Lilypad Sugared Shea Scrub in Winter Stroll

When I posted my Lilypad haul, I included a picture of the three adorable little scrub samples Eva sent me. I tried out the Sugared Shea Scrub in Winter Stroll this morning.

Sugared Shea Scrub is one of my favorite Lilypad products. It's strongly exfoliating, absolutely packed with sugar, and leaves a light film of oil on my skin that is absorbed before I get dressed. I have pretty dry skin year-round but I verge on leezard skin in the winter, so I don't know how I'd survive without my oily scrubs!

The Lilypad description of Winter Stroll is "Crisp alpine air, fresh snow, pine trees, and a hint of wood smoke." Oddly, while I was using this I got a strong spicy scent, mostly clove but with a bare hint of pine. After my shower, my skin smelled lightly of clean air and powder. By the time I had gotten dressed, the scent was gone and I could wear a scented body lotion without clashing. I'm not crazy enough about the scent to buy this in leave-in products, but if you were looking for a very light, clean, airy scent, this would be a good one to try, and you can't go wrong with the Sugared Shea Scrub.

Pure Ice Strike a Pose review and swatch

By now I think everyone has seen the Pure Ice crackle polish displays in Walgreen's, and for $3.99, I took a chance on the turquoise, Strike a Pose. The China Glaze cream turquoise crackle polish, Crushed Candy, looked so awful on me that I didn't even take a picture, just got out the remover and then sold the bottle below cost. Then, of course, Michelle over at All Lacquered Up has to make me go and want it again with her turquoise jewel nails! I had to sit on my hands to keep from getting another bottle. :D

Because I could not for the life of me decide what color to wear it over, I asked my BPAL buddies and decided on copper. I used two coats of China Glaze In Awe of Amber, then the Pure Ice. It went on very smoothly, about as thick as the China Glaze cream crackles, and dried quickly, although it stayed dentable for about twenty minutes. I finished off with a coat of Nubar Diamont, and ta-da!

Skindecent Foaming Milk Bath

Last night, I tested the new Foaming Milk Bath from Skindecent. This is a powder, finer in texture than most bath salts. Mine was in the Silky Underwear fragrance dupe, and the powder was a pretty pale pink. I used about six ounces, and got two inches of bubbles on top of the water, along with a pale rose color and a strong scent. The bubbles lasted for the entire thirty minutes I was in the tub.

Unlike Skindecent's other milk bath products, this had no milky/creamy undernote to affect the scent. The Silky Underwear dupe is very good, and the scent remained consistent throughout my bath. Also unlike the milk bombs and milk bubbles, the Foaming Milk Bath didn't leave a film of oil on my skin. However, unlike most commercial bubble baths, it didn't leave the skin dry and tight, either.

Overall, I think this is a good product for those who want to bathe frequently without drying out, for summer baths when you don't need as much moisture, and for anyone who wants a pretty, bubbly, scented bath!

This product was sent to me for review.

Winter paws

I'm a middle-aged polish lover in frosty NE Ohio. I use glitter polishes, which require acetone remover, rather frequently; forget my gloves; pump my own gas and exercise three to four times a week in a chlorinated pool. So why don't I have the cuticles of a lizard in a drought?

Skindecent.

My holy grail trio of hand products are all from Skindecent, which is nice as I can get them all in matching scents or unscented as I wish.

I start by washing my hands with plain ol' soap. While the water is warm and my hands are warm and wet, I do a quick but thorough scrub with Manicure in a Minute. I pat my hands dry, and then go over my cuticles and joints with Cuticle Balm. I buff my nails, then right before I go to sleep, I massage my hands with the melted wax and oil combo from the Massage Candle.

All three of these look like unassuming little pots of not-much, but they work well and are absolutely worth every penny.