Are These "Not So Free" Freebies Worth It?



Hey Love Buds!

I thought I would do something a little different this week.  I want to share a couple of purchases I made recently that may not quite fall into the "bubbly" theme, but were very interesting.

 Within a couple of days of each other, two different "freebie" offers popped up on my Facebook feed.  Now usually, they are of very little interest to me, but these two caught my eye...

FREEBIE #1: RuMe Baggie All  FREE (just pay shipping and handling)


http://www.myrume.com/products/best-everyday-organizer?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=BaggieAllShippingGroceryOrganic&utm_content=3&c3ch=Paid+Social&c3nid=Facebook

 After paying $5.95, this is what I received.  Very pretty - you get to choose from several different patterns.  The website says the original price of this item is $11.95 and down in the "add on" boxes below it, shown is a Medium Sized Tote Bag which sells for $9.95 regularly.  I felt like I was getting a good value.  Clearly noted on the website is that this bag is 8.5" by 7.5" which about the size of a piece of notebook or copy paper folded in half across the short side.

On the site, the bag is pictured as such:


courtesy www.rume.com

This lead me to believe that the bag was made of a material that was thick/sturdy enough to sit up like this.  Not so much.  While the bag I received above is beautiful and well made, it is made of a waterproof polyester material - similar to that that of an umbrella.  Definitely waterproof, but flimsy.

This item was shipped to me first class mail in a flat, plastic envelope - no padding.  I'm sure the total cost of postage including the label, ink and shipping bag was less than $1.00.

CONCLUSION: Not worth it.  I do like the bag, but it is something I probably could have found at the local dollar store for a buck.

FREEBIE #2: Thrive Market Membership plus 15 oz Organic, Virgin Coconut Oil FREE (just pay $1.95 shipping)

I'm sorry I did not snap a picture of the cute box and packaging that my coconut oil came in.  But this is what I received for trying out a Thrive Market membership.  A WHOLE 15 OZ JAR OF ORGANIC, VIRGIN COCONUT OIL!!

If you know me, you know coconut oil is my shuzz! I use it for everything to do with my hair and skin.  Because of that, I tend to not get virgin coconut oil - I buy it by the gallon and it is a little more cost efficient to get refined coconut oil for the amount of it I use.  With this jar, I plan to explore using it for cooking, though I will take a few scoops to prepare my usual weekly hair pre-poo (pre-shampoo) treatment, to see if there is a big difference.

Onto the membership, Thrive Market is a way to get natural and organic products (they have food, bath and body items as well as supplements) at wholesale prices.  Looking over the website, they have many popular brands at very good prices with savings of 20% to 60%. 

The annual membership is $59.95, which could be worth it if these are brands and items you use frequently or want to try.  For $1.95, you get a free month of membership to try it out and see if it works for you AND an awesome jar of coconut oil.  

CONCLUSION: SOOOOOO Worth it.  Grab one ASAP!  

What bargains (or not so much) have you picked up lately?

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love & Loads of Bubbles!

*Edited 6/16/16 to add updated picture of Rume bag.

Exxxxcuuusseee BAMI!





Earlier this year when I visited the Laurel Main Street Festival, I was introduced to BAMI products.  This small bath and body product company is truly all about family.  This budding company makes some great handmade items for your skin and I am happy to spread the word!
BAMI was started by Ms. Bernadette.  After experiencing issues with dry, irritated and sensitive skin as the result of some medical issues, she researched and began making her own bath and body products.  Soon, like most cottage businesses, she was making it for family and friends and then it took off from there.
Truly about family, BAMI is an acronym for Ms. Bernadette's name and the names of her three children (A)lisha (M)arvin & (I)niko  (hopefully, I spelled those correctly).  Each of the children help in some way in the ongoing operations of the company.

I was taken aback by the shear size of these bars.  Each soap weighs in at 7.5 to 8.5 ounces!  For $10 each, which is marked down on their website to $7.00, the price is outstanding.  The sandalwood scent is intoxicatingly  (yes, I made up a word for it) rich.  A smell of true sandalwood in dense, firm bar.  The razzleberry is a fun an fruity scent with added raspberry seeds for exfoliation.  For my sensitive skin, I found the seeds to be a little too much, though I really love the scent.  The level of exfoliation is similar to Lush's Figs & Leaves soap - which is a bit too much for regular use for me.  But also like Figs & Leaves, I love the scent and will use it occasionally. 
The BAMI fragrance is a custom blended scent created by Bernadette herself.  I fell in love with it as soon as I smelled it.  It is a very soft, feminine musk scent with a powdery finish and ever so light floral undertones.  An absolute must try scent.  I also picked up the BAMI scented body butter.  Now this butter is a thick, shea butter based butter.  A little goes a long way and definitely use after you've added some moisture to your skin to seal it in and leave you smelling fabulous!
I highly recommend trying BAMI Products, they are small but the quality and value is AWESOME!

What small business items have you been using lately?  I really want to know! :)

Later Love Buds!

A.

More BAMI?  Find them here: 

  Website           Facebook  

#Mashup Monday Super Black Ops




One of my other loves is super heroines.  (Female super heros, not awesome narcotics - stop it! LOL).  My tee shirt collection is filled with shirts featuring the likes of Wonder Woman, Storm, Spider Gwen (look her up), etc.  I felt like a secret agent woman with this weeks' #MashupMonday combination.

From my visit to Hejin Body Works, I decided to pull the Alpha Girl soap and lotion.  Hejin Body Works is a quirky little store that was an absolute joy to visit!  Their products are high quality, reasonably priced and smell scrumptious.  Alpha Girl "has a mystifying rare scent that combines floral, peach, and Egyptian Musk", as quoted from Hejin's website.  This combination seems odd, but it is indeed super.  The scent is really a sultry musk with a little playful kick.  

Sandwiched in my process between the Alpha Girl soap and lotion is Black Orchid frosted sugar scrub from Antoinette's Bath House.  Antoinette's Bath House creates great bath and body products in a variety of scents that I adore.  Their soaps are very firm, bubbly and huge!  But more on those in another review...

The Black Orchid fragrance embodies the rich, heady scent of an exotic orchid.  This scent is to die for!  The frosted sugar scrub is similar in texture to the Mermaid Hugs scrub I highlighted in a previous #MashupMonday post, in that it feels like moist sand - it can actually be molded almost like play doh.  The exfoliation factor is very mild, especially if your skin is very wet because the sugar melts almost instantly.  There is very little lather - which is fine, because I did the heavy cleansing with the soap. 

The combination of these two seductive scents is magical.  I smelt like a goddess and that's a huge boost for my ego!

What products are you mashing up this week, Love Buds?

For more #MashupMonday posts click here

Peace, Love, & Loads of Lather!

A.

Pink Sands OH MY!




This weekend I traveled to Richmond, Virginia with the hubby who was performing and doing a bit of a media blitz while there.  This trip wasn't all about me (as the majority of our trips tend to be.) Which was cool, I didn't mind being in the background, because I got to groove to tons of my favorite music from the 80's & 90's in the new(er) car that has an aux cord jack! (Yes, I have been deprived of this simple ingenious piece of gadgetry until recently, lol).

But what made my trip just as pleasant and singing along - horribly, to songs like "Spread my Wings", "If It Isn't Love" and "I'm So Into You" was this simple little purchase I made on the way.

For no particular reason other than to smell it, I purchased this cute little Pink Sands scented car freshener by Yankee Candle.  The scent is described as "an exotic island escape with the beautiful mix of bright citrus, sweet florals and spicy vanilla".  The little scratch and sniff sticker on all of these in the store was worn off, but it just looked like it smelled delightful.  AND IT DOES!!! It is sweet yet tart fragrance that is made ethereal by the delight floral accords it contains.  Barely noticeable is the vanilla, but that may serve to round out and ground this soaring fragrance.  At regular intervals during our trip I would say to my hubby "this smells awesome!".  So taken with this scent, once we arrived at our hotel, I immediately purchased a few more from Amazon! 

I absolutely need to have this in a handmade soap, body butter or oil and a fragrance oil/mist to compliment it.  Please tell me you or you know of someone who is making bath and body goodies with this fragrance oil or a spot on duplicate.  I need it ASAP!!!!

Peace, Love & Loads of Bubbles,

A.



My Sample Drawer Giveaway WINNER!!!!!







The winner of my sample drawer is:

CATINA ROGERS

Congratulations!  

More exciting news, reviews, giveaways, visits and more from 4 the love of bubbles coming soon! 

#Mashup Monday: It Isn't Easy Being Green


First off, I want to give a shout out to my favorite amphibian, Kermit D. Frog, for making green the new black on the muppet show - which is making it's return to TV later this month and I could not be more excited.  I'm still not feeling him dumping Ms. Piggy for another pig.  Ms. Piggy's wardrobe and hair game stays on 1000.  Now on to this Monday's experience...

This mash up starts off with one of the signature fortune cookie soaps from Fortune Cookies Soap in the Polyjuice Potion fragrance.  On their website, this fragrance is described as "a magical blend of fresh oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, ripe melon, peaches and kiwi..sprinkled with a touch of sugar."  YUM!  The scent is definitely magical.  I was first tipped on to Fortune Cookie Soap by a soap friend Tracy, who send me a box of goodies that included their Hydrate Me balm in the intoxicating "It's 5 o'clock Somewhere?!" fragrance.  I talked about this item in my first #Mashup Monday post.

I was excited to try this new scent, but hesitant because my experience with glycerin soap has been not so great.  But I am a trooper and it smelled soooo good and the other products I've tried from Fortune Cookie Soap have be awesome and I LOVE the concept, it's so cute AND even comes with a fortune inside.   

However, I must say that the fortune cookie soap did not bring me good fortune.  The scent was fantastic.  But the lather was just so so.  Some soaps need a good rub to get the lather going and I rubbed and rubbed and rubbed but found the lather to be rather lacking in this soap.  Also, I found it to be a little drying to my skin.  It gave me that "squeaky" clean feeling that let's me know I'm definitely clean, but also I know that I need to use a heavy hitter as far as a moisturizer to keep me my skin from drying out.

In comes yet another tincture from Cream & Coco, featured in my Burn, Berry, Burn #Mashup Monday post.  Tinctures from Cream & Coco are a botanically infused body oil blend that incorporates glycerin to help attract moisture to the skin as the oil seals it in.  Great Stuff and the Green Mango scent (do yourself a favor, if you have not tried dried green mangos, find some.  THE ARE ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!! And when you find them, let me know where you got them because my local Trader Joe's has stopped carrying them).  The scent is tangy and sweet and melony amazwballsness.  

Combining the Green Mango tincture with the polyjuice potion fortune cookie soap created a fragrance combination that was a tropical delight - fun and fruity.  Though the soap dried me out, the tincture helped bring my skin's moisture levels back into balance.


What products are you mashing up this week?


For more #MashupMonday posts click here

Later Love Buds,

A.

Loads of Samples: GIVEAWAY!



Hi Love Buds!

By now, you all know that I am a handmade soap addict.  I purchase tons and receive even more as gifts from loved ones who know I love it, as well as companies who want my opinion.  This year, I have received a crazy amount of sample items.  Look, here is my sample drawer and these are all from just this year!

Samples really pull me in, specific scents prompt me to go back and make additional purchases all the time, but usually, there is no need for me to use the sample.  I most likely received the sample along with other soaps, so I know pretty much how the soap will perform, I just want the new fragrance. 

So I'm going to give, yes I said GIVE, my WHOLE, ENTIRE sample drawer away to one lucky winner!  Samples included come from Petals Bath Boutique, Wyldewood Soaps, Willow & Honey, Handmade in Florida, Antoinette's Bath House, Sunlit Soap, The Soap District and MANY other product makers.  Also included in this prize will be a few FULL SIZED ITEMS.  But wait, not only are there soap samples in this drawer, but fragrance samples, bath bomb samples, body butters and other body treats!

Now here's the kicker, what hoops do you have to jump through to enter this drawing?  Just one (or two if you so choose).  All you have to do is subscribe to this very blog - yes, the one you are reading right now!  You can do that in one of two ways:

1. Through Google Friend Connect:




Just look on the left hand side of this page (It may be elsewhere if you're reading this on a mobile device) and under the "Followers" Tab, click the "Join this Site" button. Follow the steps to the end and VoilĂ ! You should have a pic in my followers feed, you'll get first hand updates from my blog and most importantly, you'll be entered into the giveaway!

2. Through Bloglovin




Under my picture on the left hand side of this page (it may be elsewhere if you're reading this on a mobile device) In the "Bloglovin" tab, click the "follow me on bloglovin" button.  This will prompt you to set up a bloglovin account (if you don't already have one - if you do, it will be much easier to just add my blog) and VoilĂ ! You'll get first hand updates from my blog and most importantly, you'll be entered into the giveaway!

Doing both doubles your chances of winning and if you'd like to quadruple that, please post a comment on any of my individual blog posts for 2 additional chances to win.

The winner will be randomly chosen on  September 9th, so don't delay!  Good Luck!!!

Peace, Love & Loads of Lather!

A.