A Balm Like No Other, Mata Balm

Have you ever found yourself reaching for multiple products when you have sore muscles, insect bites, and congestion because you don’t have one that does it all? Of course you have. Just like everyone else in the world, but what if I told you that there is a company that makes a product that will cover all those areas plus more. Not only that but that it’s made with all natural, and cruelty free ingredients at the same time. Well beautiful people there is, and it’s called Mata Balm

About a year ago Mata Balm reached out to me and asked if I would like to try their product, and of course I said yes never knowing how life changing that yes would be. In no time my family and I were hooked!! Every company has a story to tell so before I tell you just what this magic balm is capable of, let me tell you a little bit of how it was created, how it got it’s name, and a bit about what goes in it.

Mata was lovingly created in 2005 on the famous tropical island of Samui by Mrs. Sopa Mata a certified Thai traditional medicine practioner. Ensuring that their ingredients always give the highest performance, most of the fresh herbs that go into Mata Balm are handpicked from their own exotic Sri Rama Herbal Garden.

Now that you know the beginning let’s get into what Mata Balm is and does. Mata Balm is a topical analgesic all purpose herbal healing ointment that can be used for temporary relief of pain, itching associated with insect bites, rashes, boils, minor aches and pains of muscles and joints and dizziness. Made with all natural ingredients

This Mata Balm has become a life saver in my house and has helpfully replaced multiple products. Now we only have to search for one product to help in Winter when cold season hits, in Summer when the mosquitoes are out, and year round for sore muscles that currently plague my husband and I both.

One of the things I really love about this Mata Balm Ointment (besides its amazing performance) is that just a little goes a long way. In other words I don’t have to replace it everytime I turn around.

This has worked such wonders for everyone in my family from kids to adults, and I can’t imagine not having it within my easy grasp.

I recently gave my Dad who has a bad shoulder the rest of the jar I had (he was amazed at how fast it started to work and the relief it gave) when he was over for a visit which meant I needed to order more. So I headed to Mata Balm and not only did I pick up more Mata Balm All Purpose Healing Ointment but I also picked up their Mata Herbal Inhaler as well.

I knew before trying their Mata Herbal Inhaler that it would be amazing, but I wasn’t prepared for how much this would come into play for my family during this past cold season. This cured all of our congestion woes. No sleepless nights because we couldn’t breathe. No clogged sinuses that kept us from enjoying events in life that we didn’t want to miss. Even my sinuses which are horribly bad were no match for the Mata Herbal Inhaler! Can you imagine something that isn’t even as big as your first finger changing your life in that way?

Well I’m here to tell you it can and will. Both it and the Mata Balm All Purpose Herbal Healing Ointment will eliminate multiple products and give you the freedom that you need from wasting money on multiple products at the same time. It gets even better! Mata Balm has given me a code that will save you 10% at Mata Balm The code is CDANCE10 so when you pay them a visit don’t forget to use it! I’m really hoping you are planning on paying them a visit after reading this because even though Winter is fading away, tomorrow is the first day of Spring. You know what that means, allergies.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about Mata Balm as much as I have enjoyed telling you all about it and until next time don’t forget to stay sweet! Candi 🍬

The price called Organic

Its been a while since I blogged about anything, but I’m finally back with the topic that has been on my mind for a while. The price of all things Organic, especially skincare. Don’t get me wrong, I love Organic skincare but the truth is most of the time for me they are out of my price range. Am I talking about every company that makes Organic products? No, but I am talking about a big majority of them. For example. A new toner from an Organic company that I love came out recently and I really wanted to give it a go, but at $28.00 for only 4oz. I had to say no. Why? Well that just doesn’t fit into my budget. I mean I can purchase a 16oz.toner that is all natural for $4.69. No it’s not Organic, but it is all natural which to me is really wonderful. Do you see where I’m going? So I did a little bit of research to find out just what it is that keeps them out of my grasp. What I found were 10 facts from Fox News that helped me to understand but at the same time also left me a little confused at the same time. Here’s a little story to help you understand my confusion before we get to the 10 facts.

Before you read any further remember that these opinions are my own and I did not issue them to ruffle feathers or try to get you to jump on my bandwagon. Every one has their own right to their opinions so if at anytime mine start bothering you just stop reading. I won’t be offended as being different with different opinions is what makes us individuals. Plus I’ll still love you the same.

Growing Up
When I was young my grandfather had a garden. A garden where he did not use pesticides, fertilizers, or any type of growth hormones. He irrigated water from the creek on his land that came straight down from the mountain where he lived to water his garden. I guess you could say he was growing Organic. He just called it gardening the way it had been passed down through the generations. Which is the way that I look at it because years and years ago people had no resource for pesticides or fertilizers. They had to rely on what nature provided for them to utilize plus their own ingenuity. Every year that garden planting came around my Grandfather planted one end of his field with the crops he wanted to grow, and the opposite end with clover. When I asked my Dad why he did this he explained that by planting the clover, the soil would be richer the next year. As the soil was turned over the clover would enrich the soil giving it nutrients needed for a planting when the time came. He also used pie pans tied to tomatoes stakes to keep birds away from his crops, and he also wrapped twine around bean stakes a certain way to keep worms and such for climbing up and nibbling away potential blooms or new growth. He also had apple trees that grew the sweetest, biggest apples that grew just the way nature intended. By what the earth had to give it and nothing else added.

Now after reading this you will understand where I am a bit confused, and at the end I’m going to tell you what my Grandfather’s profession was so you can understand just how much money he had to put into his crops. Now it’s time for the 10 facts that I found and don’t forget that they all come from the same source listed above Fox News

1. No Chemicals More Labor
Without pesticides or weed killer used hand weeding, clean up of polutted water and remediation relies on more hands on deck to see it done. In other words more hands have to be hired to get this done. My thoughts on this are size size size! Start off small and work your way up so this is just a factor in payroll.

2.Demand Overwhelms Supply
Organic food is on the rise, but Organic farms produce less. Without their use of fertilizer their crops grow slower and are often smaller in size. My thoughts on this are there are ways to accomplish this but that gets covered in #3.

3.Higher Cost Of Fertilizer For Organic Crops
Organic Crops use compost or manure for their fertilizer. Shipping said manure can cost cost cost. My thoughts get some cows! If you have you’re own grass fed no hormone cows grazing around then you have the manure. Plant a field out of what it is they need to eat, and you’re feeding them too! If you’re land is Organic then let them eat off that.

4. Crop Rotation
Rotating Fields to keep the soil healthy with cover crops which add nitrogen to the soil to benefit succeeding crops is a big need. Unfortunately some farms just don’t have the size for that. My thoughts on this are simple. If you are planning on growing crops to be sold at market then you need to start out with a large area to work in. If this is too expensive then this dream needs to be put on hold until it can become a reality.

5. Post Harvest Handling Cost
Keeping Organic produce separated from conventional produce is key and when Organic farms are farther from major cities this can be very expensive when shipping. My thoughts are supply locally until you can manage to ship your produce without breaking the bank. After all you do want people to have your food right.

6.Organic Certification
Organic farms are required to pay an annual ispection/ceetification fee which starts at $400 and goes to $2,000 a year. Depending on the size of the operation, and machine modification if needed can make this a hefty price to pay. My thoughts on this are, well size is bigger is better is not always good. Holding Organic standards are very high and although I don’t quite believe this should be as high a charge as it is, I do understand being certified is important. I feel for them on this one.

7.Cost of Covering Higher Loss
With no pesticides used crops get lost more often and without chemical preservatives added produce doesn’t last as long. My thoughts are that there has to be a way to protect those crops as people like my Grandfather and those before him used. Maybe they just haven’t found those ways yet.

8.Better Living Conditions For Livestock
Higher Standards for animal welfare also means more cost. Organic feed can cost twice as much as conventional feed. My thoughts are either grow your own animal feed or partner with an Organic farm that raises cows and barter barter barter! Help each other out.

9.Organic Food Grows More Slowly
It takes more time to grow crops without the added growth hormone. My thoughts on this are that my Grandfather’s garden was always bountiful with regular sized produce. His tomatoes were often bigger than a grown man’s hands! Getting gardens to grow naturally without added hormones and such can be done. Some of this may be about location or possibly the size of the plants coming from the seeds they started from.

10.Subsidies
Production orientated subsidies reduce the overall cost of crops. In 2008 mandatory spend for subsidies was 7.5 billion for conventional farms and Organic and local farms only received $15 million. My thoughts on this are politics are never ever fare. In my opinion it’s the big man holding the little man down so he can keep on climbing. On this my heart does break for them because they have been shafted!

Now that we have made it through all my story growing up and all 10 reasons maybe you can see my confusion. While there is a part of me that really feels bad for Organic farming there is also a part of me that wants to yell at the too pull gardening history to get some much needed help! Pesticides and fertilizers did not always play a part in farming and that is what they need to reach for. And by the way my Grandfather was a preacher that often got paid with food and wares because people did not have the money to pay him. He also raised 7 kids!

Now where does this come into play of Organic skincare you ask? Well simply said the Organic skincare companies have to get their ingredients from Organic sources. When they have to pay large amounts for their ingredients it can cause some of them to raise those product prices. While I understand this I also understand that unless a Organic skincare product has a big stretch of lasting then it will have to stay a dream and not a reality for me.

Vegan, all natural, and cruelty free companies usually have more budget friendly products for me, and with some more careful research I will find more Organic companies that will fall in line with my budget as well. I already have one Organic company that I love because their products go to get lengths for skincare plus they stretch making them worth every penny. In fact I’ll have to do a post on them soon so you can find out all about them.

I can’t wait to share more with you soon, and thanks for letting me get this issue out of my head! Until next time don’t forget to stay sweet!!
Candi 💗🍬

If exfoliation is key then when you do it is the bomb!

My mom used to always ask do you have to do things butt backwards, and my answer was always I have to do them the way they make the most sense. Just like the old adage of if you keep your ends trimmed your hair will grow that always befuddled me since your hair grows from your scalp, and has since been proven wrong, so does the exfoliation of skin and when to do it really get me.

Most skin care companies will tell you that by cleansing first you help to remove dirt, sweat, and makeup off the skins surface. You are then working with a clean base to then exfoliate away dead skin cells that can pile up on the skins surface. Here’s my problem with that, 1. If I cleanse first and then exfoliate how am I washing the dead skin away? 2. Why doesn’t the new cleared skin deserve to be washed more than the old dead skin? So I searched on the Internet to see if anyone else felt the same way I did and I stumbled across an article where celebrity dermatologist Dr. Harold Lancer creator of the unique Step Reversing Skin Revival System chimed in with his thoughts on exfoliation, and here’s what he had to say.

” If you are thinking about the top layer of the skin with all the pollution and debris if you use a cleanser first the majority of the debris is not removed.” He goes on to explain and advises using a polish first to blast skins surface. “The polish ingredients are linked directly to prime the skin for the cleansing step that leaves an epidermis that is ready to soak up the nutrients, antioxidants, and minerals that skin needs.

Make a little more sense? To me it completely hit on everything I had been questioning about the cleanse before exfoliation.

As far as the cleansing to remove the dirt, oil, debris, and makeup first, well that’s where double cleansing comes in and works like a charm. All you need to do is find a great Cleansing Oil and trust me they are quite a few out there, and on dry skin apply your oil cleansing Oil first, and massage. Rinse, then exfoliate, rinse, and then use your regular cleanser. It really works wonders for the skin doing this three step routine, and the only thing left now is which part of the day, and how often.

I exfoliate every single day, and if your skin doesn’t over produce oils by daily exfoliation then you can too, but if your skin doesn’t appreciate that then you’ll have to go from everyday to every other or three times weekly. Give it a try, and let your skin tell you what it’s up for, but always remember to use a very gentle exfoliant and not a harsh dermabrasion. Those are for treatments reserved once or twice a month and should not be used with exfoliation on the same day.

The other thing is what time of day should you exfoliate? Well let’s think about this because it’s really a no brainer. You could exfoliate first thing in the morning, apply skincare, makeup, pick up a zillion dirt, germs, and debris and come home and just wash your face or you can do it at night which is what I highly recommend for two reasons. 1. By exfoliating at night you are getting rid of every last nasty that the day has put on your skin giving you a fresh clean face for bed. 2. When you sleep your body heals itself just like the “get plenty of rest and fluids” everyone will tell you when you get sick because when the body is at rest it’s not doing the 500 things it does when your awake. This means at night your scrapes, cuts, sickness, and skin all have the time to heal that they need without being put on the back burner.

To me there’s a time, place, and when for everything and exfoliation is no different. I hope you enjoyed reading this just as much as I enjoyed writing it, and hopefully I’ll be back soon with more skincare tips.

Until next time don’t forget to stay sweet!

Love Candi 🍬

Perfectly Imperfect and fine with it

Sometimes I forget things, and I run on coffee all day long just to get anything accomplished, and I mean anything! Sometimes I oversleep, and the kids miss the bus, and sometimes I wake in a panic wondering why my alarm didn’t go off and wake the kids up when it’s a holiday and there’s no school. Sometimes I don’t make people happy, and sometimes I don’t make me happy which is hard to live with, because I am my biggest critic. Sometimes I just throw my hands up and say are you kidding me, and sometimes I trip going up the stairs, but through it all there’s one thing I try to remind myself of, and that’s the fact that I’m not perfect. No one is, we are all Perfectly Imperfect and we should all embrace that about ourselves because it’s a part of who we are. We make mistakes and we move on, and that’s okay because we were never meant to be perfect, we were only meant to be human. So if you feel like you’re not perfect enough for this or didn’t do good enough for that remember that it’s okay, because you’re Perfectly Imperfect, and there is nothing wrong with that at all, you’re only human.

Until next time don’t forget to stay sweet
Candi 🍬

Let’s quit wasting, please

In the world we live in today we are way more germ conscious than we have ever been, and through safe practices like keeping our hands washed we can eliminate germs to keep our families safe, but there is one wasteful practice that drives me nuts, wiping down your grocery cart handle.

In every Walmart and grocery store here there is a container of Hand Sanitizer Wipes that kill up to 99.99% of germs and bacteria sitting in front of every door opening to go in right next to the buggies we all use to get our groceries and necessities, and everytime I go in someone is using one of said wipes to wipe down the handle of their buggy. Me I’m grabbing my buggy and heading in, and sometimes I’m turning my head to look at them with I’m not sure what expression, but I’m guessing quizzically, because in my head they are wasting a wipe on something silly and creating more trash for the environment.

I mean I completely understand what they are trying to accomplish by doing this, and it’s to kill the germs of whoever used it before because you never know just what kind of cold, flu, or germs someone may have left behind, but brothers and sisters you are wasting your time, and I’m going to tell you why.

So you’ve de germafied your buggy handle and your strolling along to the soup isle where you stop to pick up a couple of cans of soup, and then your on to the cracker isle because what’s soup without crackers? To every isle you go you are picking up your purchases and putting them in the buggy and then putting your hands back on the handle to push your buggy on to the next destination, and all the while you are depositing germs right back where you removed them from to begin with.

Did you ever stop and think about how many hands have handled everything you pick up while your buying your staples? Well you have the company who made them and who knows how many hands have touched them and sure maybe they used gloves but then again maybe they didn’t. Then it’s onto the warehouse were the product is stored until it’s ready to ship, and then placed inside a truck that has probably not had the cargo area cleaned out in a while. Then it’s off to the store where the stocker who is not wearing gloves stocks it on the shelves for all of us to buy. Then it’s picked up and put back by individuals who decided they didn’t want it. Catching my drift now?

In other words what you have picked up has more germs than you can probably count, and you just transferred them to your buggy handle, every last one! So using that wipe in the beginning was wasteful and futile. I may make you feel better, but it’s just cleaning away a place for you to deposit more germs.

Now in my world I don’t wipe down my handles because of this, but I do practice safety while shopping. Here’s what I do, and it may just work for you.

First I never put my hands on my face or body when shopping, and cell phones um only if one of my kids are calling because that’s one thing that will pack on germs in a hurry. When I get in the car I’m using my liquid handsanitizer, and after I get home and put groceries away I’m washing my hands. If I used my cell phone while shopping it’s getting wiped down too.

You can keep yourself safe with practices that are really just common sense without being wasteful, and stop stressing yourself over germs because they are there, and not only that but you yourself are 90% germs and 10% human. Be smart and be safe but don’t be wasteful, and until next time don’t forget to stay sweet!

Love Candi 🍬

Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe

Amazing and simple recipe!

Cherriopolis

In the summer, when it is too hot to cook. I like to make light easy dinner recipes that don’t take up too much time in the kitchen.  I am sharing my version of Chinese Chicken Salad.

Dressing Ingredients

This is how I like to slice up my lettuce. I don’t like eating big chunks.

Make sure the vermicelli noodles puff up in the hot oil.

Grilled, and sliced chicken breasts

Salad garnishes – fried vermicelli, chopped green onions, toasted sesame seeds & almonds

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What a Pixi Skintreats Trio!

Pixi Beauty can make some amazing products, and I’m here to talk about three that I have dubbed the Pixi Trio. Why have I dubbed them so? Well they have completely changed my world for the better, and who knows after reading this they may change your world to, so let’s get started shall we!

1. Pixi Rose Cream Cleanser
Pixi has managed to do what now other company has ever done before, and that is make me love a cream cleanser. I usually stay away from cream cleansers because I have dubbed them “lotion cleansers” which is often what they feel like when I wash my face with them meaning I feel like I’m smearing on lotion and not accomplishing any cleaning at all! When I wash my face I don’t just want it to appear clean, I also want it to feel that way, and usually cream cleansers leave me feeling like I need to wash again, but not this one! First off this Pixi Rose Cream Cleanser which is made for all skin types smells amazing like a rose cinnamon smell that’s actually quite lovely, and it contains mineral rich mud that cleanses plus helps soften skin while Rose & Avocado conditions, and Chamomile & Aloe Vera soothes. Sounds wonderful doesn’t? It truly is!! I absolutely love using this mild cleanser to wash my face with, and here’s bonus points because not only is it not hard to wash off but my skin feels so clean after I use it, plus it’s so super soft! I’m truly convinced that it’s the mud that makes this Rose Cream Cleanser one for me to love, but one things for sure, and that’s I can’t say I don’t use cream cleansers any longer.

Loving things so far? Well let’s hit #2

2. Rose Caviar Essence

First let me apologize for the picture, but I really had such a hard time with this see through tube that has encapsulated flower oils suspended in a weightless serum/essence inside. It wanted to be red for the pic (I think it’s it’s inner rose coming out) so I just went with it. Moving on, this Rose Caviar Essence is formulated with antioxidants rich natural oils that refine and tone, hydrate and restore skins brightness with this melt into your skin formula, and it’s smells like a rose bouquet! This Rose Caviar Essence completely absorbs into my skin with the tiniest amount (tip of my pinkie) covering my whole face, and it really improves not only how my skin looks overall, but also how it feels. I have been using this day and night with the greatest of pleasures to watch my skin bloom into radiance after every time I apply it. It’s definitely something that I would love to keep in my skincare routine especially for Winter because it hydrates so well, but we have one more #pixipretty to cover, so onward!

3. Rose Oil Blend

With my combination skin I have to be really careful about using any types of oil serums or blends so what I’ve been using this one for is mixing with my makeup, and acne when I break out. This Rose Oil Blend is a powerful youth preservative, and with this luxe oil Blend which is a rich source of Botanical extracts and vitamin E helping to strengthen and nourish, skin is rejuvenated. When I break out I take a small amount of this and apply it to whatever blemish I have, and not only does it keep my skin from scaring because it stays moisturized but it also helps breakouts to speed up their recovery. When I want a nice dewy glow I just add a drop of two to my foundation and mix then apply for a more youthful appearance to my skin. As far as smell, well you’re not going to get roses, but more of a botanical bouquet from the Rose Oil, Pomegranate Oil & Rose Geranium Oil used to make it. The smell is still lovely, just not roses.

So that’s it for my Pixi Trio, but don’t worry I’ll be back soon with more goodies to share with you. Until then don’t forget to stay sweet!
Candi 🍬

Sometimes you just have to make those tough decisions, even when you don’t want to.

When it comes to skincare I often have my head in the clouds dreaming of what I’ll try next, and checking out all the amazing new products that are out there that I feel I really need to try, at least it was that way until a few days ago. A few days ago this perspective was changed for me when I cleaned up my room, and my discoveries left me a bit sad.

Upon cleaning up my room and hitting my “stash” I found product upon product that I have not even opened or much less used, and thought how did I forget about this all? So I decided to hit the bathroom to take stock of my 3 bin skincareaddicts dream of facial care goodness and although I see these every day I was a bit shocked when I started counting. This is what I found:

24 Face Washes (4 that have never been used)
26 Facial Masks (3 that have never been used)
8 Body Scrubs (1 that has never been used)
6 Facial Peels (all have been tired, but moderation, moderation)
And 7 Facial Scrubs (2 have never been tried)

As I sat back and looked at these numbers, I thought wow, and then I thought wow 😢. While I’m not someone who uses the same product everyday (I let my skin tell me what it needs) and I’m using all of these products (except the ones I forgot about) I feel like I am wasting skincare and that’s not okay at all in my book! So I have come up with a plan, and I’m hoping to stick to it.

My plan is until I get half of these numbers down I can’t buy anymore products in those categories, and when they are halfway down I can only replace what gets emptied. This is going to be so hard to do, but I feel like I owe it to myself and all the skincare in my arsenal to do so. Although there’s nothing wrong with trying new things, there’s also nothing wrong with using the ones you’ve tried and already love too. You’ll notice I didn’t count moisturizers, serums, essences, sunscreens, ampoules, and mists and that’s because I already had enough sadness and needed no more.

So starting this week after whatever comes in the mail the only thing I will have coming in is my 0.8L testing products, and those will be going down slightly as my Try Now’s will be based on products I have not tried it all. I know I can do this, but I’m not looking forward to telling myself no.

Skincare is so very important to me, and it should be for everyone truthfully, because without a good skincare regimen in place your skin will breakout, look dull, dry out, over produce oils, and not perform well under makeup at all. Sometimes I see people showing videos of them applying makeup and their faces have so many skincare issues that instead of them taking care of it, they just cover it up. That’s really not okay for anyone’s skin, because left alone those skin issues can multiply, and covering it up does not let the skin breath to recover the way it needs to. So take care of your skin, love your skin the way the way it needs to be loved, and the results will leave you amazed!

Thank you for stopping by to read my Blog on this Skincare Sunday, and if you follow me on Instagram you know that today is also Mask Sunday which will bring the mask # down to 25 😉. I hope you all have an amazing day, and until next time don’t forget to stay sweet!!

Candi🍬

All Masks are not created the same, and that’s why I love them!

I love masking and anyone that follows me on Instagram knows just what Sunday holds… Mask Sunday!! To me that day of relaxation calls for masking not just for the relaxation, but also because I’m a big skin care fanatic which means taking care of my skin is a big must in anyway I can. But what are my favorites, and least favorites you ask? Well I’m here to tell you starting with my most favorite and going down to the least favorite. Let’s begin shall we.

1. Charcoal/Clay/Mud Masks

I have combination skin,which means I walk around most of the time looking like someone poured oil on my face, and these masks step in to save the day! I love these masks the most because of the great skincare they give from purging black heads and getting out unwanted nasties to drying my skin out so I look moisturized but not oily. You’ll notice in the pic that I have alot of these and that’s the reason why, but they aren’t they only ones that bring my skin joy.

2. Magnetic Mask

This e.l.f Cosmetics Beauty Shield Recharging Magnetic Mask is the only one of its kind I own, plus that I have ever heard of. I love everything about this mask from how it starts warming up when I apply it to how soft it leaves my skin when I remove it with my little magnetic tool it comes with. This is what I call my “but I really don’t feel like doing skincare mask”, because it’s simple, quick, easy, and it leaves my skin right where I need it. If you haven’t tried this mask you really really need to, but there are other masks besides this lovely so let’s move on to number 3 shall we.

3.Peel Off Masks

Peel Off masks aren’t for alot of people, but for me these “I am going to pull it all out” masks are a must, in moderation that is. I use a peel off mask only once a month because pulling out all natural oils repeatedly is not good for your skin, so once I month these grab dirt, oil, blackheads, whiteheads, dead skin and then my skin goes to “thanks so much I’m much better until next time”. Side note here tho, there are peel off masks that are beyond painful, and for me those are a no because why should I have to hurt like that when I can use another mask that does the same job but doesn’t feel like its pulling off my skin? The answer is I don’t. Flat out, if I use it once and the pain is making me have thoughts of a wash cloth on a peel off mask, well then that mask is going in the trash because taking care of your skin should never be painful, no matter what anyone says. Your skin doesn’t appreciate that, and in the long run neither will you.

4. Exfoliating Masks

Exfoliation is key to healthy skin to remove dead skin cells and reveal clean healthy skin underneath. Exfoliation is a part of everyday Korean skincare, and I love Kbeauty so I have been doing the same with a mild exfoliant in my skincare routine, but if I know I’m going to use one of these masks I skip exfoliating that day in my skincare routine because sometimes too much of a good thing can be bad, but with moderation things can flow smoothly. Exfoliating Masks are something everyone should have in their mask arsenal in my opinion, but I’m sure you’re probably wondering about number 5, so onward we go!

5. Bubble Masks

The saviours of breakout sessions. My skin stays pretty clear from outbreaks, except for hormonal and that’s why these are everything in those dark moody days. These masks can bring breakouts to the surface making them heal quicker, and also purge the skin of unwanted gunk. They tickle too, and it’s really fun to watch those bubbles grow after I apply them. In those times I need a good laugh also so these not only take care of my skin but they give me a good laugh at the same time. You should try them some time. 😉

6. Wash Off Maska

These masks are in the bottom because although they leave me moisturized, and with a lovely healthy glow they tend to make my face oily afterwards. I love these masks mostly during Winter when it’s nice and cold because my skin dries out just a small tad. An overproduction of oils usually doesn’t happen then, but I do occasionally use them during the warmer weather just to treat sun kissed skin, and give back what the sun has taken out. I don’t hate them but they leave me very unsatisfied in a way. All that’s left now is the last spot.

7. Sheet Masks
I guess you’ve noticed there is not a picture for #7 and that’s because I currently don’t have any because they are my least favorite. Why are they the least? My Combination Skin is why. Sheet Masks to me are quite the pain, and the reason why is you can’t really manage them. Filled with essence these masks are great for anyone with dry skin but for people like me or ones with oily skin these can be a nightmare! Sure I can take my fingers and drag great gobs of essence off of them before I apply them, but there’s still so much left on my face that no matter of “tapping in” is going to work. So I’m left wiping the rest off my face, and then walking around with a face that feels sticky, and just too full, and who wants that besides someone with desert dry skin? Not me, I mean yeah I have found a few that I kinda liked, but overall I have never met one that rocked my world and made me want to stock up.

Well that’s it from my favorite to my least favorite masks, and if you have one you would like to recommend then leave me a comment below, with my thanks in advance. If you don’t mask let me tell you that you are doing a disservice to your skin. Love your skin and it will love you back to great lengths.

I hope you had fun reading this, and tomorrow is Mask Sunday my favorite event of the week so if your on Instagram check out to see what I’m masking with tomorrow. Thanks so much for reading my Blog, and until next time don’t forget to stay sweet!!

Candi 🍬

My review on VIOlife Slim Sonic Classic Gift Set

I was so excited after reading my sweet friend Cherriopolis’s review on her own Slim Sonic Toothbrush to get the chance to try and review one of my own, and after reading my review you will understand why, but first let me tell you just who VIOlife is.

VIOlife is a team that started as a family business and has nurtured a close-knit friendly and fun culture ever since. Starting in 2004 with the creation of a hugely successful product with help from the brilliant designer Philippe Starck that emerged as their original Countertop UV Sanitizer that received the coveted IDSA Gold Award in 2005, they went on to create travel toothbrush holders, dental spas, the Zapi, and sprung more into their collection like the Slim Sonic Electric Travel Toothbrush.

Now that you know who they are let me tell you about the amazing Slim Sonic Classic Gift Set they sent me to try.

I was completely blown away when I opened up this set and saw everything in it, and I was most definitely ready to start brushing with it, but first things first.

Slim Sonic Classic Gift Set comes with:
1 Slim Sonic Toothbrush

2 additional caps & 2 additional brush heads (brush heads should be changed every three months)

1 AAA Battery, and 1 clean gorgeous smile whenever you need it 😉.

This set also came with an instruction manual that completely let you know how to do everything from turning it on to changing the brush heads.



You get the gist, in other words they covered everything in 5 different languages! Which makes this great because it can be used by more people than just the ones that speak English.

Now that we know who VIOlife is, what the Slim Sonic Classic Gift Set came with, and the instructions manual let’s get to my favorite part which is the Slim Sonic Toothbrush itself.

The Slim Sonic Toothbrush is a very portable size of 6 1/2 in. long X 3/4 in. wide and a lightweight of 2.5 oz. that makes it perfect for handbags, gym bags, your glove box backpacks, office, or car, pretty much wherever you need it! It has 22,000 strokes per minute and has a vented cap for hygiene.

The brush head has bristles that are shaped and angled to clean your teeth completely without leaving any nasties behind

And the on off button is so easy to see with a great grip that keeps your finger from slipping off.

And the patterns on those additional caps went so beautifully with my original brush handle.

Now here are my final thoughts:

I have been brushing with nothing but the Slim Sonic Toothbrush since I received it, and they have completely ruined me for other toothbrushes! My mouth has felt and been so much cleaner since I started using this toothbrush and I am using less toothpaste that with my normal toothbrush with even better results! My teeth look so much better since I started using the Slim Sonic Toothbrush, and the most amazing thing is my teeth are staying cleaner longer, with eating and drinking between brushing!! I also noticed my teeth look whiter than before I started brushing with this remarkable toothbrush, and the brush size is perfect for my small mouth helping me to reach those hard to reach places.

Now if you have to ask if I recommend this, the answer is a big yes, and you can find it here
http://www.violife.com

I really hope you buy one of these amazing toothbrushes that has changed the way I brush, but not just me. You see I was so impressed with this Slim Sonic Toothbrush that I bought all of my girls one along with one of their sanitizers, and I can’t wait until my girls get to discover the magic that is the Slim Sonic Toothbrush.

Thank you so much to VIOlife for sending me this set to try, and thank you for stopping by to read my blog. Until next time don’t forget to stay sweet!
Candi ☕