Advent Blog: Marley's Ghost, Cha Cha Tint, and Twilight

Christmas Quote

"'But you were always a good man of business, Jacob,' faltered Scrooge, who now began to apply this to himself.

Business!' cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. 'Mankind was my business, charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all my business. The deals of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!'" ~Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol.

Christmas Song

Do You Hear What I Hear? by Whitney Houston http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svo17Dgs3PM

Benefit Countdown to Love Calendar

Day 23: Benefit Cha Cha Tint

This is a coral lip and cheek stain. I don't think I recommend these tints. They don't show up very well on my skin or lips. I was excited at first to get them, but now that I've tried them out I realize they don't seem to work very well. When you blend them out, they blend into the skin or lips.

Lush Twilight Bath Bomb

This bath bomb is so pretty! It has a moon and stars on it. It sounds like it will be nice. "Peaceful lavender bathing under the stars. Recreate the magic of a starry night in your bath water with clouds of lavender and tonka absolute to fight the demons of insomnia and soothe your stressed out body and mind. Our most relaxing Bath Bomb yet, Twilight is our gentle, reassuring hug for the bath to transform you from worn out to warm and fuzzy. It changes color like the sky at dusk, from pinks to purples and darker still. Lay back in the comforting herbal waters to soak your troubles far, far away. Lavender acts as nature's melatonin to relax your mind for a more restful sleep." Doesn't that sound nice? I will wait for bedtime to take a bath.

Review: I didn't wait until bedtime. I was too curious. I think I can smell the lavender. The colors did change. It reminded me of shooting stars or Van Gogh's Starry Night painting. It is taking a long time to dissolve. There is a ton of glitter in it too!

Advent Blog: Cats, Star Charm, and Cinders

Cat Quote

"What greater gift than the love of a cat." ~Charles Dickens

Christmas Song

Joy to the World by Nat "King" Cole http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oACW4nzBZco

Benefit Countdown to Love Calendar

Day 22: Benefit Star Charm Necklace

This is cute, but the chain is flimsy. It isn't a solid chain. Also, it is too little for me. I'm going to see if my cousin wants it.

Lush's Cinders Bath Bomb

This seems like a fun one. The website says, "Heat up your holidays with this sweet and spicy bomb inspired by fireside gatherings with family and friends. We combine crackling vegan candies with stimulating cinnamon leaf oil to recreate the warmth of the hearth. This spicy soak also has hydrating almond oil to keep your skin super soft and smooth. With a bathtub so inviting you can skip the open fire and curl up with this fizzer instead. Cinders contains vegan popping candies to make your tub sound like a crackling fire."

Review: This turned the bath a pastel yellow, which is kind of gross to look at, but the product was nice smelling and everything. It sunk to the bottom and little bubbles came up. I had trouble hearing it crackle. It didn't feel like a fireplace to me. The product did soften my skin, like the other bath bombs have done. I wouldn't repurchase this though. Maybe I was expecting fireworks. I was expecting too much I guess.

Advent Blog: Baby Jesus, Benefit A-Lister, and a Melting Snowman

Christmas Quote

"It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas when its mighty Founder was a child Himself." ~Charles Dickens

Christmas Song

Mary, Did You Know? by Ceelo Green http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmBWqRoENl4

Benefit Countdown to Love Advent Calendar

Day 7: A-Lister Ultra Plush Lipgloss!

I put swatches of Benefit's Dandelion on the left and A-Lister on the right. I thought they looked similar. They are similar in texture and smell. The Dandelion lip gloss is more peach, while A-Lister is more pink. When I first swatched A-Lister I thought it was peach, but next to Dandelion I can see that it is a pink. On the lips it matches my lips, so it doesn't seem like a very special gloss to me. I wouldn't spend the money to buy it. I have Elf glosses and Wet 'n Wild glosses that are just as good. I actually have a lot of lip glosses. It is pretty, though. I feel like the Benefit Coralista blush and the two lip glosses have the same citrusy smell. It's like orange candy. It smells really familiar, but I can't put my foot on it.

Lush's Melting Snowman Luxury Bath Melt

Isn't this cute?! I kept this in a plastic bag because I didn't want it to melt. I can't wait to try this! This is what the Lush website has to say about it, "Warm up with our spicy snowman. Our Melting Snowman Luxury Bath Melt returns this year with his skin-softening legacy and warming hot toddy scent. Cocoa and Shea butters and almond oil moisturize and soften the skin to perfection. Spicy cinnamon and clove oils combine with sweet orange and lime, creating the ultimate holiday fragrance that just makes us want to sink into a hot bath on a cold, snowy night. Drop this under the tap while it's still running and sink in to watch him dissolve like a real snowman, carrot nose and all. How to: Drop half, or a whole bath melt into the tub as it fills with warm water. When the tub is full, get in and let the natural oils soften and moisturize your skin. Bath melts are designed to melt at body temperature so keep them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Drop it in before the water goes in."

Review: Why did I want to watch a snowman melt? It was so sad! It looked like it was crying as the chocolate chips were the first to melt. It felt very morbid. Building a snowman is fun, but watching it melt is sort of sad. The water and bubbles covered the snowman up, so I couldn't watch it completely melt (not that I wanted to). The smell was fantastic! It smelled like a bunch of beautiful herbs. It was very relaxing and soothing. My skin is soft. It is nice to take a bath. It is like I'm remembering how good a bath is. It helps when your senses are comforted, and it isn't just a plain water bath.

I love the song Mary, Did You Know? There were different versions of this song on Youtube. I had never heard Ceelo do it, and I think he sings it beautifully. This is one of the first songs I put on my list of Christmas songs I wanted to put on my advent blog.

Advent Blog: Scrooge and Benefit's It's Potent!

Christmas Quote

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." ~Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Christmas Song

Oh Holy Night by Celine Dion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OZ5MoUXKgc

Benefit Countdown to Love Advent Calendar

Day 3: It's Potent Eye Cream!

This is supposed to help brighten up under the eye and help people with dark under eyes. I don't have a problem with that, but when I put it on I did notice my eyes looked brighter! I think my eyes are dry now that it is so cold, so it nice to put moisturizer under them. You don't get much in the sample, but then again you don't use much under the eye. I like it, but I wouldn't buy the full size. I like the Olay Eye Cream. I think it works just as well, but it is nice to try something new.

I love A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It is a short story, but it is one of my favorites! If you like a good read, this is a good one to read, especially this time of year. It's a story about charity and repentance. You are never too old to change!