**SIFO** USPS Informed Delivery

NOTE: I got wiped out halfway through writing this so it may read a little weird. Apologies. You can find any missing info by following the links I did manage to provide.

Even though I have complained about the Postal Service, I don't want the USPS gone. And I am not sure about privatizing the service... I didn't plan this post at the time that there is talk of getting rid of the USPS but, here it is.

Thanks to someone in the Reddit community, I learned something pretty useful about USPS mail and packages called Informed Delivery (ID). I will include here what I already knew and what I learned for those of you who might be interested in keeping track of anything coming to you via the U.S. Post Office.

I don't know about you, but I LOVE knowing what's in my mailbox before I go check it. Also, I like being able to flag something I was supposed to receive and didn't. That's handy, right? So, keep reading.

You can, of course, track items. With ID, you get more tracking features than with the standard tracking lookup. There is a Postal Store where you can buy stamps, supplies, get personalized stamps and envelopes, purchase collector items, and more.

Here is the link to the USPS site and I will post a bunch of photos showing toolbars. That way, you can see what's offered in each section. For now, here is how the ID service has been useful for me.

I get a lot of packages because I do almost all my household shopping online. I like knowing what is coming and when so that I know when a package is late or perhaps lost.

This is where you will start and then just select Quick Tools from the menu at the top. This is what you will see:

When you select Informed Delivery, you will have to set up a USPS account and then sign into the account in order to use the ID stuff. I have had a USPS account for a while so I don't remember what all you can use without an account other than the basic tracking.

Once you are in the USPS site, there are all sorts of things you can do. It's probably really handy for someone trying to work from home these days and there are sections of information and services for Business and International sections.

Of course, there are some people who might prefer buying stamps and other supplies online. You can even purchase personalized envelopes and collectors items and gifts. Just like you see in a USPS lobby in lots of places.

Now, I mainly use the basic services for tracking and keeping track of mail and packages. When you use the "plain" tracking service - you know, putting the tracking number into Google which takes you to the USPS page - you only get the information for as long as you are on the page. I used to do this and then, every time I wanted to go back and check on the same package with the tracking number, I had to start all over again.

With the plain tracking, you can at least sign up for notifications about the parcel using your cell number (for text updates) or your email. I would use the text and right now, I still have probably a thousand old texts on my phone about old tracking numbers. Informed Delivery lets you store tracking numbers to a dashboard. You can even nickname parcels (ex: from Amazon, or Target, etc.). That's handy for someone who does most of their shopping online and has things coming from various people or vendors.

Notice that my "dashboard" shows a section for mail and one for packages. When I select one of those packages, I got to more detailed tracking info.

I don't even have to track mail that doesn't have a tracking number (and most doesn't, right?); the post office scans mail and all items addressed to me will show up this way:

Notice that under the envelope, there is a box I can select if I didn't receive the letter.

Of course, I redacted my personal info but, basically, that is an actual scan of the letter that was in my mailbox. I can know what's there without checking the box. This is nice when you are away from home and maybe really anxious to receive a piece of mail. Or when you are away and have someone checking your mail. You can tell them when something important needs to be picked up right away. I like it because there are days when I don't feel well. I will sometimes only bother going to the mailbox when there is something from the bank, clinic, or some kind of bill.

(I was going to post even more screenshots but am getting a little tired this evening. You can see everything mentioned in this post by going to the USPS site and checking the menu and sub-menus. Sorry about the lazy lag here, folks.)

I know that there will be concerns about saving your signature for ID but, think about it, if you ever signed for a package on one of the USPS devices, they already have it somewhere.

Again, I am tired so I will stop here. At least now you know about all the online services available from the USPS. Let's keep those people working and show them some support.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Bella Leave-In Conditioner

This is one of the products I ordered from Dollar General. It's the Bella Curls Coconut Whipped Creme Leave-In Conditioner. And, dangit, that is a mouthful of words!

From Bella Curls Haircare

You can get on from Amazon ($12.77 but this is just one listing of many) but it is much cheaper from Dollar General - $4.50 as I type this though it was $5.50 when I ordered it. Drats.

I was glad to get it at a bargain price and I wish I could say that I loved it. I like it but I am not in love. Not yet. I will hit the highs and lows of my first time using it.

PROS:

• It smells great - very lightly tropical but clean at the same time. The smell does not overwhelm or linger though.
• When I was applying it to my freshly washed hair, it felt good going on. It had what I would call medium-good "slip".
• It was slightly detangling - or just added enough slip that I wasn't losing a lot of hair while combing it through.
• The moisture retention was crazy good at first. More on that in a moment.

CONS:

• The moisture did not last. Once my hair was fully dry, it felt somewhat better than usual but was still dull and had that slight feeling of straw.
• You're only supposed to apply this to wet hair it might not be something a "natural" and kinky-coily gal can use often. If I washed or even seriously wet my hair every day, it would just dry out more than ever.

The conditioner has a pretty standard lotion-like consistency and it's not sticky or tacky feeling.

I have to admit that I haven't completely made my mind up about this conditioner. As I was saying, the initial moisture retention was amazing. After sleeping on my twists all night, they were still too damp to take down after at least 7 hours. Usually, my hair is bone dry and sucking the moisture out of the atmosphere by the time I get up in the morning.

When my hair finally did finish airdrying, I thought for sure that it was going to be uber soft and lots more manageable. It was softer than it usually is, but not my as much as I expected. I took a photo before I added more products so that you can see how dry my hair looked.

Stay away from open flames!

Trust me when I say that my hair felt as dry as it looks in that photo. 

I have to admit that this provided a LOT more body and volume that I normally get after a wash, dry and twist. I had so much volume that I had to pin the front back so that I didn't look like a pufferfish.

If this doesn't work any better when applied to dry (or just semi-damp) hair, I will try adding a little bit of StaSofFro to it. I feel that with just a tiny touch more something, this would be a great product. Since it did help in detangling my hair and keeping it moisturized overnight, I give it some credit but it's supposed to be moisturizing! It talks about that on the front label.

The back label even has graphics to hammer in the point.

As far as ingredients, I was too lazy to type them all out, but their site makes this statement about the absence of certain ingredients:

"...eliminating our use of those unnecessarily harsh chemicals like Sulfates, Phthalates, and Parabens."

(By the way, I am not one of the curly naturals who will actively avoid 'cones and some other ingredients in hair products. My 4C hair needs some 'cone love sometimes or my comb would never get through it.)

Anyway, here is my photo of the ingredients on the label:

 I understand and appreciate wanting to keep toxic items out of hair care. What I noticed from the label how far down on the list are the coconut "juice" and oil. I just wish that there had been something in the product to actually moisturize this hair of mine.

So, that is my review. I have since received one other product that's supposed to be softening and moisturizing and I have bought a sale product that claims the same. I will get around to those reviews soon.

Peace
--Free



P.S.: It's been just about a month since I wrote this review and am just now getting around to scheduling it to post. In the meantime, I have since found a way to get some use out of the Bella. I added some purified water and a touch of glycerin (about a tablespoon to the 16-ounce bottle. That helps a little but I am still not in love with the product.

On the Plus side, I do think that this might work better for people with finer and straighter hair. It's probably good for sealing the ends and adding some flyaway control.

UPDATE **REVIEW** EC Blend (for vaping) & Liquid Barn

WARNING: This post has to do with vaping. If you are under age, please know that I do NOT encourage smoking or vaping for minors and this post is not intended for you.  I don't encourage nicotine use of any kind for anyone. This post has to do with my personal substitution of vaping for smoking cigarettes.

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

UPDATE

This update is to mention my experience with Liquid Barn. I learned about them via a Redditor when I asked about a cheaper way to DIY juice. 

Where I have gotten ebase from EC Blend in smaller amounts (because of the pricing), I found larger and cheaper bottles of it on Liquid Barn. I will be doing a full L.B. review soon. For now, though, the prices for a 500ml bottle of base was  $9.50  and EC Blend has the same amount for a sliver over $26.00 Big diff. Huge diff. I still love ECB for their flavor concentrates from the Flavor Artists line but, unless the taste is awful, it makes all the sense in the world to use the L.B. base.

As I said, a full review is coming soon/

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I just had to take a break from the cosmetics posts for a minute. I have some more of those scheduled but... ugh! I am makeup'd out at the moment! I thought I would pop in and do this one for my vape buddies. Here we go...

Finding vape juice is not difficult. Finding affordable and good juice is. For myself, I have to like the prices, trust the vendor, and be in love with the juice.

EC Blend hits the trifecta and is my all-time favorite place to get vape juice. ECB juice is priced cheap but made well. No matter what kind of vape device you have, the juice is the key. And you tell right away when an ejuice is crap. Am I right, vapers? We know.

Gahhhh!!!!

Let's get right down to the Pros and Cons of ordering from EC Blends.

PROS:

1. Price. This is a HUGE pro. The base price for most (if not all) liquid is $2.50 at the moment. That's not the finished price but that's where you start. Keep reading...

2. Every bottle of juice is, at the least, customized to a point. You will soon see just how far you can go, but just say that for a 15ml bottle of a "Soda Fountain" creation, you can add up to 3 flavor shots, choose a soda flavor, add cream to make it a "float", add sweetener, make it a menthol, choose the nic strength 0 to 36mg), add extra flavor, then name your creation. For all that, the finished price is currently $4.75. I kid you not. And that is only if you choose all those customizations. If you just choose a soda (4 types available) and your nic strength, the price drops down to $3.95.

3. When I say that you can customize, I'm so serious. Depending on the type of base flavor that you start with, the customizations change. For instance, with the Soda Fountain (Soda/Malt Shop), you choose a type of soda, but there are so many other categories of flavors to start with: Coffee & Tea, Floral, Fruit, Holiday, Sweets & Desserts, etc. They even have a novelty section with weird and goofy stuff like licorice, popcorn and the like. These seem run for a while and eventually discontinue.

There are sooo many flavors, I think you should just check out their Flavor Menu (in PDF)

4. As if the basic flavors don't have enough room for customizing, EC Blend has a Create Your Own Wizard. Yeah, they do. And that CYO Wizard is so much fun to use that you might get carried away. I know I did.  ECB suggests that you should get only the smallest bottle of your Wizard creations until you know if you will like what you came up with. Thank goodness I paid heed or I would have ended up with a huge bottle of my Honey/Rose/Melon/Apple juice. I couldn't wait to scrub my tongue free of that insane nastiness.

5. You earn points for dollars spent. When you first sign up for an account, you can even earn up to 1520 points if you do all the initial super-short checkmark surveys on the points page. With points, you can get up to 35% off storewide or free shipping with no minimum. After that, you earn all your points from spending on the site and sharing your referral code ~hint hint~

6. The site features a ton of helpful articles about vaping, current laws, mixing/DIY, etc.

7. There is a Live Chat feature to contact customer service.

8. ECB has helpful and responsive customer service reps. They also have a Facebook page where you can chat with them. By the way, instead of just having a basic FAQ section, ECB features a "Knowledgebase" of information about ECB and vaping in general. (Later in this post, I will be sharing a handy vape hack I found there.)

9. Most vendor sites have a basic "About Us" page. EC Blend goes farther and is the most transparent vendor of all I've seen online so far. They provide info about their ingredients and their vendor certifications and operating standards (FDA, cGMP, OSHA, Environment, etc). They even have a page showing the current processing times (and that was important even before this COVID situation).  Also, they explain how and why they age-verify.

10. Samples are highly requested but it's luck-of-the-draw. However, I have always, always, always gotten a small sample of liquid thrown in with my orders. This is how I discovered that, although I normally avoid tobacco-flavored juice, I now love the Honey Dipped and RY4. (FYI There are various RY blends. The "RY" stands for Ruyan, the originator of the electronic cigarette, and the number - 4, 555, 7, etc - stands for a blend or version.)

CONS:

1. The site can be a little overwhelming. For once thing, the pages are all densely packed and the banners and menus can be confusing. I've been using ECB since the beginning of last year and I still get lost. This is why I am providing direct links for most of the features I'm pointing out. If you really end up loving ECB (and I think that you will), instead of saving the main page of the site, use my hack of bookmarking every page you want to refer back to.

You can also request a paper flavor menu/catalog to be sent with your order. That's the best way to keep track of what you like, don't like, want to try, and so on.

2. They process vape juice from scratch when you order (remember that customization?) so you won't get your orders lickety-split. Even back before COVID slowed down the speed of the planet, I learned to order ahead of needing vape juice. Times vary, but usually when I order the status sits at "in production" or "processing" for at least 3-4 days before it ships. Lately, it's been maybe a day slower than that. Once it ships, it is all up to the USPS or whichever shipping method you choose.


3. Because they make the juice from scratch (all fresh!), you will need to steep it before it hits its best flavor. I can never vape mine right away. (Or can I??? Keep reading.)

4. Prices on vape devices - unless they're on sale or being discontinued/going vintage - aren't very price-competitive with other sites. ECB is mostly about the juices, and they don't really even carry many devices. I did buy my brother a pen device for a gift when it was dirt cheap, but ECB is not the first place I look for mods/pods, etc. On the other hand, you can find good deals on accessories (drip tips, tank bands, etc).

That's it. Just a few negatives that I can deal with because of all the positives. Now, about that last item on the negative side...

STEEPING HACK

Here is the hack I mentioned about quick steeping or speed steeping your vape juice. It comes straight from ECB:

Seal the bottle tightly and air free in a zip lock bag, then seal it in another (tightly sealed and air free also).   

Place the bottle in hot tap water for 10-15 minutes. This will allow for better mixing when shaking.  This process can be repeated as much as needed to completely blend your e-liquid.

Listen. I tried this with the most recent order and, oh happy day! My juice was even better than it is when I slow steep it for a couple of weeks. My juice was already sealed in the ECB delivery bag so I left it in that. I wasn't sure if the tap water in the apartment would be hot enough so I ran some through the coffee pot and it worked perfectly. And I understand that you don't want to use boiling hot water.

MY SUMMARY

I want to mention something that I just now remembered. ECB has brick and mortar stores in some U.S. states. (See what I mean about being able to get lost on the site? So much info!)

Now that I have been vaping for a while and have tried various sites, I really only patronize a few shops for vape items. There are so many shops that are not consistent with service and quality. For the past few months, ECB is where I go first for my juice.

(By the way, for vape devices, I go to Electronic Tobacconist - free shipping over $20; Breazy -when ET doesn't have what I want; or in a pinch, Element Vape. I've never had problems with products from those places.)

Here is my favorite ECB flavor. It's Dragon's Joy from a category of "creamy" flavors called the Dragon Series:

It's slightly sweet and very "creamy"/mellow.

I have only recently decided to try the Flavor Artists concentrates and got the Fruity Cereal and Dragon Fruit. Because of the COVID lockdown and wanting to be a little more frugal, I got the concentrates. These bottles will last forever since it only takes a couple of drops to add flavor. I have some cheap flavorless/base eliquid to use them with or I can add to existing flavors. The concentrates can be added to beverages and used in baking and cooking recipes as well.

DISCLAIMER: I am not being compensated in any way for this post, but... If you do go over to ECB, it would be great if you credited me by using my referral code (GR87HA6SWC) when you create an account. That way, I will earn some points.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Hard Candy Smoothing Primer Balm

I've mentioned this product in a couple of recent reviews about foundation makeup. It deserves its own post.

That is the Hard Candy Smoothing Primer Balm that I got as a "sample" from Tryspree (I think, it was Tryspree!). I have rarely used anything before as a primer (if you don't count the Maybelline Baby Soft Pore Eraser). I love the Baby Soft but, compared to this, I can't count it as an actual priming product because it mainly blurs but doesn't provide a base for foundation. This Hard Candy is most definitely a primer and it is also slightly blurring and not as wet as the Maybelline.

I thought that the primer would look super paste-like and chalky if I used it on my bare face, but it's not so bad. Like I said, it has more of a blurring - or smoothing - effect just as the name promises.

Here are some photos at various stages of using this product:

face bare except moisturizer

primer and no foundation

This is what it looks like with my new Rimmel Stay Matte foundation on half my face

So, this primer is pretty awesome. The other day when I was out and my face got a little shiny, I quickly applied a little of the balm. I wasn't wearing my matte foundation which may be why I had the shines. The balm instantly and totally banished the Shiny face and I think it works best solo if my face is very oily/shiny and not already "set" or dry.

This is very affordable at around $8 (on the brand's site) and it might be cheaper or found on sale at drugstores. I've mentioned on other posts that I will be getting more of this when the jar runs out. This is something I can keep in my purse to use with or without makeup and I can use it on the go without it making a mess.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation

I found this at Walmart the other day.

It's Rimmel's Stay Matte Flawless Finish Mattifying Foundation (in shade 605 Deep Chocolate).

I am hotter than a jalapeno that I even went through all the bother with Juvia's Place! This Rimmel foundation is perfect. Perfect shade, perfect finish, perfect price. Most of all, it's the perfect price. Let's talk about that.

Remember the Lancome Ultra foundation I loved so much? That was close to $50. Nars Sheer Glow? Around the same as the Lancome. This Rimmel? $4.97 at Walmart. 

Normally, with drugstore foundations - even if they are good - there is a little something that gives away the difference between them and the higher end brands. Either they feel different or wear different or they are just slightly off in some way from the pricier stuff. Not so with this Rimmel.

When I first tested this shade on the back of my hand (I should have tested it in the store and I would have gotten more than one tube!), I knew the shade was a dead-on match to my face color. 

I thought that even though the shade was great - actually so close you can't see it in that swatch photo - that the makeup itself might not look or wear as well as I want. 

Wrong again.

This makeup wears almost EXACTLY like the Lancome and lasts all day without needing to be touched up. The shade is very similar to the 555 Suede C I wore. It's extremely mattifying - just like the Lancome. I have to moisturize my face well before using it - just like with the Lanco- well, you know what I mean. I think the only difference I could point out is that the Lancome was more of a liquid and this Rimmel is has a creamy consistency. It's labeled as a "mousse" type foundation.

It took very little of this to cover my entire face - I think it was about 3 dabs of the amount shown in the above photo (if even that much). Most extremely matte products I've used haven't gone on as smooth. Once I had this on it was almost immediately "set". (By the way, when I first tried applying it without additional moisturizer and just using the Hard Candy primer, it did set instantly.)

For such a mattifying foundation, this is not drying. Yes, it sets very drily on the skin but it didn't cause any tightening or stiffening sensation. Still, as with any makeup, I will apply a good moisturizer in my dry zones before using it just as a precaution. 

Want to know what I love the most, most, most? There is no transfer. None. One thing every woman hates about makeup - especially those in any deep or very colorful shades - is having it transfer to clothing and paperwork. So embarrassing and inconvenient. This one is matte enough that I can palm my face and not have it transfer. Now, I am not going to be rubbing my face on collars or papers, but I like not having to worry about hugging someone or handling paperwork and leaving behind a tell-tell mess.

Where has this stuff been all my life? 

By the way, I have used Rimmel eyeliners before and I might have picked up a gloss or mascara from a makeup bin but I think that is the extent of my experience with the brand. At least, I have never purchased anything major because I don't remember it. Now, I am telling everyone about this foundation and I will look for other Rimmel products. Shoot, I'm going to write them a fan letter! Hahaha.

 I was so upset about the experience(s) with Juvia's Place and I had resigned myself to just making do with the foundations I have on hand. Mary Kay is out of my budget - even if I could get a rep to come around at this point... Now that I have this Rimmel, I feel better. This is a shade I really like. It lacks the red undertone of the Nars, but I don't care. I can wear some blush underneath or just go without - especially now that it is summertime.

I'm not sure if this is something that someone can be happy with if they have very dry skin. As I said, I wear a deep moisturizer underneath in my dry skin areas so it balances out. My t-zone - which can develop a shine quickly in warm weather - is completely matte with this foundation.

Listen, this is such a great product and the price is just too good. People ought to know about it while we're all rushing around trying to afford some of these other brands.

Peace

--Free

**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