My New Addiction: Melting Wax + ScentSationals Pink Velvet Review

Good Day Beautiful People!

I've been a avid candle burner for some years now but it has become costly. I've been looking to cut corners in terms of costs to a lot of things that I buy and I haven't purchased candles in MONTHS! Yes, in months. I ran out of my very last candle some time last December. Now we're in March and I found a new alternative to get my wax. I have seen wax cubes a few times on social media and I just didn't think that I would enjoy it the same way I enjoy burning candles. As of a couple weeks ago, I found out how wrong I was!

I purchased my first wax melts at Walmart alongside a warmer. It was a Better Homes and Gardens 20Watt warmer. It was a nice piece for the living room so I opted for that one to test out. I picked up ScentSationals Egyptian Cotton, ScentSationals Illusion, and ScentSationals Pink Velvet. I melted Egyptian Cotton first. It was nice but about a couple hours in I decided to add a cube of Illusion to mix with it. This combination lasted me almost a week whilst remaining on the same plate on my warmer. I just poured it out today to replace with another scent.

Since then, I bought a warmer for my room, my sister's room, and my mom's room as well from JC Penney. She likes the concept so she is going to bring one home to Ghana on her trip this year as well. Now everyone is warming! I share some of my findings and warming adventures on my Snap Chat. I also belong to a group on Facebook. I'll leave the links below so that you can check them out as well.  The group helps me out being that I'm new to melting wax. I am also introduced to other bloggers and YouTubers as well. It's very informative and the people have been melting for years now! There are tons of other brands out there as well. This group that I belong to is dedicated to retail wax only. Which is super convenient for me because I can find the wax handy at physical stores such as JCP, Kohl's, Target, Yankee Candle, Big Lots, Walmart, etc. Please feel free to request to join the group!

Let's get into this Pink Velvet Review!

Upon cold sniff, I knew this was going to be a gem. I found this scent in a ScentSationals hashtag on Instagram. I decided to pick it up because of it's popularity. I had to go back yesterday to pick up back ups ( I picked up 4 more clamshells). The scent carries a nice sweet, creamy note to it. It's almost like a bakery scent. Some people have said that the scent favors Aqualina's Pink Sugar. Having smelled the scent and working with it for a while...I would say that it is close but not the same. I much rather prefer the Pink Velvet fragrance over the Aqualina Pink Sugar Scent. I haven't worn the scent on my skin which also creates another factor. On a fragrance strip from work, the Aquilina has more of a floral scent to it. Not so much bakery. The throw on this fragrance would have to be a  4 out of 5 for me. It is a nice soft scent. It isn't strong and overpowering. For that reason, I had to pick up more. In my bedroom it is amazinggggggg. I haven't been melting long but so far this is my favorite scent thus far. I enjoy scents similar to this. Bakery, sweet, edible...lol. I do enjoy fresh scents as well such as SS Himalayan Pink Salt, Estate's Black Coconut Sands, SS Tea Thyme, SS Papagayo Beach, etc. I just can't live without my bakery lol. If this scent came in body care, I'd be on it like hot cakes. My warmer is a 25W bulb from Estate that I got from JCP. It has been doing very well with all my wax melts so far from Walmart. The ScentSationals wax melts are $2 which is awesome. I don't feel like I'm spending so much to switch scents as frequent as I'd like. I don't have to worry about accidentally leaving my candle on and burning when I'm not around. I also don't have to worry about soot! I hate when I have to blow out a scent and I get that nasty smokey scent after or it stains the glass.

I recommend that you check out our group to find out more about wax and if you're interested in this scent, make sure to check out your Walmart or ScentSationals website!

Please make sure to check the links here:

Facebook Group I belong to: Scented Wax Melts Retail Store Bought: https://www.facebook.com/groups/scentedwaxretail

ScentSationals Website: www.scentsationals.com

My Snap Chat: Naasika
My Instagram: Naasika
Twitter: HelloSika

Disclaimer: The products discussed in this post have been purchased with my own money. All opinions stated in this post are solely of my own.

-Naasika

Benefit's Porefessional Matte Rescue Gel Primer

Good Day Beautiful People!

Today, I come to you with a primer review. Yes, a primer that gets it's own post. This primer has worked exceptionally well with all of my foundations and hasn't disappointed me. I am also a fan of the Benefit's Porefessional Original primer. I have tried other samples out there and I kind of know what kind of texture I enjoy. I am not a huge fan of primers that are silicone based. These primers tend to roll and glide on the skin against hydrating skincare products. Main reason being because silicone doesn't mix or absorb. It just sits there. The creamy texture to Benefit's Porefessional is one that I can use with any moisturizer or oil at that.

With the Matte Rescue Gel Primer this product does not do well with my face creams that contain SPF. I have to be careful with the amount that I use. It does work well with First Aid Beauty's Ultra Repair Cream and the likes. Any gel based moisturizer has done really well with this primer as well. This primer smells like a berry to me. I cannot put my finger on it but I get a fruity scent from this primer. Absorbs into the skin quickly as well. It works great with my drugstore foundation and my high end foundation as well. It's a huge bottle for a primer in my opinion. This primer is shy of a few bucks than it's original counterpart as well. With daily use, I can see this product lasting me about 6 months. A little bit goes a long way. I massage it into my skin from the center outwards and of course focusing on the oily areas.

Check out your local Sephora to try out this product in store or take home a sample to try it out.

Disclaimer: This product featured in this post has been purchased with my own money. All opinions expressed in this post are solely of my own.

-Naasika

Gratis Haul!

Good Day!

I have been gone for a good bit and I just didn't know what I should come back on here to talk to you guys about. Check out my skincare post! However, I thought that I could show you guys what I received in gratis in the past few months. If there are any pieces that you all were interested in me trying out and reviewing, please let me know. I do have some products that need reviews as well. I do have a couple of drugstore products in the stash as well. Stay tuned for many reviews!


Pictured:

-Kat Von D Lock It Powder Foundation
-Benefit They're Real Mascara
-The Original MakeUp Eraser
-Air Patrol BB Cream Eyelid Primer - Benefit Cosmetics
-Roller Lash Curling and Lifting Mascar - Benefit Cosmetics
-Cils Booster XL Super Enhancing Mascara Base - Lancome
-Hypnose Drama Instant Full Body Volume Mascara - Lancome
-They're Real! Tinted Lash Primer - Benefit Cosmetics
-Audacious Mascara - NARS
-O! Mega Lash Volumizing Mascara - Marc Jacobs
-Shadow Insurance - Too Faced
-Purity Made Simple - Philosophy
-Nirvana White Dry Shampoo - Elizabeth and James
-BI-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover - Lancome
-Warm Cotton - Clean
-Lipsurgence Skintuitive Lip Gloss - Tarte
-Live Joyously Rollerball - Philosophy
-#ColorCurators: Song of Style Edition Nail Polish - Formula X
-Pro Airbrush Blender #78 - Sephora Collection
-Needles No More 3-D Filler Mask - Dr. Brandt Skincare
-the original beauty blender - beauty blender
-Face Cleanser - First Aid Beauty
-Eye Duty Triple Remedy Overnight Balm - First Aid Beauty
-Skin Rescue Oil Free Mattifying Gel Moisturizer - First Aid Beauty
-Vitamin Hydrating Mist - First Aid Beauty

Drugstore
-Max Volume PLUS Mascara - Wet n Wild
-Dollhouse Pink 967 - Wet n Wild

If you wanna keep up with me when I'm not posting to my ever so neglected blog, please feel free to catch me on my other social network pages:

Instagram & Snapchat: @naasika
Twitter: @hellosika

-Naasika <3

Disclaimer: All items pictured are products given to me through Sephora's gratis program. Drugstore items were sent to me as a prize. I did not pay for these items. All opinions are solely of my own.

Recent Skincare Faves

Good Day Loves!

New Year and of course new skincare to review! My skin has been going through a WHOLE lot for the past 4 months or so. I had to do a process of elimination and remove products from not only my skincare but from my make up routine as well to see what was causing the breakouts. I never had skincare problems before this time in my life. I consulted with a few people and have been able to get a good system going. My skin is more on the oily side all over. I wanted to share some of the products that I have been using with you all :).

Sephora Collection 3-in-1 Extractor

One of my Sephora girls put me on to this magical tool. I was never one to pop pimples but I needed to get rid of the germs below the surface of my skin. I sometimes I use the dance from time to time. I don't always need it because I usually lay the the small loop around the white heads and have them released that way. I was grossed out at first but it has made a great difference in my skin. I can put up with a little grossness for bomb skin at the end of the day.

Clarisonic Mia 2

I have the Hollywood Lights edition from back in 2014. It was my first Sephora purchase when I started on with SiJCP. I have been using it religiously since then. I have used cleansers such as Purity Made Simple, Purity Made Simple Cleansing Gel and Eye Make Up Remover, Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser, and Marula Cleansing Foam.

I'm also a mask ADDICT! I probably use masks about 2-4 times a week. Some of my favorite masks are:

Boscia Luminizing Black Mask

Bosnia Cool Blue Calming Mask

Sarah McNamara Miracle Skin Transformer

Boscia Charcoal Pore Pudding Intensive Wash-Off Treatment

Kate Somerville's Exfolikate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment

TruSelf Organics Detoxifying Mask

...just to name a few. I love the Peter Thomas Roth series of masks as well.

If you guys like, I can do a more in depth review on specific products for you all!

Make sure to check me out on Snap Chat and Instagram @naasika and Twitter @HelloSika

-Naasika <3

Boscia Cool Blue Calming Mask Review

Good day,

Continuing on with the skincare theme, I thought I'd talk about one of my all time favorites. As I've mentioned before, my skin type is oily and is acne prone. I don't break out often but when I do I'm usually just applying a quick treatment over the blemish and I call it a day. I don't really own any acne related products in my skincare wardrobe. I was presented the Bosica Cool Blue Calming Mask in my gratis and the poor thing sat in my bag for a couple weeks before I finally tried it out. I didn't think it was going to be a bomb as I think it is now.

I pulled it out a couple months ago and now I'm hooked. I can't say that I quite mastered layering the product on to get a good grip to peel. If I feel that I am having difficulty with it, I just rinse my face with cold water and it melts away. I found that out when I was tired a night and was struggling the real way. This method also helps me to use less product as well. Once rinsed, my skin is fresh and I definitely feel the cooling sensation.

I don't experience any irritation to my skin when I use this product. I do notice that it calms any breakouts that I may be experiencing. I usually get an occasional breakout, so nothing crazy. For those who are acne, as I usually say, sample it. Try it out to see how your skin reacts to it. I really do hope that it gives you an amazing spa like experience that I received from it.

Disclaimer: This product was given to me through Sephora's gratis program for employees. I did not purchase this product. All opinions expressed in this post are solely of my own.

-Naasika

Philosophy's Back To Nurture Oil Gelee

Good Day!

I have been experiencing great skin as of late and I thought that I should continue sharing the products that I have been using. In this post I will be talking about the Back To Nurture Oil Gelee from Philosophy.

I have never been one to care for oils and serums. When I had received this product in gratis I do admit to being a bit wary to try it out. I decided to use it in the evening like I would with most of my oils and serums. I used it in conjunction with First Aid Beauty's Ultra Repair Hydra-Firm Sleeping Cream and let me tell you guys. It was AMAZING.

I have never experienced such soft skin until I have tried this product out. It absorbs into the skin very smooth. Applying a nice hydrating moisturizer to seal it in would be ideal. You can pair it off with their Back To Nurture moisturizer as well. I do have oily skin.  The only breakouts that I do experience would be hormonal (just to give you all a look at what my skin is like).

 I often times find myself having so so skin in the morning if I don't use an oil or serum in the evening. Oils for oily skin may seem a bit absurd but it's one of the most logical things that one could think of. A few years back, I would produce so much oil in my skin that I wouldn't apply a moisturizer. Yes, I wouldn't even use an oil free moisturizer. I found myself being so greasy that I wouldn't ever think of wearing makeup. With knowledge and new products, I was able to revisit and educate myself on skincare. My skin was so oily because I was depriving it of moisture. It was using it's own natural oils to help hydrate my skin in overdrive.

Now that I apply a moisturizer and incorporate oils in the evening, my skin has not been as oily. I definitely look to skincare first to help my makeup look better. Your face is the foundation to the makeup so you might as well take care of it. Please stop by Sephora and ask for a sample... No, just buy it! Buy it and be a believer of how soft and glorious your face will look and feel after using the Back To Nurture Oil Gelee.

Disclaimer: This product was given to me through Sephora's gratis program for employees. I did not purchase this product. All opinions expressed in this post are solely of my own.

-Naasika

TarteGuard 30 Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Review

Good Day,

I always take these month long hiatuses. I'm going to try and make time for this blog from here on out :D!

I've never been one to be into sunscreen or sun protection but I'm slowly embracing it. It's a no brainer now especially during these hot summer days. In high school I used to use Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer SPF 15. Most of the time in gym class my face would melt & I'd have this appearance of "milk" dripping down my face. It was horrible to say the least. I just wanted something to moisturize & melt off of me like wet paint.

In a recent gratis, I received Tarte's TarteGuard 30 Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 30.  Ever since I've received it, I've used it every single day. I'm not quite there with applying it every two hours but I do wear it under my makeup.

I massaged the lotion on my hand so you could see. (Pardon the lighting. It was a bit cloudy today).

I haven't had any problems with the formulation disturbing the color and finish of my foundations. It's smooth and absorbs well. I have to let the product sit on my face for a bit to be absorbed. I use just a pump on my face and neck. I love this product not only for the performance but the ingredients as well.

As most tartelettes would know, Tarte doesn't work with:

• Pthalates
• Parabens
• Mineral Oil
• Triclosan
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
• Gluten

I already throw a heap of chemicals from my makeup on my face almost everyday so it's nice to have my skincare be free of those chemicals. Skincare products are the first to penetrate your skin before your makeup. Always make sure to apply serum, moisturizer, and/or primer to create that barrier before the cake.

Granted, this product was given to me by Tarte through Sephora's gratis program and I didn't purchase this item. I can say that I will definitely purchase this product in the future. Remember to continue using SPF all year round and not only during the summer. We still receive rays indoors from light bulbs and other electronic devices. Physicians recommend at least SPF 30 sun protection. Skincare is a very serious matter, not just for vanity purposes. By working on keeping your skin hydrated and protected, you can lessen the chances of skin cancer, skin disease, and other diseases as well. Health is wealth!

Disclaimer: This product was given to me through Sephora's gratis program for employees. I did not purchase this product. All opinions expressed in this post are solely of my own.

-Naasika