The following products are my favorite finds of the past year. I hope you find some new favorites here too.
Shortie’s Candle Company Black Cherry Votives, Lemon Blueberry jar candle
Shortie’s Candle Company produced my favorite find of 2016. My first purchase was a box of their Black Cherry scented votives (six in a box). I started lighting one votive the first night. The description indicates the candle will last about fifteen hours, and that may be a conservative estimate. Unlit, the Black Cherry scented votives have a very pleasant fruity fragrance, but when lit, the fragrance is less fruity and more clean. It’s a good combination. The alternative would be sweet and fruity, and I’m glad the candle’s scent is less sugary and more clean. I used the first votive in the living room, and I could smell the fragrance throughout the room. The candle burned clean — there was no smoke residue on my jar. It burned all of the wax, so there wasn’t any wasted wax. I used the next votive in the bathroom, to chase away the unpleasant odors. Somehow, it mixes quite well with the stinky air, and I can only smell the wonderful Black Cherry scent – it works better than the bathroom fan!
Because I was so impressed, I began purchasing their jar candles just to make sure the votives weren’t a fluke! I ordered a Lemon Blueberry 16.5 oz. jar candle. The jar includes a lid, but I can often catch a whiff of the candle even when it hasn’t been lit and the jar has its lid on.
Shortie’s Candles are hand poured using a soft food grade paraffin wax blend. They are made in the USA with natural and essential oils. The candle burns clean because it is made with a natural fiber wick – absolutely lead-free. And this candle, being 16.5 ounces, is expected to burn for about 110 hours.
Yes, these candles are a bit pricey – however, I used to sell Partylite, and these candles are far better than those, and Bath & Body Works candles also cannot even compare.
In summary, these candles have good fragrance, good fragrance throw, clean burn, and an efficient burn that uses all the wax. I give it a hearty stamp of approval.
You can check out the selection from Shortie’s Candle Company here: http://amzn.to/2g08EdI.
Dionis Goat Milk Hand Cream Artisans Holiday Gift Set
I discovered this hand cream set when doing Christmas shopping in 2015. This set includes 5 1 oz. tubes of hand cream – Peppermint, Sugar Cookie, Vanilla Fig, Butterscotch and White Pumpkin. It is also the first time I’ve used goat’s milk products and I am impressed.
I used the White Pumpkin first, and it smelled more like cinnamon eggnog than pumpkin. Personally, I don’t care for pumpkin-fragranced items, so I loved it! Next, I used the Peppermint hand cream and finally emptied the tube a month ago.
I started using the set at work in January 2016. It is now December 2016 and I am only on my third tube. This set will likely last me another year. I’m very happy with this set. You can purchase it here: http://amzn.to/2gVPWZs
The Honest Company Healing Balm Soothing Protection & Relief for Sensitive Skin & Diaper Rash,3 oz.
This product was recommended to me by my beautician. I have worn glasses forever, and the area where my glasses rest behind my ears can get very irritated. She was kind enough to use this Organic Healing Balm on my ears. She noticed a difference in a matter of 20-30 minutes. I so appreciated this that I went home and ordered a couple tubes.
I use it on my dry and scaly parts, including behind my ears, my nose (again, glasses are an issue), and my eyebrows (sure, let’s blame the glasses – it could also be having my brows “shaped”). The healing balm works great.
A couple things to note – some of the balm seems beaded, and you can just crush the beads and rub them between your fingers before applying. Secondly, I’ve noticed this when I use it on my brows – I apply it before bed so it can do its healing in my sleep. The next morning, I have to make sure I clean the area well, so none of the balm drifts into my eyes, since it burns. Overall, I love this product and recently purchased the belly balm for dry areas with stretch marks – my abdomen, upper arms and upper thighs. You can purchase the Organic Healing Balm here: http://amzn.to/2h308vv
Murad Resurgence Renewing Cleansing Cream, 1: Cleanse/Tone, 6.75 fl oz (200 ml)
I was introduced to this product when I had a full makeover from cleansing to makeup. I am not good about using it every single day, but I have noticed that when I do, my creases (the parentheses around my nose and mouth) are much less prominent. The fragrance is very pleasant.
From the tube –
“Rich, cream cleanser removes dirt and impurities while combatting dry, lackluster skin.”
It also has papaya enzyme, algae extract, apricot and sunflower oils, in addition to “essential fatty acids”.
You can purchase it here: http://amzn.to/2gDF2Hg
Santiro Women’s Lightweight Yoga Mat Thong Sandals Flip-flops
I found these this summer while browsing online. These yoga mat sandals came packaged in a cute reusable bag useful for traveling or for toting other objects. The soles are lightweight but sturdy. They are very comfortable – they are prettier than flip-flops and yet not full coverage sandals, so I tested them by wearing them to my office job for a full day. They were comfortable all day long.
I appreciated the support of the straps that held my feet to the sandals. These are also good for doing laundry – my laundry room is in the basement. It is too dirty for bare feet, and my preference is to wear shoes that are easy to put on or remove. These fit that need. It’s easy to walk up and down stairs because the straps hold the shoe on as opposed to some shoes where you have to clench your foot muscles so you don’t lose the shoe as you walk up and down stairs. The straps are of a lightweight material, a flexible jersey. They are pleasant to wear. I experienced some soreness between my toes after two days of wearing the sandals, so I don’t recommend wearing them every single day.
I wear a size 6.5 or 7 and the size 7 sandals were perfect. You can see this product for yourself here: http://amzn.to/2h2ZbDB
P.S. I reviewed some of the above products on amazon.com, so a couple of my entries will closely resemble an online review.
I linked up here: http://afreshstartonabudget.com/motivational-monday-blogger-linkup-108/ Check it out!
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