Same Product, Different Colour - Batiste Dry Shampoo - Blonde

I wasn't very impressed with this, especially as I got this in my Bellabox right when I became a red-head.

Still don't like dry shampoo.

And be warned, this is VERY yellow!

It smells really nice though! (like a yellow floral and peaches scent)

Johnson's Pure Cotton Make-up Pads

Why are these so damned thick? They don't need to be that thick!

Aside from the size issue (hur hur hur), I like that these are just cotton, which is biodegradable

'I don't want such damned thick cotton wipes" Solution:

Price: 4.5/5 ($3.79 for 80 pads)
Scent: N/A (no scent)
Effectiveness: 4.5/5

Masquerade! - nügg Face Mask - soothing

I was scared to try this, given I don't like the scent of chamomile, but it was actually very mild in terms of scent.
It was quite soothing (as the name suggests) and really enjoyed it.

It contains linseed, cranberry and grape seed oil as well.

Original Source - Vanilla Milk and Raspberry - Moisturising Handwash

My sister got me this because she knew my ex hated the smell of berries XP

They were right to call this 'Vanilla Milk' and not just 'Vanilla'! There is a definite dairy scent in this.
And there is that tartness which makes it smell like 'raspberry' and not just some random berry scent, a credit to the raspberry extract in the formulation.
Overall, it smells delightful!
After use, the scent stays on your hands for a while :D

This didn't upset my hands (which are sensitive to soap) and lathered up really well.

Price: 2/5 (~$7 for 250mL)
Scent: 5/5
Effectiveness: 5/5

Palmolive - Body Butter - Peppermint Crush

This is not a body butter! It was poorly named. It is an exfoliating body wash.

It is a very gentle exfoliate with very fine granules made from apricot seeds.
The lather is terrific and the scent... is AMAZING! A sweet, peppermint oil, candy-like scent <3

This was a great wash for hot summer days because of the cooling and refreshing feeling peppermint oil affords.

Just a word of warning: If you are more 'sensitive', perhaps keep this away from your 'goods'... peppermint oil can be very refreshing ;p

Price: 4/5 (RRP $6.79 for 400mL)
Scent: 5/5
Effectiveness: 5/5

GC Tooth Mousse Plus

Starting when I was ~15 years old, my lips began to crack and peel and bleed. I had to cover them in Vaseline constantly to prevent pain and further damage. Fast forward to two years ago when I went to a (unfortunately rude) skin specialist who suggested I may be allergic to toothpaste.
I stopped using the minty staple and my lips repaired... I am allergic to toothpaste.

But if I can't use toothpaste, what can I use on my tooty-pegs?

The answer is GC Tooth Mousse Plus

It comes in flavours like vanilla, strawberry, melon, tutti-frutti, and mint (I avoid this last one).
It is activated by saliva and is full of lovely fluoride (don't even bother sending me your 'fluoride is the devil' conspiracy nonsense).

 The only drawback is it is very expensive (~$30 for 40g) but I have no other choice :(

Price: 1/5 ($21.95 for 40g)
Scent: 3.5/5
Effectiveness: 5/5

RedEarth - Lip Nectar - Intensive Therapy Lip Salvation

I got this in my Bellabox, in the shade '01 Papaya'.

It is non-irritating on my sensitive lips and it is a nice enough shade (but not a great colour pay-off).

It is quite sticky and doesn't hydrate the lips much (disappointing for a 'nectar').

'I want a lip balm that won't glue my hair to my face everytime there is a slight gust of wind' Solution:

Palmers is always nice :)

Price: 2/5 ($22 for 10g)
Scent: 2/5
Effectiveness: 1/5

Podcast Review - The Black Tapes Podcast

This creepy little fiction series came to my attention in October last year (Halloween-ish time) and was a delight to listen to.

Sit yourself in a dark room and let yourself get lost in the story of Alex and Dr Strand... then occasionally remind yourself it is fiction XP

Because it is fiction, I won't do into details (I hate spoilers!) but I will recommend you go and listen to it for yourself.

The only negative is how DAMN LONG it takes for new episodes! The wait between season 1 and season 2 was unbearable and I almost gave up on the story all together.

I can wait a long time if I just know the end date (and the people who produce this are not great at communicating with their fans).

Rating: 4.5/5
Catagory: Paranormal fiction

The Body Shop - Oils of Life

I picked this up as soon as I heard about it... I am all about oils!

It contains black cumin seed oil, camellia seed oil and rosehip seed oil and absorbs into the skin SO FAST!

I can see a visual improvement in my skin the morning after using it.

It also smells really nice and the dropper bottle makes application really easy.

Price: 1.5/5 ($54.95 for 30mL)
Scent: 4.5/5
Efficiency: 5/5

Garnier - Dark Spot Corrector

I got this to help fade some spots on my arms and I really regret buying it.
The tube next to me is 95% full.

The formulation is useless, I saw no change in pigmentation and it doesn't soak in at all... It just pills off and makes a big mess.

What were they thinking?

Price: 3/5 ($7-17 for 50mL on ebay)
Scent: 1/5
Effectiveness: 0/5

Masquerade! - Baroness Pomegranate Mask Sheet

While I like eating pomegranate, I'm not the biggest fan of its scent.
And this sheet mask (to its credit) smelt like the real deal.

This mask also contains apple and it was ok for a quick hydration boost. I found this mask to be a bit dry.

Podcast Review - The F Plus

My sister got me hooked on this early last year and I have been a loyal listener ever since.

As the tagline goes "Terrible things read with enthusiasm", this is a show where a subject is picked off the Internet and  things people have typed for the world to see a read out loud.

It also updates weekly, which I GREATLY appreciate (recording and editing take a lot of time and effort).

This is a great way to learn about some of the stranger things out there without occidentally seeing an image you can't unsee.

I would also like to confess here my love of Bunnybread (one of the readers) and is smooth, baritone voice... I never want to see his face, it would corrupt the image I have made for him in my mind <3

The only negative I can give it is episode 1. Don't start with episode 1! It is really boring and not at all representative of the rest of the series. Come back to 1 and start at episode 2.

Rating: 5/5

Catagory: Comedy

Art break - Glowing ember for B

During a camping trip, B expressed a love of glowing embers and a desire to hold one. Clearly that is a terrible idea... so why not make him and glowing ember he CAN hold?

I took a flickering orange LED circuit out of a LED candle and covered the switch and battery compartment with cling film. This was to protect it from any moisture from the paint and modelling paste. 
The LED and wires on top were protected when I attached a covering made from a plastic drink bottle.

Next, I used layers of modelling paste to hide seams and make it look more coal-like. I left some of the drink bottle plastic uncovered by paste because we want some of that light to come through.

I then mixed some red-orange paint with a mattifying gel medium (embers don't have a sheen and it made the paint a bit more translucent) and placed this where light could shine through.

The next step was painting the rest of it black.

But an ember isn't so clean looking, so to improve realism I made some ash (I have a lot of incense and it creates a nice fine, predictable ash).

I stuck this ash on using more of the matt gel.

Finally, it had to be put in a suitable container for gifting. I used some aluminum foil to line the box to add some insulation XD It also emphasized the glow nicely. 

Final verdict: B loved it! He can now fulfill his wish safely.

The Body Shop - Shower Gel - Early Harvest Raspberry

This smells like jam! :D Then you use it and you faintly smell of jam and everything in the world is a little better.

This shower gel lathers up wonderfully and leaves your skin feeling clean.

It didn't upset my skin, which is always a important requirement for me (obviously).

Price: 3/5 ($9.95 for 250mL)
Scent: 5/5
Effectiveness: 5/5