**REVIEW** Smith & Sinclair Alcoholic Cocktail Gummies

Oh. My. Goodness. I just tried my little 2-pack sample of this that I got courtesy PopSugar Dabble:

That is from Smith and Sinclair and I would have taken photos of the actual candy but I ate them both! Hahaha! They were so good.

Here is the brand's site. Since I just got a taste of 2 flavors, this is going to be a very brief review. I can tell you that I don't normally like gummy-type candies. I have to be in the mood. These, however, have a much different texture from the Haribo candies I pick up at the store. These are much, much softer and they sort of melt as you chew them. 


The candies are rather large - about the size around of a silver dollar and as thick as half a marshmallow. They are coated lightly with sugar crystals and that's the first thing you taste. As soon as you bit into one, the fruit flavor hits and fools you into thinking this is regular candy. Count to three and the booze comes through loud and clear. It's not harsh but more the flavor strength of a mild wine or lady-like cocktail. That is trick number two. Maybe because I am a lightweight drinker, I got quite the buzz from the very first candy - "Mandarin Spritz". Of course, I didn't wait more than 3 minutes before I ate the second one ("Pineapple Bellini") although I ate it in small nibbles. Um, hello and I-luv-you-man. I felt as if I had had at least half a glass of wine.

I wasn't crazy about the very soft texture but these taste so good that I don't care. When I get more, I will probably keep them refrigerated until I'm ready for my treat. Talk about a sugar buzz...

When I ever try more of these, I will let you know how the other flavors are. For now, I can tell you that the Pineapple Bellini is my favorite of the two. It was sweeter than the Mandarin Spritz. I would say that if you like drier wine and drinks, the Mandarin would be for you. I am a sweet wine gal so that Pineapple was perfect.

What an idea, to pair alcohol and candy. Here's the thing: I wasn't joking about these packing a little punch. The alcohol content is 5% by volume. My lips felt slightly numb after eating both of them in rapid succession so, you figure it out.

As I mentioned, I got my sample via Popsugar Dabble, but you can go straight to the source and check out all their offerings. There are the cocktail gummies I tried, mocktail gummies, drink mixers, and gift sets. If you get some, I would make sure to keep them in a place where children don't grab any. They look exactly like candy and would surely be too much for someone young and lightweight.

Peace
--Free

UPDATE **REVIEW** Juvia's Place I Am Magic Foundation (Part One)

Here is the promised update: There won't be a part two of this post. No need. The Mali and Chad shades were hit and miss. Mali is a hit and Chad is a miss. Here is another swatch photo from a post I just finished (in place of continuing with the Juvia mess). Chad and Mali are 2nd and 3rd down.

Thank goodness, Mali works so well. It's not quite as "deep" or red as Khartoum but it works. With this COVID sitch, there is no more trading/exchanging of makeup online so... My friend who got the Chad and Mali agrees with me that I can use Mali well as a foundation and Chad as a contouring color. Main thing is, I will not be shopping ever again at Juvia's until I KNOW the exact color I want. They have a horrible reputation as far as I see online and their Trust Pilot reviews focus on the awful shipping issues. Their BBB profile has around 18 reviews to date and has a less than a 2-star rating. The shipping and tracking were great for me - I got those mismatched shades quick as a flash. I have no idea how they stay in business unless it's via their Ulta sales.

For more swatches,go check the Big Black Swatch & Shade post.

*************

I am conflicted. On the one hand, this Juvia's Place I Am Magic Foundation is the best ever foundation I have used. On the other hand, there is something about the 2 shades I've tried. Let's talk my the shades and view of the pros and cons of the foundation and the brand overall.

THE FOUNDATION

This is the foundation, packaged and unpackaged:

The top is a flip design and some people don't like it, but I don't mind.

I got one foundation in the shade of Togo (210) and the other in the shade of Kano (150). I was trying to get a match for the Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Khartoum because let's face it, Nars is priced way out of my range.

This is what Ulta's shade guide looks like vs the chart from the Juvia's site:

This is what my arm swatches look like:

Togo and Kano are SO much alike

I totally missed the mark, didn't I? This is why I hate trying to check shades from looking at photos. A shade swatch on my arm will not look the same as one on the arm of someone even slightly lighter or darker than I am. Also, you saw those shade charts from online; they just don't capture the shades that well.

~sigh~

Note About Skintones

Both shade charts come with notes about the undertones for each shade - such as for cool, neutral, or olive, etc.

Well, how many people know their true undertones? For years, I thought I had red undertones because I look good in red clothes. Wrong. For one thing, I learned that other people think I look best in blue clothing. It's recommended that you check the color of your veins to see if they look more blue or purple or green. Apparently, mine veins are chameleon-like because they sometimes look blue, sometimes, purple and, every now and then, red.

I find it's better to check skin tone by which color metal jewelry looks best. Silver and white gold look better on me than any other kind. This is the way this site helps explain it:

Once you've determined whether you have warm or cool undertones, it's easy to find a metal color that will flatter your skin tone. People with cool skin tones look good in light or white metals such as white gold, platinum and silver. People with warm skin tones look good in yellow and rose gold, copper and brass jewelry. If you have a neutral skin tone, you'll look good in both white metals and yellow metals.

So, I am still in pursuit of the best shade for me. In the next 2 or 3 weeks, I will be updating this post with swatches of 2 other shades - Chad and Mali - because my friend has ordered those for me since I wasn't able to match better with Togo and Kano.

JUVIA'S PLACE SITE

It's a shame that such a great product is represented by such a lacking brand. I guess I should say the brand and the brand's website. Here is what struck me from dealing with Juvia's Place:

• CON: They really don't stand behind their product. There are no returns or recourse for damaged items. Basically, you buy it and, if it's the wrong shade or has gotten damaged in transit, too bad.
• CON: They don't respond to customer concerns. I emailed immediately after placing the first order to ask about a shade switch. Actually, I told them about the foundation I was currently using as asked if they could recommend one of two other shades. No response from them at all. The only communication is a notice that an order is received and that an order is shipped.
• PRO: On the plus side, the price is lowest at the brand's site - currently $12 vs the $20 and up I am finding elsewhere (Ulta, for one).
• PRO: The Juvia's shade finding tools try to be helpful. The problem is that a lot of users have no idea what their "undertone" is or they might think it's different than what's shown. 

So, I am so NOT a fan of the brand's site, but I would love to hit on the right shade of their foundation. It could be a beautiful thing.

By the way, I will be able to use the Togo and Kano shades but only as highlighters. I can use both as foundations but I have to add another shade on top to balance it out. I guess it's a good thing that these were on sale. Thanks to the Honey app, I got an additional savings discount. My friend will be ordering for the first time so she will get a deeper discount that I can't reuse.

Bottom line: I would pay double for the makeup if the brand were more customer-friendly. It's a first-class product put out by a low-class brand.

Peace

--Free

**SIFO** Citric Acid Is Multi-Use

This SIFO is another one that shows how a little bit of easy research can save money. Whenever I am tempted to buy a product, I try to find out what the main ingredient is. Oftentimes, I can just "go to the source" and skip paying for all the branding and hype. Keep reading and use your own judgment.

I have a Keurig that I got a few years ago on a deep sale and when I had some left-over gift certificate money. The thing is, the pods are so dang expensive. I finally got one of the really good universal filters and now I use the machine constantly. That means, of course, that I have to clean it all the time.

The water here is so hard that I can knock on it. I need to clean out the Keurig at least every other month so that it keeps running well. The problem with that is that the cleaning solutions are expensive. But you know me by now. I will always find a way to save some money.

This is what I got to clean the coffee machine:

That is a big old bag of Milliard brand citric acid. It cost $9 for the 2-pound bag. To clean my Classic model Keurig, I need to use around 1 to 2 tablespoons every other month. This is much cheaper than buying a ten-dollar bottle of "machine cleaner" that will give 2 uses per bottle. I was using white vinegar but that's around two dollars a gallon. The Milliards is a better buy for other reasons:

1. It doesn't have the strong odor of vinegar
2. It seems to rinse out of the machine better
3. It's better at softening the water - which should help with cleaning
4. I can use the Milliard on clothing stains (again, without the strong odor)
5. I can use it to keep produce fresher for longer
6. The Milliard is easier to store and use.

By the way, you can do your own research into other ways citric acid is used, but here are some uses I've seen mentioned online:

• In pharmaceuticals
• For cosmetic purposes (similar to retinol and vitamin C products)
• In hair treatments
• As a treatment for sore throats (don't ask me)
• To treat skin problems (I did use some with coconut oil as a quick lip scrub)
• To clean hard water spots
• In the dishwasher for hard water problems
• To preserve the freshness of produce
• Added to the wash or rinse cycle to soften clothes and assist detergent

My main use for it is to deal with the problems hard water causes for my coffee machine and dishwasher. The main ingredients in most of those expensive coffee machine cleaning products include citric acid and baking soda and maybe some hydrogen peroxide. I almost always have the baking soda and peroxide around. All I need to do is make sure to be careful I'm not mixing up any dangerous concoctions!

Anyway. I did clean my coffee machine and it was easy. I also mixed some of the Milliard with water in a spray bottle to clean the hard water spots around the faucets. I added some at the start of the wash cycle (I always forget to catch the rinse cycle) and I didn't need to use a fabric softener sheet. My clothes seemed cleaner and they were most certainly softer - especially my dish towels.

The bottom line is, I don't have money to pay for unnecessary products. Remember when Dawn dish soap came out with its bleach-added version? Listen, I had been adding bleach to my dishwater for years because that's what my mama and her contemporaries did. The Dawn version just came in a cuter bottle and with lots of marketing. Whatever. It was the same thing with those pricey bottle teas that had fruit flavors added. I had always added some kind of fruit nectar or fresh fruit to my tea.

So, yeah, this citric acid is something that can be useful in all sorts of ways. Just use your common sense, do your research, and take your own risks. I'm no chemist or anything professional. I just try to be smart as I can on a thin wallet. Creativity is the broke man's best friend.

By the way, this is how I cleaned my Keurig.

1. Mix in 1 to 2 Tablespoons (per liter) right into the water reservoir of the Keurig (I have the Classic) and stir until dissolved. (I used 2 tablespoons this first time and will use 1 from now on.)
2. Turn off the Auto-Off feature. You're going to be running a lot of water in the next hour.
3. Make sure to take out any old Kcups before you start brewing the citric acid/water. You want to set the machine to brew a large amount of liquid.
4. Brew out the first couple of cups of liquid but on the third cup, don't let the liquid brew to completion. Stop the machine (I just unplugged mine) after the first little bit starts to flow into the cup.
5. Wait for about 10 or 15 minutes, then let the rest of the liquid brew out.
6. Now repeat until you have emptied the water reservoir. Refill it with fresh, clean water (no citric acid) and brew out that water until you get no more taste of the citric acid. It took another entire liter of clean water for mine to run clear.

And for anyone who has wondered about those universal coffee filters, I personally think the Keurig brand has the best one. I have used ones like this:

That was fine and I really liked it until I got the one from Keurig and this is one time I have to say I prefer the brand name item.

Now, I won't go back to the other kind. This one gives a much cleaner brew - without all the residue my cheap one let through. It also has a larger capacity for when I want to brew the largest cup size.

The bottom line here is that there are a lot of uses for citric acid. I might be a little slow sometimes but I know to use my brain instead of my wallet when I can.

Peace
--Free


UPDATE: I wanted to see an actual product before I added this little tidbit. The popular LemiShine Booster product you see in the stores? Read the ingredient label next time you see a container. The one ingredient on the bottle that was selling for over 5 bucks at my local store was CITRIC ACID.and fragrance. That's it, folks.

**SIFO** Dollar General Online & Multicultural Hair Care

UPDATE: 3/11/20
Well, the package arrived today. I never did get a tracking number or anything. This is worth the wait and slight lack of site organization:

Basically, I got all these products for under $20 - including shipping. If you ever do order from them, make sure to save your emailed and online receipt; the shipment only came with a packing slip. I'm not mad. I couldn't walk into Sally Beauty, Target, or Walmart and get this for $14 (which is what this cost minus shipping) so... Of course, I will do reviews on the individual products as I can.


UPDATE: 3/10/20 I placed my order on the 5th and it has been in "Processing" every since. Today, the order was marked "Complete" (which I take to mean that it has been put together for shipping. I have no tracking number yet and will contact DG tomorrow if I still don't have one.


We are talking products on Dollar General. Products for black folks hair!

Okay, so there are not just hair products for black people on the site, but something for everyone. I was absolutely shook by how many hair products are there and by those prices. DG actually has a "Multicultural Hair Care" Page. (I'm going to start using the term "multicultural" instead of saying anything else.)

Of course, I tried to do a price check of the same items on Amazon where I get free Prime shipping instead of the $4.99 that DG charges to my zip code. This is what I ordered from Dollar General. It's hard to see on the screenshot but the total for the 4 products came to just under $20 including tax and the 4- to-7-day ground shipping cost.

That screenshot is horrible so... I got the following items and this is how they compared to what I could find on Amazon. Keep in mind that various sellers carry the same products on Amazon and sometimes, you have to search out the best price/quantity.

The only product that comes out cheaper via Amazon is the Cantu Deep Treatment Masque and I don't mind because I won't use a large quantity of that particular item.

Even with the shipping charge, I came out ahead. With free Prime shipping,  I would have paid $35 and that is only if I could buy the 2-pk items as singles.

Now, I will have to wait to see how these items are when they arrive. For all I know, they might be boot-leggy products! I don't think so since they have the actual brands on the jars. We will see...

I will, of course, do an update once the products get here. The only negative so far is the slower shipping but I can live with that for paying such low prices. In the future, I will just have to make sure to restock my supply earlier than usual.

And I lied! I just remembered that the other very annoying negative is the Dollar General online site. I was not able to set up an account because the page just reloads. I was able to set up an account via the app. I think I will stick to using the app only from now on.

Peace
--Free

Somethin' Special is Really Special

UPDATE 3/6/20:

Well, I have to let you know that the prices just went up over at Somethin' Special. I was going to order some of the Hello Lemon Sugar spray and... Yeah, that won't be happening. It's gone up from $9 to $15. It's a small business but that price jump just put it out of my casual shopping range.

I still think the products are worth the prices - it is a small business, folks. I just can't shop there.

I just wanted to let you all know about this since I made such a big deal of showing those awesome prices...



I'm back talking about yet another fragrance resource. I think I cycle through my indulgences. The other month, I was all about my plants and wanting to do a tank or terrarium system. A while back, I was heavy into using the EC Blends wizard to mix my own ejuice flavor concoctions. I'm really happy that I'm out of my food mood for the moment! Now it's all about the fragrance. Really though, it's always all about the fragrance!

It was either on Reddit or Influenster that I first heard about Somethin' Special. This is right about the time that Glossier was disappointing the crap out of me with their on-again-off-again You fragrance quality. That You fragrance is the kind of thing that is either the best ever or the worst of the worst.

Anyway...

I took a chance on ordering some small sample-sized vials. This is what came in my first order of 3 sample scents that I chose:

Also, included free with my order were two "sniffles" - little cotton pads sprayed with my choice of scents to sniff along with an unexpected sample of a jar of solid perfume in Jasmine Musk. By the way, I think those sniffles are a super-cute idea.

So when I got this first order of 3 perfume oil samples (Lolita Lempicka, Angel Wings, and Hello Lemon Sugar), I thought it was really cool that there was a perfume solid sample on top of everything else. The samples were  $6 for 1/16 ounce.

 Considering that this is a small business, I think that's a reasonable price for the size. And remember these are perfume oil samples.

I LOVE the sample bottle so much

By the way, can I just say how much more I like the sample vials? So much better than those hard to deal with long cylinder type containers. The lid is a screw-on so I don't have to worry about it coming off inside my purse.

I chose 2 samples based on the scent descriptions but, surprisingly, the fragrance I fell most in love with is the one I got to test as a home fragrance.

This is probably the most unique scent I have ever sampled. It's a sugary-lemony-sweet fragrance that smells exactly like the Lemon Sugar part of its name. As soon as I smelled it, I thought using it in a warmer would be a waste of it. I now want the larger perfume oil or the roll-on to carry with me and the Everything Spray - which can be used as a room, car, house, etc. spray. These prices are awesome!

Recent Prices

The Angelic Wings and Lolita Lempicka scents are just as described on the site. Of course, I love a nice, powdery fragrance so I am partial to the Angelic Wings. But that Hello Lemon Sugar... that one is my thing.

Somethin' Special ( I keep wanting to type "something") aims for Zero Waste with its products and packaging. I know that some of you will really like that.

On top of all the scents featured, there is also a page of special order fragrances that I have gaped at over and over. Do check that out. I have my eye on the Prada-inspired scent of Candy.

Get over there and check out the entire site. There's more than just basic fragrance oils. I myself am perusing the lotion bars, body powders, etc. Tell your friends - especially folks looking for scents that are cruelty-free and vegan. I said that before, but I want to repeat it for my friends who have trouble finding good products with those labels.  And I want to help support the small businessmen and women.

Now I have to go because I need to order my Hello Lemon Sugar stuff!

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Babassu Oil

After I review this oil, I will explain why I blacked out the brand name/seller on all the photos.

This is the babassu oil I'm going to be talking about:

First, let me say that this is the very first time I have heard of this particular oil. And you guys know that I use a lot of different kinds of oil. So, what's so great about this one?

• It feels very moisturizing - much like coconut oil - but without being oily.
• It absorbs better into the skin than does coconut or olive oil (two of my favorites). Coconut oil seems to stay on the surface of the skin and hair and this oil doesn't.
• There is no heavy smell - like with coconut or olive - and the slight scent it does have fades quickly.
• I can apply this to my face before makeup - as long as I let the oil finish absorbing. 

That's all the stuff I like about using it. There are more positives and potential benefits I've read about since getting it.

• Has anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties.
• Rich in fatty acids - which makes it a great moisturizer and potentially good as an immune booster.
• It does not seem to cause or aggravate acne.

Babassu oil (or cusi oil) comes from the babassu palm. The only possible negatives I've heard about so far are when consuming the oil. Like coconut oil, it can be used in cooking. Babassu oil might cause problems for people taking blood thinners or who have thyroid problems. As with anything you can ingest, use common sense. Pregnant or nursing women should check with their doctors before consuming babassu oil. 

As far as any downsides I experienced, this was better on my skin than on my hair (more on that in a moment). Oh, and the price. I will definitely have to find a more affordable brand if I want to use this on my hair. This small jar will last a long while if I only use it as a skin moisturizer.

I am not planning to consume the oil the way I do coconut and olive. This one is purely for my skin and hair. I love that I found it in the Loreal Paris ingredient library. I'm kind of surprised that I haven't heard more about it before now.

This oil seems to be pricier than coconut oil, but when I check for another brand/seller, I will see if this is normal. For this 2-ounce jar, I paid $6.00. I only pay a little more than that for 14 ounces of the coconut oil I use. So, yeah. However... I can add to the list of positives that a very little bit of this oil goes a long way. When I was first testing it, I only had to use just over 1/4 teaspoon to treat my hands, my chest and neck, and my feet. And anyone reading this blog more than 5 times will know that my feet are a special kind of dry...

By the way, this oil - which is refined - melts almost as fast at body temp as does unrefined coconut oil.

Started melting when I scraped
some out with my nail

Also, like coconut oil, it will go completely liquid if left in a warm room.

Now, here is what I mean about this being more absorbent than coconut oil. It's a little less greasy than coconut oil when you first apply it - but almost as greasy.

Once you massage it in a little, you can see that it's not just sitting on the surface of the skin the way coconut oil does.

After less than 30 seconds or so, you couldn't see the oil even though my skin felt softer and more supple. (It took me about 10 minutes of frustration to remember the word "supple"!)


When I applied it to my face, I could feel it more than I did on hands, but you can't really see much of an oily sheen. (And for daring to show you my undone face and hair and that toothpaste-speckled mirror, you are welcome.)

Remember that this oil completely absorbs and I wondered if it just kind of dries away. When I finished applying it to my face, I dampened my hands and rubbed them together and noticed that my skin felt soft almost the way my silicone potholders feel. Weird but nice.

I was excited to try this on my hair of course. And this is interesting. I washed and conditioned my hair and while it was still very damp, I applied some of this oil to a section. I don't know what I expected but I really couldn't tell a difference in the way that section looked or felt. This jar is so small that I don't want to use it up so I only applied a little to the rest of my hair. I don't think that I applied enough because, when my hair dried, I still didn't see or feel a difference. I will have to wait until I can find a cheaper brand so that I can apply more liberally. In the meantime, I love what this does for my skin.

So, that's the review. Now I need to explain why I won't be showing the brand.

WHY I REDACTED THE BRAND/SELLER 

When I received the product, there was an insert with the offer of a free product. Wow, right? I mean, like I mentioned, I love the oil so I was excited to be offered a chance to get another product from the seller. I assumed this was just an appreciation gift and a way to show new customers more of their line. I assumed. Always a mistake. What would you have assumed?

Emphasis is on loving the product, I guess...

As instructed, I sent an email to the given address and, just to show that I had purchased the product, I included my order number. I received a response that was basically requesting a 5-star review. This is basically what the pictured email says (with all identifying things redacted and with my thoughts in red)).

Dear buyer,

We are happy that you have used our product and that you love it!

You can check all our products on our website  https://www.REDACTED.com/  

Getting your free product is simple, just follow these simple steps.

 **Required

**1) Please post a 5 star review of the product on Amazon/eBay (wha-???)and we wouldlove if you post a picture with your review. If you are unsure of how to leave a product review: (Oh, I know how to leave a review!)

Here are simple step-by-step instructions for Amazon:

http://www.wikihow.com/Leave-a-Review-on-Amazon.

**2) Provide information to complete the process:

Ø  Amazon/eBay Order Number

Ø  Email address

Ø  Full name

Ø  Shipping address

Ø  Full name of the item you’d like to receive

3) Tell us how we can improve our products or service. Every opinion matters for us. We are trying to build Happy and Healthy community.

Thank you for your purchase of our product on Amazon.com or eBay.com

All our products you can find at our Stores:

https://www.amazon.com/REDACTED

https://www.ebay.com/str/REDACTED

IMPORTANT: If you did not write a "5 STAR REVIEW" about the product you used, please contact us first to discuss any issues you had with the product. (What's to discuss?)

Your Amazon Order Number can be found in the email notification or under "My Orders" on Amazon.com. Example Order ID for Amazon looks like this: 101-1475239-8843522 

Your eBay Order number can be found in the email notification or under “Purchase history” then “More actions” and “View order details”. Example Order number for eBay looks like this: 23-03559-44680

Thank you for redeeming your free product. *** Orders typically SHIP WITHIN 3 - 5 BUSINESS DAYS. *** If you have any issues please contact us at contactREDACTED@gmail.com. Thank you! (Well, no thank you)

Here's the thing, I had already written my review when I emailed them about the free product. I even asked if they would provide me with any additional product info because I loved the product so much I planned to blog my praises. Here is the email I sent requesting the product and info:

And I was such a fangirl...

Here is the letter I sent after they requested a 5-star review.

What bothers me so much about this is that, not that long ago, I was banned by Amazon for a while because they suspected that some of my reviews were not legit. Even though Amazon lifted the ban, I am not eligible for things like being chosen as a Vine reviewer - or at least I don't think I am. There is some kind of rule about Vine reviewers not having been banned or anything in the past. Whatever. At any rate, I hope that this show my blog readers that I try my hardest to be really honest when writing reviews - whether or not they are sponsored.

When I find another brand of this oil, I will most certainly do a review/comparison. Even if I end up repurchasing this brand, I won't promote it on this blog.

Peace
--Free

Faked Out by Television

I was feeling pretty down this past few days. It's my own fault. I have been spending too much time out of my own head and into the often-false reality of television and the internet.

If you ever want to feel like crap, spend a solid weekend watching something like "Criminal Minds" or any other show that focuses on the worst of society but has heroes that are uber-attractive, fit as mules, and so smart they can think in hyper-speed.

Seriously. I have never seen women bounce back from pregnancy and go straight into size-2 mode in under 5 episodes. Once, one of the agents had a baby in one episode, was on leave for maybe 1 or 2 episodes and came back the next episode with the body of a perfectly hormonally balanced 16-year-old. I take that back. There are 16-year-olds who don't look that good during summer vacation when they are well-rested and not stressed by jobs, serious responsibilities, or studies.

The women are usually lots hotter-looking than the men, but those men... They are it-factor attractive even when not actually face-on attractive. That's because their clothes always fit well and they stride around with that big-d*** attitude of the subtlely narcissistic. Excuse my filthy mouth, but that's was the best way to describe things...

Anyway. Back to my feeling inadequate and ugly.

(By the way, that meme right there is funny but... true story: I once screwed up my twists and had to walk around looking crazy this one day! Actually, I've done it more than once...)

~sigh~

 
It probably didn't help that I spent the weekend not feeling well, laying on the couch in raggedy PJs and eating like someone who had to forage at Big Lots for food. Looking at those beautiful agents with their fearless swagger, I hated my dry hair, dry skin, and my too-long, and unpainted toenails. I actually avoided looking toward the mirror whenever I went into the bathroom. Who needs that kind of a downer?

I think my favorite character on "Criminal Minds" is Spencer. That's because he's a guy so I'm not hating him for his hair, flat tummy, or thigh gap. But the way he thinks faster than Superman flies... Come on now, people. I get that the writers have to get from plot start to finish in a short amount of time but between Spencer's hyper-brain and Penelope's impossibly efficient computer skills, I start doubting my right to walk around unattended.

The episode that took the profiler image way into the superhuman league was the one where Agent Morgan was being tortured by some tough guys. First of all, let's just talk about how the actor playing Morgan is so gorgeous I would never want him to love me. What crazy woman wants to stand next to a man who looks prettier than she does? Morgan couldn't manage to look ugly even when the bad guys were pouring that molten burning stuff down the center of his chest. And he manages to mind-flip himself into a parallel state of mind to not just get through but to outsmart all the bad guys and survive. He even looked good lying on the stretcher three breaths away from meeting Jesus.

Speaking of Morgan, let's talk about his platonic work wife. Have you seen Penelope working her computer? I don't care what federal agency she works for, I am not sure that there's any real-life tech station like hers. She can have 9 different things happening on once screen and find a killer 6 states away with only 2 clues and 5 minutes before someone dies. Yet, we still don't know who killed Tupac in the middle of the Vegas strip? Okay.

If I were one of the people doing the job of those Criminal Mind profilers, it would be a whole different vibe. For one thing, I am pretty sure my hair would never be decent. Between maintaining a relationship, kids, and anything else outside of catching and surviving bad guys, I'd probably spend the other 2 hours of my life trying to do laundry and wash dishes. There'd hardly be any time left for visits with the therapist. And I would most definitely not be trotting around in those slick black runway-for-the-working-girl outfits. I'd have jeans for each day of the week, shoes that I could run in without creeling over and breaking an ankle, and I don't think I'd be wearing my cutest bra and undies around such crazy killers. We won't even talk about the last time I could tuck a blouse in without looking slightly bloated. Guys, I just depressed myself to tears.

I'm fussing and complaining but I will be back for another binge-watch the next time I am on my sickbed. Hopefully, by then, I will have rebuilt a little of my self-esteem. I will try to at least have something healthier than pizza and strawberry soda for snacking.

UPDATE:

If you know me, you know that I would NEVER agree with probably 99.999% of anything a Trump would say. However... There may be a little something to his "fake news" ranting. Or at least celebrities and social media "influencers" faking us out. I happened to run across this very fun video by my new favorite YouTuber. (This young man reminds me so much of one of my nephews that it scares me a little!) Enjoy this one:

Now, don't you feel a little more beautiful in your glorious and infiltered body??? I feel downright gorgeous.

Peace
--Free

I am the most beautiful girl in the world.

To my 7-year-old nephew, I am. And you are beautiful too
because you & I live with no filters.

**REVIEW** Scentbird

Everyone who knows me knows that I love a good fragrance. I don't care if it's a body perfume, a hair mist, a candle, essential oil or room spray.

Recently, I found and tried out a couple of different places to get perfumes. The first one I will review is Scentbird. I am doing this review over several days so that I can go over the experience without forgetting anything from signing up, perusing the site, to tracking the package. Forgive the bad continuity. Here goes.

Signing up was pretty easy. 

I was only tempted to sign up because I found a promo notice that I could get a Glossier sample with a new subscription. Then, because I wanted to pinch a few more pennies, I used the Honey extension to get the normally $14.95 sub for a one-month promo price of $10.39 (including tax). It's one of those cancel-at-any-time deals (more on that later).

If you do sign up and want to use me as a referral use this link: 

https://www.scentbird.com/r/d/scentbirduser7955018

I have loved Glossier's You fragrance since I got a tiny sample in another sub box. The full size is around $60 bucks. The $20 solid (that I did buy and get refunded for) is a total waste of time and money. So, basically, I got sucked in by the Scentbird offer of a Glossier sample - and I was hoping that the sample would be one of the 30-day sizes and not the teeny lose-in-your-purse size I had before.

I actually did lose this for a week in my purse

Anyway, for a month or so I've been thinking that since I quit smoking and am still losing weight by eating less, I can do $15 for a couple or three months to try some perfumes. That's the plan anyway. If I love the service, I will re-work my food budget to keep the plan for a while. As for canceling the plan "at any time", I have heard the usual stories about problems in doing so. I will talk about that shortly.

Perusing the site and choosing fragrances is kind of easy.

As soon as I did sign up, I got an email with this prompt:

Select your first fragrance, skincare, or personal care product here in the next 12 hours. If you don’t make a selection, you'll receive our featured  perfume of the month! 

Okay. Of course, I went into this knowing that I wanted a 2nd Glossier You but since I was already going to be getting a sign-up sample, I decided to choose something unknown for the first month.

By the way, the site is set up so that you can search fragrances by note (musk, citrus, etc), brand/house (DKNY, Gucci, etc),  or type (eau de toilette, solid, mist, etc). Some fragrances are considered "premium" and will cost you an additional $5 or $10 over the usual subscription fee (one of these is My Burberry Blush). You can also add additional fragrances to your cart, outside your subscription for around $17 each.

Setting up your fragrance queue...

or not

You can set up a queue of up to 12 months of scents to be delivered on your subscription but you can't choose the same scent more than once every 6 months. (I think it's 6 months. At any rate, you will get a prompt if you try adding a repeat too soon.) If you don't select a fragrance, you get whatever the "featured" perfume is for that month. This would be fun for me but only if Scentbird would let users set up a more detailed profile of scent types you prefer.

The profile is a quiz.

The profile is, in my opinion, awful because it's developed from a "quiz" that's very limited. You only get to choose ONE answer for each question such as your preference for fragrance type. You have to choose either to be "woody", "floral", "sweet", "spicy", etc. If you look at the perfumes I currently like, they are a mix of spicy, citrusy, and sweet. I want to discover more scents in that arena, not get locked into just a sweet or floral type or whatever else.

Anyway, I did add this new and unknown scent to my queue for the first month. More on this coming up.

Gucci's Envy Me

A friend who knows that I used to wear Shalimar as my signature scent but now love things like Viva la Juicy, You, and By Invitation (I hate that name!) told me about Envy Me. From there, I referred to that delightful fragrance database, Basenotes, to check out similar scents. Of course, Scentbird does a great job of listing notes in the perfumes. I will get to that in a moment...

Of course, I do have a preferred fragrance type - now that I can no longer wear almost anything well... Getting old and having moody hormones changes everything, ladies. At any rate, I noticed that Envy Me and You share some fragrance notes, but not Viva La Juicy.

no Pink Pepper??

So you can see what I mean by wanting to explore more than one type of fragrance.

You can re-arrange your queue

A great thing about the queue is being able to alter it from time to time. For instance. after changing my mind about 20 times, I switched out a lot of things I had set up for the next 3 months until I currently have ended up with this.

I am already thinking of exchanging a couple for some more lemon-noted fragrances. (Update: I have already swapped out at least 4 choices.)

The waiting

Once you do select your first fragrance, you can be assured that the first billing has hit your payment method. For instance, I subscribed on midmorning of the 13th and within half an hour, my bank showed the billing. I got the tracking number on the 17th and, I guess because I live close to where it shipped from, I expected to have my package by the 18th or the 19th because the item was already in the state on the 17th when I got the tracking notice. (Update: I got the package on the 18th. That was fast.)

The goodies  the verdict

Okay, this is what happened... What a saga!

My package arrived but only with the Gucci scent. There was no sign of a Glossier sample. (Either I misread the promo or there was just a mixup. The promo was over by this time so I can't get a screenshot of it.)

At any rate... I went on a little tirade and was really rude (I am ashamed to say) to a customer service rep. After some minor squalls, things have been resolved. (Actually, the service rep had more than resolved things in my favor, but I was in such a mood, I wasn't listening. Yes, I am very ashamed.) I will be getting a sample of Glossier sent out to me separately right away and my next order will include a case of my color choice.

(Just to explain - not excuse - my temper tantrum: I've been struggling with worse than usual fatigue and depression so I think that's why I went off on the customer service lady. She was super nice - nicer than I would have been - and accepted my apologies. This does not excuse my nasty attitude, I know.) Lesson learned? Scentbird customer service is stellar.

Anyway, this is what came in the original parcel.

Notice that there is no Glossier sample anywhere...

There is the card highlighting the notes of the fragrance I chose for the month.

But no Glossier sample. Not even one of those little foil stamp samples you sometimes see.

That case is super cute and it's a good thing they provided directions. It's basically a twist-up case. The vial of perfume will lift enough that you can spray it without removing it from the case. See? Cute.

see how the silver part raises to spray?

I have to say that I dig the little perfume compact. That's super cute and is going to be so handy for on-the-go. And it's also nice that they threw in that little cloth bag. But where the heck is my sample??? (As you know from my recounting of "the saga", I will be getting a free case of my choice with next months' scent and Scentbird has already sent out a sample of the Glossier. Can't wait to get it because... I do not like the Envy Me.

This is the vial pulled out of the case.
The inner vial is labeled

As you saw, the perfume comes with a card detailing the fragrance notes and a list of ingredients. I am not thrilled with the scent. It's a nice fragrance to sniff but it's just not great on me. Because of it, I have gone back in and rearranged my queue. This one was more reserved and serious than I like. For next month, I plan to try one of the  I think I need scents with a little more of a floral touch to go with the bitter ones. My sis-in-law will be getting this one to try...

By the way, when I got mad and wanted to cancel, it was easy enough to do. You just go into your account, your subscription choice and look for the Cancel link (instead of changing to a different plan). The one sneaky thing is that CANCEL is in very light-colored font and there are a couple of are-you-sure prompts. Also, there is an option to Pause a subscription which is nice for those thin budget months.

Overall, I am happy enough with this first month to hold on to the subscription for a minute. If I hate the next fragrance, I will add Glossier to the next month or spend the $17 on it as an extra and be done.

I want to mention again that the customer service is stellar. I acted a little bit crazy and the rep was never anything but nice. I don't know how she dealt with me and kept even the thought of a smile on her face...

 Once again, if you do decide to give Scentbird a tryout, you can help me by using this referral link:

https://www.scentbird.com/r/d/scentbirduser7955018

Either way, I would like to know which fragrances you try.

Peace
--Free




I am not in the mood for music today so enjoy a funny guy I watch every now and then to give myself a laugh. This young dude reminds me SO MUCH of one of my nephews that it's scary. His facial expressions are everything. And this "man weave" situation... wow.