NOTD: A Bit Victorian

1 coat Zoya Aurora and Imogen. 2 coats SC Prosecco stamped with NYC Black Lace Creme using plate BC-03. I adore how all these polishes look; Aurora and Prosecco are super easy to work with. Imogen was rather difficult; thin probe to flooding, but looks amazing when dry.

NOTD: Zoya Amanda & Trixie

Recipe: Fish in Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

http://www.littlebroken.com/2015/01/21/cod-in-creamy-red-roasted-pepper-sauce/

NOTD: Feather Inspired

I thought these rooster feathers were beautiful so I ended up doing this duchrome feathers inspired mani. 1 coat NYC Black Lace Creme as base with 1 coat Zoya Ki over it. Accent nail of Zoya Channing stamped with a feather detail. Also realized that Ki is a dupe for WnW Grey's Anatomy. I wish I had thought about it before I ordered Ki. The only difference is GA is a slightly thinner formula but the color is identical.

NOTD: Zoya Aurora

This polish is ridiculously amazing! 

It's like crushed diamonds in fresh blackberry juice; sweet sparkly perfection! This may be my new favorite Zoya, if such a thing is possible.

Review: Lolita Lempicka Elle L'aime

I ordered a mini .17 oz blind buy Elle L'aime from a seller called Hubbardscubbard for $7.99/free shipping. Ordered on Friday, arrived today (Tuesday). Items was well packaged with bubble wrap and in a small box. The best part is they included a free sample vial of L'aime! I did not realize the mini was a splash and I prefer spray, so I think I'll use the sample first. :)
The fragrance itself is very nice. The jasmine is the most prominent note. I sometimes find jasmine to be an overwhelming floral, but this is tempered nicely here buy the creamy, fresh coconut. Those are the only two notes I really get. It seems to be fairly long lasting and have strong silage. It also layers really well with other coconut fragrances, especially BBW Oahu, which I'm wearing now. The combo is absolutely divine and makes it fresh, coconutty and floral in more equal parts. I will enjoy this fragrance for spring, but it's not quite HG status. Probably won't order a full size. However, DH did say I smelled nice, unsolicited, so that's always a good sign. :)

Recipe: Copycat Applebee's Siracha Shrimp

http://www.recipesecrets.net/blog/recipes/applebeestm-sriracha-shrimp/

OOTD: Errand Chic

Sweater, leggings: flea market 

Dress: thrifted 

Bag: F21

Boots: Walmart 

Scarf: Amazon

Earrings: gift

OOTD: Elegant Boho

Wrap, boots: Walmart 
Dress, bag: F21
Leggings: flea market 
Necklace: purpleperidot.com
Earrings: Target 

Recent Wax Reviews

719 Walmart Avenue Country Market:

I really love this candle for spring! It is a delicious, fresh fruit scent, mainly melon with a hint of strawberry. It had fairly strong throw that was noticeable all day. Overall grade: A. Would repurchase.

BHG Apricot Rose Water:

A super strong juicy apricot scent with a hint of floral; such an enchanting blend. I'm very pleased with this long lasting an unique scent. Overall grade: A+ would repurchase.

SGA Tres Leches Sugar Cookie Vanilla Sugar: I was a bit disappointed in this one; it did not have a very strong throw and seemed like an ordinary light vanilla fragrance to me. It did not live up to the standard of strong throw and unique blends I've come to expect from SGA, in my opinion. Overall Grade: C. Would not purchase.

Mainstays French Toast: 

This scent was a very realistic; they did a great job capturing the individual french toast notes of maple syrup, cinnamon, bread, and even egg! I would say the throw was moderate in my small rooms; noticeable but not quite as strong as I prefer. Overall grade: B+. Would repurchase.

BHG Pure White Woods:

I love this scent! This is a clean, fresh woodsy scent. Warm yet crisp, I think it would make an excellent women's perfume. It is a similar but less masculine counterpart to BHG's Warm Rustic Woods scent. It is a nice home fragrance with strong and long lasting throw. Overall grade: A. Would repurchase.

Sniff My Tarts Peppermint Pink Sugar Spearmint:

One of my waxy friends raved about this scent and she was right; it is stellar! It's a sweet pink sugar mint blend with super strong throw that could easily last two days. It is delightful and as one of the first tarts I've tried from SMT and I hope to try many more scents! Overall grade: A+. Would purchase.

American Home by Yankee Banana Walnut Bread:

I had been reluctant to try this new line of tarts because they're more expensive than all the other brands of tarts I purchase at Walmart and I have not generally gotten strong throw from the regular Yankee brand tarts. I found these on clearance for $3 just after Christmas and it smelled like a pleasant, strong banana nut bread scent on cold sniff. It is also yummy smelling when melting and was fairly strong all day. Overall grade: A. Would repurchase and try more scents on sale.

BBW Praline Pecan Cobbler:

With 50% off clearance sale and 20% off coupon I purchased this candle for $9, which is still nearly twice as much as I would pay for a candle at Walmart. On cold sniff this candle has a fairly strong pleasant sugared pecan/bakery scent. Unfortunately when melting it did not seem to give off a strong scent; I had to stand directly above it to smell it. If I'm going to purchase a premium priced candle, I would certainly expect it to perform well. With the exception of a few gems I have not gotten good throw from a lot of BBW candles. I'm not sure why I keep buying into the hype and purchasing them. I think they had better performance in past years and I keep hoping to find winners. Overall grade: C. Would not repurchase.

Mainstays Maple Glazed Apples:

This candle is a delightful and unique blend of sweet maple frosting and fresh green apples. It has moderate throw and burns evenly. Overall grade: B+. Would repurchase.

NOTD: These Nails Are On Fire

1 coat Essie Leggy Legend with accent nail of Hard Candy Crush On Lava topped with Sinful Colors Devil's Stare.

OOTD: Favorite Pieces

Cardigan, sweater: JCP

Pants: Family Clothes 

Boots: Walmart 

Hat, bag: F21

Necklace: purpleperidot.com

Bracelet: eulaferns.com

Earrings: Target, thrifted 

NOTD: WnW Carribean Frost

I was craving a vibrant color and this is such a vivid peacock green; I love it! The formula is smooth and easy to work with; only 1 coat here. A real winner for .99¢!

Review: Yves Rocher Order

It took me nearly a month to receive my Yves Rocher order because some items were out of stock. Fortunately their customer service is on the ball and kept me appraised of my order status via email. I ordered the full sized Noix De Coco Malaysian Coconut EDT and Shower Gel and travel sized lotion. The other items pictured are 2 free samples, reusable tote, and a full sized night cream; such lovely extras!

I would describe the Malaysian Coconut scent overall as a very sweet and decadent coconut with a hint of cinnamon spice. It is exotic and strong without being too overbearing. For the first five minutes or so I really enjoyed sniffing the EDT I had spritzed on my pulse points. But then I started to get an artificial/plastic type note that really dampened my excitement. I think there are some unknown ingredient(s) in certain fragrances that react badly with my body chemistry and create that artificial note. Thereafter all I could smell was heavy artificial coconut. It did not make the fragrance unwearable to me, but it was somewhat disappointing. I have had the same problem with fragrances from Pacifica, especially Island Vanilla. I wish I knew why; it tends to happen with fragrances that use more natural ingredients which is odd and a shame.

After an hour it dried down to a dull powdery musk with a light hint of coconut, and within two hours I couldn't smell it any longer. A bit disappointed with the longevity. Mild to moderate silage.

The body wash was average; it did a good job of lathering, cleansing and moisturizing, but it looked so creamy in the bottle that I hoped it would be more luxurious feeling. The scent did not noticeably linger on my skin. The lotion was also just fine; it absorbed quickly and didn't leave a greasy residue, but wasn't anything to write home about. The scent lasted for about 15 minutes. The artificial note was not really noticeable with the shower gel and lotion as their fragrance did not last very long.

Overall impressions: adequate performance on all products but the scent did not live up to my expectations. I will use the products but wouldn't repurchase in this scent. I'd be interested to try other scents and products from this brand.

Recipe: Chicken Lombardy

Simple and delicious!

http://bakeatmidnite.com/chicken-lombardy/

NOTD: Frosty Blue & Holo

Pure Ice Fairytale Forest, Faraway Land on index and pinky, Revlon Holographic Pearls on ring finger and thumb. I'm really digging all these polishes! 1 coat of each. All have easy to work with formulas, especially FF; it glides on like silk!

OOTD: Navy, Gray, & Radiant Orchid

Cardigan: Michael Kors, flea market 

Sweater, bag, scarf: Merona, thrifted 

Jeans: F21

Boots: Walmart 

Hat: DIY

Reviews: Aveeno Nourishing Coconut

I received 1 oz samples of Aveeno Skin Relief Gentle Scent Nourishing Coconut body wash and lotion in my Walmart Beauty Box. I decided I has to do a review on these two products because I am loving them! I have used Aveeno products on and off throughout the years, mainly facial cleansers and moisturizers. They are generally a good choice for sensitive skin, but mine is not particularly sensitive, and none of the products I'd tried particularly wowed me, until now. I fell in love with the scent immediately; it's a soft, pure coconut, like fresh coconut milk. No added sugary, vanilla-y notes. It lingers lighly on the skin and is aromatic when applying, but not overbearing at all. As much as I love the scent, the real gem is how well these products work. I've been using the body wash and lotion almost exclusively for a week. I find that the body wash lathers well with a pouf and leaves my skin feeling soft and moisturized, not tight and dry like some body washes can. The lotion is wonderful; it's light, non-greasy, and sinks in immediately. It has actually been helping to soothe a dry, itchy patch on my leg. Overall these products are very pleasant, gentle, and effective. I think I will actually buy full sizes eventually which is rare with products I've sampled.

Recent Wax Reviews

Scentsationals Violet Sugar:

This is as I hoped it would be; a strong, sweet violet floral scent. It had strong throw for about 4 hours, but I couldn't really smell it anymore after 8-10 hours.

Overall grade: A-. Would repurchase.

Scentsationals Iced Lemon Sugar Cookies:

Strong, tart lemon on cold sniff. The bakery/cookie note comes out when melting and it is a lovely blend. Strong throw for most of the day; approximately 8 hours. Overall grade: A. Would repurchase.

Scentsationals Simple Romance:

I had tried this scent several years ago and had found it to be too strong. I'm not sure if my tastes have changed or if the formula has, but now I find the throw of Simple Romance to be just right for me. It's strong enough to scent whole rooms, but not overwhelming. It is a fragrant vanilla woods blend, slightly masculine and sensual like a cologne. Overall grade: A. Would Repurchase.

BHG Candied Caramel Apples:

I ordered this one as part of a multi pack that was on sale online. It is a strong and sweet candied apple scent with a hint of caramel. It doesn't smell artificial like some apple scents can to me, and can last 2 days. I like it a lot, but don't absolutely love it.Overall grade: A. Might repurchase.

Scentsationals Blackberry Cider: 

This is a sharp, fresh, dusky scent that reminds me a lot of blackberry wine. I don't get a lot of cider or apple, although it is a tiny bit spicy, like mulling spices. This scent intrigues me, but I wish the throw were a little stronger. I would call it moderately scented and it lasts 6-8 hours on average. If you like juicy blackberries with a hint of spice, you'd like this. Overall grade: B+. Probably wouldn't repurchase.

CFTKR Juniper Berries & Cedar:

This is a strong and fresh piney/woodsy scent with a bit of woodsmoke. It is very realistic; makes me think of a freshly cut Christmas tree next to a roaring fireplace. Strong throw all day. Overall grade: A. Might purchase.

NOTD

Orly Mirrorball over Zoya Trixie, SC Break Away, NYC Black Lace Creme, 1 coat of each. Accent nail using Vinyl It Up nail stencil.

NOTD: Mosaic Glass Nails

I really like this effect. I used this tutorial, although mine is not as neat.

NYC Black Lace Creme, Zoya Ivanka, SH Hidden Treasure. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/_ANVXxhVDi/

NOTD: Trixie & Charmmy & Sugar

Love this combo! 1 coat of each.

OOTD: Ikat For Winter

Cardi: J Crew, Thredup 

Tee: Croft & Barrow, Thredup 

Skirt: Wet Seal

Leggings: flea market 

Scarf: F21

Earrings: gift

Boots: Walmart 

NOTD: Opal Birthstone

Opal October birthstone mani featuring 2 coats Lolita Lacquer Horchata, 1 coat Chanel Intermezzo, 1 coat Revlon Cosmic Flakies, and Sally Hansen Big Matte Top Coat.

OOTD: Flowy & Fabulous

Dress, cardi, flats: thrifted 
Scarf: Walmart 
Necklace: purpleperidot.com
Bag: F21

OOTD: Casual in Windowpane Print

Top: Worthington, JCP
Jacket: wish.com
Pants, boots: Walmart 
Bag: F21
Hat: DIY
Necklace: fleas market

NOTD: Craving A Starry, Starry Night

Modi 216 and Nina Ultra Pro Sapphired Up. I loooove it! 2 coats of both polishes. The Modi has totally satisfied my lemming for an SSN-like polish! Smooth formula.

OOTD: Black & Sparkly

Cardi & tank: thrifted 
Jeans, bag, hat: F21
Boots: Walmart 
Earrings: wish.com

NOTD: Evolving Mani

LA Colors Cactus (a bit similar to WnW I Moss Have It) which is a lovely olive green with gold scattered holo. 2 coats of Cactus and I did gold French tips with WnW Fergie Gold Album.

Got bored with this mani after a day and put some glitter on it. Problem solved.

2 coats Maybelline Gilded Rose. It really does look gilded! 

Walmart Wax Haul

The only two new ones I wanted were Violet Sugar and Iced Lemon Sugar Cookies. I found about 5 other new scents, but they were all fresh/clean, tropical/fruity or floral scents that didn't particularly appeal to me. These were not on the shelves in the wax isle yet; they were all tossed into one of those giant bins at the end of the isle.

Violet Sugar is a light, sweet floral on cold sniff; similar to Sugared Lavender Twist but darker/more sensual with a hint of berries. I hope it is strong when melting; I just put it in the warmer, so we shall see shortly.

Iced Lemon Sugar Cookies is a strong, tart lemon on cold sniff. I'm hoping a bit more of the mellow vanilla bakery will come through when melting.

I'm still on a woodsy scent kick, so I bought several more of those, and I found the last Pumpkin Waffles 3-wick clearanced to $4; yay!

Recent Wax Reviews

CFTKR Caramel Latte:

Even though this is a very popular vendor, I have not managed to order from them yet, so this was my first Candles From The Keeping Room tart! I'm glad it was gifted to me because it was so enjoyable! On cold sniff it smelled strongly of caramel and when melting it didn't disappoint. It earned the rare "husband sniff of approval." DH and I sometimes have different taste in scents, and often he'll say he can't even smell what's melting. With this tart he called from another room asking what was in the warmers. When I told him he said "It smells effing good; I want to drink it!" Ha! I also agree that it smells wonderful. Caramel coffee scents often end up smelling like caramel popcorn to me, but I don't mind at all; yum! Either way, it's a winner! Overall grade: A. Would purchase.

BBW Eucalyptus Mint mason jar size candle:

I'm not huge on herbal/fresh scents and had this scent in a handsoap a couple years ago and didn't care for it. But when I saw how picked over the BBW candle section was from the SAS, I got down to sniffing the remainders and this one smelled pleasant and refreshing so I went ahead and picked it up. When melting it is a eucalyptus mint that isn't too potent or medical. I quite relaxing and enjoyable for a change of pace from all my foodie scents. The throw was fairly strong for a smaller candle. Overall grade: A-. Would repurchase.

SGA Noel Hijacked Zara's Stawberry Lemon Curd tart:

On cold sniff this smelled as expected; a yummy strawberry lemonade-ish blend with a bit of bakery vanilla. When melting the throw was more moderate when compared to most other SGA tarts I've tried. I could pick out the lemon curd and strawberry for a little while, but after an hour or so it just smelled like a big fruit cocktail with no really distinguishable notes. The noel certainly didn't "hijack" the blend. To me this one was pleasant but forgettable. Overall grade: B. Probably wouldn't purchase.

SMT Elm Street tart:

I've only tried a couple of Sniff My Tarts scents, and this one was most unusual. I'm not sure what the original notes were but on cold sniff it smelled strongly of bubblegum with a hint of bakery vanilla. As it melted I got a whiff of spoiled milk and was scared for a minute. Fortunately it quickly turned into a bubblegum/brown sugar/zucchini bread blend. I wasn't sure if I liked it at first, but it kind of mellowed out and is growing on me. I probably wouldn't purchase it, but it's definitely unique and not hideous. Overall grade: B+.

Recipe: Crockpot Barbacoa Beef

Hubby and I are big taco fans and I've made many types of homemade tacos, but this is by far the most flavorful way to cook the meat we've tried. This recipe was so simple; you just dump everything in the pot and leave it alone for 4 hours.

Here is the finished product on tacos; yum!

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/48484133466669459/

NOTD: Black & White Lace Stamping

One of my 2016 nail goals is to improve at stamping. I'm pretty happy with how this turned out!

The base is one coat Kiss French Tip polish and one coat Lolita Lacquer Horchata. Black polish is NYC Black Lace Creme. Writing stamp is MoYou London Pro Plate #4. Lace stamp is HeHe-018 from Wish.com.