Orders From Two Of My Favorites…

You know me…I’m never one to turn down a sale.  And when one of my favorite retailers is having a sale AND I get an email about free shipping, well, I’m so there!

Of course, all of this stuff was purchased before my no-buy went into effect.  I’m just a first class procrastinator, and it’s been taking me forever to get things photographed, edited, and posted up online!  This latest round of stash haul was bought at the end of March, if that tells you anything!!

Bath & Body Works owns my soul.  I remember the days long ago when I used to lament the fact that they didn’t have a website…

My latest Wallflowers starter kit. It’s a pineapple! The bulb is Island Nectar. Isn’t it adorable?!

More Wallflowers refills in Pumpkin Caribbean Salsa, Shore Breeze, and Island Nectar.  It’s time to bring Summer into the apartment, and what better way than to make it smell like an island retreat?

Scentport refills in Shore Breeze (one of my favorites!) and Caramel Pumpkin.

A bath bar in Coconut Lime Verbena.  Ok, fine…it’s SOAP.  Bath bar just sounds so much more…CLASSIER.

C.O. Bigelow’s Grapefruit Mint shampoo and conditioner, from the Village Perfumers collection.  Mmm, grapefruit.

C.O. Bigelow’s premium hair and body wash in Madgascar Vanilla.

Bubble bath cupcakes!  They are ADORABLE.  One in Carrot Cake, and the other one in Birthday Cake.

I also took part in a Lush UK group order back in March.  Compared to some of my other group orders, it was small, but I couldn’t resist getting in on the order…there was a forum special body lotion announced, and it was raspberry and lime!  I about died when I heard about it, and got into a group order with a group leader that I’ve dealt with a couple of times before.

One of Lush’s new hair gels, King of the Mods.  I originally had longer hair when I first placed my order, then I got it cut REALLY short.  Now that it’s growing back in again, it’s time to give this gel a try!

Lush Lime Smoothie shower soap.  I love Lush’s pots of shower soap.  Not only do they smell good, but they make my skin nice and soft!

Two products from Lush’s new vanilla line…Vanilla Dee-Lite body lotion and Vanillary solid perfume.  I was so excited when I heard Lush was releasing a line of vanilla-scented products.  The also have a Vanillary perfume atomizer that I’d really love to get, but it’s a wee bit pricey!

Lemon Days & Ginger Beer bath ballistics.  I’m not really one for lemon, but the scent description of this one sounded delightful!

Artemis Cream body lotion.  This is the forum special edition.  Raspberries and lime?  I couldn’t resist.  Yum!

It’s so much more fun to write up posts about my stash than it is to write about diet-pills, don’t you think?  Heck, I think I might even work on a review or two later tonight, now that I’ve gotten this one stash post out of the way!

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Bead Passion.

(I’m procrastinating. I have to go outside in the heat and get our patio furniture cleaned up for a small gathering tomorrow. Instead, I’m sitting at my computer, in the air conditioning, typing up a new review! The things that I do for you people!!)

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My obsession with cupcake jewelry has been fueled lately by the fantastic designs of Helen at Bead Passion. Helen’s polymer clay creations are incredibly detailed and so realistic, it’s hard to not want to pop one of her miniature cupcakes into your mouth to see how sweet it is!

The other amazing thing about Helen’s Etsy shop? Her prices are AMAZING.

After hemming and hawing for a little while and going back and forth with myself…as in, “Do I really NEED a cupcake bracelet? YES, I WANT ONE. Do I really NEEEEEEEEEED one?”

Screw the need. It’s all about the want in my little world!

I placed my first order on February 3, and I was so freakin’ excited when I got home on February 20th and found a package from the Philippines stuffed into my mailbox. I almost couldn’t wait until I got up into my apartment before tearing open the package.

Everything that I’d ordered was packaged up carefully in pretty little gift boxes. What a sweet touch!

Mocha Caramel Cupcake Necklace.
Delicious looking Mocha Caramel cupcake topped with marshmallows, strawberry, blueberries, mint leaves and wafer sticks.

Hamdmade with polymer clay, it measures about 1″ diametr, 1″ tall. Comes with 27″ silver ballchain (please see last photo for sample of ballcahin attachment.) $8.00.

Strawberry Cupcake Necklace.
Strawberry polymer clay cupcake with creamy frosting topped with strawberry slices, chocolate sprinkles and wafer stick. Irresistible!

This pendant is 1inch high and 1inch wide, comes with a 27″ long silver ballchain.

(This look more realistic with their natural clay color. However, pls specify if you want them glossed. Otherwise, this will be shipped as is.) $10.00.

Watermelon Cupcake Necklace.
I just love, love, love watermelon. With the many cupcakes I designed and made, this is definitely a favorite. Sprinkled with icy sugar and chocolate seeds.

So if you love cupcake and watermelon like I do, grab this cute necklace now!

Handmade with polymer clay, the pendant measures a little over 1″wide, 1″ tall. Comes with a 27″ silver ballchain. $10.00.

Cherry Kiwi Cupcake Earrings.
Cute lil’ cherry and Kiwi cupcake earrings, handmade with polymer clay. Each measures about 2cm in width and 2cm height. They hang on a silver earhook. $7.00.

Fruit Cupcake Bracelet.
Special fruit cupcakes topped with whipped cream with assorted sprinkles. The collection includes blue berry, orange, strawberry, kiwi and peach.

Handmade with polymer clay, they hang on a 7.5″ silver chain bracelet with colorful plastic beads. Each cupcake measure 2cm in diameter, 2cm in height. $18.00.

Helen tucked two adorable sets of earrings into my package for free. The fork and spoon set I’m going to keep for myself, and I’m going to give the beaded ones to my Mom.

Helen’s creations are so lifelike, you can almost taste the sweetness of the whipped cream topping on the cupcakes.  In fact, her creations are so fabulous that I commissioned her to make a special cupcake for my dear friend’s birthday.  Of course, I didn’t want that little sweetie to travel across the world without some company, so I had to order some more goodies!  I ordered these pretties on February 26th, and they showed up in my mailbox a little less than two weeks later.

Once again, everything was packaged up in pretty shiny boxes!

Strawberry Cupcake.
— for purchase of raspberryvix —
Strawberry cupcake as per request by raspberryvix. Vanilla cupcake in strawberry frosting, with strawberry slices and strawberry flavored wafer sticks.

Handmade with polymer clay, the pendant measures 1″ wide, 1″ tall. Comes with 27″ silver ballchain.  $10.00.

Cupcake Collection Bracelet 13.
5pcs assorted cupcakes made with cream and fondant with fruit, choco and syrup toppings.

Handmade with polymer clay, they hang on an 8″ silver chain bracelet (please specify upon check out if you want the chain length reduced) with colorful beads and czech crystals. Each cupcake measures approx 2cm wide, 2cm tall. Please refer to last photo for sample of bracelet chain and bead charms.

(They look more realistic with their natural clay finish. However, pls specify if you want them glossed. Otherwise, this will be shipped as is.)  $15.00.

Cupcake Bracelet Karylle Collection.
A collection of cupcake I named after my niece, Karylle. These are her favorites among all my cupcake designs…

The collection includes:
- Cherry and sprinkles cupcake
- Flowery Rose Cupcake
- Fruity Cupcake

- Chocolate Mocha Cupcake
- Hearts Cupcake

Handmade with polymer clay, they hang on an 8″ silver chain bracelet (please specify upon check out if you want the chain length reduced) with colorful beads and czech crystals. Each cupcake measures approx 2cm wide, 2cm tall. Please see last photo for sample of bracelet chain.

(They look more realistic with their natural clay finish. However, pls specify if you want them glossed. Otherwise, this will be shipped as is.)  $15.00.

Strawberry and Kiwi Swirl Cupcake Necklace.
Creamy cupcake with kiwi, strawberry and minty sugar toppings. Handmade with polymer clay, the pendant measures a little less than 1″ wide, 0.75″ tall. Comes with a 27″ silver ballchain (please see 4th photo for sample of ballchain atachment) Looks sooo yummy!  $8.00.

Donut Bracelet.
5pcs assorted donuts handmade with polymer clay. They hang on an 8″” silver chain bracelet with colorful plastic beads Please see last photo for sample of bracelet chain. Please specify upon checkout if you want the chain length reduced.

Each donut is around 3/4″ in diameter. Since this is handmade, your item may slightly vary from photo.
(They look more realistic with their natural clay finish - matt. However, pls specify if you want them glossed. Otherwise, this will be shipped as is.)  $15.00.

Helen tucked two more adorable freebies into the latest package…a cute chocolate candy heart charm, and a pretty necklace with a slice of strawberry cake pendant.

I’m honored to say that Helen has also added the strawberry cupcake that she designed for me to her permanent inventory.  According to her, it’s selling rather well!

All of the pieces that I ordered are absolutely gorgeous…they’re so well-made, and totally life-like.  The donut bracelet is awesome…the donuts are actually bigger than I thought they were; they’re about the size of a Life Saver!  Too cute!

I keep checking her shop from time to time, just to see what kind of new designs she’s come up with.  I’m addicted to her gorgeous work…especially because it’s so well made for such fabulous prices!!

RV’s store rating?

RV’s product ratings?

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Annoying Furballs.

So very annoyed.  I just accidentally stepped on and broke my barcode scanner. I have a small hand-held scanner that I use to scan the barcodes of my books into LibraryThing…the cat must’ve knocked it off from its usual perch next to my computer and onto the floor.  I went to get out of my chair…of course, not looking where I was stepping…and CRACK.

Oops.  So not happy.  Now I have to buy myself a new one, and the one I use is a bit hard to come by at a good price anymore.

Damn cats.  I swear, they’re out to kill me!  Or put me in the poor house!

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Fluffhead.

I am so far behind on things, it’s pathetic.  I have so much stuff to photograph, edit, upload, and write about that I can’t even see straight.  And I’m supposedly to be thinking clearly enough to work ma huang into a sentence?

Nope.  Ain’t happenin’.

Life’s been nothing short of RIDICULOUS lately.  Work’s been insane, my home life has gone crazy, and I’ve been spending way too much time on facebook that it’s starting to border on the unhealthy.  The laundry’s neglected, the carpets need to be vacuumed, and the toilets need a good scrubbing.  I also have to work on stuff for my Etsy shop…but it seems like all I ever want to do lately is play around on facebook.

Stupid me for getting sucked in.  Remind me to strangle the person that convinced me to reopen my account!

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Crazy Rumors.

Crazy Rumors is an online company that specializes in all natural and vegan gourmet flavored lip balms. I’ve been wanting to try their lip balms out for the longest time…I mean, who can resist lip balm flavors such as Irish Cream, Pistachio, and Banana Split?

Not I, said she!

Of course, I wanted to buy most of the flavors they make, but at $4 for one tube of lip balm, well, that’s a bit steep. Buying a six pack of balms at $22 saves you two bucks, but still, laying out $22 for a pack of lip balms seems kind of crazy nowadays.

And then, way back in April, my new favorite blog Confessions of a Balmoholic posted about a brief little three-day sale over at the Crazy Rumors website. From April 1 to April 3, if you entered a certain code in at checkout, you would get 50% off of all of their lip balms.

I was giddy. Ecstatic, even. Me being me, I rushed to the website and placed a sizable order. As if I didn’t already have enough lip balms to last me until the second coming of…well, whatever!

I placed my order on April 1, and it showed up in my mailbox on April 6.

First off, I have to rave about the packaging. The boxes that collections come in are absolutely adorable. Each box holds six lip balms, and you could cut off the flap to have a balm holder to keep on top of your dresser! Or wherever it is that you keep your lip balms/makeup…

Lip balms of the Perk collection. 6 Captivating Coffee-Inspired Flavors…Amaretto, Vanilla Bean, French Vanilla, Hazelnut, Mocha, and Irish Cream. Yum!

The A La Mode collection. 6 Decadent Ice Cream Inspired Flavors…Creamsicle, Pistachio, Banana Split, Raspberry Sorbet, Mint Chocolate, and Almond Fudge. I hope the taste as delicious as they sound!

I ordered one single lip balm from their Candy Cane collection, Plum & Peppermint. It sounded like an interesting combination, and at half price, it was worth a shot! I love the little safety seal on the lid…”A festive fusion for your lips.” A La Mode’s seals say “Scoop it on and enjoy,” and Perk’s say “A coffee break for your lips.”

If these lip balms taste as good as they sound and keep my lips moisturized, I’d definitely order from Crazy Rumors again. Shipping was quick, the sale couldn’t be beat, and the packaging is just way too cute for words!

RV’s store rating?

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At Least They Purr For You…

Seriously, who needs kids to drive you crazy all day when you can have cats. Cats are just as good as kids at being the best fat burners in the world, because you have to chase them around the house.

At least, with my cats you do.  I spent a good portion of the day today chasing our youngest cat around the apartment, trying to keep her from getting into all manner of things.  Then I had to chase her down six flights of stairs when she escaped as I went out to get the mail.  I also had to chase her around the house, as she stole a ribbon that I was working with…right out of my hands!

Oh, she also tried to help herself to my sushi dinner tonight.  This was after hubby had just fed her two pieces of nice juicy shrimp!  The ungrateful wretch!  As if we don’t give her enough treats already!

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Pina Colada Cotton Candy Princess Poo & Shine Sweetie.

Cocoa Pink’s description: Princess Poo ~ Sulfate Free Shampoo for Normal/Dry Hair
“Sodium Lauryl Sulfate/Sodium Laureth Sulfate: These cheap, harsh detergents, used in shampoos for their foam-building properties, are also used in car washes, as garage floor cleaners, and as engine degreasers. They are often derived from petroleum and can cause eye irritation, scalp irritation, and tangled hair.” ~onesta

CocoaPink proudly introduces our collection of Sulfate and Paraben Free shampoos. Made with “non-stinky” bio-degradable natural surfactants (cleansers) this line of shampoo will not strip the hair, but still provides light lather and a clean rinse feel. We went through countless natural surfactants to find the perfect one - we discovered that many “stink” - we couldn’t have that. Finally we discovered one of the newest natural cleansers that has just hit the market - and it’s PERFECT! Loaded with Botanical Extracts like Lavender, Rose, Rosemary, Nettle, and Lemongrass. Just wait until you see how your hair feels. You won’t believe it.

Your hair will love you for it ~ Fall in love with your hair. $13.50 10 ounce bottle.

Shine Sweetie ~ Natural Hair Conditioner
Shine Sweetie is handmade fresh daily in our shop. It is made with high quality ingredients that have a natural affinity for hair. The ingredients in Shine Sweety nourish, moisturize, detangle, protect, and make the hair stronger and more resilient.

~ proteins (silk, wheat, cotton, and oat)
~ high quality oils (to hydrate dried out hair follicles and restore moisture balance)
~ humectants extracted from plants that control moisture, flyaway, static control
~ vitamins (biotin, panthenol, niacinamide, vitamin E, and anti-oxidants)
~ natural silicone oils derived from Raspberries that won’t build up on hair (filling damaged bits like silk-spackle, making hair smooth, soft, and full of bounce).

This conditioner moisturizes without weighing hair down, volumizes without drying, rebuilds chemically processed locks… and did I mention the SHINE?

Shine Sweetie will make you run your fingers through your locks, make you glance in mirrors under different lighting to see how shiny it looks, and give you an uncontrollable urge to “toss-toss” your hair, flipping your bouncy locks from side to side.

Directions: Apply to wet hair after shampooing. Leave on 3 -30 minutes depending on conditioning needs. Rinse thoroughly. Gentle enough for color treated hair.

Your hair may go through an adjustment period of “Silicone Withdrawal” as your hair starts reabsorbing the natural oils and moisturizers in the conditioner. We suggest doing a “deep treatment” or leaving the conditioner on for a longer period of time to allow maximum moisture absorption. You can apply a dab to wet hair as a leave in moisture boost as well. $13.50 10 ounce bottle.

Pina Colada Cotton Candy - Cotton candy with coconut and pineapple blended in rich cream and sugar.

“If you like pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain…”

That song runs through my head now every time I’m in the shower and using these two products. The pina colada fragrance is FABULOUS and spot on. It’s DELICIOUS.

For as good as both of these products smell, they both SUCK for my hair. The shampoo doesn’t give me the usual squeaky-clean feeling, and after I got out of the shower, my hair still felt a bit grimy. The conditioner did absolutely nothing at all for my hair…in fact, it left my hair feeling dry and lifeless. No spring, no bounce, no shine, NOTHING.

It’s a shame, really, because I love the fact that both products contain less chemicals that most shampoos and conditioners, and for the price, both products lasted me quite some time. Unfortunately, I just can’t get over how bad my hair felt after using both products. It wasn’t just the first couple of times I used it, either. It was EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

RV’s product ratings?

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Troubled Times.

I’ve been pretty lax in keeping up with my websites lately. There’s just so much going on in my life right now on a personal level that’s just hard to deal with, which means my keeping up with my sites tends to fall by the wayside.

Plus, I haven’t been spending as much time on my computer when I get home lately, thanks to a repetitive motion injury and an office chair that’s gone flat and hurting the backs of my legs. I’ve been shopping for new office furniture, as I also need a new desk along with a new chair.

Unfortunately, the husband and I are struggling financially right now, so new furniture is out of the question, unless we can find something at Goodwill.

I’m eventually going to pawn off a chunk of my BPAL collection.  As much as it pains me, it’s got to be done.  I don’t have the space for it, and I’d really like to sell them to someone that’s going to give them the love that I can’t.

That is, if I can ever find the motivation to pull everything out, sniff it, catalog it, and get it all posted up.  That in and of itself is a huge endeavor, and one I’m really not looking forward to!

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Another Lazy Sunday.

Today has just been thrown totally off-kilter. I was watching TV last night and ended up falling asleep on the couch. I woke up about 2:30 AM to one of those late-night mesothelioma lawyer commercials. My right hand was numb, and there was a fat cat laying across my stomach.

Of course, that little nap that I took on the couch had me up most of the rest of the night once I stumbled back to bed. I’m tired and out of it today, and I don’t feel like doing a darn thing, even though I have a to do list a mile long and a box full of products sitting next to me that I need to review.

Weekends were meant for being lazy, though. I think that’s what I’m gonna do today…absolutely nothing.

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Aloe Gentle Face Wash.

The Body Shop’s description: Best if you want to: Rinse away make-up and impurities with a rich, ultra-mild foam cleanser that leaves your sensitive skin clean without feeling tight.
How it works:

* Preservative-, fragrance- and dye-free aloe vera hydrates and sooths sensitive skin.
* Sorbitol, a naturally occurring ingredient in many fruits, helps skin retain moisture, leaving it soft and supple.
* Dermatologist-approved and clinically proven as suitable for sensitive skin. $16.00 4.2 ounce pump bottle.

With my sensitive facial skin, I have to be careful what I use when I cleanse it. Of course, that’s not to say that I ALWAYS use stuff that marked strictly for sensitive skin, but I do try. When I saw that this was made specifically to be gentle on sensitive skin, I figured I’d give it a try. The label on the bottle states SENSITIVE SKIN: Skin-comforting foam proven to cleanse without irritating.

I like the fact that this comes in a pump bottle. It’s one of those liquid foaming pump bottles…the product inside the bottle is liquid, but when you pump it out, it comes out as a nice, thick foam. There’s also just about no waste…when the pump stops working, the bottle’s empty, with just a few drops of product left.

Well, they’re right. It certainly IS gentle on my sensitive skin. It doesn’t take many pumps to get a nice bit of foam going, and it even FEELS gentle when you apply it to your face. When I was done my shower, my face wasn’t screaming at me, as it usually does.

Unfortunately, my face also didn’t feel thoroughly clean, either.  I can forgive that, though.  Whatever was missed by the cleanser can be swiped away when I use my facial toner.

I DO like this stuff, mind you. It is by far the gentlest facial cleanser I’ve ever used. Would I buy it again? Yes, if it were on sale. Even though the bottle lasts a pretty long time, and as much as I like the fact that this is made with Community Trade aloe vera…I think $16.00 is a little bit steep. Of course, it IS from The Body Shop, and their products can be a bit pricey.

RV’s store rating?

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