February Likes and Dislikes

As you can tell from the title, I've compiled a list what I liked most, and what I wasn't too fond of during the month of February. This isn't anything new, as I'm sure you've already seen a million "February Favourites" posts, but hey.. what's one more? Obviously these are things that worked for me. I'm not in any way saying that my "dislikes" are terrible products.. they're just things that did not fit me.. you get the point. 

If you would rather watch the contents of this post in video form; you can watch my February Likes and Dislikes Video!

Likes
First thing's first, I may have a slight obsession with candles. I've included two different candles in my February Likes. The first is probably the best candle I've ever owned. My friend purchased this Mahogany Teakwood candle from Bath and Body Works for my birthday. To me, it kind of smells like a clothing  store. I know not all stores smell the same, but I can't quite place which store. Wow, is that not the best description of a candle you've ever read? 


Next on the candle list is Yankee Candle's Red Apple Wreath fragrance. This candle in particular has a very welcoming and comforting scent. It obviously has autumnal tones to it, but I think it would be great all year round. In addition, it has a great throw but isn't overwhelmingly powerful. 




Now we have something that I'm unfamiliar with, so I'm not sure this "review" is the best, but nevertheless.. I quite like Urban Decay's Lipstick in the color Gash. My sister-in-law gave me this sample size awhile ago. Other than the $1 drug store lipstick, I think this is the only lipstick I actually own. I hardly ever actually wear makeup, but I quite like the color and durability of this product. You probably already know this, but one thing I love about Urban Decay is that they are cruelty-free. Upon looking for the lipstick online so I could put a link to where you can get it, I found that this color has been discontinued for now.


My skin is weird. I think it develops a resistance to products that I use for more than a couple months, so I have to switch it up quite a bit. However, I've found that using Yes To Tomatoes Daily Repair face wash, and Nelson Pure & Clear Acne Treatment Gel in conjunction with one another works quite well. Both of these products are actually part of a 3 or 4 step process themselves, but for some reason just using these two steps produces great results. 


Essie nail polish. You've probably already heard of and tried it, but I just recently discovered it, and let me tell you; it's great. Like makeup, I hardly ever wear nail polish because most chips off, I kid you not, the very next day.. more on that later. The first time I painted my nails with this Sand Tropez Essie Nail Polish, it lasted nearly a week without chipping. If you enjoy Essie nail polish as well, be sure to tell me your favorite colors in the comments below!




My final "like" is something I purchased near the end of February, but am already in love with. If you're like me and drink your tea or coffee at a snail's pace, the Mr.Coffee Mug Warmer is so helpful. I'll put a hot cup of tea on it, and it's still warm when I'm taking my last sip three hours later. 


Dislikes
First up we have Better Oat's Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Oatmeal. I'm sure Better Oats has some great oatmeal flavors, but this one was waaaaaaaaay too sweet for me. It almost felt like I was eating a bowl of sugar with a garnish of oats. Despite the overwhelming amount of sugary taste, I applaud Better Oats on their packaging. The chic single serve bag of oats has a measuring cup for water (or milk) built right in! This one flavor obviously hasn't turned me off of Better Oats completely. The "Raw Pure & Simple" flavors, especially the chai spice and pomegranate look quite inviting. 

http://www.nutritionistreviews.com/2013/05/better-oats-review.html

 Revisiting nail polish, I'm not so much a fan of New York Color's Nail Polish. Despite their vast array of appealing colors, every time I apply NYC's nail polish, it chips within hours. I think this nail polish is fine for a dinner outing or what have you, but I prefer something like Essie, which is more suitable for everyday wear. 


And finally we have Hydralicious De-Damaging Shampoo and Conditioner from Herbal Essences. As you can guess, I purchased this when I was searching for some hair care that would repair my dry and damaged mane. I used these two products together for about six months, but did not see any results. The smell is nice enough though, so if you're just looking for a regular old shampoo, I think this would work just fine. On a related note, since "Hydralicious" didn't work for me, I decided to try Palmer's Coconut Oil shampoo and conditioner. Let me just say, the coconut hair care smells heavenly, and definitely smells of authentic coconut. It didn't do much for my hair for the first couple weeks or so, but I've stuck with it and I'm starting to notice results. I think everyone should try Palmer's Coconut shampoo and/or conditioner, especially if you're looking to revitalize your hair.

What are your February Likes and Dislikes? Do you disagree with me about any of these products?

I'll never get over the fact that you actually made it to the end of this post. Thank you so much for reading.. I hope you enjoyed! Please don't forget to leave blog post suggestions and constructive criticism.
Until next time ♥

In Case You Were Wondering: Valentine's Gifts

I think "In Case You Were Wondering" might be a reoccurring post theme of quick little unplanned snippets.  Yes, no? Tell me what you think.

Yesterday was obviously Valentine's Day, and my errr.. parents got me some goodies for the holiday. The last post was about what I gave for Valentine's Day, this post is about what I received. I don't know if this will be the least bit interesting to anyone, but I enjoy reading this type of post, and since my friend is allowing me to borrow her camera for awhile longer, I thought why not. (I'll try not to rhyme again)




The color scheme of my bedroom is light blue and white, so this cute little box should blend nicely.






Mini molten chocolate cake! There is a new cupcake shop in my town, and each cupcake is only $3 and they're ginormous, about the size of this mini cake! 






Keeping with the tradition of chocolate on Valentine's Day, I got a 'Peach & Pecan in Milk Chocolate' bar that I'm interested in tasting. I also received a 'Cherries & Almonds in Dark Chocolate' bar, which is always a good combination. This line of chocolate bars has little love poems inside the wrapping, making them the perfect little Valentine's gift.






I'm starting to fall in love with Baby Lips. I tried the one of the EOS lip balms a short time before I found Baby Lips, and there is no competition as to which I prefer. Prior to Valentine's Day, I'd only ever used the 'Quenched' flavor, which is my favorite so far. I've just started using this tube of 'Just Peachy' which is part of the Dr.Rescue line of Baby Lips, and has a very pale pink tint to it. I would describe the flavor as a mix of that "generic lipstick flavor" and mint, if that makes any sense.




These chocolate covered espresso beans have been the only Valentine's Day treat I've eaten so far. The entire bag may or may not have already been devoured. But coffee AND chocolate, I mean can you really blame me?



Last but not least, some of my favorite treats; Larabars. I love that these bars are raw and use very minimal ingredients. Most of the bars are mostly made of dates and nuts, which makes them very filling. I'm excited to nosh on the Banana Bread flavor, because I've already tried (and loved) nearly every other one.



How did you spend your Valentine's Day? What gifts did you receive?

Thank you so so so much for reading! Please don't forget to leave blog post suggestions and constructive criticism. Hopefully I don't go into a chocolate coma before my next post.


Until next time ♥

♡ S'mores, Nail Polish, and Too Many Puns ♡

Happy Valentine's Day! Some people hate it, some love it. In my opinion, I think Valentine's Day is great because it gives me an excuse to give people presents!

If you would rather watch the contents of this post in video form; you can watch my DIY Valentines YouTube video!

I would have liked to post about this a week ago, but I guess a common theme of this blog will be that things rarely go as planned. This post won't be going away anytime soon though, so whether you've waited until the last minute or are already preparing for next year, here's a mishmash of the DIY projects I made for Valentine's Day! Warning: heavy use of puns throughout.

The first project was for my beauty loving classmates.  I bought around 25 bottles of nail polish, cut out some cute tags, secured the tags with twine, and ta da! Quick and simple! The printout for these "girly valentines" can be found here.


The other valentines I fashioned for my food loving classmates were these fast and easy fruit leather jackets. I figured that some people might be sick of chocolate after Valentine's Day, so this fruit treat could be a nice change. I simply purchased upwards of 30 fruit leathers, printed out the case, and taped it on! The printout for these unique and healthy valentine's can be found here. 


Will the puns ever end? Next we have the Valentine I offered to my teachers. This slick and scrumptious valentine can be used for a variety of holidays and types of people. I've seen this valentine on many different blogs, but I couldn't find a style that I liked. So, I tried to make my own. If you'd like me to change the type of  recipient, holiday theme, or size please don't hesitate to ask! You can find the valentine printout here.


If you're running extremely low on time, but still want to feel clever, you'll like this next valentine. Just buy some gummy bears, stick this tag on the bag.. voila! The printable for this speedy valentine and others like it, can be found here. 


Lastly is a more sophisticated gift for the chocolate lover in your life. I'd say this is the most visually appealing, and probably the tastiest of the valentine's. Grab an elegant clear glass vase or jar, slap the simple and "punny" label on, fill your jar with Riesens, and tie a nice little bow. If you're about that multipurpose life, the jar can even be used for flowers or other items after the candy is gone! Don't be surprised if you find yourself buying flowers the next day though, these underrated chocolate candies are the bomb. The printout for this valentine can be found here. (There is a pink version available too)


Whether you find yourself cuddled by the fire with the one you love, with your friends watching sappy movies, or in your bedroom with a book, I hope this Valentine's Day treats you well. If you're reading this, I love you. Happy Valentine's Day. ♡

Well that's all for now! I'll never cease to be amazed that you actually read this far. Thank you so much. Please don't forget to leave blog post suggestions, and constructive criticism! 

Until next time. xoxo