Unofficial Goldman Sachs Guide To Being A Man

Hello Divas!!

I just found this unofficial guide to being a man and I thought some of the tips were really funny but some were just bizarre. If you want to read the full list you can find it here.

Here were some I liked:

• Stop talking about where you went to college.
• If riding the bus doesn’t incentivise you to improve your station in life, nothing will.
• If you perspire, wear a damn undershirt.
• Do 50 push-ups, sit-ups, and dips before you shower each morning.
• Don’t split a check.

Here were some that I am not so sure about:

• Always carry cash. Keep some in your front pocket.
• Rebel from business casual. Burn your khakis and wear a suit or jeans.
• Tip more than you should.

Awesome Homemade Bath Bomb Tutorial

Hello Divas!!!

I just found what I think is a really AWESOME tutorial for homemade bath bombs. You can find the post here so check it out if you would like to make them at home.
 

I am actually going to follow this recipe later this month when we get out of school because it is expensive to buy bath bombs all the time...and I don't even get the LUSH brand!

We will be on Christmas break and I will be taking a LOT of baths so I may as well invest in a few dollars worth of ingredients to save some money while having awesome baths.

Review: Bath Bombs (Oliver Rocket)

Hello Divas!!

I have a new obsession: Bath Bomhs!!! Yes I now love taking baths to relax...although I maintain taking showers to REALLY get clean.

I am starting a new routine where I will take baths on the weekends so that I can relax. This will only be at nights because I need to take a shower in the mornings to get ready.

The baths will also be only on weekend days that I have stayed at home. The reason for this is that after a long day of being out and about I do not want to sit soaking in a lovely bath and have the dust and dirt of the day stewing in there with me. I will take a bath on a day when I have not gone out..meaning I have already taken a shower in the morning so I start off clean, but stayed home all day so I don't have dirt and dust from outside.

On to the review!

I bought these bath bombs from Amazon and they are not listed with a specific brand name. The box shown above is the way the bombs come packaged. The letters stand for Oliver Robert, who is the seller but I am not sure if the brand of the bath bombs is Oliver Robert.

It comes in a package with 6 individually wrapped Extra Large bath bombs. Those things are HUGE!!!! I was really impressed by the size...yes, size DOES matter!

They are 4.5 oz each, which is MUCH larger than other regular bath bombs. They fizz for about a full minute to a minute and a half before dissolving completely in the bath and really provide a relaxing experience. They do NOT produce bubbles, so I added bubble bath while the tub was filling up.

You pop these in the tub and they fizz up and color the water, while releasing essential oils to soften the skin. You get 6 totally different scents if you order from this shipper. The scents are:

• Grapefruit Tangerine
• Black Raspberry Vanills
• Cool Water
• Lavender
• Cucumber Melon
• Moonlight Rose

Each bath bomb comes individually wrapped so that it does not affect the scents of the others, although you can smell them all from the box even before unwrapping.

I used the Grapefruit Tangerine one below because I heard rave reviews from another blogger about it. This is an awesome scent if you like citrusy smells and I must say I was impressed.

I have not used the others as yet, but I can tell just from sniffing the packaging that they are all as great as the first one!

They add a lovely fragrance to the water, without being overpowering.

Chin Up Mask Giveaway

Hello Divas,
Over at another blog I read there is a giveaway for a free Chin Up Mask. You should head over to How I Save Money and read the post.

From what I have heard it is an awesome product and you can lose up to 1cm of chin fat and saggy skin.

The package contains a mask that is full of skin tightening serums, along with a firming strap to keep things in place.

KIND Bars Are KINDA Awesome!!!

Hello Divas!!!

So I just found my new throw-in-your-purse snack and I must say I am pretty pleased. I have been searching for something I can take with me that also tastes good for those random days when I need something to eat.

I also wanted something I could maybe leave in the car without it becoming a horrible mess in the heat.

Normally I do not like granola bars because they tend to be dry and hard but these KIND bars are anything but!  I also find granola to taste dry and chalky but these bars taste awesome.

I bought a pack of the Oats and Honey flavor on a whim and I must say I was hooked from the first bite. The texture is a bit different from other granola bars I have tried in the past, with more of a quinoa look to the bars with little bits of oats.

About a week later I tried the Salted Caramel flavor but I must say I was not impressed by that one. I thought it would taste more like salt or caramel but there was not really much taste going on. I think I will stick to the Oats and Honey one, because the flavor is noticeable, but not overpowering.

Best Time To Apply A Facial Mask

Hello Divas!!!

I have been wondering when the best time to apply a facial mask would be. I am sure many of you wonder the same thing and a search of the internet shows people are clearly divided.

Some people think you should apply a mask before  you clean your face and others believe you should apply the mask after you clean.

Those in the Mask First-Wash Second camp say you should apply the mask first because then your cleansing routine will wash off all traces of the mask.


Those in the Wash First- Mask Second camp say you should apply the mask to clean skin so it can have the full effect.

I personally believe in Wash First-Mask Second because I agree that the mask needs to sit on your clean skin to give the most benefit.

Personally I am currently using the Freeman Pineapple enzyme mask which is also a mild exfoliator. I wash my face with my cleanser first and then when the skin is nice and clean I will apply the mask in a circular motion.

I then let it sit for about 7 minutes so it can dry a little...then moisten my fingers and resume the circular scrubbing motion before washing off.

How do you apply your mask?

Bought A New Purse!

Hello Divas!!!

I just bought a new purse and I love it even though I have not used it yet. I am all about saving money where I can and I know that sometimes low priced means you get low quality as well.

However there are some times you can get good or even great quality for a low price. I bought a purse that cost less than $20 because I had a very good experience with the brand in the past.

I actually got it in tan but I cannot find a good image of the tan one so this will have to do. At less than $20 this bag is surprisingly sturdy. It is quite roomy, without being too large and I think the silver hardware lends an air of elegance that you just do not get with gold hardware.

It has three compartments and the two outer ones have a magnetic button, while the middle uses a zipper. My only complaint is that the middle compartment only has one zippered pocket on the inside, while my favorite purse has a zippered pocket, two medium open pockets and one small open pocket on the inside. Having that many inner pockets makes it easy to keep your purse organized because you can have a designated area for each thing.

I will use this purse as a going out/church purse and probably not for school because of the small number of pockets. I like having a separate pocket for pens, pencils, flash drives, and other school related items and this just will not work. In fact I may have to use individual pouches to get everything organized when using this purse. That may actually be a better choice as it makes switching purses easier.

I Have Been Tracking My Calories Wrong!

Hello Divas!!!!

I have been using a food tracking app on my phone to track my calorie intake for the day. If an item has a bar code I can scan it and the app usually picks up the right number of calories.

In some cases I have to manually enter the number of calories e.g. when I combine ingredients. I have been making a tuna paste with mayo recently and I was entering the right number of calories....but I was eating the wrong portion size.

I usually make the paste with a large can of tuna and that gives 5 servings. I started making it with a smaller can but I was using one fourth of the paste for a sandwich because off the top of my mind I remember seeing something about one fourth.

The crazy thing is the small can is TWO servings..so I was eating half the number of calories but logging the full amount.

I guess that is okay and it balances out because there are some other things where I do not eat exactly the serving size I needed.

Ooops!

Dark Armpit Update April 2015

Hello Divas!

I realize it has been a LONG time since I posted about my dark armpits but that was really because I had just given up on them ever looking nice again. I have tried so many different things but have not seen any results and some products made them worse!!!

Some products made me itch and burn, and some even caused rashes and bumps.

I was so frustrated that I really felt like nothing would ever work. I am currently trying out two products, one on the left armpit and one on the right, to see if I can tell any difference.

I am pleased to report that I think ONE of them is working. I know the pictures are not very clear but I really think the stuff is working in the right armpit.

Here is the left. As you can see the armpit skin is darker than the rest of my skin.

Here is the right. I know there is not much difference but I think in this image the dark patches are not as dark as the left side.

I have been using these two products for the same amount of time and following the same regimen. I use antiperspirant during the day after my morning shower, then use only the product on separate armpits after my nightly shower.

I am no longer waxing my armpits. Instead I use an epilator to remove the hair..it hurts a lot but it is worth it think because it removes more than shaving and it hurts me less than waxing.

I think the skin on the right side looks a little more even and less blotchy but I also think the dark patches are getting smaller as well as getting lighter.

If you look at the left side, the black mess is just one giant solid area but with the right side you can see the lighter lines where there are armpit creases.

I will keep up for another month, since it has only been about 3 weeks since I started these new products. I will then post more pictures for comparison. Wish me luck!

What do you think? Do you think the product is working in the right armpit?

Using PACT To Help With Weight Loss

Hello Divas!!

I have been on a roller coaster with trying to lose weight and become healthy and then falling off that bandwagon every time.

I recently tried a new app called PACT to help with my weight loss. It was recommended by a friend and I tried it out because it holds you accountable to a group of people. I did not know there was  free version so I signed up where I would have to pay if I did not complete my goals.

My friend later told me I could have signed up on a trial basis to not have to pay if I did not meet my goals but I had already made the commitment and wanted to go through with it.


So my PACT goals are to:
-log my meals for three days a week and
-log 10, 000 steps for one day a week.

I found the food goal easy because I was already logging my meals with MyFitness app. I have a Jawbone UP and that logs my steps as well and I figured I would go with one day per week because I know how difficult it is for me to get those steps.

I would have to pay $5 for every day that I miss and I gain a few cents for every day that I make the goal. The amount is determined by the people who miss their goals for the day and the amount is split among those who do make it.

Recently I have been walking about a half mile to the church near my place and then walking back for a total of a little over one mile every morning. It was easy to do this because we were on break but now that classes have started back I am not sure how many days I will be able to do this in the morning.

In any case I have that PACT app reminding me to get my goals done for the week because I really do not want to pay any money!!!

How are you keeping up with your goals?

My Hygiene/Shower Routine

Hello Divas!

Today I wanted to chat about something we all do but people don't really talk about.

Showering!

I have a basic shower routine that I do every morning and night and then I add a little extra on weekends and special occasions. I will include a few images with links to the products that I use so you can order them online if you wish as well.

So just to confirm, I do shower twice a day unless I am sick on a weekend or something. You all know I sweat a lot and I was trained to not leave the house in the morning without taking a shower. I also feel it is most important to shower at night because then you are washing all the nastiness of the day off your body.

Even if you don't sweat a lot, during the day you come into contact with dirt, dust, and pollution and I feel you should shower at night to get rid of that and go to sleep clean in your bed.

I do sweat at night sometimes so I will take a quick shower in the morning to feel refreshed.

Basic daily shower
So for my basic shower  I really use three products. I use one for my face and two for my body.
For my body I prefer a simple soap and I mostly use Ivory soap. I love Ivory and have been using it for YEARS because it works with my skin. It has a light scent and is gentle on my skin so it is my go to for soap.

I use Ivory with a wash rag to wash away the grime of the day and sometimes that is all I do.The next part of my shower is to use body wash with a shower pouf. I normally like the more rough textured shower pouf because I feel like they exfoliate better.


This is not the actual one I use currently but I could not find a link to it.

I use any shower gel I like because it is just to add a little scent. I use one shower gel or body wash until I run out and don't always match my shower product to my lotion.


Right now I am using a vanilla scented body wash/shower gel combo and it works well on my skin.


Quick rinse
In the morning I usually just have a quick rinse because I already showered the night before. For the quick rinse I will normally just use one product instead of the two I used for the Basic daily shower above. Normally I will use only the shower pouf and shower gel but if I feel like I sweated a lot that previous night I will use soap and the wash rag.

Special occasion/Weekend extras
 On the weekends I will take a little more time in the shower. I will go ahead and do the first step of the basic daily shower, which is to use the soap and wash rag. I will then use a scrub to exfoliate and what I am LOVING right now is the Brazilian Nut sugar scrub from Tree Hut.

It smells sooooo good I could almost eat it. This is one of the best scrubs I have ever used and I really love sugar scrubs because they are so gentle on the skin.  This has a deep sort of coffee, vanilla scent to it and I feel it energizes me if I use it in the morning but is versatile enough to calm me when I use it at night.

So those are the products I use in the shower and I know they may not work for everyone but they work for me.

Share your shower routine in the comments below!

Navy Dress from Agaci

Hello Divas!!!!

I recently bought a new navy and white dress from Agaci and I love it. The sizes run a bit small so I had to get a larger size than I usually wear but that was ok.

I love the print on this dress and it is a light dress that I can wear during the summer, yet still thick enough for spring weather.

It is a little bit over the knee but it is not too short. I think this dress can be extremely casual when paired with sandals, but it can be dressed up a little with the right shoes!

The price was right and I am happy with this purchase and can't wait to wear it.

Product Review: Freeman Pineapple Enzyme Mask

Hello Divas!!!

I have another mask to review and I am loving this one. It is the Pineapple Enzyme mask from Freeman and it is amazing!!!


I got the sample size at the store to try out and after just one use I have decided I will get the full size. this mask is a very light almost gel like texture, unlike most other masks that tend to have a creamy texture.

The smell of it is absolutely perfect and it makes  you want to eat the product!!! But don't do that..apply externally only.

I applied the mask to a clean, moist face and rubbed it in for a few minutes. The directions so not indicate that you should massage it in, but I thought that would help with the exfoliation process.

I left it on for 10 minutes and it does not dry hard like the mud masks...but also does not feel sticky like the peel off masks.

The product did not feel tingly or tight...it just felt cool and refreshing on my skin. It rinsed off easily and I felt like my skin felt a lot smoother  and softer afterwards. I do not know if it brightened my skin yet, I will have to see what it looks and feels like in the morning.

I am pleased with this item and will definitely try out the larger size!!!!

I Found a replacement for the Cotton Candy Candle

Hello Divas!!!!

Remember when I found that cotton candy candle that I really loved...and then could not afford because people were selling them for outrageous markups?

Well I have found a new candle with a similar scent and that one is at a better price. It is the Pink Sugar Berry candle from Better Homes and Gardens and it is just amazing!!!


This candle has the light and sweet scent that I love and it smells a little bit like cotton candy as well. It is not an exact replacement but it is close enough. I love this candle so much I have been burning it for three hours at a time!

I actually got it at Wally world and I will return to get at least two more because I now see it was a limited edition and I think it may go out of stock really soon.

I also found out that I have been burning my candles wrong sometimes...and is why I end up with the situation where the candle forms a tunnel down the center. I will write about this tunneling and how to prevent or reduce it in an upcoming post.

Until then, what is your favorite candle scent for these months?

Shopping Haul: Face Mask Edition

Hello Divas!!!

Here is another mini shopping haul of things that I really loved. I got everything except for the candle at Walmart and I am not being compensated in any way for reviewing them. I also paid for everything with my own money!!!

First I got some face masks that I will be trying out over the next few weeks.

These are a combination of different masks, each with a different property for the skin. I do not have problems with my skin so I think I may use one of these about every week, or even every other week.

Next I got some shower poufs.

I really love these poufs because I think they give the perfect balance between soft and rough.I actually prefer for my poufs to be a little on the rough side because I think that just does a better job. These are not itchy and scratchy..but they are not baby soft either.

I also got a new candle.

I got this candle from Target because I was looking for something that smelled like cotton candy. This cost $5 and I decided to try it out to see if it could replace the cotton candy candles I had been craving but that were being sold at ridiculous prices on eBay.

Finally, I got a new nail treatment.

This nail treatment is supposed to make your nails hard and I need this because my nails are very weak and break easily. It is very clear polish with tiny flecks of gold that should form a layer that helps your nails stand up to more.

I will most likely do a product review on each of those items individually...especially the face masks.

Trying Out Infused Water

Hello Divas!

I am trying my hand at this infused water thing to see if it is something I would like to continue doing. If you don't already know..infused water is simply a different way of getting people to drink more water by making it 'more interesting'.

So you make infused water by adding fruits, herbs, and even vegetables to water. You let the mix sit a for a while so the flavors of your additions can be infused into the water. I have heard that about 4 hours is optimal but many people say they make a batch and let it infuse overnight and still get great results.

Now personally I love drinking plain water so I really see this infused water as a gimmick. In fact all I can think of when I hear infused water..is unsweetened, very watery juice!!!

That is exactly what it is!

Think of the watered down dregs of juice when all the ice has melted and that is what I think of infused water...except without the sugar.

I am trying one lemon infused water and one cucumber infused water today. If I like the results I will combine the lemon and cucumber tomorrow. If THAT goes well then I will look up a few more recipes and try them out.

Again, I am just trying this to see what the hype is all about. I do not need tricks or gimmicks to get me to drink water because I already LOVE it and can easily drink plain water all day long.

Do you drink infused water?

Share Your Blogs!!!!

Hello Divas!!

I notice that I have a few followers that I do not know a lot about. If you have a blog please leave your blog address in the comments. Tell us a little about your blog...keep it SHORT people...and we can follow your blog!

Please follow anyone who follows you so we can all build community and learn more!

Product Review: Freeman Rose Paper Brightening Mask

Hello Divas!!!

Today I will be reviewing the Freeman Rose Paper Brightening Mask. I bought a bunch of different types of facial masks recently because I wanted to try out new things. This particular mask says it brightens dull skin, which I do not really need because my skin is not dull. I just want to see what it feels like!!!

The mask itself is pretty standard but I did not notice any scent when I opened the packet. I thought it would at least smell slightly of roses but that was not the case.


The thing that differed from some other paper masks I have tried is that this one had a glossy paper backing to the mask. I assumed you were supposed to apply the mask to your face with the glossy side up and use that to position it over your  skin. When you were satisfied with the placement, you would then peel off the glossy paper and leave only the actual product.

After peeling off the glossy paper I continued to smooth the mask over my skin to ensure even contact. I left it on for the recommended five minutes and then peeled it off starting at the edges and working my way in. During the time the mask was on my skin I did not feel like it was doing anything. Some masks tingle so you can feel like they are 'working' but this one did not have any sort of effect.

I felt a very slight residue after removing the mask so I made sure to rinse that off well.  As always, when trying out a new mask I did not apply moisturizer afterwards, so I could gauge the full effect of the product. After about ten minutes I noticed white streaks on my skin so I rinsed off again and let my face air dry.

Once my face dried again I noticed that my skin actually looked like it had a residue and it looked dull. The point of the mask was to brighten skin but this one just made my skin look dull. I ended up rinsing with water one more time and then applied moisturizer.

As always you can click on the image above to buy from Amazon and I will get a referral from that. You can also pick this up at most drugstores and beauty stores if you do not wish to order online.

Verdict: this mask did not really work for me and I will not repurchase.

Product Review: Tis The Season Candle

Hello Divas!!!

I love candles and I just got a new one from Bath and Body Works that is simply divine. It is the Tis The Season candle from the Holiday 2014 collection and I actually got it on sale.

The candle is one of the larger 3 wick candles and it normally sells for $22.50. Now as much as I love candles I think that is a bit much to pay for one....regardless of how long it burns. I got it on sale for $11.25, which is still a bit on the high side but totally worth it for both the scent and the length of the burn.

The candle itself comes in a silver lined jar and is the 14.50 oz size.  The scent is listed as Tis the Season and features:
-bright red apples
-rich cinnamon
-clove
-deep green pine notes

The candle is red and when it burns down only the silver lined, clear jar is left. What I love about 3-wick candles is that they have a tendency to burn down evenly and not leave residue on the sides of the jar.

I have been burning this candle about 3 hours straight every day and so far it has not disappointed. It claims to have a burn time of 25-45 hours..so at a rate of 3 hours per day it should last me between 8 and 15 days.

I really love this candle even though I did not think I LOVED it at first but only liked it. After I burned it a few minutes I found the scent to fill the room but not overpower it. There is no one scent that really takes over the others, but they all blend into one very pleasing Christmassy scent.

The other thing I love about the candle is that the three wicks make a very even burn and the candle leaves no traces on the jar. Once this candle has burned down all the way I plan on using the jar as a decorative piece in my bathroom. It will be placed on the vanity to hold miscellaneous items.

In fact I love the jar so much that I plan on visiting the store once again to get another candle..hopefully in a different scent. I will then have two beautiful jars that can be used to hold odds and ends on the vanity area.

If I cannot get another scent that I love as much as this one I will end up getting another of Tis the Season because the scent is very pretty and I can smell it all day long without getting tired!

As always you can get this scent in the store and it is on sale right now...however if  you wish to get it from Amazon (at almost the regular price) then you can use the image below:


and I will get a referral from your purchase.