NYCupcake's Blog http://www.nycupcake.com "... Live The Life You've Imagined"- H.D. Thoreau Fri, 03 Sep 2010 22:23:36 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Lush Review: Miranda & Summer Pudding Soaps http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/09/lush-review-miranda-summer-pudding-soaps/ http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/09/lush-review-miranda-summer-pudding-soaps/#comments Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:41:26 +0000 nycupcake http://www.nycupcake.com/?p=4923 These two soaps are very similar in scent and appearance (the pic of the Miranda below is a little different from mine in that my soap has contrast colored imbedded chunks as well).  Both bring back memories of lollipops that you would receive at the end of a doctor’s visit when you were a little kid; you know the ones I’m referring to (individually wrapped, the size of a half-dollar, typically green or red or orange) that were offered to you while your tears were drying.  Bad memories of being at the pediatrician won’t stop me from recommending both these lovely soaps, especially if you are a Lushie who adores mild candy scents.  Please note that Summer Pudding is better for exfoliation; it is non-abrasive and not messy to work with but will shred a bit when wet.

Miranda Soap:

  • Rapeseed oil
  • Sunflower oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Fresh kiwi fruit
  • Ylang ylang petal oil
  • Myrrh resinoid
  • Juniperberry oil
  • Bergamot oil
  • Gardenia extract

Summer Pudding Soap:

  • Rapeseed oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Ground almonds
  • Glace cherries
  • Almond oil
  • Buchu oil
  • Juniperberry oil
  • Lemon oil
  • Gardenia Extract

*Photocredit: Lush Cosmetics

]]> http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/09/lush-review-miranda-summer-pudding-soaps/feed/ 0 Lush Review: B-Electro, Sunny Citrus, Heavenly Bodies, After 8:30 http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/08/lush-review-b-electro-sunny-citrus/ http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/08/lush-review-b-electro-sunny-citrus/#comments Sat, 28 Aug 2010 00:04:09 +0000 nycupcake http://www.nycupcake.com/?p=4912 B-Electro Shower Gel Sample: Reminds me of a Yankee Candles tart I used to love called Key Lime Pie.  Both are now discontinued unfortunately =(.

  • Rapseed oil
  • Sunflower oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Fennel oil
  • Grapefruit Oil
  • Jasmine Absolute
  • Rose Absolute

Sunny Citrus Soap: Very mildly sweetly scented.  The only ingredient I thought I sensed more strongly than the others was lemon.  If you don’t like strong scents and love all things citrusy than this may be for you =).

  • Rapeseed oil
  • Sunflower oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Fresh lime juice
  • Orange oil
  • Tangerine oil
  • Mandarin oil
  • Neroli oil
  • Bergamot oil
  • Gardenia extract

Heavenly Bodies Buttercream: Reminds me of hot chocolate powder with a discernable nuttiness to it.  Leaves one’s skin silky soft.  I really love it.  It’s not as messy as You Snap The Whip thank goodness.  Mine arrived slightly melted during the July heat but nothing was wasted.  I placed it somewhere cooler and it solidified.

  • Orange Blossom Infusion
  • Rapeseed Oil
  • Sunflower Oil
  • Coconut Oil
  • Fresh Orange Juice
  • Rhassoul Mud
  • Tangerine Oil
  • Sweet Orange Oil
  • Vanilla Absolute
  • Cocoa Absolute
  • Flaked Chocolate

After 8:30: Reminds me of After Eight Dinner Mints but I smell mainly vanilla and chocolate (sweet scent obviously).  It’s really a great Lush massage bar, especially if you love Coeur.  My only reservation about it is the chocolate side leaves a brown film on your skin but it goes away after you massage it into the skin.  It’s not a big deal to me; I haven’t had anything stained yet from using it.

*Photocredit: Lush Cosmetics

]]> http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/08/lush-review-b-electro-sunny-citrus/feed/ 0 More Makeup Storage Solutions for You http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/08/more-makeup-storage-solutions-for-you/ http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/08/more-makeup-storage-solutions-for-you/#comments Thu, 19 Aug 2010 21:36:41 +0000 nycupcake http://www.nycupcake.com/?p=4878 Recently I’ve been obsessing on this subject since I yet again had to do an update.  I settled for the typical white Sterilites, being that it was one of the best solutions for my current situation.  I transferred everything I had from my Target Castelas to those tiered plastic towers.  The Castelas are now housing smaller items e.g. layering camisoles, scarves, stockings, nailpolish etc.  I also thought of all of you who have been wrestling with how to organize all your things.  You really can get many great ideas off of You Tube, so as an avid YT viewer, I’ve collected a multitude of good and creative ideas (wood, plastic, acrylic, metal) I’ve seen from various gurus, cosmetic princesses and queens alike.

*Photocredit or Sources: Amazon, Staples, Organize.com, The Container Store, Target, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Teen, Lion Star, Walmart, Michaels Craft Store, Rubbermaid, IKEA, Marshalls, USP Home.com, Office Depot (Realspace), TheClearCube.com, etc.

3 Drawer CD Organizer in White by Organize It All vertical 3 Drawer CD Organizer in White by Organize It All HOMAK HA01012001 12-Drawer Plastic Parts Organizer IKEA 6 Drawer Chest MALM IKEA MALM Dressing Table Iris 10 Drawer Tower Manhattan 3-Drawer Desktop Organizer by Neu Home Mini Storage Drawers Newell Rubbermaid Home Black 5 Mini Drawer Tower 3B0100BLA Rubbermaid Mini 3-Drawer Tower Rubbermaid Mini Storage Drawers Six Drawer Office Storage Chest - White Sterilite 5 Drawer Storage Cart White Sterilite 7 Drawer Craft Cart Sterilite Small Countertop Drawer Sterilite Wide 3 Drawer Clearview target brown 3 drawer target himaymay drawer storage TCS 3 Drawer Acrylic Boxes TCS 3 Drawer Box TCS Linus Deep Drawer Organizers TCS Small Acrylic Vanity Container US Acrylic 4-Drawer Acrylic Organizer US Acrylic Cosmetic Holder US Acrylic Drawer Tower Organizer sterilite storage tray white mini 5 drawer sterilite countertop drawers realspace 10 drawer mobile organizer black gray white realspace 10 drawer mobile organizer pink realspace 12 drawer mobile organizer black gray white realspace 15 drawer mobile organizer black gray white the clear cube ]]> http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/08/more-makeup-storage-solutions-for-you/feed/ 0 H2Pro 300 Heat Styling http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/08/h2pro-300-heat-styling/ http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/08/h2pro-300-heat-styling/#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 22:01:53 +0000 nycupcake http://www.nycupcake.com/?p=4869 I love my new H2Pro heat styler!  Scored this one recently at a great price on sample sale.  I’ve been using it in conjunction with my Victoria’s Secret Smooth Straight & Silky Styling Mist but there are many other great heat protectants out there e.g. Tresemme Heat Tamer.  Does not cause damage to hair (just have to be careful handling this styler since it can get pretty hot; follow the instructions), my hair remains well-styled and stick straight for hours in any type of weather, can also do a cute flippy hairdo, makes my hair silky soft and shiny.  Obviously with all these great attributes, I’m pretty happy with it =)

References:

H2Pro Beauty Life, not sure if this site is still undergoing construction? but I wanted to include it anyway.

Hair Products Pro Store

Misikko Store

*Photocredit: Misikko, Victoria’s Secret, Amazon

H2Pro 300 heat styler VS smooth straight silky styling mist tresemme heat tamer spray


]]> http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/08/h2pro-300-heat-styling/feed/ 0 EOS: Evolution of Smooth http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/08/eos-evolution-of-smooth/ http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/08/eos-evolution-of-smooth/#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:27:57 +0000 nycupcake http://www.nycupcake.com/?p=4861 It’s never too early to moisturize your lips (though winter is still being held back by the hot days of summer).  It’s a ritual of mine to apply a lip treatment before going to bed.  EOS has rapidly become a favorite lip treatment of mine, besides Lush lip scrubs and SoftLips.  I just bought a yummy flavored summer fruit lip balm sphere from Rite Aid and I’m dazzled by the non-sticky texture.  Almost feels like your lips are still naked.  EOS doesn’t disappoint.

*Photocredit: EOS

eos summer fruit eos lemon eos vanilla bean eos honeysuckle honeydew eos pomegranate raspberry eos sweet mint ]]> http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/08/eos-evolution-of-smooth/feed/ 0 Lush Review: Candy Fluff Bath Cocktail http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/07/lush-review-candy-fluff-bath-cocktail/ http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/07/lush-review-candy-fluff-bath-cocktail/#comments Fri, 30 Jul 2010 06:54:59 +0000 nycupcake http://www.nycupcake.com/?p=4852 I wasn’t expecting to take another Lush bath so soon but since my pink Easter egg didn’t survive the shipping journey so well and was looking a bit sad, I thought it was a good time to draw another pink themed bath…

1/3 Easter Egg (Pink) Bath Bomb: Sweet Candy Fluff scent reminding me of pink Peeps marshmallows.

1 Creamy Candy Bubble Bar: Smells really candy yummy =)

  • Almond oil
  • Vanilla absolute
  • Candy flowers

1/2 MMM Melting Marshmallow Moment: Sweet floral scent.  Creates white froth (though Lush says pink).  Easily crumbled under running water.  Slow dissolve on its own.

  • almond oil
  • chamomile powder
  • marigold powder
  • synthetic musk

Rock Star Soap: Has a pink/cherry taffy scent which has really grown on me.  As an aside, it evokes for me happy memories of beach town summertime fun since taffy is a popularly sold candy in these places e.g. Wildwood NJ, Seaside Heights NJ- to name a couple.

  • Rapeseed oil
  • Sunflower oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Vanilla absolute

*Photocredit: Lush Cosmetics

]]> http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/07/lush-review-candy-fluff-bath-cocktail/feed/ 0 MapTotes http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/07/maptotes/ http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/07/maptotes/#comments Fri, 30 Jul 2010 06:29:01 +0000 nycupcake http://www.nycupcake.com/?p=4843 Looking for a new shopping or school/study tote?  Look no further.  Maptotes is a cute and affordable solution to every day needs.  I especially love their denim and organic cotton styles =).  I was just wondering the other day why companies like 7FAM or Rock & Republic haven’t released a collection of denim bags?….  It’s to my surprise since they specialize in denimwear.

*Photocredit: Gilt & Maptotes

new york city brooklyn nantucket los angeles ]]> http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/07/maptotes/feed/ 0 Lush Review: A Sampling of Quinquereme of Nineveh, Temptation, 13th. (Unlucky for Dirt), Honey Waffle, The Godmother, & Tiptoe Through the Tulips Soaps http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/07/lush-review-sampling-of-quinquereme-of-nineveh-temptation-13th-unlucky-for-dirt-honey-waffle-the-godmother-tiptoe-through-the-tulips-soaps/ http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/07/lush-review-sampling-of-quinquereme-of-nineveh-temptation-13th-unlucky-for-dirt-honey-waffle-the-godmother-tiptoe-through-the-tulips-soaps/#comments Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:34:26 +0000 nycupcake http://www.nycupcake.com/?p=4832 I hope I haven’t left anything out but I’m trying to catch up with the reviews I was suppose to do and am lagging far behind =(.  Please forgive me.  I was fortunate enough to get a chance to sample the following soaps and wanted to share my impressions of them.  Hopefully this small review will somehow help you decide whether or not to purchase these soaps, especially if you are not conveniently located near a Lush store and have to order online…

Quinquereme of Nineveh Soap: If you love Trichomania Solid Shampoo and Coolaulin Conditioner, than this soap maybe for you since it’s just as rich in coconut scent as the ones I’ve just named.  The texture is similar to I Should Coco soap; however, the pieces of coconut are not as large and shredded as in ISC.  Personally, I love this soap and wouldn’t hesitate to buy a full-size bar.

  • Rapeseed oil
  • Sunflower oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Creamed coconut
  • Orange oil
  • Vanilla absolute

Temptation Soap: There is a strong “green” botanical scent entwined with apple and mint.  For me this is what I would label as a so-so scent just because I have a proclivity to sweet candy scents.  I do love its glycerin texture.  I prefer Gavarnie much more but that’s just me.

  • Rapeseed oil
  • Sunflower oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Fresh apple juice
  • Myrrh resinoid
  • Orange blossom absolute
  • Cinnamon leaf oil
  • Apple rings
  • Gardenia extract

13th. (Unlucky for Dirt) Soap: Fresh peppercorns immediately come to mind.  This is not my favorite soap but Lush gets an A+ for scent creativity.  You are going to laugh when I say this but this wouldn’t be a bad kitchen soap.

  • Oregano & rose petal infusion
  • Rapeseed oil
  • Sunflower oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Honey
  • Manuka honey
  • Oregano oil
  • Rose absolute
  • Geranium oil

Honey Waffle Soap: A sweet, true honey/honeycomb scent unlike its cousin Honey I Washed The Kids soap (which has a more playful sweet vanilla scent).  HW also has a slight nutty scent to me.  I prefer HIWTK to HW for obvious reasons (you know me by now).

  • Rapeseed oil
  • Sunflower oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Honeycomb
  • Ylang ylang oil
  • Geranium oil
  • Gardenia extract

The Godmother Soap: Has a spicy saltwater taffy scent.  Can easily be classified as a candy scent and is definitely a very popular Lush soap; a favorite to many though I prefer Rock Star soap to it.

  • Rapeseed oil
  • Sunflower oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Synthetic musk
  • Iris glitter

Tiptoe Through the Tulips Soap: Has a relatively strong cleaning detergent scent similar to brands like Ajax and Comet.  For me, it’s not a bad thing since it brings back childhood memories of watching my father wax the floors of his shop (in anticipation of returning home for family time).  The name Lush chose for this particular soap is not indicative of its scent- at least to me it’s not but maybe to someone else it is.

  • Sweet violet leaf infusion
  • Gardenia extract
  • Rose otto absolute
  • Geranium oil
  • Lavender oil
  • Kaffir lime leaf
  • Red rosebuds

*Photocredit: Lush Cosmetics

]]> http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/07/lush-review-sampling-of-quinquereme-of-nineveh-temptation-13th-unlucky-for-dirt-honey-waffle-the-godmother-tiptoe-through-the-tulips-soaps/feed/ 0 Lush Review: Absolute Delight Bath Cocktail http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/07/lush-review-absolute-delight-bath-cocktail/ http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/07/lush-review-absolute-delight-bath-cocktail/#comments Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:02:40 +0000 nycupcake http://www.nycupcake.com/?p=4824 A welcome break after fulfilling all my daily obligations.  Every once in a while we need to pamper ourselves- a small reward for getting things done, especially the mundane or challenging stuff of life.

1 Absolute Jasmine Bath Bomb: Sweet and mildly floral. Fast fizz like most other bath ballistics. All the elements mixed to create a sheer pink bath.

  • Rose absolute
  • Bergamot oil
  • Geranium bourbon oil
  • Jasmine absolute
  • Sandalwood oil

1 Turbo Bubble Bar: Pretty to look at like a glittery stone.  Sweet and musky at once.

  • Jasmine absolute
  • Vetivert oil
  • Ylang ylang oil
  • Iridescent sparkles

1/2 MMM Melting Marshmallow Moment: Sweet floral scent.  Creates white froth (though Lush says pink).  Easily crumbled under running water.  Slow dissolve on its own.

  • almond oil
  • chamomile powder
  • marigold powder
  • synthetic musk

Rock Star Soap: Has a pink/cherry taffy scent which has really grown on me.  As an aside, it evokes for me happy memories of beach town summertime fun since taffy is a popularly sold candy in these places e.g. Wildwood NJ, Seaside Heights NJ- to name a couple.

  • Rapeseed oil
  • Sunflower oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Vanilla absolute

*Photocredit: Lush Cosmetics

]]> http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/07/lush-review-absolute-delight-bath-cocktail/feed/ 0 Keep in Mind Lovely Soaps & Such for Your Kitchen… http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/07/keep-in-mind-lovely-soaps-such-for-your-kitchen/ http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/07/keep-in-mind-lovely-soaps-such-for-your-kitchen/#comments Sun, 25 Jul 2010 02:07:45 +0000 nycupcake http://www.nycupcake.com/?p=4816 My recent trip to the NY Botanical Garden’s bookstore led me to a luscious table laden with prettily packaged kitchen and garden soaps by Horto Botanico with the most delicious scents.  As much as one’s pantry needs to be well-stocked with food and drink, so too are soaps and the like as important.  The kitchen is very much a second home to me in that I can be found here most evenings so I’m beginning to think of this room a bit differently and wanting to put in nice little touches (no different than a bedroom or an office).  The kitchen is a room most lived-in, well-loved, and may I dare say heart of many homes so the choices we make in decor and detail should reflect this.

*Photocredit: NY Botanical Garden Store

horto botanico tomatoe soap horto botanico cucumber soap horto botanico violets soap ]]> http://www.nycupcake.com/2010/07/keep-in-mind-lovely-soaps-such-for-your-kitchen/feed/ 0