For The Love of Laundry

Hello Dear Reader

I am writing this post on the heels of my last update to tell you about Laundry detergent.

You probably don't know this about me but I have handled the family's laundry since I was a preteen (still hate folding it though). So I was pretty excited to be asked by Bzzagent to talk about Tide purclean. They sent me five one-load packets to try out, and I excitedly obliged. 

What it is: Tide's latest step towards a more sustainable way to wash your clothes without compromising on clean. It has also earned a USDA biobased certification for Proctor & Gamble's focus on renewable energy and production at a zero manufacturing waste to landfill factory (Energy to run the factory is made up of steam and wind power).

I immediately carried on with life as usual and let the hamper pile up, until my next day off. Holding the packet in my hand I thought this surely couldn't be a full load, but there it was written on the packet. Once I cut open the packet, I smelled a very pretty lavender scent. I will admit, I've had trouble with strong scents in the past but once my first load of light colours was dryer ready the smell was light and lingering. Soap also remained in a little tuft on the edge of my washing machine door (I use an energy efficient front loader) which meant that little sachet could handle a much bigger load. A little indeed went a long way.


Next load in were my darks. I had so many pieces to wash including some thick sweaters (hello winter!), several pairs of jeans, and the last minute addition of my ultra plush bathrobe (coffee spills!). Nothing looked faded and everything smelled fresh for the next week. Again, a small packet was all I needed for everything. Some of the sweaters I haven't worn yet still smell like the detergent (washed all this in early November). 

I ended purchasing the bottle and can't wait to get through the rest of the detergent I've got now. 

Playing Catch-Up

Hello,

I want to start this post by calling myself out. It's been a goal of mine to keep this blog updated, and I fell very short on that. My solution is to use a new habit-forming app called Habitica.

Habitica is at its' core a habit tracker that allows you to plug in your dailies, to-dos and habits. What sets it apart is that it looks and feels like an RPG (. Each task completed earns you experience points while each left undone will harm your cute little avatar. I'm trying to make sure lil'Jess stays safe and happy while also keeping me focused on my goals, no matter how big or small.

Has it been working so far? Yes, Habitica has helped me make sure I stay hydrated, fit, and fresh. Plus it's free, available on both Android and iOS, and features a party system where you and your friends can keep each other accountable. Go check them out if you're in the market for a habit tracker.

As for other news, I just finished volunteering at a comic convention. As always it was an amazing experience, but I fell behind on life's responsibilities in the mix of Halloween parties and con responsibilities. I figured while I wait for my first load of laundry I would get back on my habit horse and get something up again.

Thanks for checking in.

Jessica

How to and not to pack for a long haul trip.

I decided, being a free person who works with no specific schedule, to fly out to see my family this spring in Europe. Of course, when you are the child of immigrants going “back home” you tend to get gentle nudges asking you to take things as gifts, to make life easier for the fam you left behind. That’s all well and good, but sometimes that means fighting for luggage space.

I found myself feuding with my mom over her allotted extra bag. Here I was so gracious and generous with my muscles and patience to take one extra bag besides the checked bag you are allowed on most flights. My mom decided that was an invitation not only to get all the things she bought with the intention of packing it away in a box to be shipped when someone in the community would offer to split the cost of a barge, but also to go out a sale hunt.

She went to outlets and seasonal sales for clothes. She made lists and went to the Costco for candy (I’m still surprised the big bag of M&M’s she bought remained untouched before I made it off the tarmac.) Finally, she laid out the bag I was to carry and immediately filled it with goodies to spare.

But it’s such a nice gesture, Jessica! Why are you so selfish!? 

I'm selfish because you’re only allowed a certain number of kilos and a certain number of bags on any given flight. Well, unless you’re the owner of a private jet, or if you’re really good friends with one.

Several guilt trips and some cancelled plans later and there I was, rolling, tucking and editing the goodies until we did the cliché sitting on the bag to fasten it shut. In Three days I was hauling three pieces of luggage (one carry on) towards a check-in desk.

CARRY-ONS

Now you’re going to want to really think and plan out what you’re taking with you in your carry-on. This space can hold the comforts of your cosiest dream. If you’re a minimalist/efficient packer, you might just have managed to fit a month’s worth of outfits and toiletries into your carry on. Good for you, especially on the toiletries! Everyone else is jealous of your skills and lifestyle.

Okay, so if you are packing most of your stuff into the checked baggage, make sure you consider packing enough to last you a week in case the worst happens, and the airline misplaces your bags. That way, you’re not stuck in the same underwear you travelled in, besides it might just be more comfortable to change undies while travelling on a long haul flight with a layover or two. Just tuck your uh… seasoned pair into a zip lock baggie or if you don’t give a fuck just wash ‘em in the sink and hope it dries fast.

I also like to pack all my electronics in one bag for ease of travel, also these items are expensive and should be easy to keep track of.  I also throw in a facemask to put on if the mood strikes (you know the paper ones from Sephora) and a makeup wipe for the sweat and oil, I typically steer away from makeup on travel days. Who wants to deal with mascara crumbling down around your eyes? I also keep waterless toothbrushes (Crest makes a great little pack of four with toothpicks at the bottom.) Great for touch down, so your family isn’t grossed out by your breath when you hug them, or whatever.

I also keep a sleep mask, headphones and an aspirin or two in case a headache strikes. It’s instant privacy and instant access if you keep them all in a makeup bag on their own. It goes without saying that you need to carry your passport with you, so I keep that too, with my wallet in their own bag so I can easily see it and grab it. 

What people don’t always tell you is to pack your jewellery with you. If you’re travelling with real jewels and precious metals (sentimental pieces included), you should always keep them with you. Like I said before, you never know if you’re going to find that your bags never even touched that luggage claim carousel. But by all means, pack those Forever 21 statement necklaces away in your checked baggage, you know they’ll have a cuter one in another colour in a month anyway.

CHECKED BAGGAGE

If I weren't doing the aforementioned extra bag of gifts, I’d probably take one checked bag filled with shoes and purses and it would probably be packed rather loosely since my bag is pretty big anyway. So you can never go wrong with socks and underwear, go ahead and pack several, tuck ‘em in your shoes and purses to save their shape.

Makeup, to some it’s armour but all makeup users know if you drop it just so and that pan is done. Always pack for what you would do on an average day. Fuck it; we’re creatures of habits. Do you wear falsies? Pack your trays. Do you wear a full contour that needs your beauty blender? Pack it up, bb. Etc. Just make sure they go in a sturdy bag that will keep your beauty safe and your other items safe from your cosmetics.

If you can’t help but pack a lot of things then by all means pack as much as you can with whatever space you have and keep your weight under the restrictions or else you’re going to be paying extra charges. 

You can also organise yourself with packing cubes, tuck an outfit in or categorise items in the boxes. I prefer to use the rolling method. There are several videos on efficiently folding up and packing your stuff. I’ll let you look those up yourself. Oh also a note, you can’t roll everything, thick fabrics and blazers shouldn’t be rolled, instead, flip one sleeve into the other, pull through so it looks like you’ve fold it in half. Fold the halved blazer once again at the waist and lay as flat as you can.

Safe and happy travels! Thanks for visiting.

CoverGirl let your mascara talk.

If you know your dance music, you'll have probably guessed that this post's title is inspired by the RuPaul's Cover Girl. I've been obsessed with RuPaul's Drag Race for the last two months, I've binged on every season and have played every version of the game from classic to all stars.

Anyways, onto the review of the mascara sent to me to try out...

So I've used this mascara for about a month now and I have some thoughts on the look, feel and formula of the CoverGirl Super Sizer Mascara. I should preface this by saying I have not bought mascara (except for a tube of waterproof formula) in a very long time. I've been redeeming my Sephora VIB points and picking up samples for a few years now and I have no idea when the last time I bought drugstore mascara was. I was pretty excited to be sent this tube for review as a friend of mine once said:

"When it comes to the formula all mascaras are generally the same."

With that in consideration, it's really all about the wand right? GENERALLY!

It took me a while to get used to the twirling application that makes this mascara sing. It goes on dark and thick so mastering the twirl was vital to success. So a few attempts later I finally figured out a way to use it in a way that works for me. It's buildable, but you have to move quickly to get the separation you want before it dries and becomes a clumpy mess.

I'm not a huge fan of the wand; the bristles are a little bit too short for me. I prefer a longer bristle for my medium length lashes because my hands have a tendency to shake so when I bring the wand up to the ends of my lashes there's usually a shake and my lashes will group up and I look like a cartoon and not the big beautiful doe-eyed anime kind. Maybe this would suit someone with shorter lashes.

So yes, the formula is thicker, which means it's more of a gel-like consistency which I generally prefer for its more precise and quicker application. Throughout the day, the mascara stayed mostly where it should be but by the 10th hour, it was smudging into my eyes and it was so painful. This problem can be fixed with a top coat of waterproof mascara (don't worry the formula will still be easy to remove but will have a longer wear, just be careful that your lashes don't clump up, because that's not a cute look). Or you can remove and reapply if you're doing the whole day to night thing (in which case the packaging is a little annoying to carry around depending on what your purse real estate is looking like).

A few weeks in, the formula got clumpier and drier, a quick fix for this is a few drops of eye drops down the tube with a shake and stir, suddenly it's good as new! Just make sure your eye-drops aren't expired.

For my return to drug store mascaras, the Cover Girl Super Sizer was a solid offering. Probably will not buy again because the brush wasn't a great option for me, but I'll definitely explore what the CG brand has to offer in a wider brush.

Herbal Essences Naked Moisture Collection

** For the bulk of 2014 and 2015 I had been participating in the "No-Poo" movement. I was not using shampoos containing sulfates to help maintain the moisture in my curly hair. My hair had been loving it.**

I was sent shampoo, conditioner, and dry shampoo to try out from the Herbal Essences Naked Moisture line. I'm sad to say my hair wasn't having it.

The shampoo contains sulfates that wreaked havoc on my moisture dependent curls. What makes curls snag and twist more than straight hair is that there are gaps in the shaft that shrink to hold onto as much moisture as possible, also partially why curls see more frizz. Right after lathering my hair and rinsing out the shampoo, my strands had felt like twine. That twine feeling was probably because Sodium Laurel Sulfate, which is the prime grease cutting ingredient in the shampoo, is also the same prime grease cutting ingredient found in your dish soaps.

The smell was lovely, and it could be unisex albeit a little strong coming out of the bottle, it stayed in my hair but didn't really interfere with my perfume the next day (I should also point out that I'm a person who washes at night and air dries while I sleep).

Although I wouldn't recommend this shampoo for people with thick wavy to curly hair like mine, I have been finding success using it about once a week to remove build-up while trying to maintain the natural oils in my hair. It would probably be good for people with medium to thick straight hair to keep their grease in check.

As for the conditioner, it makes a great shaving cream substitute. It's thick and kind of just sits on the hair. It contains silicone and silicones make the hair more difficult for water to permeate hair. That means while silicones can help the hair shaft maintain straight and sleek textures in humid temperatures, the silicone can leave build up that can be difficult to remove. So it makes application a little strategical, I would probably recommend using this before a summer event involving heat styling and balmy weather.

The surprise star of the three was the dry shampoo. Fair warning, you need to shake every time you use it because the formula isn't always consistent. The spray didn't leave a grey tinge, but it did eliminate most of the shine leaving it believably fresh. It was perfect for quickly hiding greasy roots from a late night and no time to wash or even taming my bangs that tend to get greasy twice as fast.

I will probably continue to use this shampoo maybe once a week to cut the grease and buildup from styling creams from the week. As for the conditioner, I'll stick to my usual brand. I will be restocking the dry shampoo when this bottle is empty.

I tried Secret Clear Gel

I received Secret Clear Gel (in Cocoa Butter Kiss) in the mail back in July for review (no, I did not pay for it) and I saw an opportunity to really put it to the test in New Orleans.

And that's exactly what I did.

The little sample package took up a bit of room in my liquids baggie but I was able to make the sacrifice. It travelled well and didn't leak all over my other liquids. I did find the scent a little strong for my tastes. I'm the kind of person who doesn't really want my toiletries competing with my perfume.

Each night, I would shower and apply a layer before bed. The next morning I would reapply and let it dry fully before I dressed.

While it wasn't really a match for walking around in the sun and humidity, club-hopping and swamp touring, it did keep me feeling much less gross because the scent (which upon application I found a little strong) was still there and I felt like it neutralized my natural body odour.

Obviously I still had some product when I got home and found it was really effective on days that weren't painfully humid, and days of cold sweating in an overly air-conditioned office.

The best part about this antiperspirant was the light weight clear gel. I usually used only one click and found it was enough to cover my entire armpit and it never felt like a wet mess. I also want to mention that it was really great for leaving my poor shirts alone, no white marks found on any of my clothes.

While I liked this product, I will probably use it at night, sometimes waiting for the gel to dry won't cut it on those days I'm frantically rushing out the door or on super cold mornings.

Bottom line: I like it enough to use it again but I'd probably go with a different scent.

Update

Hello!

I hope you're having a great summer so far. Mine has been full of chaos with irregular work hours, home renovations and some minor health issues in my family.

Along with all that, I'm planning to go to New Orleans for the August long weekend to celebrate my friend's birthday. I'm so excited, I love traveling, but I'm having trouble trying to figure out what to pack. This is going to be my first flight where I don't check luggage and I don't consider myself a light packer.

Wish me luck. Have a great weekend!