Lalicious Sugar Kiss Hydrating Body Butter Review

Lalicious has been on my beauty radar for some time. I thought their name was cute, but I found out they are a whole lot more. They are a natural beauty brand out of California, that believe in natural ingredients. They don't use parabens, sulfates or test on animals. They're fairly new (2009) and known for their Sugar Scrubs. While I was at Beau Rivage, I stopped by the Spa Shop. They had some of the Lalicious Collection there, so I took it as a sign to finally try it! I purchased their Sugar Kiss Hydrating Body Butter. What does it smell like? Cotton Candy. On their website, the description says it contains Aloe Vera, Vitamin E, Whipped Cream of Citrus, Rose and Vanilla. It makes for a lovely combination, that's perfect for Spring & Summer. I always get scared when I see body butter, because some are way too heavy. But this moisturized my skin without it feeling heavy or sticky. Last year, I reviewed another cotton candy scent (Pink Sugar HERE), and I must say Lalicious has less of a perfume scent than Pink Sugar (which I loved). Lalicious is a lot more "grown-up" and "sophisticated". It's pure, soft cotton candy goodness! I thought Pink Sugar was less expensive, but both are around the same price. I'll be wearing this throughout Spring & Summer. I now want to try their sugar scrub :) Also, the packaging is very cute and would make for a great engagement/wedding or birthday gift. Lalicious makes sugar scrub, body butter, hand cream, lip butter, shower oils, bubble baths and fragrances. They also offer these in a number of scents. All that I tested were very soft & light in scent.

Sweet-Bittersweet-NotSweet

supersweet(run & buy it) sweet(really good,buy it) bittersweet(ok, issues)not sweet(not good,don't buy this stuff) 

  Lalicious Sugar Kiss Hydrating Body Butter is Sweet

An Easter Wonderland

Happy Easter Weekend Everybody! When I stayed at Beau Rivage a couple of weeks ago, their beautiful Easter decorations were on display. It was a fanciful assortment of butterflies, bunnies, flowers, plants, topiary trees and colorful eggs throughout the hotel. They also had Alice in Wonderland like chairs, a bicycle covered in flowers (who wouldn't want to ride that!?!) and of course lots of chocolate Easter candy. This would be lovely inspiration for a party, so enjoy the video below! I wanted to twirl & jump in every display >.<  I wish you and your family a lovely Easter! Check out all of my Easter blog posts HERE. Join me on Snapchat (averysweetblog) to see what Easter treats I'll be having. Enjoy!

Farmhouse Fresh Marshmallow Melt Shea Butter Lotion Review and Swatches

Last year, I nearly tried every Farmhouse Fresh lotion they had to offer (click here)! Between their cute packaging & delightful scents, I couldn't resist. My favorite out the bunch was their Sweet Cream Body Milk Lotion. Well FHF has introduced a new lotion called Marshmallow Melt Shea Butter Cream. The scent of this lotion reminds me of marshmallows & jelly beans! It truly does! It's a creamy, white lotion that will sink into your skin and is very nourishing. As many of the other FHF  lotions, this does take a few minutes to dry down. But it leaves your skin very soft & moisturized. This lotion is 98% natural, vegan and gluten free. It contains shea butter, cocoa & jojoba. The scent notes are tonka bean & sandalwood. Despite it's delightful light scent, I feel this lotion is too much for Spring & Summer (unless you're living where it's cold year round). This would be perfect for Winter. Does this beat Sweet Cream? No, but it is delightful! Plus, how cute are those marshmallows on the packaging!?! >.<

Sweet-Bittersweet-NotSweet

supersweet(run & buy it) sweet(really good,buy it) bittersweet(ok, issues)not sweet(not good,don't buy this stuff) 

  Farmhouse Fresh Marshmallow Melt Shea Butter Lotion is Sweet

Farmhouse Fresh Guac Star Soothing Avocado Hydration Mask Review

Let's talk avocado & guacamole today! Last year, I reviewed a lot of Farmhouse Fresh products (click here).  I like Farmhouse Fresh because they have beautiful minimal packaging, use natural ingredients, and their products are paraben, sulfate & phthalate free. Some products worked for me and some didn't. I tried their chocolate softening mask, but the chocolate was too much for my dry/sensitive skin. I wanted to try their other masks, but nothing was formulated (gentle enough) for my sensitive skin. Well this year ... HALLELUJAH ... they came out with a Guac (avocado) mask! It's gentle enough for sensitive skin! I brought this mask on my trip to try and it made my skin look & feel SO GOOD! The mask is sage green and creamy. It feels very cool (like clay) when applied to the skin. Since first trying it, I leave my jar in the refrigerator (which makes it feel even better on the skin). You'll experience a cool tingle while it's on your skin. It never gets crackly dry. Rinse off (you'll need a washcloth). Do you see my skin glowing in the pictures below? My skin felt clean, soft & glowing after using this mask. On their website, they say you can use this daily. For anyone with sensitive skin, I would use once a week. It's a powerful clean! I never experienced any redness, irritation or sensitivity of any kind, while using this product. This mask is made with fresh Avocado Butter, Oil & Extract. Plus, it also has Goji Berry, Pomegranate and Coffee Seed. This is 98% natural, paraben & sulfate free.

Sweet-Bittersweet-NotSweet

supersweet(run & buy it) sweet(really good,buy it) bittersweet(ok, issues)not sweet(not good,don't buy this stuff) 

  Farmhouse Fresh Guac Star Soothing Avocado Hydration Mask is Sweet

Fresh Cocoa Body Exfoliant & Spatula, Cocoa Exfoliant Body Soap, Sugar Lychee Body Lotion & Brown Sugar Scented Candle Review and Swatches

I decided to take some Fresh body products with me, while on my mini-getaway. Over the holidays, I purchased the Fresh Cocoa Body Exfoliant & Body Spatula and Cocoa Exfoliating Body Soap. My friend from Little Luxury List blog surprised & sent me Fresh's Brown Sugar Scented Candle, Sugar Lychee Body Lotion and another Cocoa Exfoliating Body Soap (along with some other tasty Asian goodies & snacks :) THANK YOU! I thought with Easter coming up, this would be a really good time to review all of them. If you're looking to give someone an alternative to chocolate than these would be perfect! My thoughts are below! To read my other reviews on Fresh, click HERE.

Sweet-Bittersweet-NotSweet

supersweet(run & buy it) sweet(really good,buy it) bittersweet(ok, issues)not sweet(not good,don't buy this stuff)

 

Fresh Cocoa Exfoliating Body Soap - Supersweet

Whaat!?! This isn't a chocolate candy bar? I almost ate it. LOL But all kidding aside, this is a wonderful exfoliant bar. First of all it's CHUNKY! You won't have to worry about this melting away quickly or falling apart in your hands. So let the exfoliating begin! It's NOT HARSH! I don't know about you, but I've had some exfoliating bars that are just too much for my sensitive skin. Leaving me red and raw after the process. This is GENTLE, but not so gentle that nothing is sloughed away. You can feel the grittiness. I used this on my legs, arms and feet. My skin felt really soft afterwards. It's also great for those elbows and hands. I wouldn't use this on my face. I'm funny about that. However, this is excellent for your body.  Ohhh, the scent!?! It's smells like authentic cocoa bean, without the sugar!

Fresh Cocoa Body Exfoliant and Fresh Body Spatula - Supersweet

As I was using this, I kept asking myself what does this remind me of? Then it hit me! BROWNIE or CHOCOLATE CAKE BATTER! LOL It truly smells like either and the consistency is that of CHOCOLATE PUDDING! This is awesome sauce! Scoop some out and spread it over (and work it into) your legs, arms, feet, roota & toota LOL Anyplace you want to exfoliate, soften & moisturize. Where the bar above is more of an exfoliator (which should be your very 1st step). This is an exfoliator, skin softener and moisturizer in one. But I still feel you need both (and this is not sponsored). They work in conjunction with one another. I also love the jar, because it's not hard. It's squeezable. It's won't shatter if it falls (shower or bathtub). I am mad at Fresh for selling the spatula SEPARATE from this jar! I kept going back & forth...do i need it...maybe not...yes i do! And guess what, if you don't get this YA NEED SUMTHIN' TO SCOOP THIS BROWNIE STUFF OUT! Trust me, you don't want to contaminate the contents within. I will say, this spatula is MARVELOUS and worth the investment! It's not stiff. It has a rubber tip that bends. The handle is wooden, with FRESH inscribed on it. It's small and PERFECT for scooping just the right amount out of the jar. It's a superb spa tool (you'll want to keep) because you'll want another jar of this stuff...yes you will! Ok, look below! My bathwater started CLEAN and after you use both of these products it will look brown (and unfortunately not chocolate brown) LOL. I also show the remnants both leave behind. So expect a brown shower or bathtub. But it's not hard to clean or greasy. Ok ... NEXT!!!

Fresh Sugar Lychee Body Lotion - Supersweet

This bottle is SQUEEZABLE! Love! I hate stiff lotion bottles, where you have to hit it like a ketchup bottle to get the last drop out. Also this is splash-able...wipe-able...oh you get my drift. Fresh put a lot of thought into the design. So how's the lotion? I digress. You'll love it! It's white. It's creamy. It sinks into the skin (you can feel it). I love the scent. Very fresh (no pun intended). It has a very light but sugary scent! It also has shea butter. This is a year round lotion! It's not too heavy. It's not too light.

Fresh Brown Sugar Scented Candle - Supersweet

And finally, we have Fresh's Brown Sugar Scented Candle.  I was enamored with the light baby blue box it came in! This candle is serenity, peacefulness and tranquility in a jar. The blend of caramel, musk and citrus make for a UNIQUE combination. It's CLEAN! I don't think this candle could offend anyone. Very grown up. Very chic. Very light. To me it's like fresh air! Almost scentless.

My Weekend Getaway at Beau Rivage

This weekend I went to Beau Rivage (Biloxi, Mississippi) to see Chaka Khan (Friday). Unbeknownst to me, she would also perform at the Hyatt in New Orleans Saturday night for the United Negro College Fund ($500 a ticket). I promised myself (after Michael Jackson died) to never miss or skip a concert again, in which I was genuinely interested in seeing an artist (you should definitely do the same, so you have no regrets). Chaka Khan is in my mother's age group (Rufus 70's), but the FIRST TIME I heard Chaka (I didn't see her) was in a low-budget movie called Breakin' (the movie promoted diversity, equality, not to judge a book (people) by it's cover and a plethora of other social issues BUT IN A FUN WAY via dancing). I was enamored with the character Ozone (who went on to teach dance in Asia & California), but equally enamored with a song called "Ain't Nobody". I asked my mom, who was that singing. She said Chaka Khan. Well during the 80's Chaka Khan was re-inventing herself! "Ain't Nobody" was a hit and another song "I Feel For You" was also a big hit. So it was exciting to FINALLY see and hear her in concert! She is now 62 and sings flawlessly (a true artist). I read her book (Chaka Through The Fire), and it is absolutely heartbreaking the abuse she endured by family & men and what she subjected herself to. She's also a diabetic and has undergone many lifestyle changes. Her story is astonishing and she's a woman to be admired.  I'm happy to say I've also seen Lionel Richie and Tina Turner in concert. They were both amazing to see. The last time I was at Beau Rivage (sister casino to The Bellagio in Las Vegas) on the Biloxi Mississippi Gulf Coast was in 2014 (here) for Christmas. I try to go when I can, because I want to support the gulf coast as much as possible. Biloxi was devastated by Hurricane Katrina (2005) and is still trying to rebuild. Before 2005, Biloxi looked like a second Vegas strip! Gorgeous homes and rows upon rows of casinos. That's no longer, but I'm happy to see the larger casinos still there and businesses starting to rebuild again. I had a really good time and took some videos of Beau Rivage. I tried to concentrate on areas I hadn't shown you before. Enjoy. They also had some really pretty Easter decorations, but I'll save them closer to the holiday. I wore my Chanel Rouge Noir Holiday (2015) makeup to the concert. I'll feature the collection on my blog this week. It's also funny to see how popular Converse were in the 80's (video) and to now see them popular again >.<

Sephora Beauty Insider Marc Jacobs Happy Birthday #MarcTheMoment

Happy Sample Sunday! Sephora gives out Birthday gifts every year! All you have to be is a Sephora Beauty Insider (Sign Up - It's FREE!). The two gifts to choose from for 2016 are FRESH (Soy Face Cleanser & Rose Face Mask) OR Marc Jacobs Beauty (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Le Marc Lip Creme & Highliner Gel Eye Crayon In Blacquer). I went with Marc Jacobs. This is a really good kit. The lipstick reminds me of a rose or carnation pink. I wasn't sure if it would be flattering for my skin tone, but it was. It's a color that I wouldn't have picked up on my own. It feels really good to the lips and the quality is excellent. This is a deluxe mini size, and very nice :D I've never tried Marc Jacobs Highliner! I love it and will definitely purchase the full-size. It's so creamy and it glides across your eyelids. Plus it stays put. I hope to get more practice in with eye looks in the future and here on the blog. I have 2 rooms left to remodel in my house LOL. With the chaos, I barely put on lipstick. Anyway, I'm ranting now. I just wanted to show you how it looks on me and to remind everyone to get their gift (online/store). Hope you're having a great weekend! To see my other Marc Jacobs reviews, click HERE.