I'm a winner!

Woo Hoo!! Sarahface87 on YouTube was giving away some goodies around the holidays in December and I was sooo lucky to have been chosen as the winner!

If you're not already subscribed, then hustle over and check out Sarah's channel.  She's super cool and I think she kinda reminds me of this show Daria on MTV I was addicted to back in high school (along with Total Request Live with Carson Daly):

 

Right????!!!


 Am I off? Ah, well it happens. Anyways, moving on!


 

I was way too impatient to take photos of the complete unboxing - but it came all safe and sound snuggled up in a padded envelope.  

What really got me pumped  was the soap and shower gel. I've never tried anything from Lush before!

Sarah mentioned that the Snow Fairy's expiration date was in February. But, just like milk, what's another week hurt? LOL! I'll take my chances on the curdling. I wonder if the product breaks down and separation occurs though? If you know, please share. :) 

Also, see that Coconut Lemongrass soap? Well friends, (sound the trumpets), it does NOT smell like an Asian market!  I always get a little hesitant about Lemongrass because it is such a strong, naturally pungent scent. Close by there is an authentic Asian grocer where we pick up spices and miscellaneous "stuff" for stir-fry. Aside from selling Lemongrass, they have an abundance of other amazing and interesting food...my favorite being dried sea creature candy.  Hmm.  Not quite. I'm not brave enough to go there, EVER ....although, once I did eat a raw quail egg on sushi. What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?

I digress, the Coconut Lemongrass soap is nicely blended and I really hope it's moisturizing.

The rest of the package contained: two four packs of Front Porch tarts in Blackberry Butter Jam Cookies and Smoochin' by the Fire, a single grubby tart in Amish Friendship Bread, The Bathing Garden's Lemon Poundcake, and then a scent shot in Sugar Cookie Dough Bread from Cupcake Candles. 

Thanks Sarah! I love Front Porch and am excited to try out a couple of other new vendors.

Hope you all had a great weekend! 

It's a TEASE!!!

Buffalo Weather

Forecast for Today

Updated: Jan 12, 2013, 3:10pm EST

DayJan 12

Today's High was 59^°F at 1:05pm when conditions were Mostly Cloudy

Vendors I Want To Try Tag

I was over on SoCalCandleGal's blog and noticed a tag going around. Thought I'd jump in the party-parade and share my wish list!  It was hard narrowing it down to just 5 but here we go:

1.) Candles From the Keeping Room (candlesfromthekeepingroom.com).


2.) The Bathing Garden (http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheBathingGarden?ref=seller_info)




3.) Tiffany Candles (www.tiffanycandles.com)



4.) Streetman Candles (www.streetmancandles.com)


6.) Orchid Lake (www.orchidlakecandles.com)




Runner ups:

 Ten Digit Creations
 Cupcake Candles
 Beazy Tarts
 Dutch/Crabby Candles
 Lil Candle Store


I'm hoping to melt through some of my stash before placing any more orders though. I've seen a lot of reviews on Youtube about these vendors and can't wait to see what new scents come out as the seasons change.

Questions for you: Have you ever placed an order with Sampler Village? I noticed a lot of wax vendors have added their goodies into the monthly boxes. Also, does anyone know the shelf life for a tart?  I'd hate to get caught up in all of these hauls and not get to enjoy the wax to its fullest potential.

Have a great weekend!    

Fuelin' the Addiction 2: Front Porch Candle Co. Haul

Alas.... I'm off a 3-year makeup high and found a replacement. Not sure if this is good or bad, but my friends within the wax community, you have another junkie!

This order was placed with Front Porch Candle Company (www.frontporchcandleco.com) just after Christmas.  As with CVB, it took about 10 days to arrive at my doorstep. So far, they are the only online vendor I've seen that offers free shipping regardless of your order size.

What I LOOOOOVE about FP is that Angie updates the site with ready-to-ship products at least 4-5 days a week.  Seriously, there's no way to feel deprived with products continuously rotating.  On the downside though, if you're really craving a scent you need to wait for it to be restocked (or start a message craze on the Facebook Fan Page! There you'll find some awesome die-hards whom I get such a kick out of).

Well, I was hoping to make a photo-mosaic of all the tarts but my camera batteries died. Poo.  Anyhow, here's a snapshot:

Another free picture collage by Smilebox The Marshmallow Sampler came with:  Purple Marshmallow ---> warm throw lasted two days!! Smells like grape bubblicious Sugary Marshmallow Raspberry Marshmallow Cranberry Marshmallow Blueberry Marshmallow Lemon Marshmallow, oh yeeeah. I'm a fan Chocolate Marshmallow Strawberry Marshmallow Bread ---> egh. Instant gag reflex on cold sniff. .. BUT I will melt it. The Bakery Sampler came with: Hot Orange Danish ---> warm throw smells like a creamy orange creamsicle. The scent only lasted around 4 hours though which is not usual! Sweet Potato Pie Crescent Rolls Bread Pudding Coconut Cream Pie ---> Seriously smells like a stick of butter. I wish the coconut essence was a bit fresher here. Raspberry Filled Bread Blackberry Marshmallow Butter Jam Cookies Sugar Cookies Four Packs: Pink Peppermint Banana Cream Pie Citrus Explosion Teakwood and Cardamom   Pink Tea ---> Smells just like the Countrytime Lemonade Iced Tea!  Marshmallow County Fair -..>  I was hoping for some more "nuttiness" here - but the cotton candy note is nice with a base note that I cannot pick up. I think this was the scent that you smell something different each time you "whiff"... Last, I caught FP when they still offered free four packs with a certain purchase amount and those included: Mulberry and Pumpkin Bread. Speaking about samplers, I feel for all of you serendipity lovers out there who missed the last rush! Did you hear though? Today Angie said that she ran out of Blackberry Jam Butter Cookies (free scent of the week with $25 purchase) and is replacing it with Serendipity.   Go get you some!!  (Thumbs up if you know you know whose trademark on Youtube that phrase is)

Another one bites the dust....

Quick review here on Yankee's Hazelnut Coffee Candle...  I bought this candle at the beginning of November during their Buy 2, Get 2 Holiday Open House promotion in-store.  This little baby has had VIP treatment and sat burning on my kitchen windowsill daily.  This is the 22 ounce jar candle in the old marbled wax.  As I have a small galley kitchen the throw was great and offered a sweet nutty coffee-shop aroma as the title suggests. As with most Yankee candles, I did not have the cleanest burn.  You can see some wax buildup around the mid-way point in picture 2.  HOWEVER, it was here that some wonderful oil pockets were reached and scent lit off like a firecracker.  I'm happy to say that I was able to burn this down to a quarter inch before the wick wouldn't light.  Even then beads of shiny oil just screamed to come out.  After throwing the jar in the freezer for 15 minutes, I popped out the rest, tossed the chunks in my 24 watt hot plate warmer and am enjoying another few hours of this delightful scent.

Verdict: Definitely a repurchase!

January 2013 - Julep Maven Box

In December I signed up for the Julep Maven program. The Maven program is a monthly subscription service where you are sent new and exclusive nail polish and hand/foot care products for $19.99.  I had caught a promotion circulating to receive an intro box for 1 penny! No strings attached, no additional shipping charges and you can cancel your service if you're not satisfied.  Needless to say, I thought that was a pretty awesome bargain since Julep polishes sell for $14 ea. at Sephora or on their website.  Since then, I ordered not only the intro box, but the New Year's Mystery Box (I'll explain in another post), and January's as well.

The website explains the program in more detail; however, when you first sign up to be a Maven you begin by taking their Style Quiz.  You could either be an "IT" girl, Boho Glam, Bombshell, or Classic with a Twist.

Here's my results, which is pretty spot on. (Doesn't that girl in the middle remind you of Blair Waldorf with longer hair?)

CLASSIC WITH A TWIST

This timeless, iconic look is marked by beautiful yet simple cuts and colors. You accent your neutral palette with carefully chosen textures, patterns and splashes of color. Whatever the trends, you're uninfluenced by short-lived fads and always remain confidently in style.

Now for the unboxing!

Each month they send you a few samples or extra goodies too.  Check out these neon hair ties! 

The two polish colors this month in the "Classic with a Twist Box" are: Madison (a bright neon pink creme) and Grace (a light baby pink sheer). If you look closely, you can see how they are shrink-wrapped in plastic to avoid accidental "spillage" (is this a word?)

Swatch sheet

and last 

HOWEVER....

I busted mine up the second time I used it. Look at this HOT MESS!  Anything which twists-up and has a cap that pulls up is a recipe for disaster. That aside, I've been using this for about a week now and I do enjoy the consistency it has.  Buffalo winters are pretty rough (as if I had to say that one!) and this formula is non-greasy, easy to apply to the hands, and has a faint citrus/clean scent.  For cuticles though, I prefer Julep's roller ball oil for a more precise application.

Regardless of the snafu above, I cannot wait to see what Julep has to offer for February!

Here is my referral link, so you can go check out the site, take the style profile quiz, and see if it's right for you:   http://www.julep.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/89081/
Please enter code number: 6859237

Let me know what style profile you are: IT Girl, Bombshell, Boho Glam, or like me, Classic with a Twist?

What other subscription services do you belong to?



***FTC: I purchased these products with my own money and have formed my own opinions. I was not sponsored, nor am I affiliated with the company mentioned.  Should anyone make a purchase through my referral link and code above, I will earn extra points which could result in free products.

Fuelin' the Addiction: Candles by Victoria Haul #1

♥ Candles By Victoria ~ Poured Fresh Daily ♥

Here they are in all of their 2 ounce glory: those delectable scent shots from Candles by Victoria.

After watching Brooke (http://www.youtube.com/user/sayanythingbr00ke) and LePooke (http://www.youtube.com/user/LePooke) on Youtube feature multiple reviews of these products I was sold. Well, first the type-A personality in me had to watch about 100 more videos... just to be sure.

CBV Scent Shot Sampler Packs: Earthy, Clean, Coffee, and Bakery 

For a wax newbie Victoria's website is a bit overwhelming in terms of product selection. With over 1000 scents and combinations to create (why yes - you can custom mix your own CVB blend as well) options are endless.

If you're the type of person who:
 a.) can't make up their mind,
 b.) changes their mind often,
 or c.) runs like crazy at the word commitment; then my friends scent shots are the way to go.

For my first purchase I decided to step outside my comfort zone with sampler packs in Bakery and Earthy scents, but played it safe with the Clean and Coffee scents I naturally gravitate to.

With the sampler packs you get a random selection within each category.  For giggles, here is what my package came with:


BAKERY:

• Sugared Corn Pudding
• Brown Sugar Shortbread
• Orange Cranberry Muffin
• Hawaiian Hula Muffin
• Hawaiian Wedding Cake
• Pumpkin Bread 
• Biscotti 
• Frosted Lime Cupcakes

COFFEE:

• Hazelnut Spice
• Irish Cream
• Caramel Coffee Cake
• Dulce de Leche
• Frenchville Coffee
• Cappuccino Brulee
• Caramel Cafe
• Hot Maple Latte

EARTHY:

• Three Wise Men
• Frankencense & Myrrh
• Wood Nymph
• Jacob Black
• Clove
• Sandalwood
• Crush on My Handyman (under cologne/perfume section...?)
• Bayberry

CLEAN:

• Snuggle Baby
• Baby Powder
• Fresh Linens
• Tranquility
• Fresh Laundry
• Mango Tango
• Soothe
• Eucalyptus

FREEBIE (one with every purchase): Enchantment (house blend floral)

Overall, I was pretty stoked with the purchase. I placed the order around December 19th and even with the holiday, received my package on December 26th.  Cure time for these should be around 2-4 weeks based on what I've heard.

Check out Victoria's site at: www.candlesbyvictoria.com


***FTC - I purchased these products with my own money. I was not sponsored and these opinions are solely my own.***


Questions for you-

1. Do you prefer the variety and scent throw that wax tarts provide - or are you a gal/guy loyal to the ambiance and comfort that candles offer?
2. What are your favorite scent categories?