Candle Review: Black Pepper Bergamot

Hello Divas!

Today I have a review of the Black Pepper Bergamot candle from Bath and Body Works.

First of all this candle comes in a marbled glass that is quite a different look from traditional BBW candles. The design does not seem to be a sticker on the container..but just flows seamlessly all around.

The notes on the candle are:
- Fresh bergamot
- Black peppercorn
- Lavender leaf

What I get from it is definitely a peppery scent but not one that is overpowering. It is slightly more masculine scent as in it will please a male's sense of scent. It is not a cologne type scent and not something that you simply invoke the image of a male. It is something that I think you could burn around a guy and not have him worry that it is too feminine.

I do not get a strong scent of lavender, so I guess it is blending with the bergamot in this candle.

The candle smells good when unlit and is fabulous when lit.

This is a great scent and you should try it out.

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.

Eos Strawberry Sorbet Lip Balm (Product Review)

Hello Divas!

You all know how much I love lip balm and I am constantly using one. I have one in every purse just in case I need it and I have one on my nightstand as well.

My favorite is a balm that I get at Sally's beauty supply. I love it because I have sensitive lips and some lip products make me break out but that balm is great.

As you can see, the product comes in this unique egg shape that makes it really stand out from other balms, which generally come in a tube or pot.

I decided to try out this EOS Strawberry Sorbet lip balm because the product comes in such a cute package and EOS is supposed to be made of natural products. I love the light scent of this balm and it really goes on smoothly.

My only concern is that it does not last as long as other lip balms. After a few minutes (I did not time it to be exact) I feel the need to reapply.

I feel like I will go through a sphere really quickly so that is not good. Otherwise...a good buy.

Eos Lip Balm (Product Review)

Hello Divas!!

A diva is always known by having soft, smooth lips and a great way to keep your lips in top shape is to have a great lip balm.

Now I have very sensitive skin and not every lip product agrees with me. I cannot use Chapstik brand lip balms because they cause my lips to swell up and peel. I have tried a few other balms with varying degrees of success until I found my one true savior in Pucker Ups lip balm.

I decided to try out Eos lip balms because I have heard a few good things about them and since they claim to be natural I really liked that.



I ordered the sweet mint flavor pictured above and I already like it in the first five minutes of using the product. The container is cute although it is a bit large for my taste. My other regular lip balm could fit easily in my pocket or in a tiny purse without creating a bulge.

This round shaped applicator does create a bulge in my tiny purse and it looks outright ridiculous in my pocket so I will not be keeping it in there.

According to Ulta the list of ingredients seem to be as close to natural as I have seen on any packaging. Here is the list of ingredients that can be found in the lip balm.

Sweet Mint: Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Beeswax (Cire Dabeille)*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract*, Tocopherol, Limonene1, Linalool1. 1Component of Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil*. 

I threw my wrapper away before I decided to write this review so I cannot verify the actual list..but that looks about correct.

I love the fact that so many of the ingredients are simple oils like coconut and olive oil which we already know to be moisturizing from using them on our hair.

The balm has a light pleasant scent and the mint is really cooling on the lips without being overbearing. It goes on light and does not feel waxy like some other balms...I just need a few more days to see how it compares to my favorite.

Product Review: Reb'l Fleur by Rihanna

Hello Divas!!

I love perfume and I think that one of the marks of a true diva is that she ALWAYS smells great. This can be achieved through a variety of things like:
-lotions
-perfumes
-body sprays

but the important thing is to always smell nice.

I love getting perfume samples in the mail and I just one for Reb'l Fleur by Rihanna.



I opened the paper pouch and sniffed...and I must say that I am not impressed. The bottle leaves something to be desired in my opinion and I an confused by the swirling black and gold and brown tones.

I smelled the perfume and while it is okay it is not to my taste so it is not something that I would run out to buy.

It is a bit on the heavier side with regards to scent so I guess it for the evening or night use. It does smell sexy and sensual so those of you who like that thing should go ahead and give it a try.

It has faint (to me) tones of musk and something sweet like vanilla but it is definitely a scent for the BOLD divas out there.

Product Review: Organix Moroccan Argan Oil

Hello Divas!

It is time once again to review a product that I have used and share with you my personal experience.

I bought this Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner because I had heard some great things about their products. A friend of mine absolutely RAVED about how soft it made her hair feel so I thought why not give it a try.

I started off with the shampoo which has a GREAT fragrance and began to wash my hair. The shampoo is a bit thin when you actually use it although it comes out of the bottle rather thick. I had to use double the amount to wash my hair and it lathered up a bit even though it is sulfate free.

There really isn't much to say about shampoo as it got my hair feeling clean with just one wash so I moved on to the conditioner.

The conditioner smelled nice although the shampoo had a much better scent in my opinion. The conditioner was relatively thick but again I did have to use a lot more than with other products to get the same feeling on my head.

I massaged the conditioner through and then got a wide tooth comb to slowly detangle from the ends to the roots. I thought that because this conditioner was not as thick and creamy as others that I have used that it took me a while longer to get the tangles out.

My other issue with the conditioner is that it seems to cling to the inside of the bottle so that you have to shake the bottle a bit AND squeeze to get the product out.

My hair did not feel 'great' as the product claims it should and I think I have had better results with Neutrogena products in the past.

All in all, I say it is a fair product to use but if you have very dry hair like I do then you might want something with a creamier conditioner.

Instyler Review

Hello Divas!!!!

I have very thick hair and have used a flat iron to straighten out my hair. I kept hearing about the magical powers of the Instyler so I decided to get one finally.

I paid $94.97 for the Instyler and I will be getting my money back PRONTO!!!!

The Instyler may work for some people but it did NOT work for me at all. I have had MUCH better results with the Remington flat iron $40 that I got from WalMart and I am going back to using that.

The Instyler has these little brushes that are supposed to smooth out the hair but all they did was tangle the hair even when I had smoothed it out with a fine tooth comb. I guess it is safe to say that this tool works for Caucasian or Mixed hair but not for truly Black hair like mine.

Even on the lowest setting it sent steam into the air and I could smell my hair burning....which was strange since I have used flat irons and even a CHI on higher heat than that.

It also did not do a good job of straightening out my hair and the hair was not all light and fluffy like on the commercials. Instead it was stiff and straight and limp and looked like I had sprayed hairspray on before using it...which I did not.

It was also difficult to get close to the very roots of the hair, which is where I needed the most straightening power. The appliance also needs to lie on its side when not in use because the bottom part is wobbly and you cannot place it upside down.

The rotating portion of the tool was also quite loud and it was slightly annoying to me. It is bad enough to have the loudness of a blow dryer and then to have this follow was just too much for me to handle.

It took a long time to cool off once unplugged...not a deal breaker but I just was not impressed with the whole affair and I will be returning it for a full refund and going back to using my Remington flat irons once again.

What has YOUR experience been the Instyler? Do you LOVE it? Do you HATE it?

Always Thin Flexi-Style Liners (product review)

Hello Divas!

I love trying out new products, especially those specially created for women so I was happy to see that Always has come out with a new pantyliner, called the Thin Flexi-Style.

Now I know that you are wondering what in the world can be new about a pantyliner but just wait and see.

These new flexi-style liners are great because they are:

• thin
• flexible
• light

They come in one size but the middle part is thinner than most liners. It also has wings but they are VERY thin and are really just to help you adjust to different sizes. What I love about these liners is that they can be worn with anything from boy shorts to thongs and everything in between!!!!

Here is what the box looks like.

I got these at Walmart to try out and I immediately fell in love. I no longer have to buy a box for thongs and a box for other panties. This liner customizes to fit all my underwear by simply adjusting the wings.

Here is what the liner looks like straight out of the box.

I am totally sold on this and will be buying only these liners from now on. The only thing I do not like is that I have not seen them in the individually wrapped packages so that you can take them on the go. If they do not come in individual packs then I still have a few like the Carefree shown below that I can stick in my purse.

Here is the Always Flexi-style next to a Carefree with Wings for size comparison.

As you can see the Carefree liner is so much larger and thicker than the Always. Plus the wings on the Carefree are so bulky....I always cut them off before using because they are so hard to take off when they are stuck.

The Always are also shorter..but if you REALLY need that much coverage then I guess you should be wearing a pad.