NOTD: Julep Manda

2 coats of this gorgeous light minty blue with subtle gold shimmer.

Recent Wax Purchases

Purchased some long coveted wax brands from a super sweet friend on Friday and they arrived today! I'm so happy sniffing everything!

First photo is my purchases, 2nd is generous extras!

Cold Sniff Thought:

S&S Snickerdoodle Latte: Definitely smells like cinnamon/bakery (Snickerdoodles) with just a hint of coffee. Strong and yummy!

S&S Caramel Apple Waffle Cone: Top notes of fresh, juicy apple wrapped in a bit of caramel with just a hint of vanilla. Strong and yummy!

S&S Lemon Curd: Mmm... rich lemon curd, very sharp and strong; not too sweet.

S&S Mystery:

Smells mainly of apple to me. Strong and realistic, but not very unique.

CYS Pumpkin Toffee Cake: Smells mainly of fresh spiced pumpkin pie. I hope the toffee comes out more when melting. Fairly strong.

CYS Carrot Cake: Excited about this one! Smells pretty similar to a carrot cake. I hope it's as rich when melting. Fairly strong.

LSC Scotchie Coffee: the only LSC I've already tried and it's divine (hence the 3). Smells exactly like a butterscotch latte from Starbucks! Strong and yummy.

LSC Pumpkin Brûlée Frappe: Another winner! Smells just like an exquisite coffee drink with a hint of pumpkin spice. Strong and yummy!

LSC Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast: I love it! Strong pumpkin/cinnamon/bakery combo with a hint of maple syrup. To me it smells very similar to BHG's A Thankful Harvest.

LPL Breakfast At The Lodge: I had to try this often raved about scent and it doesn't disappoint! Super strong cinnamon french toast type scent.

Ten Digit Creations Caramel Macchiato: very strong and yummy; definitely smells like caramel and coffee. I also get a hint of nuttiness, maybe... Peanut butter?

Streetman Candle Co Blackberry ICSB: strong and yummy, like a blueberry muffin!

CFTKR Raspberry Coconut Zucchini Bread: very unique. I'm not usually a raspberry fan, but this blend works! Smells strongly of zucchini bread with a swirl of raspberry preserves. Hard to detect any coconut.

CFTKR Coconut Strawberry Cake: smells like strawberry shortcake with a hint of creamy coconut. Very strong and delicious!

SGA Avobath Noel: very excited about this one! Two of my favorite fragrance dupes. The cheerful, fresh citrus of the Avobath is most prominent. The vanilla is not really coming through yet; I hope it does when melting.

SGA Blueberry Basil ISBC: I've had ad loved this one before! Super strong and unique blueberry/basil/bakery blend.

LSC Smoking Mirrors: very intriguing scent! Smoky, musky, almost metallic, but just the slightest bit sweet! Excited to see how this one is when melting.

RG Walvigi's Wonderous Birthday Cake: super sweet and strong vanilla birthday cake scent with a hint of fruit.

RG Gingerbread Man: strong and spicy; definitely smells like a ginger/vanilla/bakery scent.

VCS Million Dollar Mermaid: can't properly describe it. Super strong, both fresh and sweet, kind of like ocean breeze + berry. Too cloying for me.

VCS Rose's Powder Room: super strong and cloying. Smells powdery, and strongly of evergreen with a hint of rose. Very unique but not for me.

NOTD: Spring Duchromes

Here we have 2 coats of ChG Gone Glamping stamped with Pondering. (Accent nail is reversed.) Stamp is from Moyou London Pro Plate 04. Inspired by spring weather and this beautiful rosemary bush. :) I may never take another nail photo indoors. These duchromes look so pretty in natural light!

Recent Wax Reviews

Scentsationals Himalayan Pink Salt:

This is a very interesting tart scent that isn't something I would usually pick out, but I was intrigued. I've been describing it as fresh, slightly salty, and citrusy. It kinda reminds me of a margarita. It has moderate throw that lasted 8-12 hours. Very pleasant and unique, but I'm not absolutely in love with it. Overall grade: B+. Probably won't repurchase.

BHG White Peach Mango:

A perfect spring/summer fruity blend! The fresh, juicy peach is prominent and the mango note adds a delightful tropical flair. This scent had strong throw for 6-8 hours and became more moderate but still noticeable as the day went on. A very realistic and yummy scent; makes me want to slice up some fruit! Overall grade: A. Would repurchase.

BBW Cinnamon Spiced Vanilla:

On cold sniff this smells like horchata to me (cinnamon spiced vanilla rice milk). It's one of my favorite drinks and scents; oh so yummy! When melting this candle seems to smell like a more basic vanilla to me with just a hint of spice. I thought the spice would be more prevalent. The throw is moderate; definitely noticeable in smaller spaces, but not extremely strong. It is performing well so far with strong burning wicks and a deep, even wax pool. Overall grade: B+. Might repurchase.

Smell Goods Vanilla Lovers:

a simple but extremely yummy vanilla blend sure to delight all vanilla lovers! It has had fairly strong throw for several hours. Overall grade: A. Would purchase.

Sales Hauls: BBW & Walmart

When I went to BBW today it was hard to choose just 3 candle scents, but I ended up with Oahu and Watermelon Lemonade which I've had and loved before, and Cinnamon Spiced Vanilla which smells amazing on cold sniff: like horchata; yum! With the $12 sale plus $10 off $30 coupon, they rang up as $8.67 each; yayyyyyy!

Other scents I was interested in were: 

Mahogany Coconut: didn't get much coconut; smelled strongly of mahogany.

Coconut Sandalwood: More mellow, smooth sandalwood, still no coconut.

Coconut Vanilla: not very strong, sweet vanilla coconut blend.

Lemoncello: Strong, fresh, sweet lemon.

Vanilla Bean Marshmallow: strong yummy toasted vanilla on cold sniff, but did not have super strong throw for me in the past.

White Sand Beaches: Creamy Coconut + Suntan Lotion. Very pleasant.

Lemon Mint Tea: just like the name, so nice!

Paris Lavender Macaron: totally would have bought this if it had smelled stronger. It was a faint, creamy floral with a hint of sugared pastries. Oddly enough, it's no longer on the BBW Website.

I also found a ton of clearanced bath & body and wax products at Walmart! It was great timing too, because I had just finished my face wash and was low on shampoo. Plus my hubby is always losing or smooshing his lip balms, so the Burt's Bees for $1 each was a real find. Also did you know 719 Walnut Ave brand makes handsoaps? I didn't! I love the candles, so I figured for $1.94 I had to try one. I got Autumn Leaves and there was also Cinnamon Pumpkin and Apple Harvest. They really are ripping off everything BBW, haha.

Everything was discounted except the 4 wax melts on the far right. Only $30 for everything!

OOTD

Cardigan: J Crew, Thredup
Tee: cichic.com
Jeans: F21
Sandals: Payless 
Bag: thrifted 
Necklace: On Trend Boutique 
Earrings: Wish.com
Belt: Walmart 

NOTD: Teal Glitters

I wasn't going to do another mani until tomorrow, but my beloved Julep Tali chipped while I was deep cleaning the house, so off it came.

Here are two more stunners: 1 coat Model City Teal Next Year, with accents of 1 coat ChG I Soirée Didn't Do It one thumb and ring finger. The sun was partially behind the clouds today so it was hard to capture the full glory of the sparklies. Teal Next Year is an easy to work with deep teal 1 coater with teal and gold glitter flecks. Soirée is also a deep teal with blue and green chunky glitter; beautiful as a topper or with a couple coats on its own.

NOTD: Julep Tali

I had to take some outdoor photos today because you can't see the beauty of this holo at all in the shade. Tali is seriously an exact match for the sky! I'm glad I ventured out into all this spring beauty. For added interest I stamped Tali over WnW Pop Blue-tique. It works quite well as a stamping polish too.

Recent Wax Reviews

DD Coconut Milk & Pachouli:

This "DD" brand of wax melts comes from Hobby Lobby. I looked them up on Hobby Lobby's website to find out what DD stands for, but apparently that's just the name, lol. I had never tried this brand of wax melts before, and at $2.99 they are slightly more expensive than the $2 BHG and SS clamshells at Walmart. I sniffed each and every one of the dozen or so scents offered carefully, not wanting to end up with any duds, haha. The two scents I'm reviewing today were the only two of the line that I liked on cold sniff and purchased. The others were really wacky to me; some had terrible chemical notes, and others just smelled nothing like the scents desribed. I'm very glad I picked up this Coconut Milk and Pachouli scents though! It's extremely unique and an intoxicating blend. The spicy pachouli and warm sandalwood are tempered by rich, creamy coconut milk. It has the perfect blend of all the elements, with strong but not overpowering throw. Very impressed with the performance of this melt; it's creamy, cozy aroma lasted all day. Overall grade: A. Would repurchase.

DD: Cherry Lime Spritzer:

On cold sniff this reminded me of Sonic's Cherry Limeade: sweet cherry syrup with a squeeze of lime juice over fizzy soda. I was a bit concerned it would be too sickly sweet or lean artificial/cough syrup-y when melting, but I quite enjoyed it. It had fairly strong throw for the first couple of hours and became more moderate for the rest of the day. A fun summery concoction. Overall grade: B+. Might repurchase.

Mainstays Juicy Watermelon:

This candle delivers what it promises: it smells just like watermelon Jolly Ranchers on cold sniff and when melting. It has moderate throw with excellent performance, as with all the Mainstays 3-wicks I've tried. A perfect pairing with any fruity, summery tarts. Overall grade: A-. Might repurchase.

Beezy Cider Donuts (BBW Dupe):

When you want to eat whatever is producing that glorious aroma (even though you know it's wax) that's when you have a winning foodie wax scents! With top notes of warm apple cider, closely followed by cinnamon sugar and warm flaky pastry layers, this Beezy scent is absolutely wonderful! It is fairly similar to the BBW Cinnamon Sugar Donuts candles, except that it has a bit more emphasis on the cider, whereas I recall the BBW version being a bit more bakery. I adore this scent and the throw just keeps getting stronger. An excellent performer so far. Overall grade: A+. Would repurchase.

NOTD: Purple & Gold

NOTD is 3 coats Zoya Daul and 3 coats of Take A Right On Bourbon with a glitter gradient of Sally Girl Later and Over U.

NOTD: Beautiful OPI's

OMG, This Color's Making Waves is stunning! The formula is a little thin and flood-y, but with 2 coats it dries smoothly into an ideal turquoise duchrome shimmer. So glad I found it!
Super Star Status is also beautiful; it has great coverage for a glitter.

Recent Wax Reviews

Beezy Pumpkin Caramel Swirl:

On cold sniff this one smelled very strongly of spiced pumpkin. I adore most pumpkin scents, but I was a little concerned this one would be too overwhelming. When melting it began throwing like a beast within a few minutes; one of the strongest tarts I've ever had! For the first hour or so it was ridiculously strong; the spice was almost overpowering, but not enough to make me turn it off. Fortunately it mellowed out a little as time went on and became a pleasant pumpkin spice scent with a drizzle of rich caramel. It definitely lasted the entire day. If you want your whole home to smell like a pumpkin spice latte exploded, this is the tart for you. Overall grade: A-. Free sample, might repurchase.

Beezy Danish Butter Cookie:

So glad I purchased this one! It's not your run of the mill vanilla fragrance. It really does smell exactly like a freshly baked; rich, buttery sugar cookie. It had strong throw and lasted all day. I've heard of realtors baking cookies or burning candles for open houses; this would be the perfect scent for that, or for having guests over. Overall grade: A. Would repurchase.

Smell Goods Love Spell (VS Dupe):

I know some people do not care for this fragrance; for some it probably evokes memories of preteen girls practically bathing in the stuff choking everyone around them. I personally didn't start wearing this fragrance until I was about 20, and no one I knew from childhood really wore it, so I happen to love it. To me it's such an interesting blend of sweet peach and fresh florals. I've tried a handful of Love Spell scented tarts and Smell Goods' version is definitely one of the best. It has fairly strong and long lasting throw without being cloying.

Overall grade: A. Would purchase.

BBW Stress Relief Eucalyptus Spearmint:

I was iffy about picking up this candle, but it was the only one on sale at the time and I really wanted a candle, haha. It seemed faintly herbal and minty on cold sniff, so I decided to give it a shot. Sometimes I find strong herbal scents to be overwhelming, but this candle is pleasant. It had moderate to fairly strong throw that is noticeable in the rooms but not offensive. It's not my most favorite scent ever as I lean towards more foodie type scents, but it is refreshing. It's performing well so far too; strong burning wicks with a deep, even wax pool. Overall grade: A-. Might repurchase.

Recent Sale Hauls

I went into Sally's yesterday partly to turn in a job application and yes, partly to check out the clearance. I nearly left empty handed; there were only 2 small baskets of clearanced Orlys and a few Finger Paints. Nothing good in there except 2 Mirrorballs and I already have it. But I stopped in my tracks by the door when I spotted a whole other shelf of clearanced NP I hadn't seen before. That's when I hit the motherload! I ended up with 6 polishes for the price of 1! OPIs were 75% off and Orly & ChG 95% off with the extra 20% email coupon!
I also bought 4 Juleps and an OPI off Ebay in the past few days. I'm proud to report I only spent $40 on polishes with an approximate retail value of $120! Yayyyyyy!

I also went into Bath & Body Works because I was using my last 2 handsoaps, so picked up some more from the 5 for $18 sale. I love these new scents; they all smell amazing! Started using the Cinnamon Spiced Vanilla last night; it smells like vanilla horchata; yum!
Stress Relief candle was half off, plus I used the $10 off $30 coupon, so everything came out to $20.79!

OOTD

Top: cichic.com

Belt, blazer: wish.com

Pants: Walmart 

Flats: Merona, flea market 

Bag: F21 

Necklace: purpleperidot.com

NOTD: Peacock Nail Art

Today I decided to try the first piece of nail art I ever pinned. When I was a muggle I thought I would never be able to do something like that, but after looking at it again recently I realized it's nothing but a bunch of lines and circles. The layering of different colors and creme/shimmer is what really makes the design. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. First 2 pics are mine, last pic is the pin. Polishes used are OPI Ski Teal We Drop and I'm Sooo Swamped, Zoya Ivanka and Aggie, SC Breakaway, and NYC Black Lace Creme.

Valentine's Themed Wax Reviews

Smell Goods Vanilla Rose:

Just as divine as I was hoping! A sweet vanilla and fresh rose blend with strong throw that lasted a good 12 hours. It was perfect scent for Valentine's Day, and I'm very happy with the quality of the Smell Goods Valentine's Sampler as a whole. Overall grade: A+. Would purchase.

Smell Goods Amber Romance (VS Dupe): Another winner! It smelled identical to the VS fragrance which I love. Creamy amber with a hint of vanilla musk and florals. Delightful! Overall grade: A. Would purchase.

Smell Goods Chocolate Covered Strawberries: This scent was equal parts yummy cocoa and strawberry on cold sniff. When melting the strawberry seemed more prominent, which is surprising since chocolate is a pretty potent scent. The throw was moderate; noticeable throughout the small rooms, but not quite as strong as the other SG scents I have melted. Very yummy scent though. Lasted 6-8 hours. Overall grade B+. Might purchase.

Beezy Marshmallow Bread: My Beezy loving friends did not steer me wrong on this one: it is the perfect harmony of gooey marshmallow and slightly sweet fresh baked bread! It is warm and comforting. It has been filling my rooms with heavenly aromas for several hours now. Overall grade: A+. Would repurchase.

NOTD: Berry Holos

Model City Grape Crush and Berry Sweet. I love these; excellent one coat formulas and very holo-y. They sparkle so much more IRL; I'll try to take sun pics later.

OOTD: Love To Love

Shirt, flats: thrifted
Dress: Target 
Bag: F21
Necklace: purpleperidot.com

Beezy Wax Order

Cold sniff thoughts:

Amber Romance (VS Dupe):

Smell fairly similar to the original; a creamy amber with a hint of vanilla, musk, and floral. Strong.

Cider Donuts (BBW Dupe):

Smells like fresh apple cider with a bit of baked goods. Not quite as sugary as I remember the BBW scent being, but very nice. Strong.

Cranberry Orange Scone: Mmmm... freshly squeezed orange juice with with tart cranberries and a hint of baked goods. Very well done! Strong.

Marshmallow bread: very pleasant vanilla and baked bread combo. Strong.

Danish Butter Cookie: Does not disappoint! Smells exactly like a butter cookie. Strong.

Peppermint Bark: Sweet peppermint and dark chocolate; divine! Strong.

Butterscotch Marshmallow: I do get butterscotch and even a hint of gooey marshmallow; excellent! Moderate.

Free sample- Pumpkin Caramel Swirl: Super strong spiced pumpkin, nearly overwhelming and a tad artificial, with a touch of caramel. I like most pumpkin scents, so I hope this one mellows out just a bit when melting.

Overall very satisfied with all my scent choices.  Beezy wax is well worth the wait; nearly 3 months in this case, but it will be a while before I feel the need to order again.

Recent Wax Reviews

Southbound Soap Co Rockstar Candy: A sweet, slightly tart fruit blend, strong on cold sniff. Smells like rock candy and pomegranate to me. Very pleasant. Moderate throw, but only lasted for about 4-5 hours. Probably wouldn't purchase. Overall grade B-.

The Sweet Treats Wax Bakery Pattyford's Bakery:
I had not tried any scents from this etailer before, but this one is very yummy and realistic. A slightly sweet, warm, bready bakery scent that had strong throw for about 6 hours. I think this vendor is no longer open. Overall grade: B+.

BHG Apricot Rose Water candle: 
Like the tart, this candle is a gorgeous and strong fresh apricot and rose blend. It has fairly strong throw and is burning well. Would repurchase. Overall grade: A.

Smell Goods Amber Romance:
This is a very accurate dupe of the Victoria's Secret scent. A creamy floral amber; I love it! Very pleased with this scent, had had strong throw for several hours. Overall grade: A+.

Uber Valentine's Day NOTD

From Thumb to pinky the colors used are: Essie French Affair, SC Boom Boom, Top Shelf Wild Orchid Cocktail, Essie Russian Roulette, WnW Stop And Mel-The Roses. Glitter polishes are OPI Charmmy & Sugar and Starry Eyed For Dear Daniel. Nail charms and caviar are from nailartelegance.com.

Smell Goods Wax Valentine's Sampler

OMG, I'm ridiculously excited about this sampler! I'm a romantic at heart; I've had the same Valentine for 13 years, and I've always enjoyed the mushy stuff. :) These scents are absolutely amazing and everything was above and beyond, even the packaging: colored tissue, stickers, silk rose petals, and Valentine's candy.

Cold sniff thoughts:

Love Spell (VS Dupe): a dead on dupe of Love Spell, which I love! Strong.

Amber Romance: (VS Dupe): Very similar to the original; another one of my VS favorites. Creamy floral amber vanilla. Moderate.

Lavender Passion: Strong herbal lavender with a bit of musk. Don't really detect vanilla. Pleasant.

Vanilla Lovers: Mmmm... I definitely got vanilla and even the marshmallow; impressive! Perhaps just a hint of caramel brûlée overtones as well. Moderate. Yummy.

Lavender Marshmallow: Very similar to the Lavender Passion. Strong herbal lavender but without the musk. No marshmallow detected. Borderline laundry soap scent.

Strawberry Passion: Strong, sweet, fruity strawberry candy. Yummy.

Vanilla Rose: In loooove with this one; will probably melt on V-day. Perfect blend of vanilla and rose; reminds me of some of my favorite fragrances, like SW Egyptian Rose Vanille and Vera Wang Embrace Rosebuds & Vanilla. Moderate.

Cotton Candy: Sweet but not cloying. Smells like cotton candy to me; very nice. Moderate. 

Chocolate Covered Strawberries: So delicious smelling and the perfect blend of chocolate and strawberry! Both notes are prominent, but neither overwhelm each other. Strong.

Cotton Candy Lavender: This might be my favorite of the lavender blends. The sweetness of the cotton candy really tempers the herbalness of the lavender. Strong.

Everything smells just fabulous on cold sniff; I can't wait to start melting tomorrow! I won this sampler from a giveaway, but Smell Goods has just made the short list of vendors I'd like to purchase from. I'm very impressed so far.

NOTD: Shimmery White & Periwinkle

2 coats Model City Glisten, 3 coats OPI Show Us Your Tips, topper of Pure Ice Faraway Land.

OOTD: Pretty & Polished

Going to hand out resumes; fun stuff. :)

Cardigan, necklace: JCP
Shirt: Merona, Target
Pants: F21
Bag, flats: thrifted 

NOTD: Pre-Valentine's & Some Swatches

2 coats Bonita Golden Girl and SC Island Coral. I adore both these polishes! Studs from wish.com.

My mini OPI's arrived today; I love them. I have as similar coral, but don't have anything like the others. I also swatched my Model City polishes from last week.

OPI: Got Myself In A Jam-balaya, Take A Right On Bourbon, I'm Sooo Swamped, Show Us Your Tips.

Model City: Frozen, Glisten, Teal Next Year, Grape Crush, Berry Sweet.

Target Product Reviews

This may be my favorite beauty box yet.

I was very excited about the Vera Wang perfume sample. I have another fragrance from this line; Rosebuds & Vanilla, which I love. The Green Tea & Pear Blossom fragrance is lovely for spring. I've been wearing it for a couple hours and can still smell it. The top notes are definitely the florals; pear blossom and freesia. The green tea rounds out the middle, and it dries down to a slightly creamy finish with the sandalwood. It's very pleasant and fresh. It reminds me of Avon Haiku a bit.

Mayfair Body Creme in Sea Lily Jasmine:

This is a thick and creamy product that absorbs quickly and doesn't leave a greasy residue. The texture is more like a handcream than a body cream, but is very pleasant and moisturizing. The scent is a slightly sweet, fresh floral. I smell like jasmine, but also fruity notes like peach, it reminds me of a more sophisticated VS Love Spell. Very nice.

Skin Fix Lip Repair Balm:

This stuff is fabulous! It has a texture similar to Carmex, but has no taste or scent whatsoever. It is incredibly moisturizing and long lasting. I applied it before lunch and the softness on my lips still remained after eating. This would be good for very chapped lips, or those who don't care for fragrance and flavor.

I look forward to trying the other products.

OOTD: Home In The Country

I can't believe it was warm enough for bare legs today! Sunny & 72° after being in the 50's a few days ago.

Dress: Merona, Target 
Shirt: Arizona for JCP, thrifted 
Boots: Walmart 
Bag: wish.com
Necklace: On Trend Boutique 
Earrings: gift