Lush For Lush 3

Here we are. Another review no one will read or remark upon. This time I review two bombs, a bubble bar, and a body conditioner.
In May 2015, I decided to try out the Big Blue bath bomb, and the Sunny Side bubble bar. I also treated my daughter to an Ickle Baby Bot bath bomb. Instead of a sample of solid soap, I received a tiny pot of their body conditioner, African Paradise. That was a surprise, as it's one of their more expensive items for one thing, and for another, I didn't think they gave away anything but leftover soap pieces. All in all, I couldn't wait to try everything.

1. Ickle Baby Bot

Let me start with the bomb I bought for my daughter. Ickle Baby Bot is the least expensive of their bath bombs, and one of the few products aimed specifically at kids. It is a cute little blue robot that smells like lavender and chamomile. It's a very soothing scent, and it turns the water the prettiest shade of sky blue. Sadie really liked playing Mermaids when she used this bomb. But it didn't make her any sleepier.

2. African Paradise
Body conditioner is the skin version of what you put in your hair. After washing with your usual soap, you slather some of this one, massage it in deep, then rinse. It's supposed to soften, nourish and perfume the skin. African Paradise is a spicy floral, made with shea butter and moringa oil, fruit juices, vanilla, frangipani and ylang ylang. 
I had mixed feelings about this one. Sometimes I really liked the smell, but other times I found it overpowering. The texture was super smooth and velvety, and as someone who stims by putting on lotion or washing, this is really important. I felt a little greasy after, but greasy is better than dry and itchy. Unfortunately, African Paradise is over forty dollars. And, I wasn't exactly captivated by the smell.

3. Sunny Side

After my bad experience with Rose bubble bar, I decided to take a chance on another bubble bar. The Sunny Side I used is no longer available . Originally it was a glittery gold cake. In my picture ou can see where I broke off a bit. They changed the formula and the shape in late 2015/early 2016. Sunny Side is now a brighter colored tear drop shaped bubble bar that I've yet to try. Scented with tangerine oils, this turned my water gold and shimmery, with a thick froth of bubbles. My faith in bubble bars was restored, using this cheerful, gorgeous little bar. I used half by itself, and the other half with a Big Blue bath bomb for a "mermaid bath".

4. Big Blue

Big Blue is a cult classic. I saw an early version of this bath bomb in a YM magazine back in 2003. But they called it "bath balm". I'm not sure how good it was back then, but it's perfect the way it is now. Lemon and lavender scented, it's packed seaweed, and topped with a crust of white sea salt. These last two ingredients are supposed to soften and soothe the skin.
This easily became a favorite. The water turned a gorgeous peacock blue, and it smelled amazing. A lot of people complain about the seaweed and salt, but I loved it. I later paired it with Sunny Side for a pretty blue-green mermaid bath.



So that's my third review! Next Time, I discuss a discontinued favorite, another classic bomb, and my first Lush gift set. I try a Mermaid bath, and Sadie becomes a Junior Lushie when I buy her a roll of FUN.

Where do we go from here?

Lately, the only writing I do is either rambling on tumblr, or writing fanfiction for Swedish rock band Ghost. I saw them last spring, and to say they are my favorite band ever is a grave understatement. People who knew me in my youth may recall my Special Interest being the Lord of the Rings for a  good many years. They may recall the fervent, all-consuming obsessive love I bore for the film's various actors. This is a lot like that, only now I'm self-aware.

So I need some writing projects besides my frothy imaginings of a scarousing Satanic Anti-Pope and his Nameless Ghouls. I've been considering submitting some listicles to Thought Catalog. Any asshole can get published there. Though instead of lifting my work from Reddit like most people, I'm actually going to interview real people for their experiences. I mostly want to write about paranormal stuff. I have a lot of ideas for short stories, too.

I've said this before, but I ought to post here more. Regardless of my lack of followers, (I have 430 on tumblr) I believe more content is necessary, and it makes a good practice area. Eventually I'll write more Lush Reviews.

My ex is still following this blog, but I think he's blocked me. It's funny. He spent that time stalking me, and now he's safeguards himself from me. Probably so I won't tell his fellow liberals, and all the feminists he wants to bang what a creep he really is. If you're reading this B, do feel free weigh in on the comments. It would amuse me.

By the way, this is Ghost. Magnificent bastards all, and I got to see them.

Lust For Lush 2: More Lush Reviews

To my credit, I didn't call this post Lust for Lush 2: Electric Boogaloo. Today I review two bath bombs, and a soap.
Shortly after my first Lush order arrived, I got to make a second. I ordered Dragon's Egg, a popular citrus bath bomb, and Rose Bombshell, a limited edition bath bomb created for their 2014 Mother's Day line (the Rose bubble bar I had tried was also for Mother's Day, but it had been released in a previous year). My order arrived around the end of April, on what had been a pretty disappointing day.
Inside, were my two bombs and a sample of Godmother soap, another best seller of theirs. Unfortunately, my Dragon's Egg bath bomb was cracked, and fell apart in my hand. Annoyed, I called customer service. Kindly, they were going to send me a new Dragon's egg, and an extra bath bomb of my choice. I chose Rose Queen. Shortly after I got off the phone, I decided to try out at least two of my products, Godmother, and my mangled Dragon's Egg.

1. Godmother (soap)
Godmother is a cotton candy and vanilla scented glycerin based soap. It's pretty popular, mostly because its scent is supposed to be similar to limited edition cult favorite, Snow Fairy. When I opened my sample, I did not detect either vanilla or cotton candy. Rather, it smelled like cherry cough syrup. Ugh. Another cloying, sickly sweet soap. But Sadie wanted to try it.
The lather was good and bubbly. The scent mellowed, and reminded me of a cherry slushie. It was a fun and cheerful scent. The longer the little sample sat in my soap dish, the more it grew on me. And it stayed in my soap dish a long time too, until the last sliver slid down the drain. It's OK though. A gift sent to me by a friend contained a large sample of my beloved Godmother, and now I can have more candy sweet bubbles. As of 2015, it will be discontinued.

2. Dragon's Egg (bath bomb)
Dragon's Egg is a lemon sherbet scented bomb that promises the bather an explosive show of color, scent and fizz. Packed with rice paper confetti, gold glitter and popping candy, it does not disappoint.
I've tried this bomb both broken, and unbroken. When I tried it broken, I got an instant burst of golden orange color, white foam and golden glitter. It looked like this:

Unbroken, Dragon's Egg fizzes for a long time, giving you white foam and rice paper confetti, before treating you to a burst of glitter and color.

The scent is divine. Lemon and bergamot make for a cheerful, bright fragrance that fills your bathroom, and puts a smile on your face. It made me think of warm summer days, Italian sodas and citrus popsicles. This quickly became my favorite bath bomb.
This is a great self care bath bomb. It's bright, cheerful and fun, and will definitely bring you out of your bad mood.

3. Rose Bombshell (bath bomb)
Rose Bombshell was released in spring of 2015 for the Mother's Day campaign. It is limited edition, and likely to return next Mother's Day. It's a rose scented bomb that promises a cascade of petals. It looks like this:

That spot in the center is a rosebud.

After finishing some housework and putting my daughter to bed, I treated myself to a rosy Beltaine bath. I dropped it in, and watched the show. White fizz gave way to a cloud of red that faded to pink, and then a burst of rose petals.
The fragrance wasn't as strong as Rose Queen, and had a weird licorice note. But it was still a pleasant, classic rose scent. The water had the consistency of silk, and all in all I felt pretty relaxed. This was a good bath bomb. It's soothing and sensual. It's absolutely lovely, whether you're a new mum, or a grandmother. When it comes back next Mother's Day, (and I hope it does), I know I'm going to pick up a couple.

That's the end of Lush for Lust 2. Keep coming back to my blog for more Lush reviews!

Lust for Lush: My Lush Cosmetics Reviews

This spring I had the good fortune to try products from the cult favorite, Lush Cosmetics. Lush is based primarily in Canada and the UK, and are famous for their bath and beauty products, which are all organic, fair trade and made fresh. I first heard about them in 2004, reading YM magazine. A couple of beauty features praised their body wash and bath bombs. I didn't think of them much, until this past year, when I started seeing posts about their bath products. They sounded fun. Baths filled with glitter and color. I looked up their website, and found a plethora of bombs, melts and other luxurious items. I decided to try the Rose Queen bath bomb, and the limited-edition Rose bubble bar.
My order arrived on my birthday, April 14th. A nice surprise! I was even more surprised when I received a sample of one of their most popular soaps, Rockstar. I had a trio of pretty pink goodies, and I couldn't wait to try them.

The following are my extended reviews of my experiences with these products. You can see my original consumer reviews on lushusa.com, under the name Sara Em.

1. Rockstar (soap)
Rockstar is one of their most popular soaps. And judging by the reviews, people either really love it, or really hate it. It's a sweet candy pink, with a creamy texture. It's advertised as bubble gum scented, and is made with real vanilla.

This is the sample piece I received. Upon unwrapping it, I was overpowered by a cloying, sweet aroma. It was supposed to be bubblegum, but it reminded me of plastic, and Barbies. My daughter wanted to try it right away, so we went to the sink to wash our hands.
The first time I used it, it didn't lather very well, and afterwards my hands felt dry and itchy.
The smell mellowed out a little, and it reminded me of the white powder they put on bubblegum. I still have the original sample piece. It lasts awhile if you let air out after use. It still makes my hands dry.
My daughter ended up really liking this soap. I intend to buy it for her when she asks for more. It's not my favorite, but I'd recommend it to anyone with a very girly aesthetic, or whoever likes sweet candy fragrances.

2. Rose Queen (bath bomb)
Rose Queen was my first bath bomb, and one of my favorites. It's smaller than most Lush bombs, but still very potent. Hot pink, and filled with rose, larkspur and other wildflower petals, rose absolute gives the bomb a lovely rose fragrance.

That night I tossed the bomb in the tub. It fizzed quickly, releasing an intoxicating rose aroma. I had been expecting something softer, something more like Tea Rose. Rose Queen has a spicy, woody note to it. It's familiar, like something I might have smelled as a kid.
The water turned a perfect princess pink. The most perfect pink you can imagine. Floating in the water were rose petals, tiny wild flowers, sprouts, stamens and stems. Some people think this is annoying, but I found it utterly delightful. I honestly felt like a fairy princess having an enchanted bath.
I'd recommend this one 100%. It was such a pleasant introduction to the world of Lush, and will always have a special place in my heart. It's girly, but in such a natural and elegant way, and I know I'm going to buy it again.

3. Rose (Bubble Bar)
Rose was a limited edition bubble bar made for Mother's Day. It's made with cocoa butter, and has a lemon and rose scent. It's a pretty bar, white and fuchsia swirls, with a candy leaf accent.

I used my whole bar. Some people can get two or even four baths out of it, but I got one. It wasn't very bubbly, but that could have been my boyfriend's fault. I was trying to agitate the bubbles, and he was sitting on the edge of the tub, taking up the space I needed.
How do bubble bars work? Crumble a bit of the bar under running water, then stir up the bubbles by hand. Everyone has different methods and advice for getting the most out of your bubbles. But at this time I didn't know any.
Underneath the thin layer of foam, the water was a pretty shade of pink. The smell was more lemon than rose, and not very strong. Nice, though.
After awhile, the pink water faded to a dusky shade of lavender. It was really pretty, and probably the best part of the experience.
I don't know if I'd recommend this one. I want to try it again, and properly agitate the bubbles, but it won't be coming back until Mother's Day 2016.

So there you have it. My thoughts on the first three Lush products I've ever used. I have lots more to review, and I hope you stick around to read them, and I hope my reviews maybe convinced you to try some of these.
Happy bathing!

Time keeps on slipping and all that noise

My sisters and I picked a date for our trip, and now I have something to look forward to. Lately, I've been kind of tired and downcast, especially since my phone is dying. My therapist tells me I smoke too much weed and maybe she's right. I smoke so I can cook and clean. I smoke so I can tolerate the drivel my daughter insists on watching. I smoke and smoke because I like the way it burns in my throat and lungs.

This is my 100th post. I've had this blog for six years. That's slightly over half a decade. I thought this blog would be more popular, that I'd have written more. I expected too much of myself.

So my life might not be what I expected. What did I expect? What did I want? I never got to go to college. I never became famous. Instead, I'm a disabled, stoned housefrau, smoking dank weed out of a Hello Kitty pipe and scrubbing meat grease out of cast iron. I can make a wicked good roast beef, and strong coffee. I've lived here since February, and I still don't have a dresser, or a decent coffee table. I want a good blender. I want to be a better mother and girlfriend.

No one pays attention to me here, and no one pays attention to me on tumblr anymore, either. A couple of people reblog my shitposts, but no on notices any of my original content anymore.

Everything is going wrong today and I feel kind of down. I feel like a bad parent. It's hot, and I have to clean for inspection, and that's just one more thing I need, another man telling me how to keep my damn house.

Awesome shit!

In my last blog entry, I discussed my travel goals for the summer. The very first place I mentioned was The Great Escape (honestly, for all I talk about them, they should be paying me). I said I had a 70% chance of going there.

Now it's 100%.

So how did it happen? How did I get what I want?

After I finished writing, I realized that if I wanted any of these things to happen, I had to MAKE them happen. I couldn't just rely on luck and chance. I had to make my luck. I had to take the chance. Sounds cheesy, doesn't it?
 So I called my sister. I wanted to talk to her about this idea. Or at least talk about the idea of discussing this idea in the future. She didn't pick up. OK, no big deal. I went back to blogging.
The next day she called me, and asked what I wanted. It took me a minute to remember, but then I broached the subject. She was picking a weekend in July. We discussed ticket prices. She told me she can get a discount. All that was left was finding a ride. Her car can only fit five people, the exact number of herself, her partners, and kids. Sadie and I would need to find another vehicle.

Then Laura had a brilliant idea. She would pay for the admission of whichever of my friends was willing to drive Sadie and I up to Lake George. I posted the offer on Facebook, and my sister Cele took us up on it. I talked to Cele last night, and once Laura tells us when, it'll happen.

Sadie and I are excited. She went to The Great Escape when she was two, but I imagine she can't remember too much. She wants to go on rides with her cousin, and her Mama Cat (yours truly), and I want to go on thrill rides with my sisters, and make happy memories with her. 

It's going to take some more planning to pull this off. It's going to take coffee, and maybe some xanax. Yeah, going to GE on a weekend is going to require me to take extra care of my anxiety. It'll be better than it has been, because honestly, Sadie will keep me grounded. And I can't get my expectations too high. If I do that, I am bound to be disappointed. Sadie being happy is going to be the most important thing.

Also I hope no one pukes on me.

Places I Wanna Be This Summer

Summer is one of the best times to go on a road trip. Read my blog, and over half the content is about various summer road trips I've taken.
  There's lots of places to go in summer. Amusement parks, powwows and museums. Some people go to concerts, others want to go camping. When the weather warms up, and the sun comes out, fun shit starts to happen.
So here's the list of fun shit I want to do, why I want to do it, and how likely it is to happen:

1. The Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom, Lake George, NY
Readers of my blog know how much I love this park. I've been going since I was 10, and have made a lot of memories at this place. Some good, and some bad.
   This year, I want to make new memories, by going on a trip with my daughter, sister and her kids. My sister and I can ride some roller coasters, and I can take Sadie on the carousel and buy her cotton candy. It's been five years since I went and they have some rides I haven't tried.
How likely is it that I go? I have about a 70% chance. Money isn't much of a problem this summer, Arthur has a good job, and is willing to spoil me and Sadie a little. And I can always find good deals on tickets. Getting there is another bag of chips. Arthur and I don't have a car, and I can't drive anyway. There's always the possibility of convincing a parent to take us to NY, or having my sister and her men come get us. This is something that could be pulled off with careful and solid planning.

2. Water Country-
I'm not sure where it is, but I know it's in New Hampshire. Water Country is a water park, and despite everyone knowing the song from their ads, no one seems to have actually been there. But I've always wanted to go. Riding water slides and floating down lazy rivers is worth the yeast infection you'll catch from walking around in a wet bathing suit all day.
How likely is it that I go? Not very. No one knows where it is, and it's hard finding people willing to go. Oh you get people who SAY they wanna go, but you never get past the planning stage. Thankfully the temptation won't be too strong this year. Without cable, I don't have to hear that catchy jingle.

3. The Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, VT-
I've been coming to this large, multi-building museum for as long as I can remember. The Shelburne showcases folk art and New England history. Stroll along the grounds, there's various buildings from the past 350 years. There's even a steam-powered paddle boat that once graced Lake Champlain. One of the best places in VT, the Shelburne is worth the money and the trip. This summer or fall I would love to go with my family, either a large group, or just me, the boyfriend and kid. Sadie will like the carousel, and I'll get to share a special place with people I love.
How likely am I to get there? About 90% likely. Arthur is willing to get a weekend off for this, and we've discussed where we'd stay and how we'd get there. Just gotta pick a day, and find a way.

4. The Beach-
I don't care which beach I go to, as long as it has good waves. Hampton is a nice one to go to, and there's one in Lynn that I had a nice time at. The beach is intoxicating. Hot sun, scorching sand and cool water. You can ride the waves for hours.
My sister Cele and I do have intentions of taking my daughter to the beach. It will be her first time visiting the ocean.
How likely is this going to happen? Again, about 90%. Arthur wants to go see Slayer, and while he's doing that, Sadie and I get to have a Girl's Day with my sister. A trip to the beach is one of the many things we thought of doing on this day. We have the money. All we need is the ride down.

5. Canobie Lake Park, Salem NH-
I went to this amusement park for the first time in 2012, with my sister, Cele. It's a great place, inexpensive, free parking and a good variety of rides, restaurants and activities. I had a great time there, and in the three years since I've gone, they've gotten some rides I'm dying to try.
It's not too likely that I go. About a 30% chance, depending mostly on luck. I gotta find someone willing to go, and a way there.

6. Story Land, Glen NH-
I've never been here, but it seems like a fun place to take Sadie while she's still little. We have a very low chance of going. I've only mentioned it twice, with little reaction.

7. The Montshire Museum of Science, Norwich VT-
We went last year, and had a blast. Admission is cheap, and if we can find a ride, we have an excellent chance of going again this year.