Book Review – The Dr. Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell

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All That Remains, Benton Wesley, Black Notice, Blow Fly, Body of Evidence, Book of the Dead, books, Cause of Death, Cornwell, Cruel and Unusual, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, Dr. Scarpetta, Dust, From Potter's Field, Kay Scarpetta, Lucy Farinelli, medical examiner, novel, Patricia Cornwell, Pete Marino, Point of Origin, Port Mortuary, Postmortem, Predator, Red Mist, review, Scarpetta, Scarpetta novel, The Body Farm, The Bone Bed, The Last Precinct, The Scarpetta Factor, Trace, Unnatural Exposure

Hey, y’all!

This book review is going to be on the Dr. Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell. It’s also going to be a little different than the reviews I’ve already done, simply because there are so many of them. As far as I know, there are 21 Dr. Kay Scarpetta books. I’m still working my way up to the most recently released book, Dust. I’ve read up to the 14th book, Predator. Even though I obviously haven’t read all of the books yet, I feel like I’ve read enough of them to be able to write this review. A good thing about these books is that you don’t necessarily have to read them in any particular order. If you planned on reading them all, it would be easier on you to read them in order so that you can stay up to date on Dr. Scarpetta’s life & not get confused. However, if you only want to read a couple, you can just grab whichever ones sound most interesting to you. For example, I read the 4th book in the series first, & then I decided to start reading the series in the order that it was written. I have to warn you that you will probably want to read them all once you’ve read one. Cornwell takes researching for her books very seriously. She’s an inspiration. If Scarpetta does something in the book, chances are Cornwell has done it. For example, when Scarpetta went scuba diving in one of the novels, it was described in such amazing detail that I wondered how she could have known so much about it. Sure enough, Cornwell had gone scuba diving so that she could write about it to the best of her ability. Cornwell is so dedicated to her work that you can’t help but to admire her. A word of caution – These books are not for the faint-hearted or those of you who get queasy easily. Anyway, here’s a quick overview of what you can expect from the Scarpetta novels –

Dr. Kay Scarpetta is best known as the brilliant Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Virginia at Richmond. She is also known as one of the top forensic pathologist in the country. Her cases pull her into several white-knuckling, dangerous situations.  Along the way, we are also introduced to the FBI profiler Benton Wesley, Kay’s niece (who happens to be a genius) Lucy Farinelli, and the never-boring homicide detective Pete Marino.

With this mix of characters, Cornwell manages to completely enthrall you with her nail-biting stories. If you like murder/mystery novels, you NEED to read these. I have since become a huge Patricia Cornwell fan, & I just can’t get enough of her. Her writing style is fantastic, her descriptiveness is wonderful, & the tone of all of her Scarpetta novels are amazing. I fully intend to read her other books after I’m finished with all of the Scarpetta novels. Dr. Kay Scarpetta has become one of my favorite fictional characters. I like to joke with my husband that we’re friends. Every time we watch anything like Unsolved Mysteries, I always make a comment about how Dr. Scarpetta would’ve solved it already. Even though I haven’t finished all of the Scarpetta novels that have been released yet, I really just wanted to spread the word about them. I feel like they’re so great & I wanted y’all to know about them, if you didn’t already, so that you could check them out! Again, these books are wonderful & I 100% recommend them. I have nothing negative to say about them. I truly believe you’ll enjoy them as much as I did/do!

Xoxo

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Product Review – L’Oreal Sublime Bronze Towelettes

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L'Oreal, L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Towelettes, self-tanner, self-tanning, sensitive skin, skin, tan, tanning

Hey, y’all! I decided to write this review, because I really like this product. It’s the L’Oreal Sublime Bronze Towelettes.

I have never self-tanned before. When I was in high school I would go to the tanning bed almost every day, but I started realizing how horrible is was for my skin. So I just somewhat gave up on being tan. I’m not sure if it’s my Greek roots or something else, but I simply can’t get a tan from being outside. It seems like no matter how long I’m outside, I just don’t get any color. When my wedding rolled around, I decided to get a spray tan for my bridal portraits & then again for the actual day of the wedding. It was alright, but I didn’t really enjoy standing in front of someone, who was basically stranger, while she sprayed me down. Also, it smelt awful, & made me feel disgustingly sticky for hours. It just wasn’t my thing. So, I decided to try out some self-tanner. I had no idea which kind to use, & I was super nervous about it. I’m pretty white, so I wasn’t sure how my skin would react to self-tanner. I’ve seen several of my friends turn themselves orange on accident, have streaks all over, or have their hands look really strange lol. Anyway, I was at Target the other day & I saw these on the shelf & was intrigued. I went ahead & purchased them because they were on sale.

As I said above, I really like these. I exfoliated like crazy, shaved, & moisturized before I used them. One of the great things about them is that the tan can be built up. For example, I didn’t really want a super dark tan. I just wanted a little bit of color so I used only one wipe & I wiped my skin down really lightly. It made my skin probably a shade & a half darker, but if I decide I want to get darker all I have to do is wipe myself down again. At this point my tan has lasted a little over two days. Another great thing about them is that they still worked great on my super sensitive skin. I even used the towelette on my face, & I didn’t break out at all, which is a really big deal for me. The only complaint I have is the smell. Now, on the box that I purchased it says that it has a new scent. Well, I don’t like it. It smells like the spray tans I got for the wedding, & I’m not a fan of it. In the product’s defense, it’s really not that strong at all, & it went away after the first day.

I definitely suggest these to anyone who wants to self-tan, especially if you have sensitive skin. They give a completely non-orange, non-streaky, gorgeous tan. They’re inexpensive, & can be found at Ulta & Target. You might be able to find them at other stores, but that’s where I know you can get them for sure. I hope this helped any of you who were thinking about trying out a new self-tanner! I’ll talk to y’all later!

Xoxo

Recipe for Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes

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blueberries, blueberry, blueberry pancakes, fluffy, fluffy pancakes, homemade, homemade pancakes, pancakes

This post is going to be my recipe for pancakes! They’re SO easy, & they’re definitely a favorite in our house.

My husband doesn’t usually request certain meals. There are only 3 or 4 things that I make that he’ll specifically ask for. Other than that it’s usually, “Whatever you want to make, baby.” so the fact that he requests these as often as he does is a pretty big deal lol. One of the best things about this recipe is that you can easily make them your own. For example, I put blueberries in them this morning. I usually don’t put anything in them, but I had some blueberries that I needed to use. If you don’t like blueberries, you can use any berry of your choice, or even just throw in some chocolate chips!

Here’s what you’ll need –

3/4 Cup of Milk

2 Tbsp of White Vinegar

2 Tbsp of Butter

1 Egg

1 Cup of All-purpose Flour

2 Tbsp of White Sugar

1 tsp of Baking Powder

1/2 tsp of Baking Soda

1/2 tsp of Salt

1 Cup of Blueberries

Here’s the Process –

1. Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl & set aside for 5 minutes to “sour”.

2. While the milk is souring, be sure to rinse your blueberries & preheat your griddle. The griddle that I use is awesome. My husband & I found it by chance while we were shopping at Sam’s Club. It was only about $20, & one of the best purchases we’ve ever made. It’s a Wolfgang Puck, & it’s so convenient. When I’m not using it I can just store it in one of our cabinets. Here’s a picture of it –

3. Melt your butter & add it & the egg to the milk mixture.

4. Go ahead & add your dry ingredients to the milk mixture. Try to mix it so that there are no lumps.

5. Save about 1/4 cup of flour to add to your blueberries. Adding the flour to the blueberries prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the batter.

6. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter.

7. Next pour your desired amount onto your preheated griddle. Now, it might look like it’s going to be a disaster, but just be patient. Wait about 3 minutes before flipping, depending on how hot your griddle is, & then gently flip them.

8. Keep doing this until all the batter is gone. & then Enjoy!!

I really hope you enjoy this recipe. As I said above, you can use any fruit, or chocolate chips, that you’d like. If you try them out let me know!

Xoxo

Review – “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green

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Augustus Waters, book, Hazel Lancaster, John Green, review, The Fault in Our Stars

This review is going to be on the book The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I’m writing this review next, because I literally just finished reading it, & I’m still in complete amazement. This book, this book, this book.

This is one of the best books I’ve ever read, & that’s really saying something. John Green is a genius. His writing style is incredible. Not only do I think he perfectly captures the essence of a teenage girl, but he finds a way to completely pull his readers into his story. He just has a way of writing that makes you unable to put the book down. I finished this book in one day. I just couldn’t stop. I will tell you that I cried several times throughout this book. If I were you, I’d prepare myself for that. Here’s a short overview –

The main character is Hazel Lancaster. She is afflicted with terminal thyroid cancer, which has ruined her lungs enough to necessitate the use of an oxygen tank wherever she goes. It is during a support meeting, that her mother convinces her to go to, that she is introduced to Augustus Waters. Augustus immediately catches Hazel’s attention. Augustus soon becomes the object of her affection, & they take you on an eye-opening & spectacular journey.

Now, I’ve heard a few people complain that Hazel & Augustus aren’t realistic characters. That two teenagers wouldn’t speak or act the way that they do. I disagree with this completely. Not all teenagers are the same. There are thousands of teenagers who break the mold, & are extremely mature for their age. I think the perfect example of these mature & unique people would be the ones who are living with, or are survivors, of cancer. I myself am a survivor of cervical cancer, & while I didn’t have to go through the excruciating experiences several other cancer patients have to go through, it did change me. I find these characters to be extremely realistic, & wonderful. This book surpassed all of my expectations. You would think that a book that makes a person cry so much would be depressing, but it’s not. I laughed out loud several times throughout the book. Green does a fantastic job of telling this story with humor, grace, & honesty. This was my first book by John Green, & I have every intention of purchasing others. I’m sure you all know that The Fault in Our Stars has been made into a movie. Even though we all know that the book is always much better than the movie, I am excited to see the movie. I hope they do the characters & their story justice. In conclusion, in case you couldn’t already tell, I 100% suggest this book to all readers. Even if you normally don’t read Young Adult, I think you should give this one a try! I fell in love with this story, & I hope you will too.

Xoxo

Recipe for Oat & Honey Bread

Tags

baking, bread, homemade, homemade bread, honey, honey oat bread, oats

I’m going to share another recipe with y’all today! This recipe is for my oat & honey bread. I don’t know about you, but I love honey. & I’m a sucker for bread. I could eat plain bread on a daily basis, which is probably why I have to keep my butt in the gym lol. This bread is one of my favorites. My husband loves it too, which is always a good thing! You know you have a good recipe when your husband’s buddies ask him to bring some to work with him so that they can have some too. I made sure to take pictures throughout the process while I was making it last night. I don’t know about y’all, but I find things to be a bit easier to understand if I can see pictures of the process. So here’s what you’ll need –

1 Envelope of Yeast (2-1/4 tsp )
1/4 cup of Honey
3 Tbsp of Unsalted Butter, melted
1-1/3 cup of Warm Water
3 cups of Bread Flour
1 cup of Old Fashioned or Quick Oats
1/3 cup of Non Fat Dry Milk Powder
1 tsp of Salt

& you’ll need an additional –
2 Tbsp of Honey
2 Tbsp of Oats

Here’s what you’ll need to do –

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a small bowl, add the water, honey and yeast. Let it sit for a few minutes until the yeast is activated. The second picture is what it looks like once the yeast has activated.

3. In the bowl of a standing mixer add flour, milk powder, oats, salt, butter, & the yeast milk mixture.

4. With a dough hook attachment, knead the dough for just a few minutes, or until it all comes together.

5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface & knead until the dough is nice and smooth. (Don’t worry if the dough is super sticky. It’s suppose to be.)

6. Lightly grease a large bowl, place the dough in the greased bowl, brush the top with a little oil & cover with plastic wrap. I usually just spray the bowl with olive oil spray.

7. Place in a warm, draft free spot & let it rise for about an hour and a half. I put mine in the microwave, with the microwave turned off.

8. Grease a 9×5” loaf pan & set aside.

9. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, again, & knead it for a minute just to pull it together. Form it into a loaf as best you can, & place it in the greased loaf pan (seam side down). Cover it with the plastic wrap, & let it rise for another hour & a half.

10. Warm the additional honey up so that it’s runny, & brush the top of the bread with it. Sprinkle the additional oats all over the top.

11. Bake your bread for about 40 minutes. If you don’t like the top of your bread to have as much color as mine does, simply cover it with foil when you see it getting too dark.

12. Allow it to cool for about 5 minutes, & then gently remove from the pan. Let cool completely before slicing.

I really hope you give this one a try! We just love it. It’s delicious! Xoxo

Review on The “Beautiful Creatures” Series

Tags

Beautiful Chaos, Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Creatures series, Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Redemption, books, Casters, Ethan Wate, Kami Garcia, Lena Duchannes, Margaret Stohl, series, Southern

I know that I said in my last book review that I was going to review The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter next, but I thought I would write a review on the Beautiful Creatures series by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl first. The only reason I decided this is because I literally just finished this series.

This series consists of 4 books. There’s Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos, & Beautiful Redemption. I enjoyed this series. I suppose it wouldn’t surprise anyone that I loved the Southern charm in these books, being that I’m from Louisiana lol. These books were different from anything I’ve ever read for a few reasons. The first reason being that I’ve never read a book from a guy’s point of view before. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it at first, but it turned out to be pretty interesting. It was a nice little change. The next reason being that these books had ideas in them that I’ve never seen, or heard of, before. The authors took witches, vampires, ghosts, even voodoo & personalized them. Instead of witches or warlocks, they’re called Casters. Instead of ghosts, they’re called Sheers. There are several other examples of the authors putting their own twists on things, but I don’t want to give too much detail & ruin it for those of you who haven’t had a chance to read it. Here’s an overview for those of you who haven’t read them yet. The main character in these books is Ethan Wate. He’s a high school student in Gatlin, South Carolina. Following a car accident that killed his mother, Ethan lives with his father & their long-time housekeeper, Amma. Ethan doesn’t exactly relish living in Gatlin, & dreams of the day that he can escape the boring life he leads. That is, however, until Lena Duchannes moves to Gatlin. She is the girl of his dreams, literally. You see, Ethan has been dreaming about Lena for quite a while. Imagine his surprise when he realizes she’s real & has moved to his town. He soon learns that she’s not just an ordinary girl. Lena is an extremely powerful Caster, from an extremely powerful Caster family, & her family is cursed. As soon as Ethan meets Lena, things begin to change. She takes him on a dangerous & thrilling adventure. Their lives seem to get more & more complicated as time goes on, & leads to shocking discoveries that you most likely won’t see coming.

The only negative things I can say about these books is that they are a bit too descriptive in some parts, which causes the story to progress somewhat slowly. Also, these books were probably meant for an audience that’s just a bit younger. While I did enjoy them, there were a few times I couldn’t help but roll my eyes lol. All in all, I suggest you give these a try. If you enjoyed the Twilight books, the Hunger Games, or even the Divergent series, I think you’ll enjoy these. The series has comedy, romance, drama.. a little of everything. I hope you give them a try!

Makeup Removal Products for Sensitive Skin

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babylips, clarisonic, clarisonic mia 2, clinique, eye makeup remover, facewash, lip balm, lip mask, makeup, makeup removal, makeup removal wipes, makeup wipes, mary kay, Maybelline, mia 2, moisturizer, philosophy, purity, sensitive, sensitive skin, skin, skin care, waterproof makeup

I’m one of those people with SUPER sensitive skin. I have to be super careful about what I put on my face. The last time I just randomly purchased something for my face it was a pack of makeup remover wipes. I didn’t think much about it, I just used them, & then my face turned red, got swollen, & itched for about 3 days lol. Needless to say, I’m much more careful with my skin these days. I know that some of you have sensitive like me, so I wanted to share the products that I use to remove my makeup. I’m going to go in the order I would if I were removing my makeup. So first, I remove my eye makeup.

This stuff is GREAT. It’s the only thing I’ve ever used that doesn’t irritate my eyes, leave a residue on my contacts, & still gets all of my makeup off. I use this with cotton rounds & it works great. I put some on the cotton round, let it sit on my eye for a few seconds to soften my mascara, & then I gently start removing my eye makeup. I make two passes with two different cotton rounds, & that always gets everything off. You can find this product at most drug stores. I buy mine from either Target or WalMart. I then move on to my face wipes.

Let me start off by saying that I was using the Simple Makeup Remover Wipes up until recently when I switched to these. The only reason I switched to the Yes to Cucumbers is because the ingredients are a bit better, but the Simple ones work just as well. I LOVE the Yes to Cucumber wipes. They are so soft & gentle, but they get the job done. I just wipe down my whole face & neck in a circular motion. Again, you can find these at most drugstores. I buy mine at Target. Then I move on to my actual face cleanser.

I use the Purity face wash by Philosophy. I was really iffy with this face wash at first, because I thought it might be too strong for my sensitive skin. I’ve been using it for years now, & I have had no problems whatsoever with it irritating my skin. The back of the bottle says it “deep cleans pores & eliminates makeup buildup. Hydrates. Contains deep cleansing agents. & Natural oil extracts help condition skin.” & it’s fragrance free. I use this every morning & every night, even if I didn’t wear makeup that day. This is a higher end product, & can be found at Sephora. I have the largest bottle, but if you’re wanting to try it out or save some money, they do have smaller sizes. In the morning, I just use my fingers & massage it into my skin using a circular motion. At night I use it with this –

Now, let me start off by saying that I’m usually not one to spend a lot of money on something like this, but after much debating I finally decided to give it a shot. I regret NOTHING lol. This is the Clarisonic Mia 2, & is one of the best purchases of my life. It IS pretty pricey, but if you can bite the bullet & spend the money, you won’t regret it. They make different heads for it, & I use the one for sensitive skin. It had a timer on it so that you know how long to spend on each part of your face. It’s great. I personally found mine at Dillard’s, but Sephora & Macy’s also carries them. After I was my face using my Clarisonic & Purity face wash, I go to my moisturizer.

This moisturizer is from Clinique, & is pretty new to my skin care routine. I’ve been using it for a few months now, & I can definitely see a positive difference in my skin. It’s so light & moisturizing. It feels great on the skin. I do two pumps for all over my face & down my neck. One of the things that I love about this lotion is that my skin just soaks it all up & it doesn’t leave me feeling oily at all. The last thing I do is moisturize my lips

This, again, is a more recent addition to my nightly routine. It’s a lip mask & a balm. The mask exfoliates my lips & the balm makes them SO smooth. I really love this stuff. I had never purchased anything from Mary Kay before, until a friend of mine started selling it & suggested these to me. I really love them. I don’t, however, use them every night. Sometimes I just don’t need to exfoliate my lips, so I’ll go with something a bit simpler.

I’m a huge fan of Baby Lips by Maybelline. I have several of them, but this one is my favorite. Unfortunately, I think this particular one was limited edition, because I can’t seem to find it anywhere anymore. If you decide to purchase one of these, you can’t go wrong. Just pick the one that stands out the most to you, & I’m sure you’ll love it. These can be find at most drugstores. I’ve bought mine from Target, WalMart, & CVS.

I hope this helps you out if you’ve been trying to figure out which products you should use for your sensitive skin! These products have been great for me, & I hope they work great for you too!

If you have any questions, just leave a comment & I’ll do my best to answer it for you! Xoxo

Review – “Alice in Zombieland” by Gena Showalter

Tags

Alice Bell, Alice in Zombieland, Cole Holland, Gena Showalter, The White Rabbit Chronicles, White Rabbit Chronicles, zombies

Hey, everyone! This review is going to be on Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter.

It is book #1 of the White Rabbit Chronicles. It’s a young adult novel, & it’s wonderful. It wouldn’t be fair of me to start this review without letting you know that I have since become a HUGE Gena Showalter fan since first reading this book. Her books never fail to captivate me, and Alice in Zombieland is no exception! Alice in Zombieland is without a doubt one of my favorite books of all time. I know that might sound like a bit much, but there’s just something about this book that caused me to become completely captivated by it. I have actually read this book multiple times. Gena Showalter is incredible. Zombies have, obviously, become an extremely popular thing. There are movies, obstacle courses, books, TV shows, etc. all about zombies. Showalter, however, has an idea that I can almost guarantee you’ve never seen or heard of before. I will tell you that if you’re looking for a dark, twisted version of Alice in Wonderland with zombies thrown in, this book isn’t for you. I know the title may suggest otherwise, but this book doesn’t really have anything to do with Alice in Wonderland. It may have some brief, scattered references to Alice in Wonderland, but Alice in Zombieland is it’s own unique story. Here’s a short overview – The main character in Alice in Zombieland is Alice Bell. She has spent her life thinking that her father is crazy. You see, her father can see “monsters” that no one else can see. He spends a great portion of his time teaching his family how to fight monsters they can’t see, & trying to protect their home from the same monsters. One night, Alice’s entire life is turned upside down by a terrible accident that claims the lives of her family. She moves in with her grandparents, & begins going to a new school. She learns all too soon that the monsters are, in fact, very real. Her father’s training her to fight the monsters suddenly doesn’t become so silly. On her first day of school, things get very interesting. Enter Cole Holland, the bad-boy at school, & who has secrets of his own. In order to learn more about the monsters that terrorized her father, Alice must get close to Cole & his dangerous group of friends. With this, we are given romance & a butt-kicking story. The relationship between Cole and Alice is one of the highlights of this book. Also, it is wonderfully refreshing to have a heroine who doesn’t just sit back & take it. Alice is the perfect example of a strong female lead. This is one book you don’t want to miss. My next review will be on the second White Rabbit Chronicles book, The Queen of Zombie Hearts, so stay tuned!Xoxo

 

 

Recipe – White Sandwich Bread

Tags

bread, bread recipe, homemade bread, sandwich bread, white bread, white sandwich bread

I’ve been making this bread for years! I honestly can’t even remember where this recipe originated from. That’s how long I’ve been using it! It’s great, because I usually always have the ingredients on hand, & it’s SUPER simple! I made a loaf last night & was sure to take some pictures for y’all. I hope you give this one a try, & hopefully your loaf will come out a little prettier than mine did last night! lol. Here’s what you’ll need –

1 Envelopes of Yeast
2 tsp of Salt
2 Tbsp of Sugar
3 Tbsp of melted Vegetable Shortening
1 ¼ cup of Warm Water
4 cups of Bread Flour
⅓ cup of Non Fat Dry Milk Powder

Here’s what you’ll need to do –

* Preheat your oven to 350 degree F *

1. In a bowl, add the water, sugar, shortening, and yeast. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes, or until the yeast has activated. You should be able to smell the yeast, & it should look something like this –

2. Add the flour, milk powder, salt, & the yeast mixture in the bowl of a standing mixer.

3. Fit your mixer with a dough hook.

4. Knead the dough in your mixer for just a few minutes, or until it all comes together.

5. Once it has all come together, take the dough out of the bowl & knead the dough on a floured surface until nice & smooth.

6. Lightly grease a large bowl. Place the dough in the greased bowl & brush the top with a little oil. Cover with plastic wrap.

7. Place in a warm spot & let it rise for about an hour and a half to two hours. (A few years ago, a friend of mine suggested I keep my doughs in my microwave, with the microwave turned off, to let the dough rise. I’ve never looked back! It’s perfect.)

8. Grease a 9×5” loaf pan & set aside.

9. Knead the dough again on a lightly floured surface until it’s nice & smooth. Form it into a loaf, place it in the greased loaf pan (seam side down) & cover it with a kitchen towel. Let it rise again for about another hour or so.

10. Bake your bread in your preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. If you see the bread turning brown too quickly, cover it with a little foil to stop it from getting too dark.

11. Rub the top of the loaf with a very slightly moist piece of paper towel as soon as it comes out of the oven, if you prefer a soft crust on your bread.

12. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

13. Slice & enjoy!!

My loaf came out a little wonky this time around, but it still tastes great! If you try this recipe, let me know how you liked it! Happy baking! Xoxo

Review – Lush Cosmetics

Tags

bath, bath bomb, bubble bar, butterball, face mask, Lush, Lush cosmetics, mask of magnaminty, shower, sunny side

If you read my “About Me” section, then you know that I also plan on writing blogs about cosmetics. Well, this is going to be my first post about cosmetics! I just recently made my first purchase from Lush.

If you’re not familiar with Lush, I’ll give you a little bit of information. They do fresh, handmade cosmetics. They even invent their own products & fragrances. They make them fresh, by hand, & use little or no preservatives, little packaging, & they only use vegetarian ingredients. They fight animal testing, which is wonderful. Being from a small town in Louisiana, we unfortunately don’t have one of their stores, but I was able to order from their website. Being that it was my first time ordering, I wasn’t too sure what I should order so I based a lot of my purchase on the reviews that the website offers. I ordered a face mask, a bath bomb, a bubble bar, & a steam tab. They also sent me a complimentary hand soap, which I think was very sweet of them.

First of all, I was pleasantly surprised with the way everything smelled. Sometimes it’s hard to make choices online when there’s no way of knowing how something will smell. Luckily, everything smelled wonderful. I’ll start by talking about the bath bomb that I purchased. I chose the “butterball”, & it was definitely an excellent choice.

Not only does it smell fantastic, but it’s also ridiculously moisturizing. It’s so moisturizing that I didn’t even have to put lotion on once I got out of the tub, which was nice. The fizzing that takes place when it’s dropped in the water is pretty fun to watch as well lol. The smell is so great that our bathroom ended up smelling like it for the rest of the night, & so did my skin. This is definitely going on my “to be re-purchased” list!

The next thing I purchased was the “Sunny Side” bubble bar! Omgsh, y’all. This one was great. I mean, look at it!

It’s so sparkly & fun. It also smells A-MAZING. You can’t help but smile when using this bubble bar. I LOVE citrus smells, & this one is orange, tangerine, & lemon so this one was right up my alley. The bubbles were, of course, awesome. I’ve never gotten that amount of bubbles when using other products. Also, I only used half of it. So I could about imagine how awesome the bubbles would be if you used the whole thing. Not only does it smell great & give you awesome bubbles, but listen to this…. It gives you sparkly gold water!! That’s right. How fun is that?! I will say that I DID have to clean the tub really quick when I was done, because some of the gold was left. It came off super easy though so it shouldn’t be a problem.

Next is the steam tab that I purchased. I decided to purchase this, because I was getting over a pretty serious cold at the time.

I thought, what better way to feel better than a tea tree oil tab that releases steam into my shower? Not only that, but it’s suppose to help calm & clear your skin. I actually ended up not using it in the shower. I filled the sink up with warm water, & put my face over the sink once I dropped it in. This was the only product that just didn’t work for me. I’m not sure if I did it wrong, or if I just got a dud, but I didn’t get any steam. It smelled good, but that was about it.

& finally, the face mask that I ordered.

This mask was actually recommended to me by several people, which is why I decided to purchase it. First off, I was blown away by how amazing it smells. It smells very minty, of course. Lush’s website indicates that it’s technically a facial wash, but the majority of people use it as a face mask. A friend of mine suggested that I keep it in the fridge, because it would feel even more refreshing on my face if I kept it in there. Boy, was she right. It was almost overpowering, but not quite. The feeling of it on my skin was definitely intense. It felt so luxurious & refreshing.  My skin felt AMAZING when I was done. I don’t think my skin has ever felt so soft. This is going to be repurchased by me over & over again. Also, I ordered the smallest size so that I could try it out before I spent too much money. The smaller size is still a great purchase, because it doesn’t take much, so it’ll last me a while.

I hope that this post helps you if you were interested in making a purchase at Lush! I’m sure I don’t need to tell you, but just in case – All of these products were purchased with my own money. Lush didn’t influence this post in any way. I’m sure my blog is too new for them to really care about asking me to post things in their favor lol. So, all in all, I had an amazing experience with my first purchase from Lush. If you decide to make a purchase from them, I hope you have as awesome an experience as me! Let me know your thoughts in the comment section!

Xoxo