**REVIEW** Raslock Aloe Vera Gel

 I love aloe, especially in the gel form, but it has to be good aloe. Not sticky aloe or with a lot of other ingredients added. I found a really good aloe once in Alaska but have never been able to find it since... But I have found a gel that I love, love, love. 

This is the replacement

The first time I ordered from the Raslock brand, I knew I'd found the product I would want to always have around. I initially got the version that came in a bottle with a pump ($9.99 or $0.77/oz). As much as I loved the aloe, the pump didn't work so I emailed the seller a video showing the problem and asked for a replacement pump. Just the pump. They sent a replacement bottle of the gel, Nice.

The next time I ordered the gel, I chose the jar version ($9.99 or $0.87/oz). I like leaving the pump version in the bathroom for guests to use in place of lotion after they wash their hands. I keep the jar in my bedside drawer to use along with my face and body moisturizers. 

What I love about this aloe gel is that it's not sticky in the least. That's been a problem with some aloe I've tried. Also, there are no unnecessary ingredients, just aloe (first on the list) and glycerin, and fortified with vitamins B1, B6, and B12. There is no added alcohol, fragrance, colors, or parabens. When I rub this into my skin, it absorbs completely.

This aloe is good enough to be used alone as a hand moisturizer - which is why I keep some by the bathroom sink - but I love using it with my face and body lotions. I had one face lotion (which I will not buy again because it's not very moisturizing on its own) that works really well as a night cream when I add a bit of the aloe. I have some decent foot creams (and really dry feet!) that get next-level good when I add the aloe.

My SIL was over one day and after using the aloe in the bathroom, she asked to take some of it home until she could order her own. It's really good aloe. To stretch it out, I went ahead and added some of my cheap unscented lotion to the bathroom jar!

Whenever I used aloe before, I only used it for burns, scrapes, etc. Even when I used the plant, I never thought about using it as a regular moisturizer. Since I got this aloe, I have been using it under my chapstick, over my sunscreen, on my scalp, and at night with my face cream. It only takes a little. And I'm in love with the texture it adds.

I'm not sure what was going on with the other aloes I tried but they were almost all too sticky or tacky-feeling on my skin or they were so watery that they weren't very hydrating. I didn't mind because I was mostly only using them in first-aid situations. The liquid that I found in Alaska was not sticky but I thought that was because it was a liquid. I think I just need to read the labels more carefully, especially when buying aloe in gels. Hopefully, I will always be able to find this brand or something just as good.

I've even been using the gel in my hair care. Since I did that big chop, my hair is not growing back as fast as it always has. Scratch that. My hair is growing back; I'm just not retaining the length as I once was able to. That may be due to aging or it may be due to the climate here. At any rate, I am now applying a little of the aloe to the ends of my hair after washing. I will see how that goes.

So, yeah. I am ranting about this gel because it's that good. Normally, I just review products based on how well they work for me without recommending them to anyone (outside my family). This time, I'm going to go out of my way to recommend this to anyone who has dry skin, sensitive skin, or who just wants a cheap way to boost their other skincare products.

Now that I have streamlined my skin and hair care routines (I know I keep bringing that up lately), I like having something as affordable as this gel. Instead of replacing some of the face and body lotions and hair products that weren't as moisturizing, I'm able to use them up now by adding the gel. Maybe I will end up replacing some of them completely.

Peace

--Free

Disclaimer: I was not paid or compensated in any way for the products mentioned in this post. The free replacement I received was not solicited nor offered in lieu of a review. 

Walmart Is Spotlighting Black-Owned Brands

 I thought I would pass this along. Walmart is putting a spotlight on black-owned beauty brands. This is great for those of us looking for hair and skincare targeted to our specific needs. 

And, here's the thing: just because the brands are "black-owned" that does not mean they don't have products for all hair and skin types. 

Look at all these beautiful people

Since I have been working on streamlining my personal beauty routine, I've tried not to be lured into buying every new thing that comes along. However... LOL. Looking through this section of items on Walmart's site, I am seeing brands I never heard of before. I may have to snag one or two items over the summer.

One day, I'm going to put together a post listing all the beauty brands I've come across. I've found some amazing products from K-beauty, Afro-beauty, and Euro-beauty. I need to do a big ol' link list. In the meantime, take a gander at the Walmart list.

Something in every category

By the way, I only noticed a few weeks ago that some products on Walmart's site are eligible for subscription purchases. I guess they are keeping up with Amazon's Subscribe & Save option.

Well, now you know. I am going to scroll through some of the items but I'm sticking to my new streamlining method. I don't buy anything new in a category until I have used up what I already have. But the first thing I do want to try will be from the Pardon My Fro brand! 

Peace

--Free

Apologies to Aunt Jackie

 So.

I had to come and post a HUGE apology to Aunt Jackie and her hair products. Or at least 3 of the products. When I look back at the times I have trash-talked the brand, I'm kind of ashamed. Also, I am puzzled. The first time I tried the Quench Moisture Intensive Leave-In Conditioner, I said some hatefully nasty things when I was critiquing the claims. Such things as:

" Moisture - Well, it's wet, so I suppose that's where that came from. It's wet in the bottle and still wet when I apply it. Wet = Moisture. Until it doesn't."

And, 

"Intensive- I'm kind of mad that that word is even in the label next to "moisture". I am intensively upset with that."

And... 

Leave-In - That's true. You can leave it in. I could also leave talcum powder or dry rice in my hair. Same effect.

See? Brutal. And I am apologizing big time because when I recently tried the Quench again and a couple of other A.J. products, the results were... kind of stunning. In a good way.

Quench? That stuff is amazing. I have to believe that I got a counterfeit the first time I tried it or else my hair has radically changed. (And I think I got it from Amazon that time so... possible!)

In addition to the Quench, I tried the Butter Cream Intensive Moisture Sealant and the Curl La La Defining Curl Custard. The Sealant was truly amazing and I love, love, love what the Curl Custard does to my hair.

What the what, right? To be fair, I do think that my hair texture has changed. It does that every couple of years it seems. I can go back through this blog and see the difference in photos. Also, I never used the Butter Cream or the Curl La La before this.

The thing is, my hair has never made such a quick and drastic change as it has this time. It was once a definite 4C. Since it has grown back in after my big chop - or maybe after I started using the Bentonite clay - it's become more of a 4B-kinda-leaning-C - and a loose C at that. The curls are naturally looser, even before I apply any products. Even at its driest, it's nowhere where near as "dense" as before. 

The last time my hair texture was this manageable after a fresh washing (and before applying leave-ins or doing an oil wash or stretching it with yarn) I was barely in my 20s and rocking a gorgeous Jheri Curl (minus that heavy leave-in stuff). You can still see that pic somewhere on the sidebar.

I knew that the Quench and Sealant were doing something wonderful when I applied them after washing my hair, then got busy gossiping with family on the phone for an hour and forgetting to apply other products. My hair was drying from the wash but not dried out/fried out like usual and there was less shrinkage. It was so weird.

My hair had totally air-dried by the time one of my nieces and I finished minding everyone else's business and got off the phone. I thought I would have to at least dampen my hair again to apply the rest of the products. Nope. There was not a parched strand on my head. What was also nice is that my curls were not all clumped together and tight-feeling. They were very lightly defined as when they are a couple of days old and set with a curl cream and a couple of moisturizers and other leave-ins. All this from the Quench and Sealant.

I applied the Curl La La next. (cute product name!)  I didn't glob it on. I would put a small amount on a couple of fingertips and pull the cream through small sections of my hair - from root to tip. Wow.

What I ended up with is my freshly washed hair looking as nice as it does after a couple of days of applying and re-applying products. Amazing.

Oh, and I love the Quench and Curl La La for touchup styling throughout the week. Because of my hair color, it can be hard to catch the curl definition with the camera so I did some closeups. 

The first pic is of my hair still slightly damp after I washed it and used the products. 

Immediately after
washing, Quench, Butter & Curl La La.
Still damp.

The 2nd pic is of my curls the next morning after a bit of light styling. All had to do was spritz my hair with water, let it dry, then lift my curls with my fingers and go. No overnight twists or anything. 

The next morning. No touch-ups. Just spritzed

with water.

It was nice not having to sleep on twists. I prefer having a truly natural look to my curls and doing a twist-out when my hair is this length is work. The twists don't stay put unless I secure them in a Bantu knot. When I feel up to it - and when I have more length, I will use the AJ products and do a twist out. Just for kicks.

So, yeah. I am sending out apologies to Aunt Jackie. It was about 8 years ago that I talked the most trash about the brand but, still... Sorry, Auntie! (LOL) I love the products and will be looking to try more.  They all have nice, light, and pleasant scents to them. Another plus is that the jars and bottles are good sizes for the prices. (Actually, I notice that Walmart has the lowest prices on the products.)

Peace

--Free

NOTE: This is NOT a sponsored post & I am in any way being compensated. I bought the products at full price.

 

**CROSS POST** The Readable Bible (TRB) Version

 **This is a condensed version of a post from my Free & Faith blog.**

Side note: I learned something new recently during a Bible study of the Book of Isaiah, Chuck Missler was comparing passages in the KJV to the ISV. He explained that the ISV relies heavily on the Dead Sea Scrolls and that the DSS for Isaiah had the complete work. Interesting.

I don't know how I came to learn of the Readable Bible (TRB) but when I saw samples online, I wanted a hard copy for myself. I ordered mine from Amazon (though it's cheaper at ChristianBook.com right now). By the way, I do love ChristianBook and order from there often. I just get a bit impatient with the sometimes backorders and I wanted to get this Bible as soon as possible!

Amazon's packaging
was a bit haphazard!

Understand that I know that there are sometimes very important differences between translations. I don't like "loose" translations and won't even read for pleasure anything like "The Message" or "The Passion" (even before it was noted by others to be too loose). After all, the Bible is God's Word, not man's.

This is why I rely on the KJV and other "word-for-word" translations for serious study. I was still trying to decide where the TRB version falls on the chart of translations before I remembered the chart I once posted on this blog. Duh! After seeing it, I'm happy to say that it falls in line with the other word-for-word versions. 

There it is, the TRB

Lots of see-through issues

 This is what publishers of the TRB have to say:

The Readable Bible is a literal translation in the sense that each original language word is expressed in English. However, sometimes a literal translation is unlikely to communicate the writer’s thought to a modern audience. For instance, people unfamiliar with ancient culture probably do not understand that “sons of the bridechamber” in Matthew 9:15 refers to groomsmen. So, where the literal translation might confuse or mislead today’s reader, a thought-for-thought translation is presented and the literal translation is footnoted, or vice versa (unless the term is listed in “Nonliteral Words and Phrases Not Footnoted”). When an action verb is immediately followed by another action verb (e.g., “got up and went”), oftentimes only the second verb is expressed in the English text.

Specific copyright & use rules

For my general reading purposes, I have to say that it's easier for my modern American brain to absorb the basics. Just as with the ESV - which I enjoy reading before bedtime - I find the TRB relaxing to read. All of the charts and "helps" within the Bible chapters are just as easy on the brain as can be. Some verses are broken down really well (without changing the meanings). For instance, in Genesis, the creation days are clearly labeled as "Day 1:" and so on. In Isaiah 14, the 5 satanic "I will" statements are laid out in separate lines. In Exodus 20 and in Deuteronomy 5, the Ten Commandments are clearly numbered. (To be honest, I love this because I've always had to manually highlight or mark these kinds of things in Bibles.)

Lots of charts

 As I said, this is a great "reader" for seasoned believers or a "starter" for a new Bible reader or undecided person.

While I love a lot about this TRB, there are some design features that could be improved. As with most Bibles, the pages are thin. In this paperback, there are issues of see-through and, in the wrong light, that can make it hard to read. Also, individual book names are not printed at the tops of all pages. This is not a big problem for someone familiar with the orders of the books but could be for a new Bible reader. I hate tabbing paperback Bibles because it never looks neat enough but, if I gift one of these to a newbie, I will have to do just that.

For the price (around $37 with tax), Amazon could have done a better job with the packaging. Mine was just tossed loosely inside a plastic mailer and so it arrived with the front cover bent. (Yes, I'm being nitpicky!)

I can recommend the TRB to anyone who enjoys just reading the Bible. Since I got my copy, I have been reading through a little at a time each evening starting with Genesis and I really look forward to it every day. I do have to mention that due to its size, it is a bit unwieldy! It doesn't fit into any of my purses.

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Soft Scrub's 4-in-1 Toilet Bowl Cleaner

There is a serious hard water problem where I live. I am constantly scrubbing and cleaning faucets and sinks. The toilet is the worst. Every few days, I have had to scrub away the gross-looking rusty stains from the water-flow spigot under the rim and an equally nasty-looking ring around the water line in the bowl.

I finally found a product that works. It's Soft Scrub's 4-in-1 Rim Hanger Toilet Bowl Cleaner.

Soft Scrub Rim Hanger Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Of course, I did a good scrubbing with the brush and some cleanser before installing the Soft Scrub and then I waited...

I knew this product was good when I didn't notice any stains after 3 or 4 days. I knew it was really good when there were no stains after a whole week - maybe 8 days even. After that, there was only the faintest ring and no stains around the spigot. I immediately set a reminder to add the product to a Subscribe and Save.

The reason I had so much trouble finding something for this problem is that the bathroom in my apartment has a "pressure assist toilet" (yeah, I'd never heard of that either!) This is how it's described in the Google results:

"A pressure-assisted toilet—also known as a power flush toilet—contains a sealed pressure tank that houses air and water. The vessel traps air, and as it fills with water, it uses the water supply line pressure to compress the trapped air inside."

And this is what the tank in one of these bad boys looks like:

Can't hang anything
in that oddity.

When I first saw the tank, I was almost afraid to use the toilet. But it does flush like a boss. It does sound a bit like a jet breaking the sound barrier. It works so well that I'm sure that it would suck down a phone dropped into the bowl.

The problem is that there is no way to hang a cleansing solution inside the tank or drop in one of those bluing tablets. (By the way, I have seen several articles online advising you not to put things inside a tank even if you can. I guess it's bad for the plumbing system. I'm not sure but you might want to look into it.)

Anyway...

I've always used a tank-based cleaner to help with any toilet staining. With this toilet, I had to find something to hang from the rim of the bowl instead. That should have been an easier task. Amazon really should do something about its Search function.

When I found this, I was not only happy that the hook fits the rim of my toilet (the rim is larger for some reason) but the price of the product is really good. A 2-pack is (currently) under 5 bucks and each one truly seems as if it will last for the promised 4 weeks. The first one I'm on is at 2 weeks and still going strong. The little "cleaning balls" don't look worn down at all so far.

The only thing I don't like is the lavender scent. Lavender has to be my least favorite scent of all and this is a strong one. However, the other scents for the product cost much more so... I will deal with lavender. Actually, although the cleaning power is for the long haul, the scent doesn't last past the first week of flushes. Thank goodness.

So, yeah. I have found a solution to my most hated cleaning chore. In the past, I have successfully used citric acid to clean the hard water stains in the toilet (and still do for the faucets and laundry, etc.) but I'd just rather not have to deal with it.

I've seen a couple of reviews saying this product didn't work well for their water problems. If this doesn't help, I don't want to know what kind of problems they are having!

Peace

--Free

Now Amazon Has Layaway?

 As if I needed another way to spend money I don't have... Amazon has a layaway program. No thank you, ma'am. As if it is, I have to restrict myself from even looking at the Amazon site for 3 days of the week just so I don't go broke(r).

Reading the morning news, I saw a CNET article about Amazon's new webpage. The Bezo money vacuum site wants to make sure that we shoppers don't miss any chance at all to send our money that way.

I need to follow @poutnpowder!

I've never been much of a layaway kind of shopper. I mean, I have used layaway programs once or twice (maybe three times) but using layaway was a big motivation for me to keep my credit in good standing. The times I used a layaway program were during my bad credit days. (And, yes, I know that not everyone is able to build good credit.) 

To be honest, the Amazon layaway program isn't for the faint of heart. There are a couple of pros but you do have to pay the amount off within 8 weeks' time. That's not better for me than how I use my credit cards. I don't buy anything that I cannot pay off in full when the bill comes due. That's why I really don't care too, too much about APRs. It's a great way to build your credit rating and keep your spending in check.

It is probably a good thing though that Amazon is trying to keep shoppers informed about its attempt to take over the world all the "perks" of a membership. I have posted here before about some things that people weren't taking advantage of.

At any rate, do check out the CNET article and do explore all the membership benefits. If you are paying, you should at least get maximum usage.

Peace

--Free

**Dupe Patrol** Smells Like Cheirosa?

 One of my favorite fragrances for a long time has been Sol de Janeiro's (SDJ) Cheirosa '71. It's so sweet and salty and caramel-y that I can't help but love it. However... the scent lasts about 20 minutes on me before it becomes a memory only.

I've looked for the longest for something that at least mimics the warm, yummy scent and nothing even came close. Until this almost-a-dupe fragrance mist from Bath and Body Works called"Christmas Cookies". 

The bottles sometimes come in 
different colors (I'm told!)

As I said this is just an almost (kinda-sorta) duplicate. Even if I had never smelled Cheirosa '71, I would have fallen in love with this one. Since I do know what the SDJ smells like, I couldn't help but compare the 2 different fragrances. Of course, I ran over to Frangrantica to check what they show for them both.

The accords for Cheirosa are sweet, caramel, vanilla, nutty, salty, and chocolate. To be honest, I never really caught the chocolate part. For the Christmas Cookies: sweet, caramel, almond, nutty, and fruity. For this one, I don't get any of the fruity parts of the scent. (BTW, I bolded the shared notes.)

The two scents are like twins - fraternal, not identical. Even though the BBW lacks three of the accords found in the SDJ, the only one really I notice missing is the salty one. That's really it for me. Apparently, other people are getting the same vibe. One Fragrantica review describes the SDJ as a "freshly baked macadamia nut cookie" and another review describes the BBW as "creamy butter caramel like popcorn". They both nailed it.

Although I like the Cheirosa more, I prefer Christmas Cookies because it lasts longer for me.  And it's cheaper. It's only a little longer-lasting than Cheirosa on my skin (by itself) but it lingers longer on my hair and clothing. Also, there is a matching lotion for the Christmas Cookies scent. That makes a big difference.

Honestly, as popular as Cheirosa '71 is, I'm really surprised that SDJ made a perfume for the Cheirosa '62 instead. I don't see nearly as many people asking about dupes for the '62 as for the '71. I have the '62 perfume in a travel-sized roller and it's so "meh" for me that the little bottle is still nearly full after almost a year. And, again, the BBW is less pricey per ounce. I mean, for a visual, look at the 2 bottles and know that they each cost about $20.

And when you take the cap off of the Cheirosa, you see a bigger difference in the amount you're getting. Or, at least, I did.

(no flash for this pic!)

What surprises me is that I could not find the Christmas Cookies scent on their site currently. Maybe they only put it up on a seasonal basis? Thankfully, I found it on Amazon. If they run out, there's always eBay, I guess. One thing I would look out for though: because you can find the scent out of season, make sure you are getting it from a seller you trust. I've seen reviewers on Amazon complaining that the item was possibly fake or smelled nothing like they know it should. Some sellers can be so shady.

The thing is, you can always find a dupe for something - even if you have to layer 2 scents together to get the effect you want. In some cases, it's worth doing that. You know that if it hurts my budget to spend $20 on 3 ounces of a fragrance, I will not be wearing any authentic BR540!

One final thing. I recently heard that the reason you can find clones of scents is that a scent cannot be trademarked. The name can be trademarked but not the smell. Interesting, right? Maybe soon I will do a post listing all the clone houses and articles about dupes I can find online. Maybe I will even do a post of all the new places for shopping perfumes - whether I can afford them or not.

Peace

--Free

Dupe Patrol?

 This is the first of what I hope will be many posts listing sources for finding duplicate hair and skincare products. I will post info for dupes of any kind of product but I've started with these sites:

• Skinsort
• Skinskool
• DupeDrop
• INCIDecoder
• DupeShop

Some of these sites do sell products they list or show. I noticed that most with DupeShop. 

You can of course always do a browser search to find a dupe for a product. I do like using these sites because they are organized. InciDecoder is on the list because you can compare ingredients - which is what a lot of dupe sites do anyway. 

Here are some articles I found when skimming the web recently:

• From a dermatology blog
• Brandefy is an app. The WhoWhatWear site shares a list from the app. (Note that Brandefy is coming up with - or has - their own line of products. Also, they have a subscription box.)

Anyway, this is a start. Hopefully, I will find enough info to do more posts on a fairly regular basis.

Peace

--Free