Christmas Time

Christmas Time

It's that time of year! You know, the one where people get you stuff you don't really like, but they are sweet and lovely people so you pretend to love it, but then have to make the journey to the mall, which feels like a Mecca on its own just so you can return them for things you do want?! Yea, that time of year!

This time I made a few trips and here are the stores that were hit and why I am returning my so-called gifts:

Victoria's Secret: I received their sleep set which consisted of a long shirt and legging-type pants. Here's the problem. I am 5'0. That means anything that is marketed as a "long sleep shirt" ends up at a very awkward length, mainly I look like a child wandering around in the 18th century for Santa to come along. And I don't care who you are, just because it says Victoria's Secret on the front does not make it attractive. Therefore, anything that is marketed as "long" is just not meant for me. So, in short: RETURNED.
Bath sets: This particular bath set had a lotion and about a million sprays in it, none of which was to my liking. I find this particular part of the store abhorrent from the get-go because the nose was not meant to be attacked by thinks marketed as "passion" or "seduction" all at once (or in my opinion never). So unless you know someone who has a specific want for these, don't ever buy them. Bath and Body Works does the same thing, but cheaper and less nose-assaulting. RETURNED.

The Exchange: I instead opted for some silk sleep shorts, which are just VS's fancy girl boxers and I must say I love them! They are soft, silky, don't ride up and come in so many pretty colors. They are pricier than most any kind of boxer but adorable. So I say yay to these! Additionally, I have been on the hunt for the perfect robe. One that was short, didn't scream housewife, but still remained a bit warm and I was surprised to find it here. VS's satin kimono collection is nicely fitted, makes you look cute, gets you to the bathroom at night still a little warm and doesn't make you look seductive or frumpy. So, way to go. It was also relatively cheap (at $42, not bad for VS style) and has a matching slip in all colors, in case seduction is what you are looking for. Another option I was considering is Gap Body's robe collection. They are soft and comfy, but the pockets are huge, and I don't really need pockets when I sleep.

LUSH: Lush and I go waaaaay back. I love their company for so many reasons I cannot imagine not buying something from them purely for the sake of doing so, but they make good stuff. They are eco-friendly in that they do not test on animals, use minimal packaging, and will always tell you exactly what is in all their products. They also really do care about their customers. Example: Since they have such a minimalist attitude when it comes to product production, they do not keep everything bottled in warehouses for years waiting to be sold, therefore things that aren't selling, sell out and cannot always be on hand. Yet, if you voice your opinion it is heard. They developed Retro-LUSH which allows them to make small batches of products we all adore! How fantastic is that?! So here's what's in my basket and do's and don'ts:
Bath Bombs: They are akin to cool parlor tricks. Nice for baths, give off a nice scent, but just plain too pricey for one bath. Also the ones with flowers and salt in it like Fox in the Flowers and Geo-fizz seem like a neat idea until your drain gets clogged and you need to wash your tub. A little less relaxing, when cleaning is the end result of any bath. Same goes for the bath melts.
Bubble Bars: Again, pricey for the bath, but well worth the luxury. The trick is do not use the whole thing per bath. Break it in pieces and hold over the tubwater to get tons of bubbles. Blue Skies and Fluffy clouds is my special favorite turning the water ocean blue and smells lovely. Another is French Kiss, which gives the true scent of lavender in the whole room.
Soap: Now my mother and I were soapmakers for a small stint, of which I still own logs and logs of soap in the basement so it takes a lot for me to buy a bar of any other kind of soap, but with LUSH I made the exception: Queen of Hearts (which is now Retro) is lovely. It smells like a rose garden, and not in the stinky Elizabeth Arden version of a rose garden, but an actual rose, not too frilly not too overpowering. It makes my skin feel nice and soft and I even use on my face as well. Also liked mudflats, but it leaves mud all over the bathtub and doesn't necessarily give you a clean feeling at the end, but did clear up the bumps on my back, however read above to hear my feelings on cleaning the bathtub after such an adventure - not a fan.
Shower Gel: Narcotik is the best invention ever! The smell takes some getting used to, but now I love it. It made my sensitive skin put back into shape. I liked that it was liquid and I even liked the pretty blue color it made my washcloth. Again, this has also gone Retro, but I demand it back and still order it online every chance I get
Hair Stuff: I am distrusting of shampoos and conditioners in bars, so I was nervous to try these. So far, Jungle, while smells lovely is a lot of work and not worth it. I need some TLC for my curly dry locks and this just couldn't do the job. Also trying to work it into my hair was a process and when you are a girl, the less process, the better. I am however, pleasantly surprised with the shampoo bars. I got the soak and float since I have awful dandruff issues, so TBD on how that works out but I tried Karma and it smells lovely, lathered quickly, and left my hair softer than I expected. Considering I didn't expect much from this little guy, I was pleasantly surprised. Still needed a deep conditioning treatment afterward, but I recommend you go try one out. It also helps they are currently on sale and are some of the cheapest things in the store.
Coolin is awful. It didn't help my hair at all. Though it smelled nice, I still needed someone to help yank the knots out of it after using it, which is never the desired result. The Hennas are AWESOME though. Since I believe myself to be a redhead at heart, I love using their henna. I will warn: It is a big mess and takes hours upon hours in the sun to work, but does the trick perfectly. My opinion is: take a sick day, pour the boiling water over the mess. Sit outside in a dirty t-shirt, old towel, and throw it in, put on a cap and sleep the day away. The more time in the sun the redder or richer the color. It takes forever to wash out (at least 3x), but I couldn't be happier with the results.
Face Stuff and the rest: I used to only use baby face, but in the summertime it melts significantly so not a good bang for your buck. Angels is a great exfoliater and smells nice, but all in all their deodorants, shin care and moisturizers are not worth the money and take a lot of prepping, so in my opinion, not really worth it.

I got a sample of the ever expensive Rehab shampoo which I am dying to try out and seeing as it is the most expensive thing on the LUSH menu I will have to check back with that, but all in all, still one of my favorites.