**REVIEW** BH Cosmetics

Oh, honey!

After my run in with Lancome (too expensive) and Black Radiance (dropped my color and didn't respond to customer query), I had to do something different. This is most definitely different.

And most definitely affordable.











And it does the job.

(Too bad it won't style my hair...)

Calling all my sisters, from the darkest browns and tans to the lightest pales and
For most of my cosmetic needs, I will continue shopping BH Cosmetics. Let me give you a quick rundown of how each of my four products worked out.

Liquid Foundation

This was on sale. I paid $4.50 each - in the shades of Deep Ebony (left) and Deep Espresso. The regular price is $9.00, which is still a great price. So...

Coverage is good and somewhere between sheer to medium. I could tell with the darker shade of Deep Ebony because it is, well, darker. It was the one the more closely matched my shade. When I used the (very) slightly lighter Deep Espresso, I could tell that it was sheer-to-medium in coverage because I can get away wearing it without looking "ashy".

The feel on my skin is good. At first, it was a little "tacky" to the touch as I applied it, but it blended well and there was no tacky feeling once it was on. The one thing I was a bit concerned about was that there was a bit of shine. This faded once I blended with my sponge/ To "set" the foundation, as I usually do, I applied some of my Making Cosmetics Wrinkle Blur (since I don't wear any other powder on top of my liquid foundations). That really made me fall in love with this BH foundation. I got a matte look without drying out my skin.

As for how long this foundation lasts, I'd seen other reviews saying that it needed to be reapplied at least once during the day. Not the case with me. Maybe because I don't have oily skin, or maybe because I applied my Blur, my one application lasted over 7.5 hours until I cleaned my face for bed that first night. Yesterday, it was about 9 hours before I cleaned it off.

I give this 4.5 out of 5 stars. I would like just a touch more coverage. I'm already planning my order of the Studio Pro HD foundation. Can't wait.





Forever Nude Aqua Lip Gloss

 I love lip gloss almost more than I love lipstick. I have problems finding shades I love in lipstick so I use lip gloss to "fix" or adjust the shades. When I think lip gloss, I forget that 'gloss' is the key, and that a gloss does not have to be sheer. When I saw the selection of these 'nudes', I thought they were more sheer so I went too light and chose the shade of Chai Latte.

 This is a great gloss, but it had deep coloring and, in this shade, my lips looked ridiculous. I looked like the really dark-skinned gal that I am trying to wear a nude that a natural blonde could rock.

But...

I really love the feel of the gloss. It's rich and buttery feeling and not sticky like some other products I've tried. And I love the idea of a 'nude' look for my lips. Because I do love this one (and because it was so reasonably priced ($5.50 on sale, $10 at regular pricing), I am going to give it to a friend of mine who is a lot lighter skinned. For my next order, I considered ordering the shade of Cinnamon, but I think I'd want to get a sample first.

This is what Chai Latte looked like on the back of my hand. Not bad, right? Light but looks workable...

...or ... no. Not workable at all.

This is what the Chai Latte shade looked like on my mouth. (I left part of lip clear to show contrast.) Ridiculous.


It tells you something that I'd never let you see my whole face with this on. I look like I'm lost in the desert and in need of a thirst quencher.


This is how Cinnamon and Chai Latte are shown on the site

So...  while this is a great gloss, it's more of what I'd call a "wet lipstick" that will look great on some ladies, but I'm still debating on the color choice for myself. If I can catch the sale before it ends, I may go for it. If I miss it, oh well. $10 for a gloss is too steep to gamble on!

5 out of 5 stars for coverage, shine and feel. 3 of 5 for my color choosing skills :-(

 Liquid Eyeliner


Well, I do love a good eyeliner. I especially love one with a felt tip applicator. This one is perfection. Purr-fection! 

Sale price was $4.00 and Reg $12.50
I prefer felt tip for eyeliners because I once almost put out an eye with a pencil liner. I've also ended up looking like a horror movie extra when I've coated one of my eyeballs with a dollop of liquid liner. I don't have the best of coordination or fine motor control. Felt tip is safest.

What I like the most about the BH liner here is that the felt tip is a bit longer than my e.l.f.  and nyc liners.

 Also, I think it helps that the whole pen is longer. Whatever the reason, I seem to be have more control with this eyeliner.

As far as staying power, the first day I used it, it lasted all day, no problem. The second day I used it, I happened to be humi-diffusing some peppermint to help with a cold I have. When I got too close to the oil, my eyes watered. Quiet a bit of my liner came off when I blotted my eyes with a tissue. So, while this might not last through a breakup or breakdown cry, it lasted me just fine during a normal  day.

4.5 of 5 stars for sale priced item; 3 of 5 for full-price (at $12.50, this should last better through tears and other melt-downs!) I can get e.l.f. cheaper and deal with the shorter tip.


Studio Pro Perfecting Concealer

 This is probably my favorite of the entire order. That's so funny because I have never bought a concealer type product before now. What attracted me to this were those gorgeous colors.

Sale price $5.50 and regularly $13.00

Of course, I don't think I am using this the way that it's meant. Or maybe I am.

I love the light gold toned color as an eye shadow. The peach-looking one next to the gold is what I use above and below my eyebrows to highlight the arch. The darkest one is great for fixing my eyeliner and mascara issues. Sometimes, I will overdo the eyeliner and need to wipe some off. I use that dark color to blend my foundation back in without whipping out my foundation itself.

These all are very smooth and blend great. That they can be used in multiple ways makes even the $13.00 price acceptable. It would stretch to even more use if I was a bit more adventurous with my eye shadowing.

5 of 5 stars at both Sale and Regular pricing.

The final Plus with BHC is their SHIPPING AND HANDLING. I have found quite a few things online that I love (clothing, hair products, makeup, etc.) only to back down when I get to the final Checkout phase. I've actually seen S&H on items that cost more than the total of the items in my Cart. (As if Alaska uses a different Postal Service than the rest of the country...)

I didn't have that Checkout regret with BH Cosmetics. As John Pinetta says, "Oh, nay, nay!"

Let's take one more look at the cost for my FOUR items, and that totally acceptable Shipping fee:

Oh, oui, oui 

So... In summary, I think that BH Cosmetics is an excellent place to do my cosmetic shopping. One thing I keep mentioning to friends is that, for the first time, I feel like I can get drugstore-priced items that work for my shade - face, lips, eyes and all. Usually, I can find a foundation in one store brand (if I'm lucky), but nothing else to complete my makeup bag.

As my friend, +Sandy Sandmeyer points out, this is a great find for women of all shades and colors.. Great prices and good stuff.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Majestic Pure Pale Pressed Castor Oil

Yes, I know. I just did a castor oil review a couple days ago. That was for what's called a "cold pressed" castor oil. This is for a "pale pressed" castor oil. Specifically, this one:

                    Majestic Pure's 100% Pure Castor Oil (cold pressed & hexane-free)

I have to admit that, before now, I never paid attention to the different oil "pressings". What I did notice immediately when I got this pale pressed oil is that it's so much thinner in texture.

When I saw just how thin this was, I worried that it wouldn't be a "good" castor oil. Except for Jamaican Black Castor Oil (BJCO), all the castor oils I've used have been either thick or super thick. This one was as thin as table syrup. I love me some Majestic Pure, as you guys know, but I was trying to give this item the side eye at first!

Because I was curious about this (and the color, which is a yellow-ish hue), I went looking for info. All I could come up with was that different "pressings" produce differences in oils.

Okay.

To be honest, I really only care the most about whether this would be moisturizing. It is, and the good thing about it's thinner texture is that it makes a great skin moisturizer.

Thick castor oil (like the one I just recently fell in love with) is great for dealing with hair and skin at it's driest. Because a thick oil is heavier, it takes more time for it to absorb. What I learned using this thinner oil is that it's easier to apply on my skin in place of lotion because it absorbs much faster. It still does a the job of moisturizing my skin (and holding in more hydration from, say a shower or bath).

When I applied this to my hands, it only took a couple of minutes before it was absorbed and I could touch paper without staining it. Cool.

I decided that there's a place for both types of oils in my routine. Still, I wanted to understand more about this whole "cold vs pale" pressing thing. I'm no expert, so take what I learned with a few grains of salt:

• Cold pressing leaves the oil more "virgin" because there's no heat used in the process.
• Pale pressed oil has a lower acidity. Pale pressed oil is from the first pressing of the castor bean.
• (source for info includes this specific page)

Um, that's about all I learned! Sorry. Hahaha...

If any of you know more about the subject, be sure to fill me in. 

For now, I am loving this oil. I like the fact that I can apply this to my hands and the rest of my body just before I get dressed. I like that it absorbs almost like a lotion (I just need to fill a small bottle to fit in my purse and gym bag), and most of all, I like that it really does work.

One warning: Don't over-apply. Just because this is thinner, I went a little overboard when I put some on my hair. My body heat begin to warm the oil and I had it dripping down my neck! A little bit goes a looong way, trust me.

Again, I have to say that I've used quite a few products from Majestic Pure by now. They seem to be a real stand-up brand and they do stand behind their products. By the way, this castor oil, other than being "pale pressed" is also hexane free.  There is a 100% refund guarantee.

Peace
--Free


Disclosure: 
In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using AMZ Review Trader. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

**REVIEW** Coconut Oil Hair Mask

I'm going to do some raving about this. Seriously. Before I even tell you what it is, let's look at the ingredients:

• Coconut oil
• Shea butter
• Water
• Rosehip seed oil
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin B5
• Glycerin
• Argan oil
• Glycine (amino acid)
• Betaine (amino acid)
• Climbazole (topical antifugal agent)
• Ginger Oil

Now, when is the last time you used a non-homemade product with such simple ingredients?  Except for the ones I had to Google and link to, I know what every one of the ingredients are.

This is the product:

It's Pure Body Naturals Coconut Oil Hair Mask - Deep Conditioner.

First thing I checked out when this was delivered was that list of ingredients. I was glad that it was so plain and simple, but I did wonder if it would actually work. That makes me kind of a hypocrite, I think. I mean, I am the one always talking up all things "natural" when it comes to health and beauty.

Anyway, I did a sniff test next. The coconut scent is not as strong as I thought. It's there, but it's pretty mild. The other thing that I noticed was that the conditioner is not as thick as I expected. Since it's called a hair "mask" and since it has all the shea and coconut, I thought it would be much more dense.

As thick as any other conditioner, right?

It took about 2 1/2 of those spoonfuls to coat my short hair from edge to edge to nape. This is not a super thin formula, but you can see that it's just about as thick as a bottled conditioner. No matter. The thing is, it works. And I mean, it works really well. 

When I first used it, I did everything wrong. For one thing, I know that any hair conditioning product works best when applied on washed (or at least damp) hair. I had already washed my hair and it was dried. Plus, I'm lazy. 

I just applied the mask to my hair and sort of rubbed it through, same as I do for a leave-in product. Then I put on a plastic cap and waited about 10 minutes. (You're instructed to wait 5 to 15 minutes,so I was mostly in line.

While I was rinsing the mask out I could tell (like you usually can with a conditioner) that it had softened my hair quite a bit. The thing is, it was the same kind of softness I get from any other decent conditioner (like my Aussie Moist). It wasn't until my hair was fully dry again that I noticed where this mask beats my beloved Aussie Moist (yes, I said it!). 

Because I was specifically testing this for the review, I didn't apply any other products (my oils and sprays, etc.). Plus, it was late and I was, once again, too lazy. I pretty much wrapped my hair in my silk scarf and went to sleep.

Here is where I am very impressed: Next morning, my hair was still soft. Don't get me wrong, I did have to moisturize my Sahara Desert scalp... But what I mean is that, no matter how well I condition, once my hair is dry - completely and totally dry - I tend to lose a lot of moisture. This time, my hair was still very soft and just felt so good.

Remember I told you about the moisturizing shampoo bar I use? That helps my hair retain moisture when I regularly use it. That's because it doesn't strip all of the moisture I have in my hair. This time, I was so impressed because my hair seemed to retain all the softness caused by the conditioning mask.

This is great news. For one thing, I co-wash my hair more than I wash with shampoo. What do you want to bet I'll be using this more than I use my Aussie Moist? That's how good this is.

That first treatment was on Saturday night. It's now Wednesday. My hair is still nice and soft. I have used my scalp butter and, yesterday, I used my spray moisturizer when I was styling my hair. Still, I know that this is going to be my new go-to conditioner

The mask costs $13 with Amazon Prime (when I have to pay for it), but I'm guess-timating that the jar will last me through a good 30+ washings. Maybe more. When I use it next time, I will follow the directions and apply to damp hair. I know that will let me use less of it. 

So, I'm pretty impressed. I especially like that there aren't a lot of crazy-sounding ingredients in this. 

By the way, I happened to apply to review another product from the same brand, Pure Body Naturals. Now I really can't wait to try that.  (I already looked it. The ingredients are just as natural as in this hair mask. Yay!)

I've used Pure Body Naturals products before and have never been disappointed, but they really scored one with this hair mask. I don't think anyone will ever use the offered money-back guarantee, but it's there on the product page, just in case.

If you don't get yet just how much I love this stuff, I can tell you this: All I had to do to fulfill my part of receiving this was to do an Amazon review. This was my pleasure to do a blog post on!

Peace

--Free


DISCLOSURE:
In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using AMZ Review Trader. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

**REVIEW** Organic Castor Oil from Cammile Q

Sometimes, I have a brand reach out for me to try something because they read the blog and know what sorts of products I like reviewing. This was the case with this:

That's a 100% Organic Castor Oil from Cammile Q.

You guys know that I have tried a couple of different castor oils. I've mainly been using Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO)  - which I sometimes call BJCO or Black Jamaican Castor Oil!

"Regular" or JBCO, when it comes to whatever kind, there is a big difference in castor oils.

What I like so much about this one is that I can use it in a lot of different ways. There is no odor or fragrance so I feel more confident about using it to extend the scent on perfumes and the fragrance oils I wear as perfumes. (I'll get into the specifics of that in a moment.)

This one is very, very thick. Love that. I had tried another castor oil that was super thick, but it did have a sticky or "tacky" feel to it. I didn't mind that when using it on my hair or on my feet, but it wasn't as nice when trying to moisturize all over after a shower.

My original intended use for the Cammile Q castor oil was as an eyelash/eyebrow moisturizer. It's only been a few days, but I can't wait to see how this works down the road. What I did was take one of the wands from an empty mascara, cleaned it really well and stored it in a plastic baggie. Now I use it to apply the castor oil to my lashes and brows at night after I clean off my makeup.




I like using the oil on my lashes and brows, but we all know I'm a maniac about my the hair on my head! I found ways to incorporate this castor oil into that care regimen. Because this is thicker than my JBCO, I especially like to use it as a hot oil treatment. Once again, there's no odor. Also, if I rinse out the treatment with conditioner instead of shampoo, I find that more of it remains to moisturize my scalp. If I want lighter oil on my scalp during the day, I can use the JBCO.

One other way that this works is as a protectant (not exactly a carrier) oil for when I want to apply EOs  to my skin as a fragrance. The reason this works well is because, while it does protect my skin from the strength of the EO's, it also helps to make my fragrance last longer. (I find that wetting the skin with warm water, blotting, and then applying the castor oil before a perfume or fragrance EO is the best way.)

Other ways I've tested this out is by adding it to the hand lotion I keep in my purse, adding a little (about a full dropper full) to a 16-oz tube of shampoo. The shampoo was a clarifying one that has been sitting in the bathroom cabinet for months. I figure it will be less stripping with the oil added to it. Also, I am using the oil on my little nephew after his baths. He's inherited his daddy's tendency to "ash up". Most lotions just roll of that child so I've been using oil on him ever since he was about 2 years old! He'll even ask me if it's time to out on some "oy-yul")

Of course, this is just a really nice sealant after washing and/or conditioning the hair. Apply to the ends with a the fingertips is you don't want much oil on your hair.

Finally, this is going to last. It's thick and doesn't take a lot. The trick when doing hot oil treatments is to use just what you need. I don't like warming my hair oils over and over. What I do is put just enough in a baggie (about a half - or little more - of a dropper) and warming the baggie in hot water. Then I can drizzle my scalp with the oil. I hate wasting stuff so this works best for me. Also, I've noticed that, just like my hair, my skin works better at absorbing moisturizing products when it's damp and a bit warm.

When you look at this on the Amazon product page, it looks small. The bottle is actually bigger than I thought.

USDA certified Organic

Like I said, I love my JBCO, but I love this unrefined castor oil too. It's unscented and thick - without the tacky feeling. There is a 30-money back guarantee, just in case you aren't as impressed as I am.

If I get the chance to check out some of the other Cammile Q products, I will let you know. In the meantime, you can go over and take a look.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Baby Bib Set by NinoStar

Since she and her cousin are the ones using these items, let's start by showing off my beautiful new grand-niece...

Sometimes, I call her "Meanie Beanie" 

... And my handsome new grand-nephew...

LOL Go ahead. Caption that expression!

(I was using the term "great" until I realized I like "grand" better!)

Both new additions to the fam are adorable. Baby LJ looks a little stubborn (he is), and Baby Sissy looks mean. We've decided that they both just have a lot of deep thoughts...

Anyway, this is the Baby Bib Set by NinoStar:

You get 5 bibs, the 12 stickers, and that cute giraffe.

When I got the baby bib set for the nieces to try on the kids, I didn't realize that all the colors are more masculine than fem. That aside, the bibs are really cute and, thank goodness, the snaps are way more secure than on most bibs. Also, the fabric is thick and absorbent enough that we aren't missing that plastic backing most bibs have. If you notice, after some washing, that plastic starts to wear and tear and feel icky.

The moms like that the snaps hold so well and that the bibs look a bit different than the usual store finds. Their favorite part of the package has to be the stickers. Every mom (especially first-time mommies like LJ's) want to mark and note everything in albums. The stickers make nice reminders of just how fast the time does fly.

I think that I like the stuffed animal most of all. I mean, if I get a say!

The animal is not very big, which makes it perfect for very little ones. Not that Sissy stays wake long enough to see hers much, I did lay it in her swing with her to see if it would catch her eye. She gave it the side eye! I think LJ is old enough to play with it more and it's small enough for his little uncoordinated hands. The feet are made of bumpy plastic and I know the kids will love gumming on them when they start teething.

 This would make a nice baby-shower gift and it's nice that there is more than just one thing included. With all the positive stuff noted, I have to say that some mothers and fathers might want something more feminine for their baby girls. The first thing Sissy's mom wanted to know was if she hadn't gotten the "Boy" set by mistake. Of course, once she put on one of the bibs, she liked everything else about it. Still, I myself would have liked something in pinks and yellows for Sissy.

The only other thing that threw us off when we got the delivery is that the product description also calls the bibs "snap on drooling cloths", so you might be looking for a separate item. No. The bibs can be used as drooling cloths. So, just know that.

The Prime price will seal the deal for a lot of gift-givers. Because the bibs are well made and so soft, you'd expect to pay a little bit more.

If you buy this and find that you aren't happy, no worries. The products are backed by a "100% money back guarantee. Return it within 90 days for a full refund with no questions asked." That's straight from the Seller.

Here are some more photos I took to show some of the detail of both the front and the soft backing.

Peace
--Free



DISCLOSURE:
In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

Taking Control of Your (money) Hair & Skincare Products

Everybody is probably tight on money sometimes, but we still want to look and feel as good as we can. I'm a big believer in part of the holistic theory of health: it really is all connected. If you look good, you feel better and if you feel better, you look better. Or maybe that's just me.

Since I know that money is tight for me, and I still do like looking and feeling as good as I can, I really like finding ways to balance all that. One way I've found to save money is to stop buying pricier hair and skincare stuff. I also have been happy for the last few years in getting back to a more natural way of taking care of myself. 

With all that in mind, I want to talk about ways to take better care of ourselves and save money at the same time. I'm too lazy tonight to do anything but a bullet list type of post. Here goes with my rambling list of ways to save money and do right by ourselves in our pursuit of beauty:

Stop buying expensive shampoos and conditioner and lotions just because they promise something good. If, for example, you use a pricey shampoo because it does something great for your hair, why not find out which ingredient causes that? Some of us black women like what proteins to for our hair. We'll pay more for Shampoo X when we could be buying the cheaper Shampoo Y and just adding protein to it.

Making Cosmetics is my go-to for finding base ingredients that brand name items use. I think you guys remember how I went from paying so much for a store-bought "blurring" product because I found the much cheaper base ingredient. That was this product from Making Cosmetics.



Just for kicks, go over and browse this page at their site.

If I wanted, I could probably whip up a liquid version of Garnier's  Second Blur. Once again, I'm lazy. I prefer to just use the M.C. Blur powder under or over my foundation.

Another example of using base products to amp up a cheaper store brand item is to buy Collagen Protein or *** or *** and add it that less expensive product. You could get the same results (at a cheaper cost) of some salon version product. So, why the heck not?

By the way, I hype Making Cosmetics because they are one of the companies out there offering base products that I know who have excellent customer service to go with their quality products.

Perfumes are another feel-good item that can rip a budget right to shreds. I know because I am a fragrance freak. Love, love, love to smell good. In the past few years though I've been substituting oils for brand name scents. Also, I love taking advantage of the Travalo refill from Perfumania. But, better yet, there are places like The Fragrance Shop, where you can get really good imitations of popular perfumes. You can also pick up some nice E.O. blends there, but they tend to be pricey. (And, I notice that, as I've gotten out of my 30s, I need oil-based scents if I want lasting effects of a fragrance. Hormonal changes are a sonofagun!)

Another way to smell wonderful without smelling broke is to do a little research on mixing oils to create nice scents.

Source

Source

• Some general info on making EO perfumes
• Goes with the "Start Making Scents" graphic above
• This EO perfume post goes a little bit deeper
• Scroll down to see categories of EOs in this post
• This is probably the most informative on details

I like checking Pinterest for some of the best charts and info, like this one:

Source

One thing that I still haven't ventured into yet is actually mixing and making my own cosmetics. Well, that's not really true. Anyone who has trouble finding shades in lipsticks and foundations has probably done a little blending and mixing to get what they need. What I'm talking about here though is actually making a product from scratch.

• Mind, Body, Green has some great recipes for makeup (right out of the pantry)
• Not exactly cosmetics with this link, but Wellness Mama is a great info resource
• Make your own aluminum-free deodorant (love the name Pit Paste!)
• This is a gathering of links and recipes
• A charcoal powder/coconut oil eyeliner
• Since I love Pinterest, just go over and go wild

I love the idea of this blush that you can deepen in color...

Check source for more

Making your own B.O. fighter?
More recipes at the Pin page

As far as taking care of your skin and hair, I've adopted the policy of "If I can't safely eat it, why would I want it on my hair or skin?" (Did I do that right?) Seriously, I think it's fine to use some chemically enhanced things to care for our hair and skin, but I just don't want to be lathering myself with layers of chemicals and toxins. I'm starting to wonder if all the years of processing my hair and spraying myself with deodorants and other things didn't help lead to this chronic disease I now have. At any rate, I figure I can stop and do better now. So I'm trying to. I've pretty much stopped using anything but dye on my hair (and that might be over with), and I try to use natural rocks and other forms of deodorant. I'm even brushing my teeth with natural oils and butters.

I'm really curious about ways that other people find to "hack" their health and beauty routines. I spoke with one lady in a store recently and she told me that she replaces fancy foot files for sanding blocks from Lowe's and Home Depot. What are some ways that you all find to save money and deal with your beauty needs?

Yesterday, a woman told me that she refreshes her eye-shadows and other such cosmetics by spraying them with rubbing alcohol. I'd never heard of that before now, but, yep, it's a thing. A serious thing.

Another tip I picked up somewhere online was to add a little Lavender EO to your mascaras. I guess it helps lash health and growth. Who knew? I didn't.

I did know about adding a little bit of oil to the tips of pencil type eyeliners to make them easier to use. Back when I was using them as a teenager, we'd either warm the ends with a cigarette lighter or tap the end in a bit of Crisco or olive oil from the kitchen.

What I need is for you guys to share your little beauty tips and secrets with the rest of us!

Peace
--Free