Review: Fizzbutter Bath Bombs

Fizzbutter Haul

In general, I prefer showers over baths because they're so much faster.  But it's been cold and I've been a little stressed out at work so I thought taking baths might be good for the soul.  I've mainly been using Lush bath products but wanted to find a cheaper alternative.  Enter Fizzbutter.  At $3.69 per bath bomb, they are half the price of Lush.  Shipping was $4 and everything arrived in a really big box stuffed with packing peanuts so none of the bombs were cracked or broken. 

I ordered the following scents:

• Lullaby - a relaxing lavender scent
• Mango Coconut
• Theirry Mugler Angel type
• Honey Ginger Champagne
• Lush Jasmine
• Calm Bomb - a refreshing floral

Size comparison L-R:  Lush Honey Lumps (6.3 oz), Fizzbutter Lullaby (8 oz) and Lush Cinders (3.1 oz)

Compared to Lush bombs, most of the Fizzbutter ones are larger at 8 oz.  Some people cut them in half but I'm too lazy to do that so I throw the whole thing in the tub.  They are denser than Lush bombs and sink straight to the bottom.  Not sure if this is good or bad.  The first one I used was the "Lush Jasmine" scent.  It fizzed well, smelled lovely and turned the water a very light purple.  The scent didn't really linger on my skin for very long but I am fine with that since I use scented lotions and body sprays. 

The Fizzbutter bombs are highly moisturizing.  You can see a layer of oil on top of the water.  People with oily skin may not like this but I have dry skin so I looove it.  I still use a moisturizer afterwards but if you have normal to oily skin, you may not need to.

The one thing that I like about Lush is that their bombs come in a wider variety of scents and shapes. Some even come with confetti and glitter although I don't really care for that since it's a pain to clean up.  Overall though, I recommend Fizzbutter and would purchase from them again.

Disclaimer:  I am not affiliated with this company.

Lush Christmas 2012 Haul No. 1

Lush Christmas 2012 Haul No. 1

I am excited about all of Lush's Christmas stuff!  My first shipment came in last week.  I ordered on-line because the stores weren't carrying any of the Christmas items yet.  Also, I wanted to purchase some on-line only Retro items.  Here's what I got:

1. Twilight Bath Gel (8.4 oz) - love the smell of lavender so I have high hopes for this
2. Snow Fairy (8.4 oz) - the best-selling cotton candy scented pink gel now has a new label
3. Sexy Boy Massage Bar (2) - this is a retro item and I wanted to try it because it sounds so good, a chocolate-y lime scent!  This is bigger than I thought it would be, doesn't fit into any of the tins.
4. Snow Globe Soap
5. North Pole Soap - I'm excited about this one, it's supposed to be similar to Candy Cane Soap
6. Snow Cake Soap - smells like almond icing, mmmmm.  I have the hand cream in Smitten which has the same scent.  It's subtle, not like Laura Mercier's almond scented bath products (of which I am also a fan)
7. Snuggle Body Butter - I haven't tried this yet but I like body butters so we'll see. This one is for use at bed time. It's supposed to dry to a powdery finish which is intriguing.  

I have two more shipments of Christmas items coming.  The problem is that some items sell out quickly and are restocked at different times.  I have an order of only Bath Bombs and Bath Melts coming as well as an order of Buche de Noel facial cleanser which was sold out for a while.  I am finished with Herbalism and wanted to give Buche de Noel a try in the winter months.  I'll post those hauls as well as some reviews when I use these items.

Thanks for stopping by!  

Disclaimer:  I am not affiliated with this company.

Lush Halloween 2012 Haul - Pumpkin Soap and Calacas Shower Jelly

Lush Haul - Halloween 2012

I missed out on some of the Lush limited edition Halloween stuff since I checked on-line too late but I was able to find a few items at my local store.  I called around and it seems like most of the stores in Los Angeles are carrying the same 4 items:  Calacas Shower Jelly, Pumpkin Soap, Twilight Bath Gel and the Enchanter Bath Bomb.  I purchased the Pumpkin Soap and Calacas Shower Jelly.

The Pumpkin Soap smells delicious and the scent is perfect for the fall.  Smells a little bit like pumpkin pie filling but not as sweet.  It suds well and the scent does not linger on the skin.  I prefer this because while I love the smell of pumpkin during the fall, I don't necessarily want to walk around smelling like one.  I bought three of these, 2 for me and 1 to give to a friend.

I was a little hesitant about purchasing the Calacas Shower Jelly because shower jellies in general look like a lot of work.  I've read that some reviewers chop them up and then put a little on the loofah.  Some pinch off a piece and then work it up into a lather.  Others say that a lot of it ends up wasted since it can be messy to work with.  However, this jelly comes in a smaller size and the Lush associate did a demo where she just used it like a bar of soap.  She plopped the whole thing into her hand and then rubbed it around her arm.  Suds up a little bit.  This smells like those generic lime lollipops with clear plastic wrappers.  I love that one side looks like a skull in celebration of Dia De Los Muertos:

Love Lush!  I already placed an order for some of the Christmas 2012 limited edition items.  They are stocking more and more stuff each day.

Disclaimer:  I am not affiliated with this company.

Bath and Body Works Fall 2012 Slatkin Candle Haul and Storage

Candle Storage

When Bath and Body Works recently had their 2 for 20 candle deal, I went a little bit nuts.  I bought five 3-wick candles.  My justification for this was that they were only $7 each with a coupon - and they smell so delicious!  Now I regret not buying more.  Next time, I have my eye on Pumpkin Cupcake, Cranberry Woods, Cider Lane, and Salty Caramel.  During my most recent haul, I purchased:  Frosted Cupcake, Leaves, French Baguette, Cafe Au Lait and Cinnamon Sugared Donuts.

My favorite fall scent from BBW is their signature scent, Leaves (it doesn't really smell like leaves).  So amazing!  For me, it captures the scent of the season.  Leaves is described as, "a rich blend of golden nectar, red apples and berries."  It's a little bit spicy, which I love.  I smell apples and spices.

Right now I am burning Cafe Au Lait which smells yummy.  It doesn't smell like coffee, which is what I thought it would smell like.  It smells more like a cafe/bakery with some chocolaty notes...almost like tiramisu. Throw is great and wicks haven't had any problems. 

I'm also burning Coconut Water since it's still very warm in California and thus, season appropriate for me.  It's a mild creamy coconut scent with a light throw.  The wicks on this candle suck.  I do have to mess with it a bit to keep it burning evenly. 

I store my candles and fragrance oils in a buffet in the small dining area of my apartment.  They are kept in a cool dark place.  These new ones won't be kept in storage for long!  I can't wait to burn them.

CVS Drugstore/Pharmacy Haul

CVS Drugstore Cosmetics Haul

I went to CVS Pharmacy last week and they were having a sale so I picked up a few things.  I will provide the links below.  Looks like they are having another sale on-line too:

1. Essence of Beauty Swabs - bought these for fixing eye makeup messes, so much more precise than regular Qtips
2. Milani Nail Polish in Pink Flare - dupe of OPI's Teenage Dream which has been discontinued
3. EOS Strawberry Sorbet Lip Balm [similar here] - been wanting this for a while
4. Maybelline Volume Express One-On-One Mascara in Very Black - recommended by a beauty guru so I thought I'd give it a try.  I love a good mascara!
5. Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Eyeshadow in Bad to the Bronze - wanted to see how this compares to MAC's Paint Pots
6. Tresemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer - I flat iron my fluffy hair almost everyday.  Right now I'm using Redken's Iron Silk Heat Spray and I like it but there's a lot of alcohol in it.

On a side note, I never used to pay much attention to drugstore cosmetics (although I do buy a lot of skincare from the drugstore).  However, lately I've been finding some real gems!  Like Revlon's Colorstay Whipped Foundation, but more on that later.

Disclaimer:  I am not affiliated with any of these companies.

Lush Mini-Haul: Smitten, Gumback Express and The Strokes

Retro Lush!  Please excuse the messy lids.  Looks like some of the products leaked during shipment.

I recently placed an on-line order for three Retro Lush items: 

1. Smitten - a handcream scented like their famous Snowcake soap.  The handcream itself is great - rich and moisturizing.  But the scent was not what I expected.  I don't know what Snowcake smells like so I had to go based on the description on the website (almond icing).  I was expecting something rich and decadent, sort of like Laura Mercier's Almond Coconut.  This scent is very light and almost artifical smelling.  It smells nice enough but it's not my fave.
2. Gumback Express - a banana-nut shower smoothie.  I know some people hate bananas but I like the scent!  If this smells like banana cream pie, then I'll be happy.  I haven't used it yet so I am storing it in my fridge.  I am finishing up a tub of Creamed Almond Coconut.
3. The Strokes - a rich hair treatment for frizzy hair.  I have poofy hair and I will try anything that claims to make it look sleek and tamed.  This conditioner has really high ratings so I wanted to try it.  The only thing is that the description of the scent scares me.  It's supposed to smell like beer...which I don't really want to smell like.  So we'll see.  This is also being stored in my fridge for a later date.

You can buy all the products I mentioned on the Lush website:  www.lushusa.com

Disclaimer:  I am not affiliated with Lush.

iMomoko Haul: Etude House, Hada Labo, etc.

iMomoko.com - I stumbled upon this site when I was googling Asian beauty products.  The warehouse is actually located in Monrovia, CA, which is not far from where I live.  But I can be lazy when it comes to shopping and I would rather have products delivered to my door if that is at all possible.  My experience with iMomoko has been great!  I've ordered from them twice.  The products came very quickly (2 to 3 business days) although that might be because I live close to the distribution center. They did get one item wrong in that they sent the wrong formula of a product.  I didn't really mind because I did want this version but just thought they were out of it.  The prices are a little more expensive than Sasa.com (which ships from Hong Kong) but iMomoko does have coupon codes from time to time.  Also, they send good sized samples!  I was very happy with the Caudelie samples I received with my last two orders. 

Here's what I ordered:

iMomoko Haul - Etude House, Dolly Wink, DHC, Hado Labo & Kiss Me

Top Row L-R:

• Etude House Sweet Heart Capsules - Ceramide (I ordered the Argan Oil & Retinol)
• Hada Labo Hyuralonic Lotion Light
• Kiss Me Heroine Make Volume & Curl Mascara
• Dolly Wink Black Liquid Eyeliner
• DHC Moisturizing Eye Strips

Bottom Row L-R (all sheet masks):

• Etude House Rich Butter Foot Mask (2 packs)
• Etude House Pomegranate Mask
• Etude House Royal Jelly Mask
• Etude House Vitamin E Mask

 I like to get my coupon codes from this website:  Retailmenot.com

Happy shopping!

Disclaimer:  I am not affiliated with iMomoko.com.

Lush Mini Haul - Herbalism, Cupcake Mask, etc.

I went to the Lush store at Universal City Walk this past Friday.  The store was pretty busy.  I found the salespeople to be very helpful although at times they can be a little overbearing about wanting you to try everything.  For reference, I have normal/combination skin, occasional mild acne and I'm in my 30s.  I ended up taking home the items above:

1. Herbalism Cleanser - I originally wanted to get the Angels on Bare Skin Cleanser but the salesgirl advised me to get Herbalism since it's summer and my t-zone tends to get oily in the summer.  She told me to save the Angels Cleanser for the winter since it is more moisturizing.  I also asked about Dark Angels since it has charcoal but I was advised that it is recommended for people with oily skin who are prone to breakouts.  Herbalism expires in 3 months.  The amount I purchased above is good for 1 month.
2. Cupcake Mask - I wasn't sure which fresh face mask to get when I walked in.  I was thinking maybe Sacred Truth but based on my skin and the season, the salesgirl recommended Cupcake.  I was excited since I actually wanted to try this one but on the Lush website it's recommended for teenage skin.  A teenager I am not, that's for sure.  Smells like...cupcakes! This masks expires in 3 weeks or less.  It needs to be refrigerated.  
3. Mint Julips Lip Scrub - They had 3 flavors to choose from:  Bubblegum, Mint Julips and Sweet Lips (chocolate).  I chose Mint Julips because I like mint and chocolate together.  The scrubbing granules in this are huge.  Smells delicious though!
4. Honey Trap Lip Balm - Had read about this and wanted to try it.  Very moisturizing and smells yummy.

I will try to review my these items later, after using them for a while.  You can find Lush products here:  http://www.lush.com/