Never Too Young For A Medic Alert/ICE Bracelet

I will be turning 40 59 soon. Most days, I don't think of myself as being more than 35. The truth is, I am getting older. I also have a medical condition that has been flaring up more these recent months.

A few weeks ago, I accompanied a neighbor on a walk down to the lake. We strolled for around 3 miles and back, taking our time, people- and house-watching. My doctors are always after me to get more fresh air and exercise. I have a stationary bike but I figured why not get outside while I was feeling well (and social) enough.

I did just fine and so did my neighbor (who is almost 80) but we did see a lady who seemed to be having trouble on her outdoor stroll. A passerby noticed her looking a little wobbly and stopped to help her get seated on a bench in the shade. That night, my hypochondriac self dreamed that I had passed out on a solo walk.

Yall know me and my imagination, phobias, and tendency to fret. When I woke up, all I could think about is how all this COVID is taking people out. What if I passed out somewhere. I'm one of only a few black people around here so I do stand out but I'm highly antisocial so how would anyone know me? If I got to a hospital and was given some kind of treatment that triggered my-

Scratch all that. What if I got to a hospital and for some reason, they had to put me through an MRI? I've been warned about what an MRI could do to me since I have a piece of mysterious metal lodged somewhere in my head. True story.

Anyway...

Long story slightly shorter, I worked myself up into an anxiety attack about all the nightmarish possibilities of being incapacitated and maybe getting pinged to death by this BB in my head.  I was never going to be able to calm down until I did something about the potential hazards, real or imagined.

Introducing my new Medic Alert bracelet.

Yup. I got myself one of those bracelets that I always thought were only for the help-I-can't-get-up crowd. (Save your jokes, people.)

It was hard to find a suitable (and affordable and not-ugly) bracelet. There are a lot of choices if you search for Medic Alert or In Case of  Emergency (ICE) jewelry. Some of them are very generic and cover only common medical issues - diabetes, heart problems, allergies - and didn't get anywhere near the weirdness that is my life. It's the same situation when I try finding a souvenir cup or keychain. There are a lot of Andys and Amys but not many Trudys. So I was excited when I found a seller to customize a bracelet and not charge me like I was buying something in precious metal. I thought about getting this one but the one I chose is more affordable and I never wear gold-toned jewelry. Also, mine is easier to take off/put on. But I really do like that other one.

I really like that the bracelet looks kind of like another piece of casual jewelry, sort of like a friendship bracelet. I didn't want anything loud or dressy. I do like that the customized metal piece is attention-grabbing - at least for anyone trained to look for a Medic Alert.

The printing is clear and much more legible than the photo shows. The most important thing is that it will, hopefully, protect me from any MRI machines when I can't speak up for myself.

There are other sellers who customize so I am lucky that I got one who did a great job for a reasonable price. I also got a couple extra bands in the package. I am not thinking of having another customized piece done with another Bible verse. It looks as though I can place another metal piece onto the bracelet so...  

All kidding aside, I really do encourage everyone to get a bracelet. If you want an extra layer of safety, there are ICE phone apps for Android and iPhone. But the bracelet should be your other layer of protection. What if something happens and no one can access your phone - mine stays locked - or they can't locate your wallet and ID? Why not just be prepared? With this COVID going around, who knows what could happen?

So, yeah, it's not enough that I worry for myself. I am going to worry about you too! Get a bracelet - or a necklace. I am sure that emergency workers love it when they can ID patients and get a little bit of medical history.

 By the way, I did not get my bracelet in exchange for this review, but I wanted to share the link since they did such a great job. (If you want a smile, one reviewer on the page has a photo of her engraving: "I'm good, water my plants." I'm stealing that!)

Stay safe, people.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Hyaluronic Acid Q & A

Most of us ladies have at least heard of Hyaluronic Acid. It's been the trending anti-aging product for probably the last few years. I only recently started looking for and using products that included H.A. but I  immediately had questions. I found some answers (internet answers, anyway) so I decided to do most of this post in a Q & A format with a link in the "Answer"  to the source:

Q: What exactly is hyaluronic acid?
Answer: "Hyaluronic acid is a substance that is naturally present in the human body. It is found in the highest concentrations in fluids in the eyes and joints. The hyaluronic acid that is used as medicine is extracted from rooster combs or made by bacteria in the laboratory."

Q: What is it used for?
Answer: "People use hyaluronic acid for various joint disorders, urinary tract infections (UTIs), acid reflux, dry eyes, vaginal pain, aging, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses."

Q: How does it work, in general?
Answer: "by acting as a cushion and lubricant in the joints and other tissues. In addition, it might affect the way the body responds to injury."

Q: How does it help specifically with "aging"?
Answer: Is possibly effective for "Aging skin. Some research shows that injecting a specific hyaluronic acid product (Juvéderm Ultra Plus, Allergan) into facial wrinkles can reduce wrinkles for up to one year. Also taking a product containing hyaluronic acid and other ingredients (GliSODin Skin Nutrients Advanced Anti-Aging Formula) by mouth seems to decrease wrinkles and damage from the sun when used for 3 months."

Q: What is the difference in molecular weight? I have found a source for Hyaluronic Acid SLMW  (super low molecular weight) and Hyaluronic Acid MMW (medium molecular weight).
Answer: "The difference of the regular, high-molecular hyaluronic acid (HA) and low-molecular-weight HA is that the low-molecular-weight HA has been split into smaller fragments. Thereby, these smaller fragments can no longer form a gel with water like the large molecules, but they can penetrate the skin much easier and have actually a better anti-irritant and regenerating effect once absorbed by skin. The high molecular form of HA has a better hydrating effect than the low-molecular form of HA."

(Here is a page that really breaks down the differences and what to look for based on your personal needs. It got a bit deep for me and I had to have a friend help me digest the info.) I highly suggest reading the comments as they are very helpful.

I did purchase a tube of hyaluronic "serum" and it was good - not long-lasting, but good. It was pricey though and that's when I went to my DIY source and found some H.A. on the 2 different weights.

The product page informs that mixing this would be tricky as it might clump. The suggestion was to use a bit of glycerin and some kind of mixing apparatus. I used what I had on hand and it worked well enough; I used some of the glycerin that I always keep around to use on my hair and skin I used one of the glass bottles that I use for mixing my vape juices and I happened to have some metal beads used to agitate nail polish and other cosmetic liquids. When you DIY a bunch of stuff to save money, you usually have something from one project on hand to use in another!

I used bottled drinking water for my liquid and because I still had some of the OTC H.A. around, I added what was left in the tube to the batch of DIY stuff and also added a little bit of my regular moisturizing cream. The glass bottles are only frosted and I want to protect the product from light so I wrapped tape around it and keep the bottle in a dark place in the bathroom medicine shelf.

What I found interesting is how different the 2 types of H.A. powder look.

This is the Medium Weight (MWW)

This is the SLMW 

I made sure to mix this up as well as I could. I used some this morning and it felt okay. I don't have any irritation so far. My skin feels hydrated - which it normally does after using my daily moisturizer. All in all, I am happy with this. The H.A. from Making Cosmetics came in 10-gram jars with the SLMW being the more expensive at $17 and the MMW costing $14.30. For me, that is still pricey to think about but I only added the smallest amounts - as you can see here:

I used 3 of these "scoops" for the bottle

These are the beads I use for this and my DIY vape juice and my DIY foundations. They are cheap and handy.

Of course, I am not a medical professional. I am not even licensed to work on the hair, skin, or nails in a salon! So do your own research and before you ever try using DIY products, be careful. I am my own guinea pig here; you be your own and take responsibility. All I can do is share what I have used and how it works for me. Speaking of...

This does work very well for me. I can't give you my long-term results but I can tell you a few things.

1. Without any type of hyaluronic acid, most of my moisturizers last about 6 hours on a dry day.
2. Using a Vitamin C Serum with hyaluronic acid (from a very well-known skincare brand) for at least 3 weeks, it softened my skin and primed it for applying other moisturizers but the moisture only lasts for 9 or maybe 10 hours before I had to reapply something to relieve dryness.
3. Using my DIY serum, my face and neck stayed moisturized from morning to morning. I literally only had to apply the serum once a day. I also discovered that perfumes that I applied to my neck last longer. Now, of course, I apply a bit of the serum to my bosom and wrists!

I want to be fair and give credit to that OTC serum from the well-known brand. I used some of it in my DIY bottle. I also used some of my usual moisturizer, a tiny bit of glycerin, and some purified drinking water.

If anyone else has a source for buying hyaluronic acid, do let me know.

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Dell Inspiron 15" 2-in-1 Laptop

 Well, it's only been about 10 days since I was crying over the 14-inch Inspiron. Ten days without a computer felt like a year in time-out. That whole "saga" of the computer hunt just got worse. I don't even want to revisit it so I will just tell you that this finally arrived:

I am happy with this 15.5-inch device but I gotta tell ya... the keyboard is not much bigger than on the 14-inch laptop. The thing is, I discovered that, although the Dell keyboards look so tiny compared to the Asus, they are almost the same. When I overlay the Dell keyboard cover, the only reason the Asus seems so much bigger is because of the numeric keypad. The other keys are about the same size. Weird.

This is the keyboard on the 14-inch device that I returned:

And this is the size of the Asus keyboard cover compared to the 15-inch device I am keeping (and using at the moment).

And this is what my fairly small hands look like on the keyboard for the 15-inch device:

The best way to compare the keyboards (Asus vs this 15 5000) is to show the keyboard covers for each:

I think I got way too obsessed with the keyboard issue... Still, I am happy that I got this computer. I call her Dot. Yes, I named her. Shut up.

I will quickly go over the positives and negatives that I've decided on after using Dot for the past almost-30 hours (at the time I am typing this).

The Good:

• The build of the laptop is thin and lightweight. My 
• This keyboard was made for typing. I freaking love the tension and spring of the keys. There's none of the cheap, loose feeling of some keyboards. The Asus keyboard wasn't horrible but the Dell keyboard is amazing. And it's backlit. Hallelujah. 
• Another thing about the keyboard is that it doesn't have the slick texture of the Asus. There is a slightly rough-but-buffed matte feel to the keys and I don't think that the letters will rub off like they eventually did on the Asus.
• There is a wide palm-rest area that I really like. It makes typing so much more comfortable. This feature helps me forgive one of the negatives I'll soon mention.

This is rather comfy

• There is a fingerprint scanner that I wasn't sure I would like. Uh, I don't like it - I LOVE it, bigtime. It is so nice to be able to unlock the computer (and some of my apps and programs) just with a touch. Yes, I am too lazy and too forgetful to deal with passwords when I don't have to.
• The graphics (?) are pretty sweet. And when I say 'graphics', I'm talking about the still-picture quality and the quality of videos. I had read some reviews that bad-mouthed this function. Though I now have a television, I use my computer to watch a lot of videos and movies. I was kind of worried that I was going to go blind watching muddy-looking shows. Nope. The screen is just as vibrant as the Asus. And I have not yet explored the Dell Cinema features. Also, I have not played with the settings for brightness, color, etc. It's just not that big of a deal to me. I am more interested in sound and that leads me to...
• I didn't understand what "narrow borders" meant until I saw this screen. This laptop makes the most of the surface for display. (Did that sentence make sense?) When you have a less than 17-inch laptop, you want to get as much screen size out of it as you can.

• The sound quality is awesome. My old Toshiba had great sound but, after using the Asus for the past few years, I forgot how nice it is to listen to music and hear all the various nuances of the bass and treble and vocals. The sound is also better when looking at movies and shows.  For the first time in forever, I got to enjoy some jazz and classical yesterday. I'm not crazy about jazz unless the sound quality is great.
• The overall aesthetics are nice. I mean, that may not be the most important thing in choosing a device but it doesn't hurt. Everything about the layout of this laptop looks clean and uncluttered. It looks sleek and businesslike. (I did like the charcoal grey of the 14-inch device but this platinum-colored one is not bad.) Again, this is where the palm-rest comes into play. It adds so much to the overall sleek, clean look of this laptop.
• It runs very quietly. I don't hear a lot of fan noise like I did with the Asus.
• It stays cool. As soon as I got it set up, I used it for about 3 straight hours to pay bills, catch up on email, etc. It never got even a little bit warm. If the fan was keeping it cool, I couldn't hear it working. I am still thinking of getting a cooling lap fan for it. This one is small enough that I can sit with it on my lap more easily than I could with the Asus or the Toshiba. I don't want to run the risk of burning it out.
• I like that Dell has a lot of Dell contact and Device Helps built right in. I am pretty much linked right into my Dell support and protections contacts. That's nice because I don't have to go looking all over the web for help and info when something goes wrong. It's me, folks, so something is bound to go wrong at some point.
• And, of course, this is a 2-in-1 so that means I can use it as a tablet or as a laptop. A lot of people don't care about this feature in a device because they rarely use it. I do. This is of the things I loved about the Asus. I can fold this back and go right into Tablet Mode. I can tent it and prop it v-shaped to watch videos will I am cooking. I often use this to watch shows while I am cooking or cleaning because I can prop it on the counter and out of the way of water and other hazards. Because I can't remember even basic recipes sometimes (even my own recipes), I almost always use Tablet Mode to read recipes or watch a demonstration of a recipe.

In full tablet mode,
laying flat

In half-tablet mode
the way I use in the kitchen

• Finally, the 5000 series supports the use of an active pen. I got my laptop on a special promotion and was given a pen for free after I had to contact customer services about something. Not all of the 2-in-1 models support active pens and not all pens are created equal. By the way, this pen is very smooth and I love the thick nib. It holds very much like a regular pen or pencil.

• With the active pen feature, I get access to Windows Workspace and Windows Ink. Good thing too because, with the new Windows Edge Browser, all the functions for writing on webpages are gone. I'd have to uninstall the new Edge and reinstall the old Edge to get that back. 

The Not-So-Good:

I had to scratch my complaints about the keyboard once I realized Dell's is not really much smaller than Asus. That's easy to see because the Asus cover almost worked for the Dell keyboard. And you've heard me raving my love for the keys on the Dell.

The one gripe I have is more of a personal, I'm-weird-like-this kind of thing. I am having to get used to all new shortcuts and using the top row of numbers keys. Remember that the keyboard layout is different and so not all the keys are where I'm used to. Yeah, so that's just me.

And that's pretty much it (so far) for anything less than positive. Seriously, once I got over the smaller keyboard and the missing numeric keypad, I was fine.  I find it kind of funny that while the keyboard looks so small next to the Asus, the screen really is just about the same size.

 Here's something kind of off-subject. I am kind of in love with the new Edge browser. I have long been a Chrome-only gal but Google is really starting to bug me. I've had a lot of problems with Chrome and Chrome extensions for a minute now. I really only meant to use Edge to see what all the fuss is about. Let me tell you, Edge looks so much like Chrome that I can't tell that I'm not using Chrome. I never thought I would be so enamored of a Microsoft browser but... here I am. I am using it right now.

So, that's my take on this Inspiron device. I am sure that I will have to update this more than once as time goes by. For now, I am happy.

Peace
--Free

NOTE: When I say 15.6, I am talking about the viewable area of the screens. The computers are listed as being 14-inch or 15-inch. Sorry about any confusion.

**REVIEW** Walmart Spring Beauty Box 2020

I got a replacement for my busted laptop yesterday and then this morning my Walmart Beauty Box (WBB) arrived. It's a good week. I will review the laptop later but, first, the loveliness that is this year's Spring box:

This is one of the better boxes I've seen in a minute. Keep in mind that this box comes for a total of 5 bucks to cover shipping and handling. This particular box also includes a coupon for $2.50 off what happens to be my favorite box item...

Came with a $2.50 coupon

I haven't tried it all over yet but I did a strand test and, yes, I think I am gonna like it. Like I said, the curl cream is my favorite, but I also appreciate that there are a couple of things I am excited to try out.

Since I don't have an oily skin problem, the charcoal cleanser from Biore is something I will most likely use sporadically around my nose and chin - if I use it at all.

The nails are something that I think one of my nieces might love. She can pull off that look like a supermodel. I would probably puncture my eye or damage the keyboard on my laptop.

So, yeah, all in all, this was a really good box. The thing with these WBBs is that they come 4 times a year so I forget about them until one shows up in the mail. The 5 dollar cost makes this the one and only box I currently get. If you look back over my reviews of past boxes, you will notice that I have found some keeper items. I still use Blistex Lip Serum since I discovered it via a WBB. I think I might even have discovered the Lumify eye whitening drops via one of the WBBs.

Anyway, that's it for this box. I didn't get more photos to post because I am still catching up on everything after being laptop-less for the past few weeks. Hope y'all missed me!

Peace

--Free

It's Been A Saga

I am in such a foul mood right now and I need to explain why I have not been posting the past few days.

Normally, I have lots of posts written up that I can schedule in advance. I have some of those posts but... My laptop died recently and I went into full-on panic mode about how on earth I could afford to replace it. Luckily, one of my credit cards allows me to purchase items and pay off interest-free over a period of time. Yay, right? No. Not right.

I scoured Amazon for hours (using my phone) and finally found a laptop that I could for payments within my reach - if I scale back on food and everything else for a while. I spend a couple of days reading reviews and consulting with the Reddit community. I slept on it for another couple of days and, finally, I place the order and go to bed feeling relieved.

It was the chirp of a text message that woke me up very early the next morning. The card with the payment plan had not gone through for some reason so Amazon used my backup card.

If you ever want to go from drowsy to awake like a coked up Scarface, finding out that a few hundred unplanned bucks was just charged to a credit card. I know the meaning of "heart in the throat" now.

Of course, the first thing I try figuring out is why the first card didn't go through. When I was checking out different computers, I had actually ordered and cancelled at least 4 of them because of changing my mind or hearing from a review. Apparently, even though I cancelled, some of those orders at least touched my credit card enough to throw my pending balance off.

Okay. What to do, what to do??? Well, the backup card also has a feature allowing me to spread out payments - that feature is not quite as interest-friendly as the other one, but at least it saved me from getting walloped all at once with a huge charge.

I spent the next few days, using my phone for everything. Did I mention that I am half-blind? And I have trouble texting even a 20-word message? Yeah. So. I am paying bills and checking and replying to important emails, etcetera from my phone. So much fun. I think I had at least 2 headaches a day.

Well, the replacement laptop arrived this morning and I am in tears.

What was listed as a 15.6" screen in the description turns out to be a 14" screen. I don't hate the screen. I can see the screen just fine and it's a freaking visual delight after looking at my S8+ screen for several days. The problem is that the tiny screen comes with a tiny keyboard.

The Dell sitting on the ASUS

 I contacted the Seller and they don't have any other 2-in-1 like this one in my price range. Yay. Finally, I decided to just try going straight to the source  (something I forget at times because I am so used to using Amazon).

Guess what? ?????? Dell had a nicer version of the laptop and with the keyboard I want. Because I have been dilgent and careful with the small amount of credit I have, they qualified me for financing.I will be able to pay this thing off in a shorter period (interest-free) and stay within my monthly budget.

And by getting a "nicer" system, I mean that instead of 4GB ram and 128GB drive, I am getting twice the RAM and hard drive storage for about the same price because of a promotion. The protection plan cost the same thing but is for 2 years instead of 1 and is not just basic but will cover drops and spills.

So I am pretty relieved right now. The only downside is that I was too cheap, er frugal to pay for expedited shipping so I won't have the system until June 15th. That't just fine with me; just means more time to slap this measly budget of mine around.

Notice that I am trying to hurry and get some things done online before I wipe this computer and pack it up for return!

This has been a good lesson for me. I have been reminded that, sometimes, Amazon is not always the best place to purchase things - especially pricey items.

Until I get back to a bigger screen, this will be the last post for a hot minute.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Kevyn Aucoin's Etherealist Skin Illuminating Foundation

Don't even ask me how I snagged a 58 dollar product for 18. Either I got supremely lucky or I got a fake. Even if this stuff is fake, it's a dang good fake

stole the photo from
Amazon

That is Kevyn Aucoin's Etherealist Skin Illuminating Foundation in the shade of ef 16 - Deep.

I wasn't even looking for a foundation when I saw this. It popped up on side-advert when I was shopping for shampoo. For real. But once I saw it, I remembered watching a documentary about Kevyn Aucoin. I had been struck by the fact that he was kind of responsible for the makeup industry offering products for more skin colors. Thanks to him, I guess, "nude" doesn't just mean "nude and pinky/peach". Also, he died young, which was really sad.

The documentary really played up Aucoin's natural talent with makeup and artistry. If I never believed his skills before now...

This foundation is so amazingly sheer that it looks sort of sprayed on. And sprayed on in a light mist of color. It's sort of veil-like. The name says it all: ethereal and illuminating. By the way, I just took a peek at the Kevyn Aucoin Beauty site and saw this about the Etherealist line:

...Creates a natural, luminous, airbrushed appearance. The Etherealist Skin Illuminating Foundation blends effortlessly for shine-free, comfortable wear. 

All true and I'll tell you what, for 58 bucks, it's supposed to be this good.

I've tried pricey foundations because I haven't always been this broke. And I get spoiled by family and friends. I remember thinking that Lancome's Teint Idole was awesome (and it is). I even tried Armani and St. Laurent. Borghese would have been awesome but had no suitable shades for me at the time. All of these were amazing but with amazing price tags. Aucoin's only cost me 18 dollars and I still can't get over it.

As I said, this has a very light and veil-like look. I almost feel as if I'm wearing only my moisturizer. The shad, if I didn't mention it, is ef 16 Deep and I have never - not even with the Teint Idole - matched a shade so perfectly.

That's a neck swatch you can't see

This shade matches me so well that the only way I know I'm wearing any is that it softened my features. The website says that this is a "medium" coverage foundation but I think it leans towards very sheer and light coverage. Probably it's because it does match my skin so well that it doesn't seem to be buildable.

Not blended in

smudged

Blended in

So I have decided that I am basically the color of chocolate milk. I have also decided that I love this foundation. The one downfall is that I won't be able to afford it should the price go back up. If it's a fake, I will be looking for more. This will be right up with my favorite Foach bag, Folex watch. No shame to my game. I don't need the real thing, I just like a cute face, purse, and watch. So, for the person on Reddit who bet me that this foundation is a fake, if they are offended, they can always buy me a bottle of the authentic stuff.

Peace
--Free

Quitting Scentbird After a Couple of Months

Scentbird is a subscription perfume service that I had been wanting to try for a while. I love perfumes and the idea of getting a new one every month to test was just too tempting. The cost (including taxes) is $16.00. Each month. That sounded good for about 1 month.

Not worth $16 per month. Nope.

Including a freebie that I got because Scentbird messed up on billing once, I will have received 3 scents as of this month. I have only (sort of) liked one of the fragrances. That was the Pink Sugar scent. And, I really just didn't hate it. Didn't love it though.

Each fragrance spray is meant to last about 1 month. If you like it, then you can purchase full-sized bottles. I haven't yet figured out how to purchase a full-sized but, no worries, I haven't liked any well enough to want to.

There is more though to why I quit Scentbird after trying only 3 fragrances. Lots more.

• It's expensive. $16 a month is not a crazy amount but paying that much for 0.27 ounces of EDP is. More on that in a moment.
• According to Scentbird their vials "equate to about 120+ sprays – enough to apply 4 sprays daily for 30 days." I did not find this to be true. Maybe if a fragrance lasts more than a couple hours for you but, the older you get... Just saying.
• It's kind of shady. Not all the scents listed on the site fall into the $16 monthly payment. For some scents, you have to pay an additional 5 or 10 bucks on top of the monthly amount. 
• You get a free case (to hold a Scentbird vial) with the first shipment - or if Scentbird is apologizing for an error. You have to buy any more after that at (currently) $12.95 each. As far as I know, only Scentbird vials fit these cases. At least, none of my other perfume vials fit the case I have. It's a plastic case. Not worth more than a couple of bucks.
• The site is okay as far as browsing the fragrances but lacks user-friendliness otherwise; the FAQs were seriously old and had no links to the info provided. 
• If you do love Scentbird and are trying to match to a fragrance you might want to try, the "scent quiz" they offer is limited and almost useless. You can't choose more than one Note, Setting, Season, or Mood. So you have to choose between wanting something floral or fruity; for the office or evening; only one season; and whether you feel flirty, sexy, classy, etc. It would be better if they offered a choice of listing scents you already love or just let you choose more than one option during the quiz. I had to keep re-taking the quiz to cover all my bases.

Now, let's get back to the price. That's really the main deciding factor for me. There is a guy who did a really good video breaking down the numbers in detail. You can check that out but all I needed to do was browse a couple of other fragrance sites to know that Scentbird is not worth it.

ScentSplit (which I have used in the past) sells decants of fragrances. Cost varies but if you know what you like but can't afford a full bottle, this is the real deal. By the way, just Google for similar sites for buying decants. 

FrangranceNet - Just pricing a couple of items, I realized that I could get a 0.33-ounce rollerball of Viva la Juicy Gold.for (currently) $14.99 or, with a coupon $9.74. There is also Perfumania where I can get a 1.7-ounce bottle of Jessica Simpson's Fancy for $19.95. And shut up. I happen to like Fancy.

You can also shop Perfumania, FrangranceX, Fragrantica, and even find sellers on Facebook or Reddit. It kind of depends on your taste in perfumes. Or, you can always scope out Amazon, Overstock, etc. If you are into niche perfumes (a boutique or artisanal perfume, not usually with a lot of retail presence), try finding more sites like Fragranceline. I've not used them, but I did sample a box from Olifactif, which was another pricey and not-worth-it (in my opinion) subscription service. With Olafactif, you can find codes to try them on the cheap. I got to try 3 niche scents and didn't like any of them.

There are cheaper and smarter ways to get hold of perfumes - even if you just want small amounts to test. If you shop online at places like Ulta, Macy's or Sephora, you can usually request perfume samples. If you actually go into such a store, you might walk away with enough samples to last a while. I once hit it off with a Sephora sales clerk and left with a $10 product I bought and 4 small bags stuffed with samples of lipsticks and perfumes. They made great stocking stuffers that Christmas.

The bottom line for me is, if I want to get something in the mail on a regular schedule, I can throw my money at Scentbird. It's just kind of a ripoff, in my opinion. I mean, kudos to the chick who owns it because she has a money-maker, for real.

I don't get to spoil myself often so I need to be picky and price-conscious at all times. Scentbird is for people who can afford to pay a ridiculous amount of money for teensy amounts of fragrances. Matter of fact, let me just post that video of the math dude. It's an older video but still made sense to me. As far as numbers make sense to my brain.

Even if Scentbird sweetened the pot with, say, a free case included with every order, I wouldn't stay. What I have figured out is how to just shop cheaply for what I want when I want it. I don't have to tie myself to a gimmicky subscription fee once a month. Now, if someone came up with a sub for buying full bottles of perfumes at a discount - either because they are overstocks or returns - I might look at that.

Peace
--Free

P.S.: I recently used a gift card to get a Vica la Juicy Gold 0.33 ounce rollerball from FraganceNet for $15.00 and used a code to get free shipping. Adding in tax, I paid a total of $16.04. Now, I won't be committed to spending another 15 or 16 dollars next month unless I just want to.

UPDATED **REVIEW** Mira Nova Creamed White Honey (& Arashan Brand)

UPDATE:
The original review was only for the Mira Nova brand. See the bottom of the post for a tiny review of the Arashan brand of honey. Both brands reviewed are wildflower varieties.

Mira Nova Creamed White Honey

Y'all know how I love honey. Floral, bush, Manuka, etcetera. I like putting honey in my tea, smearing it on bread, or just eating a little spoonful.

Since so much of the honey on grocery store shelves is fake or diluted (or even possibly polluted), I try to buy local or look for organic and trusted brands. I like unprocessed honey and raw (with pieces still in it), but I really like creamed honey. I've been wanting to try white creamed honey and I finally got some courtesy a gift from my public wishlist. (That's a hint for more of my family!)

This is the one I tried and it is so good that I cannot stop eating it. It is a "creamed wildflower mountain honey from Central Asia".

I've got some loaf-sliced brioche from Aldi's that's been sitting on top of the fridge for a minute. I have been spreading it with cream cheese topped with some of this honey for my breakfast or a mid-day snack. It's been tough but I limit myself to 1 (maybe 2) slices a day. When I was a little queasy last week, I had nothing for a couple of days but the cream cheese & honey brioche and tea with honey. I could live off the stuff if I had to.

I was impressed at how well the seller packed the jar for shipping. Also, I like that the jar was sealed with safety tape.

I've never had the Mira Nova honey before and it was just on my Wish List because I was curious about it. Now I am a little bit hooked.

The consistency is about that of processed peanut butter and just that spreadable. It's quite a bit sweeter than Nate's raw and unfiltered honey, which is what I typically keep around. In my opinion, there is a slightly milk-cream undertaste to it. (By the way, for more daily-use and "regular textured honey, Nate's is awesome.)

It has a very smooth texture

This Mira Nova would be too pricey for me to buy for myself on a regular basis but it's a beautiful thing to have around to treat yourself. I can't even explain how good it is. I am going to have to get some regular creamed honey to see what else I have been missing.

Arashan White Honey

This product description of this one reads: "Wildflower/Clover Honey From The “Mountains Of Heaven”.

Of the 2 brands, I have to admit that this is the best. It's even smoother in texture (which I didn't think was possible) and it's less sweet. I cannot get over how this one will run - even after being refrigerated. That makes it easier to spread on bread and to mix into smoothies. Before I did refrigerate this, I could literally pour it from the jar and spread it with a plastic knife. When I refrigerated it overnight, it took on a slightly - very slightly - thicker texture. But, get this, it still spread almost as easily as when at room temp.

This is video of the honey's viscosity straight out of the door of the fridge:

And this is the same honey after warming on the counter for about 30 minutes:

As I mentioned, this one is not as sweet as the Mira Nova. If on a sweetness scale, this would be a 5 compared to Mira Nova's 7. Also, the Mira Nova was so much thicker that I didn't even bother filming it.

The Arashan one is also not as pale. It's not even what I would call "white" honey.

Even though I chose the wildflower variety in both brands, there are options for the Arashan brand.right on the product page; you have to visit the Mira Nova storefront to view their options. Arashan has only a couple of other items that I randomly found on Amazon.



Peace
--Free

P.S.: I am not a person who is fearful of the future or for society but... If people start panicking and cleaning out the food aisles the way the did with toilet tissue, I will be glad that I always have honey around. It does not spoil or go bad. Ever. It's nutritious and, if you have some that is of good quality, it's healthy and can be used on wounds and to deal with sore throats and coughs.  Maybe I do need to stock up on more of nature's medicine.

**QUICK POST** Empty Gloss Tubes (for work or travel)

This is for anyone who likes keeping beauty products on hand - in your purse or car or carryon luggage - without carrying around the whole container.

Try these inexpensive empty tubes:

They are super cheap and you can use them to hold so many products. I personally just like having a little bit of my facial moisturizer and foundation in my purse. I happen to use sunscreen and 3 different products on my face. You know us ladies with our moisturizers and serums. And don't get me started on my DIY cosmetics again.

One of the vials I've been carrying around in my purse for weeks now has some of the Manuka honey I use to treat cuts, cold sores, scrapes, etc. I think I told you guys that I have not bought a tube of Abreva since I discovered how fast Manuka works on cold sores even before they break all the way out.

The next time I travel (if that ever happens), I plan to tote along a bunch of these in my carryon baggage. I love having different lotions, creams, and sunscreens with me to use even if I can't get into my bagged luggage.

By the way, I got these in a bag of 30 pieces for around 10 bucks. There are other types - push-up cylindrical tubes, powder jars, and compacts - that you can find with a quick search. With these squeeze-type tubes, I can even use them for liquidized coconut oil and such without leaks. Just be careful to hold them upright when you open them.

Making Cosmetics has items similar to these tubes and various other types of empties for spraying, aerosols, etc. Amazon has tubes that are smaller (and cheaper). Making Cosmetics empty containers tend to be higher priced than what is on Amazon though and I didn't think the plain ones were any better quality. However, I would get any aerosol or special kind of dispensing tubes from Making Cosmetics.

Anyway, now you know.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** As I Am JBCO Water

The full name of this product is As I Am Jamaican Black Castor Oil Water but I see it advertised in some places as just JBCO and JBCO Water. Whatever you want to call it, this stuff is kind of amazing.

Though you can find quite a few of them on Amazon, I am not super familiar with the As I Am product line. I always get a little dyslexic with how they print the brand name to look a little like AsIAm. For a long time, I pronounced it as a single word: Az-zi-yam until a clerk at Sally Beauty looked at me like I was having a seizure.

Oh well.

I got my first bottle from Amazon and the product description is what hooked me:

Introducing this magical refreshing system to fight dry hair, As I Am️ JBCO Water uses nano-technology to evenly distribute Jamaican Black Castor Oil with Vitamin C & Vitamin E, onto each hair strand, boosting and locking-in the moisture needed to maintain healthy hair. Our special nano-formula allows better penetration of JBCO with Vitamin C & Vitamin E into the fiber, increasing hair fiber strength. Include JBCO Water in your daily styling regimen to add sheen and prevent frizz. May also be used for Wash n Go’s & Twist Outs. Detangles fibers and reduces combing damage while repairing & restoring hair for better growth. Directions After using JBCO Leave-In Conditioner, spray JBCO Water thoroughly to wet the hair for maximum moisturize and strength benefits. Use daily to rewet dry hair or use before styling to refresh moisture content, strengthen and detangle fibers. Terrific for dry skin and hands. Spray generously and shake well before use. (my emphasis)

All the talk about refreshing dry hair! And the 16-ounce bottle was 6 bucks. Also, Amazon has that awesome return policy on most items. I decided to give it a shot.

By the way, here is a list of the ingredients from the product page:

• Aqua/Water/Eau
• Betaine (Naturally Curly has an interesting writeup on this ingredient)
• Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
• Tocopherol
• Ceramide NG (for this one, let's go back to that wonderful Naturally Curly for some info!)
• Glycerin
• Phenoxyethanol 
• Caprylyl Glycol
• Sodium Benzoate
• Laureth-9
• PEG-400
• Fragrance (I don't smell much other than a faint coconut scent)
• Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
• Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide MEA
• PEG-3 Distearate
• Citric Acid
• Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
• PEG-100 Stearate
• Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
• Ceteareth-25
• Cocamidopropyl Betaine
• Piroctone Olamine

Well. I don't even know how to start describing what this did for my hair. The first time I used it, my hair was about 5 days out from the last wash and twist-out. It was dry and just kind of blah. (I sure wish I had a photo!) I had been using plain water sprayed on with my Groom fine mist sprayer. Water is great for reactivating any leftover styling product that might still be in the hair but, to be honest, it's just a temporary measure.

The JBCO felt like water going on. The sprayer produces a fairly fine and consistent mist and that was a nice surprise. Usually, product sprayers are too heavy or they don't work well at all.

What I like most about the JBCO is that it's not heavy, greasy, or sticky. And it actually does hydrate the hair. (I have either already talked about or will be talking about the Pantene that I was so not happy with and the BioSilk that I love.)

The JBCO is, as the kids used to say, the truth. This "water" was like a miracle to my thirsty hair. As I said, my hair was in rough shape that first time. The JBCO allowed me to get another couple of days' wear out of my raggedy twists.

My hair is always at it's dryest the first day after it's been washed. No matter what I do, the first hours after it has completely dried, my hair seems almost resistant to moisture. To speed up the healing, while my hair is still damp, I will use a cream moisturizing product and sit with a warming cap on for 10 to 15 minutes. That helps, but... these naps are still a bit parched feeling the next day. This is why I always say that second-day hair, jeans, and greens are the best. Now though, if I used the JBCO water after taking down my twists, the first day is so much better.

Crunchy and dry doesn't show up well in photos of my hair. I wear it too darkly colored, I think. Recently though, I posted photos of my hair on a very dry day and on a day when I had used the JBCO (along with other styling products) and the difference is sort of visible.

This is what my hair looks like when it is really dried out and at its worst.

NOT a before pic to the one below

My hair after having been very dry (and you see what "very dry" looks like up there!)

but after I used JBCO (and other styling products)

Now those photos are not "before and after" shots. I just dug out a photo to show what I mean by "very dry" hair. That's about how bad my hair was on the day I first used the JBCO. I wish I had taken a "before" pic... The bottom photos show how the JBCO revived the other products that were already in my hair. I still need to do a wash and condition, but I was able to get by as is for a minute.

After I used the JBCO that first time, I rushed back over to Amazon to order more before they ran out. Too late. It was already (and still is) showing as "currently unavailable". Next, I went to Walmart. They carry the water but are out of stock. Finally, I checked Sally Beauty. They had it - for 7 bucks. I ordered 2 bottles to have some on hand, just in case. It wasn't until a couple of days later that I noticed the bottles from Sally are the 8-ounce size. Basically, I paid way more than I wanted. Still, I am happy to have some spare products until Amazon gets back on its game.

Once I had ordered more, I texted one of my nieces who has gone natural in the recent past. I sent a photo of the bottle and told her she needed to grab some. Of course, she lives in a bigger city and will probably be able to find some at a beauty supply store. I really miss being near a black beauty supply store!

I am using the water every day now, either to soften my hair for styling after taking down twists, to rejuvenate my curls after a few days of wear, or just as a morning hair moisturizer. I really do use it the same way I use the toners and creams for my face - as a daily treatment to keep my hair soft. I will be looking at more of the As I Am line.

If you have a local beauty supply, I would look for this JBCO there first. Make sure you compare prices.

Peace
--Free

**SIFO** UPDATE Amazon's Solimo Brand

UPDATED: Go to end of post for mew pics/items

You all know that I am an Amazon fanatic. I would like to stand on my moral high ground and hate them for the way they allegedly treat their employees and conduct internal business. I am too broke and carless to be that pious in my shopping habits. Therefore...

Have you noticed the Solimo brand of products while on Amazon? If not, you need to take a look.

I can't vouch for anything but the paper towels - which have disappeared off the face of the earth along with toilet tissue, baby wipes, and common sense. However, those paper towels were pretty good. I can't remember what they cost now, but I know that they had to have been cheaper than or about the same as what I usually buy (Viva and Bounty).

Looking at the customer ratings, most of the products get good marks. I will just show you some comparisons of common items I shop for. I took screenshots of the first Solimo brand items to come up un a heading (not sorted) and screenshots of other brands that came up first in the search ( sorted by the highest star rating).

For the coffee Kcups, there is quite a bit of difference. I am picky about my coffee but I might give Solimo a try after I read some reviews.

I would most definitely be willing to try the laundry detergent if I had a family to wash for.

These are just some of the things that I typically search and shop for. There are also sections for Baby, Vitamins, Pets, etc. If you are shopping for a family, check out the Value Pack section. It's a little like Costco-mini, I guess.

I was going to do shampoo/conditioner, bandaids, etc, but I got wiped out. You get the idea though. While it's more often true than not that you get what you pay for, cheaper alternatives can sometimes be worth it. I have not used name-brand bleach in forever. I also will usually get the store brand of dairy and bread. Every saved penny adds up. Eventually.

If I end up using any more Solimo items (that coffee might be the next thing), I will surely let you know how that works out.

Peace
--Free


P.S.: Speaking of coffee...There is a cheaper Kcup coffee that I tried a couple of years ago. I got it at Menards and couldn't find it anymore until recently when I spotted it on Amazon (of course). If you like Yuban (dark roast), this Founding Fathers French Roast is awesome. and 50 percent of the profits go toward supporting military families.

UPDATE:

It's been quite a while since I composed this post. Since then, I have tried the pantyliners from the Solimo brand. They are just as good as the Always brand (long length)  that I have preferred for such a long time but every now and then, I have a problem with them bunching up right after I put one in place.

The Solimo liners are the same length (and maybe an itty-bitty smidgen longer?) and they are most definitely sturdier, which I am loving. I like Always liners because the ones I use are thin and very comfortable. The Solimo liners are the same in that respect but they don't have the tendency to bunch up.

Here's the thing though: in comparing prices, the Solimo liners are $5.30 for the 68-count box of liners (at $0.08ea) against the $6.99 for the 108-ct box of Always liners (at $0.06ea). There is a $9.99 ($0.08ea) 120-ct box of Solimo long length liners that is cheaper than Always. Now that I know how much I like the Solimo brand liners, I will probably get those next time.

Since I like the non-bunch factor with the Solimo, they are a better buy for me. No use having more liners if I'm not happy with the way every last one of them fits.