Friday, September 30, 2016

Fall Fun Series: Fall Recipe

Today's theme for the Fall Fun Series is a fall recipe. I think it's supposed to be a bakery recipe, but I'm bending the rules. I don't eat a lot of sweets at home, so I made something that I would eat and fit my foodie needs.

 I love food as many of you know, and I love trying out new things. I was at Trader Joes last week and was trying to come up with a dinner idea. I saw these Sweet Apple Chicken Sausages and was contemplating how I could incorporate those into a dish. I then spotted some precut butternut squash and I had an "Ah ha!" moment. All I needed to figure out was how to season it, so this recipe I came up with is inspired by Carlsbad Craving's but I've changed a number of things so I'll share with you the recipe I came up with.

Apple Chicken Sausage + Maple Dijon Butternut Squash & Brussels Sprouts

What You'll Need:
1 package of pre-cooked chicken apple sausages (Trader Joes and Al Fresco are both brands I like)
12 oz package of pre-cut butternut squash
12 oz of frozen brussels sprouts
For the Maple Dijon sauce
1 tbsp. of maple syrup (I used a Sugar Free Maple Syrup)
4 tsp. of Dijon mustard
4 tsp. of apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. of salt
1 tsp. of smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. of pepper

Instructions: 
1. Preheat over to 400 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl mix together your Maple Dijon Sauce
3. Cut up your chicken sausages into bite size pieces
4. In a large bowl mix together your sausage, brussels sprouts, and butternut squash.
5. Add the Maple Dijon Sauce to your vegetable sausage mixture and toss until the sausage and vegetables are evenly coated.
6. Transfer your vegetable sausage mixture to a large baking sheet covered with foil and nonstick spray or an oiled cast iron skillet and spread the mixture until it is even.
7. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, stir, then bake an additional 20-25 minutes until squash is fork tender.


This turned out so delicious and was the perfect fall dish. This would go nicely with the apple salad I made previously. You'll notice they both have almost identical flavors!

Check out my friends fall recipes in their posts today!
Amanda at ThriftyPolished
Hayley at Polished at Heart
Jessica at The Meltdown Blog
Lauren at LoloLovesScents
Liz at Furianne
Sandra at Finger Candy
Sunnee at Our Sunny Life

Happy Cooking!

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Sinful Colors Couture For Sure

I think the only time we are going to even have a possibility of having anything interesting at the drugstore is going to be during the fall/holiday season. I was happy to see some new eye-catching Sinful Colors polishes recently with their Fashion Flash Luxe Glitters collection. I picked up a few of those including this purple. 

Couture For Sure (over a purple creme)
Couture For Sure is a sheer violet with pinky-violet shimmer and purple flakes. 

Collection: Fashion Flash Luxe Glitters Fall 2016

Color: What caught my eye with this color was the shimmer. I love when purples have an intense shimmer and this one has it. I also love the addition of flakes. It's cool combination especially for a drugstore polish at this price point. 

Formula: This collection I found I preferred layered, which I know these days isn't the ideal. These on their own are buildable, but they don't build up completely opaque and the more layers the clumpier it gets with the flakes. I layered 2 coats of this over a dark purple creme and I do really like the look of it this way. It's so much richer than on its own. The formula itself was easy to use and spread out evenly on the nail. 

Price: This was $1.99 at Walgreens.

Overall: I think this is a nice attempt from Sinful Colors. It's not the greatest on its own and for it to look its best it does need a backdrop. I'm not disappointed and I do like it, but thinking of what people's expectations these days I don't think everyone will be satisfied. For $1.99 and it being the only drugstore brand to reach outside the box these days I'm satisfied. 

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Paint Splatters
Happy Thursday! 

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Darling Diva Skinny Dipping At The Bellagio

*I received this product in exchange for my honest review.

This is one of the Darling Diva polishes I received in Vegas at the Cocktails & Colors party. This color was a Vegas exclusive, so I don't think it will be available to the public, but I wanted to share it with you anyways. I do hope this one might become available because it's pretty awesome.

Skinny Dipping At The Bellagio
Skinny Dipping At The Bellagio is a jewel-toned medium blue-green with holo glitter and other magical shimmers.

Collection: Vegas Exclusive 2016

Color: I didn't have a color description for this so I'm not really sure what is in it exactly, hence the "other magical shimmers". What I love about this is the richness of the shade. I love that it's actually more blue than green. There are so many teal and aqua holos that definitely veer into green territory. This one is mostly blue. I also love the intensity of the sparkle.

Formula: This had an excellent and easy to apply formula. I used 2 coats here.

Price: N/A

Overall: This is stunning color. I love how pigmented and saturated the color is and the intensity of the sparkle holo features. Stunning!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters
Happy Tuesday!

Monday, September 26, 2016

Fall Fun Series: Fall Fun Giveaway

Today's theme is Random Act of Kindness. I decided why not celebrate fall with a fall themed giveaway. I'm going to giving away some of my fall favorites with one of you. Since I'm into nail polish and wax, this giveaway will feature both.

This giveaway is for USA Residents Only! There will be ONE winner. Giveaway will close 9/30 at 11:59PM EDT, and the winner will be announce 10/1.  The winner must claim their prize within 48 hours or a new winner will be drawn. Enter using the widget below. This is a RAOK so none of this follow this or like this page stuff! You shouldn't have to

The Prize:
Sinful Colors Nice Guise, Devil's Stare, Couture For Sure, and Where Oh Werewolf
+
ScentSationals Wax Melts in Pumpkin Spice, Crimson, and Cider House Donuts

Enter Below:
Sinful Colors + ScentSationals Giveaway

Check out my friends fall RAOKS below!
Amanda at ThriftyPolished
Hayley at Polished at Heart
Jessica at The Meltdown Blog
Lauren at LoloLovesScents
Liz at Furianne
Sandra at Finger Candy
Sunnee at Our Sunny Life

Happy Monday! 

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Weekly Wax Wrap Up: 9/18/16-9/25/16

I can't complain much about my wax week. It was pretty good. I only had one I didn't care for much and the rest were pretty awesome! Again, I've been trying to back off a bit from fall scents this past week because I don't want to get overloaded. I'm doing pretty good. I haven't burned out yet or overdone it on fall scents.
ScentSationals Adventure
Scent Description: Travel the wild, tree-filled mountains with this fresh, masculine scent. Musky and clean, Adventure brings to mind wild plants and running streams.
My Thoughts: I would say their scent description is pretty spot on. This is a blend of a clean masculine scent and fresh greenery. It's very crisp and clean. It's not overpowering or too sharp like some masculine scents can get. It had a moderate throw which was perfect for a scent like this one. 
Scent Throw: 3.5/5
Where To Buy: ScentSationals

Lake Providence Lodge Lavender
Scent Description: A clean, relaxing herbal lavender scent.
My Thoughts: This is really bizarre. I'm almost thinking that either I got the wrong scent or this scent accidentally got blended with something else. This doesn't smell anything like a herbal lavender to me at all. I get a lavender note at the base, but I'm also getting this weird grape juice note in there too. It's this weird acidic grape note really doesn't flatter the lavender.  I found this scent so offputting and very far off from any lavender I'm used to.
Scent Throw: 3.5/5
Where To Buy: Lake Providence Lodge

Wilma's Peppermint Eucalyptus 
Scent Description: A refreshing clean blend of peppermint and eucalyptus.
My Thoughts: Yes! This is scent perfection. You see a lot of spearmint and eucalyptus but not a lot of peppermint and eucalyptus. This is a strong and crisp peppermint with the eucalyptus in the background. This is a scent monster and had amazing throw. I had this melting on and off for 3 days before it started to lose its potency. This is such a great clean and energizing scent. 
Scent Throw: 5/5
Where To Buy: Wilma's Shop

Wilma's Twilight Woods Type
Scent Description: Sweet woods with notes of berries and a touch of musk.
My Thoughts: This is a dupe to the Bath & Body Works scent. It's spot on in my opinion. I got this as a surprise sample and I had forgotten how much I loved this scent. It's a really nice perfumey take on a fall scent. It's a soft, warm, and feminine scent I have difficulty really describing, but I really like it. 
Scent Throw: 3.5/5
Where To Buy: Wilma's Shop

Happy Sunday!

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Throwbacks Week: Wet n' Wild Poison Ivy

I'm not the biggest green polish wearer. I used to not wear green polish at all, but I've grown out of that. I do love greens. They're just not colors I wear frequently. I think it's just hard for me to work with the color. It's not my best color, it has to be the right shade of green. I have found that darker greens tend to be better and this one from Wet n' Wild has to be one of my all time favorite greens.

Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy is a blackened emerald green shimmer.

Collection: Wet n' Wild Pick Your Poison Halloween 2012

Color: I love the richness of this shade. Jewel-toned blackened colors have to be some of my favorite. This is such a great green and that shimmer just brings it life and allows this polish to just glow on your nails.

Formula: The formula on this is pretty good application wise. It's smooth and easy to apply. It is pretty sheer on the first coat and I needed 3 for full coverage.

Price: I think this one can be found on eBay if you catch it in the $5-$8 price range.

Overall: Splendid and magical green! I can't enough of this rich color! I need to wear this one more.

My Rating: 5 of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters
Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Throwbacks Week: Sinful Colors Rain Storm

I'm slowly emerging out of my nude/neutral polish phase. I still love them, but I'm wanting some color on my nails now. I always reach for dusty colors in early fall because I know I'll be busting out the vamps soon enough. One of my favorite dusty colors comes from Sinful Colors released 4 years ago.

Rain Storm
Rain Storm is a dusty denim blue creme.

Collection: Sinful Colors Core (Released 2012)

Color: This is the perfect fall blue. I love this shade. It's not too dark and has the right amount of dustiness. It's a softer blue than a lot of other fall dusty blues I've seen. There's not much else I can add about this color. It speaks for itself.

Formula: Excellent formula. I think some people could get away with one coat of Rain Storm. I used 2 more so for photography purposes than anything. The formula was perfection. It applied very smoothly.

Price: I believe this one is still part of Sinful Color's core line as it's listed as one on their website. It's $1.99 at Walgreens.

Overall: Perfect fall blue! The formula and color are A+. That price though! $1.99 great polish isn't really commonplace anymore. You need this color!

My Rating 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters
Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Throwbacks Week: MAC Bad Fairy

It's time for Throwbacks Weeks. Let's start off with a highly coveted polish from 6 years ago. I remember when MAC's Venomous Villians collection was first introduced it was obvious this was a collection nail polish lovers back then would be throwing their money at. I remember the day it was released very well. I had a doctor's appointment that morning. I'm not the biggest fan of going to the doctor. I dread and worry about it for weeks ahead of time. That dumb doctor's appointment was what was between me and my MAC nail polish. That was my treat after my doctor's appointment assuming I survived. I did survive and I got my awesome MAC Bad Fairy polish to prove it. 

Bad Fairy
Bad Fairy is a rosy magenta foil with golden-orange duochrome flash.

Collection: MAC Venomous Villians Fall 2010

Color: This was a pretty revolutionary color back in 2010. You definitely couldn't find it in a drugstore or mainstream brand back then. This is gorgeous as so perfect for fall. I adore the foil finish and I must say I really miss foil finishes. I don't' see them much anymore, and they're one of my faves. 

Formula: The formula has held up pretty well over the years and hasn't changed from what I remember. That being said, the formula is pretty sheer and I needed 4 coats here. That's what it was 6 years ago and that's what it is now. It is easy to apply and a smooth formula.

Price: I've seen a few pop up on eBay here and there in the $15-$30 price range. Be on the lookout!

Overall: This is a great throwback polish for me with a memorable story behind it. It's the only MAC polish I own to this day too. I love the color and especially the foil finish.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters
Happy Tuesday! 

Monday, September 19, 2016

Fall Fun Series: Fall Craft + Melts

Craft
Today's theme for the Fall Fun Series is a fall craft. I used to do a lot of crafting prior to getting into nail polish. I am absolute crap at art, but crafting I could do. I'm not great at it, but I always enjoyed decoupage and made quite a few decorative keepsake boxes and picture frames for friends several years ago. I decided to revisit decoupage and do some wall art today for my fall craft. I love wall art and I'd much rather make my own than pay for it! I made this fall leaves collage on canvas. It wasn't completely dry when I took this photo because I was running out of time! I'm hoping in a few days when the Mod Podge completely cures and sets it will look better!
I used a 20x20 canvas and decoupaged a few different scrapbooking papers as the background using Satin Mod Podge. I wanted to stick to this green, rust, brown, and copper color scheme. I crumpled up the papers first to give it an aged look and some dimension on the canvas. The golden/rust maple leaves I bought that way. The rest of the leaves I painted using a mix of metallic brown and antique copper acrylic paint and topped off with some extra fine chestnut glitter. The leaves do stick out from the canvas which gives it a bit of a 3D effect. It was an inexpensive and fun little project. I enjoyed doing it and it really sparked an interest in me to revisit this craft!

Melts
ScentSationals Adventure
Lake Providence Lodge Lavender

It's only been a few days since our last melt round-up so I haven't melted much new since! These will be reviewed on Sunday's Weekly Wax Wrap Up post.

Check out my friends fall crafts below!
Amanda at ThriftyPolished
Hayley at Polished at Heart
Jessica at The Meltdown Blog
Lauren at LoloLovesScents
Liz at Furianne
Sandra at Finger Candy
Sunnee at Our Sunny Life

Happy Monday!

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Weekly Wax Wrap Up: 9/11/16-9/18/16

It's been another letdown wax week for me! I think that's what I get for having a few good weeks in a row. I only had one winning wax this week. Majority of my disappointment this week wasn't with scent but was with throw. I did have some wax orders come in this past week so hopefully, the new stuff will be up to par!
Ten Digit Creations Roasted Pine Cones
Scent Description: awesome aroma of pine cones roasted over an open flame
My Thoughts: This smells just like pine cones. It's blend of pine cones, pine needles, and some smokiness. It's an excellent outdoorsy scent that is very authentic and natural. It's not overpowering or heavy as some woodsy pine-like scents can get either which I appreciate. I wish there were more fall scents from other vendors and retail like this one. It's so hard to find authentic outdoorsy scents.
Throw: 3/5
Where To Buy: Ten Digit Creations

Bath & Body Works Spiced Pomegranate Cider
Scent Description: Ruby Red Pomegranate, Sweet Apple Cider, Muddled Blackberry, Star Anise
My Thoughts: This didn't work for me. On cold sniff, I could pick up a blend of tart pomegranate and spice. When burned, I really got this creamy vanilla fruity smell and hardly any noticeable spice. There isn't anything spiced or cider about this scent in my opinion which is very disappointing. 
Throw: 4.5/5
Where To Buy: Bath & Body Works

Yankee Candle Harvest 
Scent Description: A blend of cinnamon, cloves, and musk with a hint of sweet apples and pumpkin.
My Thoughts: This is the perfect quintessential fall scent. It's the perfect equal blend of all things fall spice, apple, and pumpkin. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this scent. It's my fall dream. However, the throw is absolute crap. I am so peeved, but I should have known better Yankee Candle tarts never really throw well yet I always try them again anyways.
Throw: 1.5/5
Where To Buy: Yankee Candle 

Ten Digit Creations Garden Mint
Scent Description: strong aroma of mint with a background of fresh earth
My Thoughts: This smells exactly like a fresh mint plant. It is so authenticly scented. I love this scent it's so crisp and refreshing and a great blend of herbal and earthy. However, again, the throw was not good. I really had to get close to it or breath in really hard to get a whiff of it. It surprised me because on cold it smells strong.
Throw: 2/5
Where To Buy: Ten Digit Creations

Happy Sunday!

Friday, September 16, 2016

Fall Fun Series: Fall Reads + Melts

Today's theme for the Fall Fun Series was fall music, but it's been expanded to include other forms of entertainment. I'm going to change it to fall reads for me since I think that will take up a majority of my post.

Reads
I go through phases of reading. I'll read for 3-4 months then stop for 3-4 months and get back into again. I'm in one of my reading spells right now. I really like to read a variety of different genres, but I enjoy reading historical fiction and historical nonfiction memoirs the most.

I started watching the BBC drama, Call the Midwife, a few years ago, and went on to read Jennifer Worth's memoirs that the series was based on. I really enjoyed reading about midwifery/nursing in trying times in our history and expanded my reading in that subject. I've also enjoyed reading Jennifer Craig's and Linda Fairly's memoirs on midwifery and nursing. What's interesting is I have zero interest in midwifery or nursing as a profession, and I don't even want children myself! I think what I like about it is how touching the profession is and how kind and caring these individuals are without judgment to women from all walks of life and circumstances. There are many heartwarming and sometimes even more heartbreaking stories, but great reads nonetheless.

I recently just started a historical fiction novel on midwife named Patience Murphy in the coal mining region of Appalachia during The Great Depression. It's called The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harman.
It reads a lot like a memoir in a diary type form. I'm almost halfway through and I look forward to reading it every night before bed. I'm happy she has another book in the series so I have something to read afterward!

Melts
The ones that are not linked will be reviewed on Sunday's Weekly Wax Wrap Up post!

ScentSationals Spa
ScentSationals Zen
American Home Fall Morning
Bath & Body Works Spiced Pomegranate Cider
Yankee Candle Harvest
Better Homes & Gardens Perfect Pumpkin Ale
ScentSationals Pumpkin Spice
Ten Digit Creations Roasted Pine Cones
Ten Digit Creations Cranberry Cinnamon Cider

Check out my friends fall posts below! 
Amanda at ThriftyPolished
Hayley at Polished at Heart
Jessica at The Meltdown Blog
Lauren at LoloLovesScents
Liz at Furianne
Sandra at Finger Candy
Sunnee at Our Sunny Life

Happy Friday!

Thursday, September 15, 2016

L.A. Colors Infinite

As I've mentioned recently I'm on a bit of nude/neutral polish kick. I'm still in it and it's been about 2 months already. I've been wearing nude polishes for 2 months straight and I can't get enough. I know the job search kicked started it for sure as I want to be prepared for job interviews with neutral nails, but outside of that, it's really all I'm craving. I've had fun shopping around stores picking up nude polishes I never would have considered before. This L.A. Colors one recently caught my eye.

Infinite
Infinite is a soft dusty rose creme.

Collection: L.A. Colors Color Last Core

Color: I love this soft rosy color. I know this maybe an old lady color to some, but I'm really liking it. I also like that it has some cooler tones to it so it keeps it skin tone friendly for me.

Formula: Ugh, why! I have reviewed two other colors from this Color Last line (Family Ties and Ever After) and I loved the formulas and the brush. The formula on Infinite isn't good for the brush. The brushes on these polishes are thicker and wider and worked perfectly with the thinner and jelly-like formulas of Family Ties and Ever After. Infinite is a creme and it is thick and very opaque. This brush/formula combo did not work well together. It was difficult to apply and even out. It was a mess. I used 2 coats here and it was just too thick. I wish this formula was thinner and sheerer with buildability. It would have been better than 2 coat thick icky mess.

Price: This was $1.98 at Walmart.

Overall: I'm really bummed out about this one because I love this color. I also have had great experiences with this line of polishes before. So, I really encourage you not to knock this line based on my review of this one shade. I actually have Family Ties as a contender for my Top 25 of 2016, so don't knock this brand! This formula just does not work for me. I'm really grumpy about it too!

My Rating: 3 out of 5 Paint Splatters
Happy Thursday!

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

6Harts Butterfly Floufs

* I received the following in exchange for my honest review.

I have another polish I received during Cosmoprof this year. This is from a new to me brand called 6Harts. I was really excited to see this color because in the midst of bright neon and crazy holos of summer I was craving something soft. This type of color is definitely up my alley right now. Also that name Butterfly *Floufs*. I love floufs!

Butterfly Floufs
Butterfly Floufs is a lavender crelly with a light copper shimmer, microflakies and a small amount of a deep blue/purple goodness that is somewhat like a microflakie.

Color: This color is so perfectly soft and pretty. I love this shade of lavender as it's very flattering. You know I love that copper shimmer in this too. There is nothing better than pairing cool colors with warm shimmers. It's such a beautiful color combination.

Formula: I used 3 coats for this swatch. The formula was generally good. I did notice it to thicken up as I applied the 2nd and 3rd coats.

Price: This is $9.00 on 6Harts etsy page.

Overall: I really love Butterfly Floufs. I think it fits the name perfectly. It's a very soft and feminine color with a touch of whimsy with all the flakies and shimmer. The formula was fairly good. I wouldn't rank it up with my favorite formulas, but it was far from overly troublesome. Beautiful color and I'm happy to have it!

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Paint Splatters
Happy Tuesday!

Monday, September 12, 2016

Fall Fun Series: Apple Theme (Recipe + Melts)

The theme for today's Fall Fun Series is apples! I decided I would do an apple recipe for this theme. This will be my first time doing a recipe on my blog. If you follow me on Instagram you know I'm a pretty big foodie. I love making food and most of all eating it!

Today, I have a recipe for an apple salad with walnuts, blue cheese, and craisins with an apple cider vinaigrette dressing. This is a fairly common recipe with many varieties. I just picked my favorite elements from other recipes to make my own custom favorite.  This makes around 4 servings.


You'll need....
Spring Mix
1 or 2 Granny Smith Apples
Blue Cheese Crumbles
Walnuts (chopped or pieces)
Craisins
Dijon Mustard
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Apple Cider Vinegar
Maple Syrup
Cruet or Mason jar (to mix dressing)
**Not pictured water, salt, and pepper)

To make the Apple Cider Vinaigrette you'll need...I personally eyeball this now, so I'm estimating measurements! 
Mix in cruet or mason jar-
1/4c. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tablespoon of Dijon Mustard
1/4c. of Sugar Free Syrup (If you're using real maple syrup I would do this to taste is you may need less)
3 tablespoons of Water
1/4 c. of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Viola!

To make the salad.....
Spring Mix
Thinly sliced Granny Smith Apple (you can use 1 or 2)
1/2c. of Blue Cheese Crumbles
1/2c. of Craisins
1/2c. of Walnut pieces
Mix in bowl and add dressing.

and again...viola!
Yum yum! I really like this salad and it's a perfect addition to a meal or if you want to eat alone I add some grilled chicken for protein. It's really a nice blend of sweet, tangy, and salty flavors from all the different elements.

Melts

For the next part of the apple theme, I have my apple melts. I really don't have many! Apple is a scent I really need to be in the mood for so I don't melt it often. I do love apple scent it's just not my favorite. If I've already reviewed them they will be linked with their names below. If they're not linked that means I will be reviewing them sometimes in the future on my Sunday Weekly Wax Wrap Up posts!
Better Homes & Gardens Autumn Afternoon Stroll
Better Homes & Gardens Farm Apple Pumpkin
Better Homes & Gardens Simmering Apple Cider
Lake Providence Lodge The Cabin
Yankee Candle Apple Cider
Lake Providence Lodge Apple Barn

Please check out my friends apple themed posts below! 
Amanda at ThriftyPolished
Hayley at Polished at Heart
Jessica at The Meltdown Blog
Lauren at LoloLovesScents
Liz at Furianne
Sandra at Finger Candy
Sunnee at Our Sunny Life

Happy Monday! 

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Weekly Wax Wrap Up: 9/4/16-9/11/16

I've had a couple of good wax weeks lately. The streak has been broken! It was almost a complete dud week. There were some redeeming factors with some waxes, but there was one this week that is probably the worst wax I've ever smelled!
Yankee Candle Autumn Gathering
Scent Description: A warm mix of fading sun and crisp days with harvest fruit, patchouli and sandalwood.
My Thoughts: I was drawn to this scent because it was an outdoorsy one. I'm having a hard time finding outdoorsy fall scents this year. They're all pumpkin, apple, and bakery. I like this scent it's fresh, airy, sweet, and woodsy. What I don't like about it is it just doesn't throw well. It's very lightly scented when melted.
Scent Throw: 2/5
Where To Buy: Yankee Candle

Better Homes & Gardens Perfect Pumpkin Ale
Scent Description: N/A
My Thoughts: This is absolutely vile. I know what they're going for here some pumpkin cider type smell. It doesn't work. This smells very acidic and sharp. I'm not exaggerating when I say this but it smells like stomach acid. You know if you have acid reflux or after you throw up? That's what Perfect Pumpkin Ale smells like! It is the worst smelling wax I've ever tried. I couldn't even let it melt down all the way I had to throw it out within in 10 minutes on the warmer. 
Scent Throw: 4/5
Where To Buy: Don't, but if you dare Walmart

ScentSationals Cider House Donuts
Scent Description: N/A
My Thoughts: You all know I'm not a bakery person, but there has been quite the buzz about this scent so I had to try it out. This is a bakery scent I can make an exception for. This one is very good. I've never tried a cider donut or seen one, so I can't really comment on the "cider" aspect of this scent. This does smell just like churros to me or those cinnamon/sugar hot nuts they sell during the holidays at malls and fairs. It's very yummy and it's not overly sweet to me. I melted this a good 4-5 hours before I felt like I had enough of it which is a record for me with bakery scents.
Scent Throw: 4.5/5
Where To Buy: Walmart

American Home by Yankee Candle Fall Morning
Scent Description: Enjoy a cool, crisp walk beneath the turning leaves…a scent of earthy cedar wood brightened with autumn blossoms.
My Thoughts: This one is very hard to describe. It's an airy, slightly woodsy, and very floral scent. It doesn't smell like any traditional autumn outdoorsy scent I'm used to. I really like this scent though. It's more of a perfume-like scent to me than anything I'd classify as outdoorsy. I just wish this had a stronger throw.
Scent Throw: 2.5/5
Where To Buy: Walmart

Happy Sunday!

Friday, September 9, 2016

Fall Fun Series: Fall Decor & Melts

Today, for the Fall Fun Series I'll be showing you my fall decor and my recent melts. Mind you, I don't have a lot of fall decor. Decorating is one of my favorite things, but I'm very limited on space in a one bedroom apartment. That doesn't leave me a lot of room to decorate, and even less room to store decorations, so I have to keep it simple and small. Also, with my budget, I like to keep it inexpensive.

I have a little fall set up on my dining room table. I will be expanding my decorations come Halloween time to include my patio balcony and my front door. For now, this is what I have.
 The highlight of my fall decor is definitely the lighted tree. I have this version and a cherry blossom one I bring out in spring and summer. I got this tree at Bed Bath & Beyond for a great price. This is the 22in Brown Wrapped Amber Leaf tree and it's $29.99. I purchased this in store using one of the 20% off coupons, so it was very reasonable. It's also available on their website. I bought this tree last year and it's still kicking this year.

The rest of my fall decor all comes from Dollar Tree. I know that's not very elegant or classy, but for my wants right now it works well. They actually do have some pretty cute stuff too. I got most of this stuff last fall, but I saw many of the same items there this year. I love the little stones with the cute autumn greetings. The fox "Happy Fall" one is new for this year. The pumpkins, flowers, straw owls, and pumpkin placemat all came from there too.

I also spotted these super cute kitchen towels at Walmart today. They had a nice little endcap display with kitchen towels and oven mitts for only $0.88 each!


Melts

My biggest problem when it comes to seasonal melts is I tend to overdo it early on. I will melt so much fall stuff August-September come October, I'm sick of fall scents and want to move into Christmas ones. That means by December, I'm ready for spring...and so on and so forth! I'm really trying not do that this year, so the past few days I have very few fall melts and a lot of everyday type melts I melt year round.

**The ones I have already reviewed will be linked with their name to my review post, the ones without links are ones I will be reviewing on Sunday's Weekly Wax Wrap Up post!
Better Homes & Gardens Serene Spa Resort
ScentSationals Lavender Glow
ScentSationals Yin & Yang
ScentSationals Rainy Day
ScentSationals Cider House Donuts (will be reviewed on 9/11's post)
Yankee Candle Autumn Gathering (will be reviewed on 9/11's post)
Ten Digit Creations Pink Mimosa 

Please check out my friends fall decor and melts!
Amanda at ThriftyPolished
Hayley at Polished at Heart
Jessica at The Meltdown Blog
Lauren at LoloLovesScents
Liz at Furianne
Sandra at Finger Candy
Sunnee at Our Sunny Life

Happy Friday!

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Alter Ego Vegas Showgirl

* I received the following product in exchange for my honest review.

I have another Cocktails & Colors via Cosmoprof polish to share with you today. This one is from the brand Alter Ego. I need to be honest, I received some polishes from this brand last year at Cosmoprof and was really unimpressed with the formulation and wasn't comfortable reviewing them. I heard that Alter Ego recently formulated their polishes and I am very pleased with what I received this year.

Vegas Showgirl
Vegas Showgirl is a mix of blue, green, gold, and holo glitters in a clear base.

Color: This is really an all-star glitter polish. This is a complete 180 turn around from what I was expecting from this brand after last year. I love the dimension of this polish with the varying color and types of glitter. It's also an opaque glitter.

Formula: Excellent formula! I'm very happy to report this. This only needed 2 coats for opacity and was very easy to apply.

Price: You can purchase this on Alter Ego's site for either $4.50 for a 8.5ml bottle or $9.00 for a 17ml bottle.

Overall: This was a brand I really had completely written off based on what I received last year. I'm happy that formulation changes were made and it really made a massive difference. This brand went from off my radar to a brand I'm really interested in now. I like when a brand can change my mind.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters
Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Glisten & Glow Aye Spy Dubloons & Parrot's Parlay

* I received the following products in exchange for my honest review.

I have two of the polishes from Glisten & Glow's Pirate's Booty Collection. I received these polishes at the Cocktails & Colors party at Comsoprof this year. This is a 6 piece collection and you can view the full collection here.

Aye Spy Dubloons
Aye Spy Doubloons is all about the gleaming bounty from the elemental gold base, the gold and copper holo galaxy microglitters, gold shimmer, and larger gold flakes.

Parrot's Parlay
Parrot's Parlay is a warm amaranth pink base that is accentuated with hot pink and purple sparks and a dusting of gold shimmer.

Collection: Glisten & Glow Pirate's Booty Collection August 2016

Colors: I have to say Aye Spy Dubloons is one of the best gold holo polishes I've ever owned. I love the dimension from the added flakies, shimmer, and micro-glitter. It's anything but an ordinary gold holo! Parrot's Parlay is nice pinky red holo. The holo is strong. This isn't my favorite shade I wish it were a bit richer in tone.

Formula: These both had excellent flawless formulas. I used 2 coats for each.

Price: These are $13.00 each on the Glisten & Glow website.

Overall: These are nice strong holo colors. I'm head over heels for Aye Spy Dubloons. It's such an amazing gold holographic polish. I love the formulas on these too.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters
Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

OPI Tiramisu For Two

I have been going through a major nude polish phase. I think it started in mid-July and it has continued for the past month and a half. The thing is I don't have a lot of nude polishes. One, I've never really worn them often. Two, I always thought it was difficult to find nudes that work with my skin tone. Well, I was wrong. I went to Ulta recently and looked at OPI's core line of colors and found a handful of nudes that I think really work with my skin tone. This one I was most shocked by because it really is a true nude for my skin tone versus a pinky nude which I'm used to having to get.

Tiramisu for Two
Tiramisu For Two is a beige almond creme.

Collection: OPI Venice Fall 2015

Color: I would have never assumed I could have worn this color. It's really the perfect nude for my skin tone. It's actually pretty neutral in my opinion. It's not too yellow or pink, it's right in between. I am so in love with this shade. It's so clean, fresh, and flattering.

Formula: This had a pretty good formula. It was a teeny bit thick, but it is opaque. I used 2 coats in this swatch.

Price: I paid $10 for this Ulta.

Overall: I've been into nail polish for 8 years now, and it took until now to find a true nude for my skin tone. I'm really excited to have found this shade. This is a great color and I'd imagine since it is pretty neutral it would be pretty forgiving for most people. I'm very happy with this purchase.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters
Happy Tuesday!