrance’s base is made up of musk, vanilla, honey, and cognac to name a few. It’s a very complex fragrance but purposefully so. It has enough depth so that it’s not a cloying, kitchen cleaner-type orange scent. Instead it’s a succulent, summery orange scent that perks up the senses without slapping them in the face (or punching them in the nose, if you will).
If you love citrus you need to check this out. I grabbed mini sizes of the lotion, shower gel, and body mist. They’re normally $5 each, but Bath & Body Works is currently having a promo where the minis are 3/$10. I didn’t know when I purchased them, but B&BW has made improvements to their lotion formula, enriching it with shea butter and jojoba oil. The changes are great; I really do notice an improvement in how silky my skin feels after applying this lotion, even to my most dry parts on my elbows and the tops of my shoulders.
But wait, there’s more!
If you don’t have a Bath & Body Works near you, shipping is just $1 for the next 2 days on purchases of $25 or more from the website. The code for this offer is APRILSHIP1. Sorry Canadians, this is only valid for U.S. purchases. That is so lame. :( Also worth noting is the signature line is buy 2 get 1 free, and Anti-Bac is on sale 4 for $15 or 6 for $20.
