Wonderful Wax Warmers To Warm Your Senses

I have a confession to make...   I am sitting in the comfort and coziness of my home right at this moment wrapped in my Snuzzle (yes, I said Snuzzle, a knock off of the Snuggie) enjoying the warmth and relaxation of a Spiced Pumpkin Pie. Not of the dessert variety ( I wish!) but of the candle variety.
My hubby and I went to Walmart last night and I am the type who cannot pass by the candle section of a store, especially when the store has an entire isle top to bottom full of candles! I had heard good things about the Better Homes And Gardens Scented Wax Warmers and wanted to give them a whirl and see if they are as fragrant as people say they really are.




I was impressed with the selection of Wax Warmers that they had on hand and I chose a rusty red colored one to go with the decor of my living room. That was not the hard choice, I admit. The hard choice was trying to figure out which two scented wax cube packs that I wanted to try. Of course, the hubby says he doesn't care, so I had to go it alone on this one!

There was TONS of scents to chose from: from the fruity to the fresh to the sweet and to the citrus. I love the smell of sweets and also pumpkin, so needless to say, I picked the Spiced Pumpkin Pie and also the Butterscotch Maple Cream. YUMMY YUM YUM! 
We burned the Butterscotch Maple Cream last night and after ten minutes of burning, the scent was thick through the air, it was amazing!
And the great thing about these cubes is that even though they melt, when you turn off the warmer and are left with this puddle of melted scented wax, all you do is take the top plate off of the warmer and pour the melted wax back into the pack were it came from and leave the lid open over night and the next morning it has hardened back into a cube! So, you can re-use and re-use! But, it does say that the fragrance cubes can become depleted of fragrance after reusing so many times, but when that happens, discard it and move on to the next cube!

EXAMPLE in the back of box what to do with the melted wax! EASY!

Spiced Pumpkin Pie Fragrance Cube

I just manipulate the packaging so that one cube will break apart from its space and I can slide it out easily. I am sure that using a kitchen knife would work just as well, if not easier.

The top lid goes on top of the vase

See how the cube is so cute, waiting to be melted! Just put the lid on top of the vase and plug it in. The lightbulb inside will heat the wax and in just minutes the fragrance cube will start to melt and make your whole house smell yummy!

After twenty minutes

Doesn't it look like a little pat of butter!

It melt so nicely and even after you turn off the warmer, your home will still smell great for a long while after! 
Honestly, these are way better than any candles that I have ever bought. Not saying that I will never buy a candle again, because I think that candles bring another level of romance and warmth to your home, but if you want lasting fragrance, pick up one of these Wax Warmers. I got mine at Walmart for $15.00, which in my opinion is cheap and worth while. The wax fragrance cubes are only $2.00 a package and will last you a very long time. So, the most expensive thing to buy is the warmer, but even then, it is not that bad a price at all and totally worth it!
Its that time of year when candles are just yearning to be burned.The leaves are falling and cooler weather is setting in. Who doesn't want to sit in a homey house reading a book and relaxing as they smell their favorite fall like scent drifting aromatically through the air? 
Count me in! Next package I want to pick up is Cupcake!

Get Runway Eyes Like A Haute Model From NYX Cosmetics!

I have a confession to make...   I have been wanting to write this post for a vey long time and I am just now getting round to doing it, what with everything going on in my life keeping me busy, I am finally doing it! 
I think that we can all tell how huge of a fan I am of NYX cosmetics and I absolutely love trying their products and sharing with all of you what I love, like and could live without. With that said, let's get this review underway! 
I know I have reviewed one or two other NYX eyeshadow palettes, but honestly, the NYX Haute Model palette from their Runway Collection was the first ever palette I purchased from the brand. I wanted to test out a few different shadow colors and figured a palette was the best way to go about doing that. 
I picked this palette because it had a vast variety of colors, not just neutrals or brights but a subtle mix of the two.
What immediately drew me to picking this palette was the bright turquoise blue and gorgeous greens. 

FYI: Silly me, I photographed this upside down,
but we are going to roll with it!

Pretty colors!

What I really love about these eyeshadows are the pigmentation and build-ability of the colors, with the exception of the pale pink shadow. Pinks are hard to like because they can be either transparent and barely there. The pink in this palette comes off as more white with a touch of pink hue that is hard to pick up on. 

Top Row (Upside Down)

I have to admit that not all the dark colors come off true to color. I wish that the purple applied true to color, like a dark plum purple, but it comes off as more of a dark grey. Same with the emerald green; I have seen more true to color emerald green eyeshadows and this one applies more as a dark brown on the skin and lids.

Bottom Row (Upside Down and backwards, still!)

I must say that the bottom row is more of a what-you-see-is-what-you-get eyeshadow row. I was surprised at how aqua the turquoise color really is and applies exactly as I would have hoped. I really like the second to last shadow, the bronze is very pretty.
My overall verdict is that these shadows are good, especially for the price. I got ten eyeshadows for $11.00. A steal, for sure! They are highly pigmented in color, definitely not sheer. And the packaging is slim and compact so you could definitely travel with this palette and it will not take up any room in your purse or travel case and that is a plus. 
The downfall, and this is a biggie for some people, and this is what kind of leaves me hesitant to use this palette often, is the tremendous fallout I get when applying these shadows. The consistency of these shadows are ver chalky and there are sparkles in the majority of the shadows, so the eyeshadow and sparkle will end up all over your face. 
You must take precautiouns when applying these shadows if you are going to use them. Tap off your brush before applying and for extra caution, apply a layer of lose powder (any kind will do, cheaper the better) right underneath the eyes to catch the fall out so that you can sweep away the powder along with the excess fallout after you are done making up your eyes.
I think that these are fun colors to add to your collection and you can make a pretty smokey eye with these dark colors, but you will need to incorporate some softer matte colors into the look for a balanced eye look.
This is a fun palette and if wearing these shadows helps make you feel like a runway supermodel, more power to you! That's what makeup is all about, making us feel confidant and pretty while having fun!

How Do You Control Oil?

I have a confession to make...   of the not so pretty kind. I have oily skin. Not just here and there on the T-Zone oily, but all over my face oily. I envy those who complain of an oily T-Zone because they have so much less oil to contend with than I. 

I have tried a few different things through out the years, but one constant that has remained forever faithful to me are my Clean and Clear Oil Blotting Wipes. Yes, it is true, they are not a topical lotion for my skin to prevent oil from spilling out of my pores all day long, but they have been great at getting rid of the oil that is produced while leaving my make up in tack and my face feeling clean and matt. 
They come in a sleek packaging that can slip right into your purse. When you peel the sticker off inside it sticks to the sheet on top so when you open the packaging a sheet pulls out for your convenience. 
Clean and Clear claims:

"Instantly removes excess oil. Won't smudge makeup. Invigorating fragrance."

Of course, you can purchase the blue packaging that is fragrance free and works just as well. And let me tell you, it lives up to it's claims so much so, that I have been using these for over ten years now!

These retail for anywhere from $4.89 to $6.50, depending on where you purchase them. Thankfully I have a Big Lots down the way from me and I am able to purchase mine for $3.00 and they always have them in stock.  
About a year ago I also tried a product from Proactive called Daily Oil Control. It is a non-comedogenic product that it says helps to eliminate shine.This is what Proactive claims this product will do for you:

"...gently balances oil levels, while keeping skin hydrated, healthy looking and shine-free. our light, oil-free formula contains skin conditioning ingredients specially designed to reduce sebum levels while controlling acne blemishes."

I have to say that this was not a stand out product because after not too long  noticed oil spilling forth. Overall, it did not control the shine or oil as well as I would have expected it to.

This retails on Proactive's website for about $26.00. Big bucks and big fail. But than again, my skin is out of control oily.
Recently, I tried De-Slick from Urban Decay by Skindinavia, having high hopes for this high end product that I shelled out, was it $30 bucks or so, for. I tried it for a week and unfortunately it was another product that was not strong enough to hold fast against my permeating oily glands. I will say that it kept the oil at bay for maybe three hours and I had great expectations, thinking I found my holy grail. But, my oil did eventually seep through (yes, gross) sooner than I hoped.

Urban Decay claims regarding this product:

"...uses an innovative oil control system that both absorbs excess sebum and controls surface shine...mists on, feels weightless, and sets makeup so it lasts all day...even through moisture, wind and heat!..contains a powerful cocktail of high-tech ingredients: a cooling agent that chills makeup so skin feels as fresh as it looks, and light dispersing particles that deflect shine and deliver a matte look for up to 16 hours."

Holy Mole-y, that is a lot of promises to live up to. I have honestly heard great reviews on this product, but for my super oily skin, it did not work one bit. When I had read the back I had big hopes thinking that it would solve all my problems, but alas, no go. 
I am thinking of trying the Proactive product underneath the Urban Decay mist to see if that will work better, so I will keep you informed.
But, over all, I think that I would spray this product on when going some where nice when I want my makeup to be a little fresher a little longer. 
And the great thing about this product is that it is safe for you to use as it is paraben free. And for acne-prone ones out there, like myself, this product is oil-free. So, maybe you can use this product and not break out while controlling shine. 
And, lets remember, what works best for others may not work for you. 
Until then, I will continue in my battle to fight oil and we shall see who will win!