NOTD: Pink Glitter & Blue Creme

Testing out a peel off base coat for the first time: Dainty Digits Glitter Be Gone. I'm interested to see how well it will hold up to daily wear and tear and how easily it will peel off when I want it to. Will report back.

Mani is 1 coat Julep Octavia and accents of OPI Starry Eyed For Dear Daniel.

Save Your Scentses Order Thoughts

I often get lured in by Instagram posts, especially about sales, and this case was no exception. Last week the brand Save Your Scentses was offering a 16 pc mixed scent sampler for $11 (reg. $13), so I decided to give it a shot. 

I ordered on the 22nd and received it today on the 30th. TAT was set at 1 week so that's just about right. Shipping was $3.60, so fairly economical.

The package was well padded and used eco friendly packing materials as being environmentally conscious is important to their business. Everything arrived perfectly in tact and was nestled in a cute little nest.

I don't know why it didn't occur to me that these wax melts were only the size of one regular clamshell square each. I'm kind of a visual person and since the photos of the wax melts were close ups, they just translated into being about twice that size in my mind. I was mildly disappointed in myself for not actually reading the ounces before ordering; I went back and read the product description today and it was clearly listed as "single clamshell .55 oz" so I have no one to blame but myself for misjudging the size.

Sale price on these cubes were about 69¢ each, so around $1.38 per oz. Regular price for these cubes is around $1.56 per ounce. They also list .5 oz sugar skull shapes for $1 each, so that's getting a little pricey at $2 per oz. Also had some full clams for $4.50. These prices are not particularly unusual, but they are borderline the highest I'd pay for any wax. I probably wouldn't order at regular price, purely for budgetary reasons.

The quality of the ingredients they use probably factors into the cost. If you would like to read more about their business practices, see their website:

https://www.saveyourscentses.com/pages/about-us

Cold Sniff Thoughts:

Island Hibiscus- A strongly scented floral. Reminds me of fresh jasmine. Pleasant but may or may not be overwhelming when melting.

Rain Drops- a light, fresh aroma. Pleasant as this type of scent goes. Very clean, not too artificial or detergent like.

Soft & Sweet- A lovely blend; smells like almond and cashmere to me, with perhaps a hint of cherry. Fairly strong.

Endless Summer- a beautiful sweet & creamy fruity floral. Fairly strong.

Cannabis Flower- a rather nice earthy, green and musky scent. Much nicer than the skunky weed smell I was imagining, haha. Fairly strong.

Monkey Farts- smells like Laffy Taffy banana (artificial banana), which I happen to love but many others do not. Fairly strong.

Magic Carpet Ride- not sure what this one is supposed to be, but there's a bitterness to it that I don't care for. It's kind of a bitter herbal floral with hints of exotic spices and a weird detergent note. Fairly strong.

Agave Lime-very realistic; smells like tequila. It's rather tart and boozy; I would have preferred it a tad sweeter, like a margarita. Strong.

Berries & Bubbly- very sweet mixed berries with a prominent cherry note and a splash of fizzy champagne. Very unique. Strong.

Bro- smells like a masculine woodsy cologne and I actually like it quite a lot. Strong.

Pumpkin Pie- a very aromatic pumpkin pie filling heavy on the spice, with delicious hints of buttery pie crust. Very good and strong.

Love Spell (VS dupe)- a perfect dupe, as realistic as any others I've smelled. The right floral and fruit notes are all there. Fairly strong.

Sour Watermelon- it does smell like a sour watermelon gummie candy, very yummy. Fairly strong.

Keep Your Coo!- this was a pleasant clean/fresh/herbal blend but it was lightly to moderately scented to my nose.

Cabernet- a sweet berry wine scent. Not overly boozy: very nice. Fairly strong.

Water Lily & Mint- a strong aquatic floral with the slightest hint of mint. Not my favorite but not unpleasant either.

Free sample: 

3 tiny happy faced emoji shaped melts in Nectarine & White Ginger scent-

Top notes of juicy nectarine, bottom notes of ginger which were a bit acrid. I thought I'd like this scent more than I do; will have to see what notes come out when melting. Fairly strong.

Overall I am pleased with my order from Save Your Scentses. I was a bit apprehensive about not being able to choose my scents, but I do like the majority of the ones I got, with the exception of Magic Carpet ride. There are a couple others I'm on the fence about but will reserve final judgement until melting.

There were two things I did not care for about my order. One is that these tiny clamshells are ridiculously hard to open. They are small and awkward, too hard to get a grip on without crushing the wax cubes and the lids are fit so tightly that I almost flung each and every one across the room while attempting to open it. I know they have an older and newer style of packaging. I received some of both but honestly found them nearly equally difficult to open. 

The other thing I did not think through very well is that I only have one of each scent and two warmers, so I will not be able to melt the same scent in both warmers.

So, would I order from Save Your Scentses again? That remains to be seen. If I find some favorite scents with amazing throw, I might consider ordering some full sized clams, especially if they went on sale. There are a few scents I have very high hopes for. I probably wouldn't mind order another sampler though, even though it was fun to try some scents I wouldn't have otherwise ordered. I will report back on the throw of each scent individually as I melt them. Thanks for reading! Have you ever tried Save Your Scentses?

Another Starry Skies Order

Since Lorena of Starry Skies comes up with new blends every 2 weeks, I can't seem to resist ordering them. They always sound so good and are quite inexpensive!

Cold Sniff Thoughts:

Pink Roses (Pink Raspberry + Rose Jam):

A well done fruity berry blend with the wonderful notes of fragrant rose. Very unique and I like it a lot! Strong.

Tea Time (fruit loops + tea & cakes):

Smells delectable enough to eat! It's just as I'd hoped: top notes of sweet fruity cereal and bottom notes of warm bakery and black tea. Amazing! Strong.

Cinderella (salt water taffy + fruit slices + cotton candy): super sweet and fruity and amazing! Candy like, but not artificial; really well done! Strong.

Aurora (snow fairy + Pink Sands + sugar milk + Passionfruit guava): A very busy blend but  surprisingly not too sweet. Kind of dull but fruity; reminds me of overly ripe tropical fruits. The guava and pink sands seem most prominent to me. Not bad but not my most favorite blend either. Strong.

Whimsic Alley(serendipity + French vanilla + sugar cookie): Mmmm... so good! Top notes of cherry and coconut from the serendipity with bottom notes of warm sugar cookies. Moderate.

Free samples:

Arise (previously reviewed)

Whoops- this one smells like Blue Hawaiin & fizzy to me, yum!

Extra Pink Roses ❤️ 

NOTD: Julie G Golden Sunset

This really is a beautiful sunset like polish. Gold with lots of shimmer and a subtle pink shift that's hard to capture on camera. 1 coat is quite sheer, but it looks beautiful with the 3 coats shown here. Smooth formula.

NOTD: Black & Neon

2 coats each of ELF Metal Madness, ChG I'll Pink To That, Papa Don't Peach, and Whip It Good, topped with Pure Ice What's The Splatter.

NOTD: Summer Colors

Blues and coral always make me think of summer, so here's some designs with 2 coats each of SC Alfresco and Island Coral, FP Paper Mache, Orly Mirrorball and Revlon Holographic Pearls.

Recent Wax Reviews

Waxie Lady Kettle Corn: Got this in an RR box. I love kettle corn and this one is great; realistic and yummy with a strong throw that lasted about 8 hours. I'd be interested in trying more scents from this vendor. Overall grade: A. Might purchase.

Sweet Fixations Mystery Overpour (purple): Got in a swap. It smells good cold, like a fruity/bakery blend but it's hard to pick out individual notes. When melting it smelled more like Nerds or another sugary candy to me. Moderate throw for about 6 hours. Fine for a free sample but I'd be mildly disappointed if I'd purchased it. Overall grade: B. Wouldn't purchase.

FP Salted Caramel Marsmallow Cheesecake: Love this one! Smelled delicious; I definitely got the salted caramel notes and the rich creaminess of cheesecake. When meltings also smelled a hint of cinnamon. So rich and sweet! Had strong throw for about 4 hours and became moderate thereafter.

Overall grade: A-. Might repurchase.

Sweet Fixations mystery overpour (yellow): This one's good too, smells like a lemon/strawberry/bakery blend. Like the other it had moderate throw for about 6 hours. Overall grade: B+. Might purchase.

Blank Label Joy: is described as "lemon lime soda and rosewater lemonade spritzer." On cold it smells of creamy lemon and floral to me, very bright and cheerful. When melting the lemon lime soda is coming out too; very nice for the first few hours, but after a while the lemon and floral seemed to have kind of a boozy note that I didn't care for. It had strong throw all day, but wasn't my most favorite scent ever. Overall grade: A-. Probably wouldn't purchase.

Swanky Lavender Paris:It smells sooo good! I love sweet lavenders like this. On cold this smelled of sweet lavender mixed with fruity/floral and sweet pastries. A complex but harmonious blend. I've never smelled the original BBW Sweet On Paris so I had to look up the description: "This is a melody of creamy vanilla blended with fruity notes of raspberry, blackberry, lemon, tangerine, apricot, and more. Sugared musk, pink marshmallow, and vanilla infusion evokes a pastry-type scent that’s mellow, soft, warm, and somewhat food-y." Think fruits+bakery+lavender and you've got this tart. I would like the throw to be a little stronger, it's been moderate for several hours, but it's a great tart overall. Overall grade: A-. Might purchase.

NOTD: Teal Glitter Skittles

I'm really feeling the whole mermaid/ocean vibe right now, so I decided to do sparkly sea colored skittles for theme week. Colors used are SC Mint Apple under Pinwheel Polish Sea Glass & Surf, Zoya Zuza, SC Rise & Shine, ChG I Soirée Didn't Do It, Model City Teal Next Year.

Starry Skies Order Thoughts

I always find myself going back to order from this vendor because she releases new scents that sound so good to me every two weeks, as well as bringing back favorites. I have never been disappointed with any of Lorena's products.

Cold Sniff Thoughts: Avery Whipped Sugar Scrub: The scent notes are strawberry kiwi and tea & cakes. This is a very unique and delicious smelling blend! Top notes of fresh, juicy strawberry and tropical fruits with hints of warm bakery. I love it and the texture is just perfect. Fluffy with fine sugar, not overly abrasive and lots of suds. I need to use up a ton of scrubs, but I would definitely purchase more Starry Skies scrubs in the future.

California Dreaming (vanilla smoothie + peach + fizzy soda): Loving this blend! It smells strongly of juicy peach nectar with a bit of lemon lime soda. I do not get vanilla from it on cold sniff; it's not orange creamsicle like as I thought it might be, but it's super refreshing and tropical and perfect for summer. Strong.

Snow Day (vanilla smoothie + sugar milk + cotton candy): A super unique blend! I get a bit of vanilla and sweet sugar milk, but I also get a hint of spice. Somehow all these scents blend together to smell like pachouli to me, haha! Probably not the intended effect, but I like it a lot.

Claire Bear (vanilla smoothie + sugar cookie + French vanilla): Mmmm... a rich, warm, deep vanilla scent. I love it! Strong.

Destiny: (Pink Sugar +fruit slices): Sweet and fruity and strong, but not overpowering. A perfect flirty summer blend. I'd actually love body products in this fragrance. Strong.

Free Samples: 

Tropical Fizz: (Jamaica Me Crazy + Fizzy Soda + Peach): The peach oil used much be really strong because this blend smells predominantly of peach. It's super yummy, but I tried her Jamaica Me Crazy blend by itself a while back and it was excellent. I would have liked more coconut and pineapple along with the peach in this one. Strong.

Angel's Delight (PPC + Barber Shop + Mango Pineapple): Not sure what PPC stands for, nor what Barber Shop is supposed to smell like, but I really like this blend! It smells like slushee syrup; a bit artificial but in a candy-like way. The pineapple and mango are the strongest to me. Strong.

Whoops: I think this mystery melt has something with pink sugar and lavender. It smells wonderful; sweet and powdery. A delightful mistake, haha.

Walmart Summer Beauty Box Contents

Pretty great for $5. I'm especially excited about the cute floral nail wraps and Micellar Water sample. I was interested in the Lady Gaga perfume too, but after testing it it's meh on me. The other things will make great travel items.

NOTD: Salon Perfect Rose Gold Digger

This is such a beautiful polish! 2 coats.

Recent Wax Reviews

CLK Black Ice type: This is one of the few "masculine" type scents I have. It's not something I'd normally order, but it was a free sample with an order so it's perfect for trying something new today. It is described as "Black Ice (Type) - This is a masculine fragrance that has fresh bergamot top notes, wild lavender and subtle florals that are followed by sandalwood and soothing musk. Inspired by the famous little tree air freshener scent."

To me it is very fresh/aquatic and clean with undertones of musk and a sharpness of peppercorn. This would be great for a men's body wash/cologne. It's not bad as a wax scent, but it's not my favorite either. I'm fine with melting it today but wouldn't purchase it because it's not for me. It's a very well done blend though with super strong throw that lasted all day. Overall Grade: A. Probably wouldn't purchase.

CFTKR Sweet Coconut & Fresh Lime: This is so bright and cheerful! The lime juice is strong and the sweet coconut water balances it out very well. Plus the sun shape is so cute! It had fairly strong throw for about 6 hours and became lighter thereafter. Overall grade: A-. Probably wouldn't purchase.

Wick N Wax Endless Love: Got this in a giveaway package probably about 9 months ago, so it's definitely time to melt it. It may be a VS Love Spell dupe; it's a little different though. I like Love Spell; this seems to be a more mature version. A little less fruity and more powdery, plenty of fresh florals. It's sophisticated without being dated; I think it's lovely! Cute shape too. It was strong for about 4 hours but now is rather light. Overall grade: B+. Probably wouldn't purchase.

BBW Paris Lavender Macaron 3-wick: I lit up my BBW Paris Lavender Macaron candle today; it's amazing! It's soft and sweet but still noticeable throughout my living room. I love it! I was worried the throw would be too light but it's not. It had a deep, even wax pool within half an hour and the wicks are burning strong. Overall grade: A. Would repurchase.

Recent Wax Reviews

Country Lane Keepsakes Coconut Cream: I love how colorful this CLK Coconut Cream rose is! It has beautiful swirls of red and white; then you turn it over and surprise! Blue too.😀 It is an absolutely gorgeous, realistic coconut scent, creamy and sweet. Strong throw for about 8 hours. Melted it in the kitchen & living room on my Glade warmer. Gosh it's fabulous! Overall grade: A. Would repurchase.

Starry Skies Cherry Kisses: Melted in the bedroom and bathroom on the BHG 15 watt wall plug in. Strong throw for about 8 hours. The notes are cherry + fizzy soda + avobath and it smells exactly like a cherry limeade to me. So yummy; what a fun blend for summer! Overall grade: A Would repurchase.

SGA Serendipity Filled Twinkies: Both on cold and when melting it's a pretty one note scent to me, it just smells of sweet cream. I don't get the prominent notes of serendipity really; but fortunately the one note is delicious and strong. It mademe hungry. It was only really strong for about 5-6 hours though, so it didn't perform quite as well as most SGA tarts I've tried. Overall grade: B+. Probably wouldn't purchase.

The Bathing Garden Brown Sugar Cream Rose Bouquet: I love it sooo much!❤️🌹💕 Seriously the best scent I've melted in a long while. A super strong, sweet, perfumy rose swimming in sweet cream and sprinkled with brown sugar. Truly a wax masterpiece!👌I wish she would make her bath products in this scent because I want to bathe in it. I'm lounging on the couch letting the aroma wash over me and feeling like an Egyptian queen with some rare, exotic perfume oil. (Haha!) I will report back on the longevity of the throw but even if it only lasts a few hours it's totally worth it to me. I'm about 3.5 hours in and it's still pretty strong. If you are a rose and vanilla lover like me you will adore this scent! Overall grade: A+. Would repurchase.

http://img.makeupalley.com/9/7/9/4/2993578.JPEG

NOTD: My Nails But Better

When I thought of my nails but better, I thought of the classic French manicure, but with a twist of course! This is 1 coat LA Colors Superstrength base coat, 1 coat Formula X Wonderous sheer polish, 1 coat NWP Hurry, Hurry QDTC, tips with Julep Caitlin and another coat of TC.

Recent Wax Reviews

Knickknaxwax So White: One nice thing about this tart is it has beautiful blue shimmery glitter sprinkled on top so it's not just basic white. I ordered a Lush dupe sampler from this vendor back in the fall of 2015. I hadn't tried very many Lush dupes at that time, but I found all her tarts to smell wonderful and have fairly strong throw. I would say this vendor did a great job. I dug this one out of the bottom of my stash; I should order more from this vendor. She has some cute chunky heart blends I've been eyeing. On cold this scent smelled creamy and spicy to me with a hint of green herbal. I had never sniffed the Lush scent before so I had to look up the description. It turns out the main notes are apple, neroli oil and bergamot. Now that it's melting I definitely smell the crisp, sweet apple notes, along with cream and herbs and spices. It's a very intriguing and complex aroma; I wouldn't think it would work but it does. I like it a lot. Strong throw that lasted over 12 hours. Overall grade: A. Might repurchase.

Cosmic Gems Lord's Brew: This blend is Lord of Misrule (Lush dupe) plus tea & cakes. To me it smells exactly like creamy pachouli + zucchini bread. If you like warm, non-sweet bakery scents with a bit of spice, you'll love this! It's a very complex and well done blend. Lord of Misrule is described as "Get down and earthy with this mischievous, herbal blend of patchouli, peppercorn and black pepper with an intriguing fair trade vanilla sweetness." The pachouli & peppercorn definitely gives it an edge and the vanilla adds a bit of needed sweet creaminess. It pairs well with the tea and cakes. I think Cosmic Gems is another "hidden gem" type vendor. This tart has very strong throw, as have all the others I've tried from her. This scent lasted all day; very impressive! Her tea & cakes, rose, and lavender blends are especially good! Overall grade: A+. Would repurchase.

Sassy Girl Aroma blend of fuji apple/sweet lavender/marsmallow. On cold sniff it was pretty nice; crisp, juicy apple and sweet creamy lavender. When melting it has strong throw, but has become a bit artificial. It smells like very fruity candy; not getting much of the lavender. It's not bad but I don't absolutely love it either. Strong throw for about 8 hours. Overall grade: B. Probably wouldn't purchase.

Ten Digit Creations (?) Southern Comfort: I don't know exactly how old this wax cup is; it was sent to me by a friend a few months ago, but it definitely looks older. It smells great though! Even though it doesn't have the original label I'm assuming this tart is by Ten Digit Creations because they're the only vendor I know of that makes their wax in silver cupcake tins. I looked on their website for the scent description but didn't find it, so either it's an older, discontinued scent, or I'm mistaken about who makes it.

Anyway, Southern Comfort is a very unique and captivating scent! Since I don't know the notes I will do my best to describe it. It is musky and green/woodsy with hints of bakery sweetness and spice. I would describe it as molasses, whiskey and sagebrush. I wouldn't necessarily think these aromas would be a good combination, but I'm oddly taken with this aroma! Super strong throw so far too. Overall grade: A. Would purchase.

http://img.makeupalley.com/9/7/9/4/2991713.JPEG

NOTD: Neon Abstract Nail Art

2 coats of What I Like About Blue with brushstrokes of Son of A Peach, Shocking Pink and Bonita Golden Girl.

NOTD: Pink & Purple Shimmer

2 coats ChG Strawberry Fields and We Got The Beet. They're so pretty together! Strawberry Fields has a smooth easy formula and could have been a one coater. It has very fine shimmer. We Got The Beet was patchy with one coat but looks beautiful with two. It's very squishy, almost crelly-like.

NOTD: Lucky Lavender & Mirrorball

2 coats OPI Lucky Lucky Lavender with 2 coats Orly Mirrorball and 1 coat Revlon Holographic Pearls. I'm loving this pretty, sparkly mani so much!

Review: Starry Skies Daisy Cakes Scrub

I tried out my wonderful and generous free sample of Daisy Cakes scrub over the last few days and I'm very impressed! First of all, Daisy Cakes is a yummy scent; it's easy to see why it's so popular! It is rich and warm and not overly sweet. It's certainly heavy on the zucchini bread with undertones of creamy vanilla and the fresh, powdery citrus like scent of Avobath. It's such a complex blend but it works so well! If you're not a fan of zucchini or other warm bakery aromas you'd want to try a different scent, but I think most bakery lovers would adore this!

The scrub itself is an ideal texture to me. It's super fluffy and the sugar granules are very small and well blended so that the scrub is pleasantly exfoliating but not overly abrasive. I find I only get this type of fine, fluffy textured scrub from online vendors who handmake it. Most of the scrubs sold in retail stores are chunkier and more abrasive. I prefer those types for exfoliating feet and other problem skin, but Starry Skies scrub is great in that it can be used comfortably on the whole body.

I tested it out in a couple different ways over the past few days. I always like to use scrubs to wash my hands with after removing nail polish. It gets rid of the nasty acetone smell and leaves hands smooth and soft and ready for a manicure. I had just run out of the previous scrub I was using when I received my Starry Skies scrub, so it was perfect timing. The scrub felt wonderful on my hands,; it lathered up nicely and left my hands feeling smooth, soft, moisturized and lightly scented.

The next day I took the scrub to the shower. I had heard of other people shaving their legs with similar types of scrubs before for an extra smooth shave, so I decided to give it a shot. I rubbed the scrub on my damp skin and proceeded to shave one leg. The scrub did not feel irritating or harsh on my leg at all, nor did it clog my razor like I thought it might. My leg felt quite smooth and I didn't cut myself. It was also a wonderful aromatherapy experience; it smelled wonderful in the shower! The only issue I had was wondering if I'd missed any spots, because the scrub's lather was rather transparent as opposed to the thick white shaving cream I normally use, so it was harder to tell where I had shaved and where I had not. For the second leg I layered my regular shaving cream over the top of the scrub and I found this to be my ideal method for shaving. I got the exfoliation benefits of the scrub but I could still see where I was shaving.

In conclusion, Starry Skies scrubs are a wonderful, quality product. They are easy to order from her website, come in two sizes and a variety of lovely scents, and are relatively inexpensive in comparison to similar products. I think I will keep my mini scrub sample for manicures and I hope to order a full sized scrub to used in the shower. I love it when vendors offer bath and body products as well as wax, and I would recommend anyone try Lorena's lovely scrubs!

Pictures included are my bare hands and nails after washing with the scrub, and a closeup of my smooth leg and finished manicure.

Another Shea Moisture Update

Shea Moisture finally responded to one of my private messages today, over 2 weeks later. I find the timing of this response very "coincidental." Perhaps they have seen some of my ongoing comments and reviews.

I feel like they are trying to avoid taking full responsibility for their product causing a bad reaction. What good would it do me to see a Dr. now when I only had symptoms for a few hours. I doubt a professional would be able to specifically diagnose the cause without anything to examine. A professional may be able to suggest what types of ingredients to avoid in a facial product, but I'm not going to waste my money on the expense of a Dr's visit when there are many other product I can use that don't cause a problem.

And normally I am all for freebies, but I don't even want any products in compensation from them because I've been so displeased with the few I've tried. Oh well, I'm glad they finally bothered to answer; I just hope they do something about this product.

NOTD: Rose Gold Holo

LOOK HOW SHINY! Man, this turned out even prettier than I thought it would. This is 1 coat Formula X Revved Up with one coat Maybelline Guilded Rose on thumb and ring finger and 1 coat Dainty Digits Planetary Pearl on other fingers. All great formulas; super easy to work with.

Update On Nügg & Shea Moisture Customers Service

In the past few months I have had irritated reactions to 2 face masks from 2 different companies, something that has never happened to me before. Upon further research I believe the reaction could have been caused by peppermint oil in the Nügg face mask and rose oil in the Shea Moisture face mask. I have learned that scented oils can be irritating to some people's faces, even if they don't have particularly sensitive skin like myself. I will be carefully checking the ingredients list of any new facial products I get before trying them from now on. I wanted to report back on my customer service experiences with these two companies because their responses were vastly different, and I believe it is important for consumers to hear about the experiences of other consumers.

For full back story, my review of the Nügg Flax Seed & Peppermint Oil Revitalizing Face Mask can be read here:

http://thriftypolished.blogspot.com/2016/

03/today-product-reviews_12.html

My review of Shea Moisture Peace Rose Oil Complex Sensitive Skin Mud Mask can be read here:

http://thriftypolished.blogspot.com/2016/05/review-shea-moisture-rose-mask.html

I decided it was important to provide an honest review of my experiences with each of these products to the companies. I left my review on Nügg's website and Facebook page. Within a day or so they contacted me via email. Unfortunately I've since deleted the email, but in a nutshell they said they were sorry I had an unpleasant experience and it was likely the peppermint oil that was too intense for my skin. They asked what my skin type and concerns were and if I would like to try some other masks that might better suit my needs. I thought that was a great response to the situation; I felt like they really cared about me as a customer. I emailed a reply thanking them and stating that I would like to try other masks. I didn't hear anything else via email, but about a week later a box showed up with 2 masks for me to try! 

Although I am cautious to try more products from their brand, I will certainly do a small test patch of these masks and if that goes well, I will be happy to use them. I like that the Nügg brand went above and beyond to leave me with a positive impression instead of a negative one, and if I find a product of theirs I really love I'd be happy to buy it.

I had quite a different experience with Shea Moisture. Not only did I experience quite a bit more discomfort with their product, but my attempts to discuss it with them have been largely met with superficial responses. 
After my experience with this product I went to leave a review on their website and was disturbed to find that all the reviews I saw were negative. Some poor users had much worse reactions than I did. Link to reviews: http://www.sheamoisture.com/Peace-Rose-Oil-Complex-Sensitive-Skin-Mud-Mask_p_1520.html#close
I left a comment on their product website, as well as on their Facebook page and Instagram since this was a brand new product and they seemed to be promoting it heavily. They did initially respond, basically saying we are sorry for your experience and please contact us. So I tried to contact them privately but it's been two weeks and they haven't response to any of my private messages. I feel like they want to appear publicly as though they have good customer relations but don't actually want to do anything about the problem. I do not wish to receive any products or compensation from them. The only thing I'd like is for them to acknowledge that many customers have had a negative reaction to this mask and stop marketing it as being specifically for "sensitive skin." At the very least this product needs more testing; I'm no expert but judging by anecdotal evidence, it is not safe for the general public as is. I am very disappointed in the way Shea Moisture is largely ignoring this issue and continuing to tout this new product. I will not be supporting this company any more with purchases, and I will attempt to warn as many people as I can about the possible bad reaction with this mask. I am surprised that so many other people seem to love Shea Moisture products. I also had a Shea Moisture shampoo long before I tried this mask and I'm struggling to finish it. The shampoo is watery and runny, smells unpleasant, barely lathers, and does absolutely nothing for my hair. I was disappointed to see a Shea Moisture cream rinse offered in the latest Target beauty box, but I dix order it because I wanted the other products in there. Overall I've never been so disappointed in a brand as a whole and although they might have many good products that may work for me, I'm no longer into in trying them. I'll be supporting brands that give me an excellent customer service experience and quality products consistently. 

Thanks for reading my reviews! Have you ever tried products from either of these brands? Thoughts? 

Recent Wax Reviews

CLK Guardian Angel:

It came in adorable mixed animal shapes; melting a turtle and (I think) a cow. This is a very unique and relaxing blend. It's described as "Soft rose petals, baby breath, and white flowers, with perfect accents of clove, nutmeg, patchouli, sandalwood, and Madagascar vanilla."

I like it a lot; I get top notes of powder, spices and soft musk, with lovely hints of rose and sandalwood. It's so pretty and relaxing. I'm getting moderate throw from one shape per warmer, which is probably around .75 oz each. Would probably be even stronger with two shapes per warmer; will try that next time. Overall grade: A-. Would repurchase.

CLK Sun Washed Linen:

I do not have many of this category of scent because I find many of them to be noxious and chemical-like. We probably all have at least one type of scent we avoid, right? I do love it when vendors send free samples with your order and you get to try scents you might not have otherwise picked for yourself. This sample of Sun Washed Linen from CLK is actually quite pleasant to me. Of course it doesn't smell delicious like my favorite foodie scents, but it isn't artificial either. It had fairly strong throw that lasted 12 or so hours. I wouldn't specifically purchase it, but it was well done. Overall grade: A-.

Front Porch Coconut Rose: I had been wanting to melt this scent ever since I ordered it a few weeks ago. Let me tell you, it's just as amazing as I'd hoped! Coconut and rose are two of my most favorite scents and I am surprised I've never seen them blended together before because they turned out to be so complimentary! It has top notes of sweet, creamy coconut and a gorgeous soft rose. If you don't like super sweet scents you might find this cloying, but I love it. It's so rich it almost reminds me of sugar milk or serendipity. This is the strongest tart I've melted in a long time! It started throwing almost immediately and has been super strong so far. I think I need to get a large bag of this scent! Overall grade: A+. Would repurchase.

Sniff My Tarts Vanilla Waffle Cone/Strawberry White Cake/Georgia Peach: It's sooo good on cold sniff; super strong and I could smell all the individual notes. Such a unique and delicious blend. When it first started melting it smelled a lot like peanut butter to me for several minutes. What? Haha. Now that it's fully melted it has rich bakery notes with prominent strawberry and peach. It's morphed into PB&J for me. What is wrong with my nose today? Anyway, it still smelled good and has fairly strong throw that lasted all day.

After the first hour or two more of the peach notes did come out. Overall grade: A. Might purchase.

Country Lane Keepsakes Fruity Rose Sampler Thoughts

This is my second Country Lane Keepsakes order and I am just as impressed this time around. I ordered on a Friday from PA and it arrived to me the following Monday; so quick! Everything was once again extremely well packages so that all these beautiful wax creations arrived perfectly in tact. 

I wanted to place a much larger order when I saw Carol had listed several beautiful rose samplers, but this one fruit sampler was all I could manage at the time. Fortunately it is absolutely wonderful, so I am thoroughly satisfied with my little slice of wax heaven. Now, onto the scents!

Coconut Cream:

One of my favorites! A super sweet, pure coconut cream. Divine and strong.

Strawberry Rhubarb: Another favorite from this order! A sugary blend of strawberry preserves and candied rhubarb, just like the classic pie filling. Brings back happy childhood memories. Strong.

Fresh Picked Strawberries: Straight up super realistic sun kissed strawberries! Lovely and strong.

Macintosh Apple: A Hyper-realistic, crisp, juicy apple. I can take or leave some apple scents but this one is pleasant and strong.

Fresh Squeezed Oranges: I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this one because I sometimes find the scent of orange juice too tart and acidic, this is very fresh and bright. I'm impressed at how it smells just like a freshly juiced orange. Strong.

Key Lime: super tart and realistic fresh lime juice. Very nice and strong.

Free samples:

Top notes of ripe raspberries and juicy peach with undertones of crisp apple. An intoxicating blend! Strong.

Corn Fritters: I was excited to receive this sample that I had requested and I'm happy to report that Carol does savory scents just as well as sweet! This smells like rich, freshly baked cornbread. Yum! Strong.

Very happy with my gorgeous rose sampler and I can't wait to melt some of these soon!

Starry Skies Order Thoughts

This is my 2nd order from Starry Skies wax; and I'm just as impressed this time around as I was with my last order. Lorena the owner is possibly the sweetest and most helpful vendor I've ever ordered from, and that's saying a lot since I've had great experiences with all the vendors I've tried. Without being too specific, she made a special accomodation for my order that I was very grateful for. 

Although new to the wax slinging world, Starry Skies' business is steadily growing and it's no wonder with her unique blends, quality products, top notch customer service, and super fast shipping! Now, onto the scents!

Cold Sniff Thoughts:

Garden Tea Party: I ordered two of this scent because I had the suspicion I would adore it, and I was right! Top notes of rich robust bakery tea cakes and black tea, mingled with  sweet/spicy pink sugar and hints of fresh, creamy rose. An ideal blend for me! Strong.

Pink Birthday Cake: Exactly as I'd hoped it would be; heavenly aromas of pink sugar and sweet frosted vanilla cake. Amazing! Strong.

Alice: I like pink sugar and bakery blends and this is no exception. Similar to Pink Birthday Cake but with an added zing of sweet peppermint. Delightful! Fairly strong.

Cherry Kisses: Ooh, such a complex and unique blends! Multi layered aromas of realistic sweet cherry juice squirted in into fizzy soda with the powdery citrus scent of Avobath. It sounds very busy but works quite well! Strong.

Daisy's Treats: the strong scent of fruit loops with a background of delicious, freshly baked blueberry cobbler. What's not to love? Strong.

Pistashio Pudding Cake: I was excited to try this popular blend that I don't have much experience with. To me this is very well done; both sweet and fresh with the distinct note of real pistachio nuts. I like it a lot! Strong.

Arise: What is this sorcery of awesomeness? Equal parts fresh mango citrus and warm, bold tea & cakes with an added note of distinct zucchini bread! It all goes so well together; love! Strong.

Free Samples:

Once again Lorena sends several generous samples, and I'm so excited to try her scrub! I received a 1 oz sample of one of her most popular scents Daisy Cakes. It is Zucchini Bread + Avobath + Vanilla Smoothie. When I opened up the cute 1 oz jar I got all the scent notes, although the zucchini bread is the strongest. It smells wonderful and the the texture feels light and fluffy and not overly scrubby. I can't wait to use it for showers and manicures soon!

Sweetness (teeth shape): The shape of this tart cracked me up, but the scent is very nice. It is pink sugar + tropical fruits + fruit loops. It is very strong and sweet.

I also got a scent shot of a whoops melt. I love guessing what mystery scents are; to me this one smells like pink sugar +melon+ vanilla smoothie. Very strong and yummy! 

I couldn't be more pleased with my order and all the tarts from my last Starry Skies order had strong throw, so I am expecting these will as well. Have you tried Starry Skies? Which of these scents sounds good to you?