Moving On

Well, my time here on Blogger has come to an end. Please join me at my new blog home by clicking here now.

Shoe ♥

Remember in 1986 when Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos were run out of the Philippines?  Well, the first lady left over 1, 000 pairs of her 3, 000 plus shoe collection which were eventually ruined by water damage,  mold,  and termites.

I doubt I'd need or want that many pair of shoes, but I understand how a girl could be obsessed. Check out Fall/Winter 2013's hottest trends in ladies footwear.

Mani Art

I was looking through my old pics ad came across my nail art photos.  I was pretty good for someone who never took a manicuring course!

Why Tea Tree Oil Is Awesome

Tea Tree Oil is one of those things that I simply cannot do without.  This is one of the most versatile oils because it has anti fungal properties.  Not only is it used for the skin, but it has many uses as a household cleaner.  You can find it at most grocery, drug, and health food stores.  Although it's a bit pricey, a little goes quite a long way.

Soft Lips Are Always In Style

       Trends like seasons come and go.  For the fall/winter season the bold red lip still reigns supreme.  Whether your chosen hue is fire-engine red, ruby, plum, or raisin, the one thing you have to have in order to wear these ( or any other ) shade effortlessly is a smooth pair of lips!

                                

                           

 As the temperatures drop, our lips are constantly being exposed to the cold and wind.  You can give your pucker a fighting chance by keeping your lips hydrated.  Just as a canvas has to be primed in order to receive a smooth coat of paint, your lips have to be smooth in order to receive a smooth application of lipstick.  Pamper your lips at least once a week with this luscious lip scrub.  This also makes an incredible body scrub!

                                                               Peppermint Lip Scrub

                                                                     3 oz shea butter
                                                                     1 tsp. jojoba oil
                                                        15 -20 drops of peppermint oil                                             
                                                                        1 tsp. raw sugar


 Before you begin, make sure you have  3 -1 oz. containers for storage.  You can find them at your local dollar stores.

          1. Fill large pot halfway with water. Bring to a boil, turn off heat.                             2. Place shea butter into a glass mason jar, or a Pyrex mixing cup. 
              Allow butter to melt completely, then remove.  Add jojoba and      
               peppermint oil.  Mix well.                        
           3. Refrigerate for an hour making sure mix has cooled.                                  
           4. Mix in raw sugar


That's it.  Pretty simple and totally natural. You can use cocoa butter in place of shea butter for chocolate mint. or add a bit of vanilla extract.  But be warned, licking your lips can dry them out!  By the way, these make great gifts.  For a holiday butter you can use red and green sugar crystals found in the baking aisle of the grocery store!




















                                                    

SOAP REVIEW: Kirk's Coco Castile

Yesterday, I made a quick run to
the local grocery store to pick up three things; toilet paper, soap, and coffee creamer.  I'm one of those women who can't even look at a bar of Zest or Irish Spring, so I have to use more natural soaps.  This usually means the bars of glycerin, but the bargainista in me wouldn't allow me to shell out over 4 dollars for a single bar of soap.  So, I was pretty happy when I saw this bar of Kirks for a little over a dollar.

I've been doing some research in preparation of making my own soap, and I've heard a lot of good things about this brand.  I was under the impression that the term Castile implied 100% olive oil, but I guess it's become more of a general term.  Pretty much any soap can be Castile ( depending on who you ask) as long as it's made of an oil, as opposed to oil and butter like other soaps.

So, I noticed that this soap is made from coconut soap, glycerin, water, oil, and natural fragrance.  I also know that any soap made with coconut oil is going to lather like nobodies business, so I couldn't wait to give it a try.

Although it did lather like nobodies business, the soap completely dried my skin.  Not only did it leave my skin dry, but it's making me itch it's so dry.  Now that I think about it, I do remember someone saying that CN did have a tendency to be drying, but Kirk's states on the front of the bar "...no drying residue"  Sorry Kirk, but my skin says otherwise.

Grade: ♥♡♡♡♡  ( for awesome lathering)

SCENT-SATIONAL!

I remember my mom being really into makeup!  Perfumes, nail polish, eyeshadow, lipstick, so on, and so on.  I also remember getting yelled at for foraging through her stash...and what a stash it was!  I blame her for having her own personal cosmetics counter on her dresser.

Of all her products, I think I loved the perfume the most.  She had the set of Ciara which included a shimmering lotion and dusting powder.  It is fair to say that she is the reason why I'm quite obsessed with scent.

I remember going to the mall; not to hang out, but to collect perfume samples from Macys' and Emporium Capwell.  That was when they gave you actual product and not those spray cards!

For my 16th birthday my mom gave me this vintage set of Liz Claiborne, except then it wasn't vintage!

At 19, she gave me my very
first bottle of Chanel no. 19.  I know that no. 5 is the most popular perfume in the world, but for me then and now it's all about 19!

                                                                                               

Although I would consider
No. 19 my signature scent, I'm really into Wings by Giorgio Armani.  Being the bargainista that I am, I was thrilled when I found a full bottle in the clearance bin at TJ Maxx in Alameda last winter.  I paid just ten dollars, and I'm still patting myself on he back.  Of course the packaging had been ripped and taped sloppily back together, but it didn't interfere with the smell!

What's your signature scent?