50 Shades of Soap: A Valentine's Day Collection by Fortune Cookie Soap

Valentine's Day is just around the corner.  Who is a 50 Shades fan?  Did you read all the books?  Are you planning on seeing the flick for your big night out next weekend?  I will admit I gave into the curiosity a couple years back and read the first book.  I had to see what all the buzz was about!  To me, the book was just kind of eh... but because it left its audience with such a nice little cliff hanger, I felt compelled to read the second book in the series (but not until I had thoroughly cleansed my palate with some tamer YA stories).  Now that the movie is on the verge of coming out and one of my favorite indie bath companies released a 50 Shades themed Valentine's Day collection, I figured it's about time I closed out the series and picked up the final book.  I'm still working my way through it, slowly but surely. 

I probably will see the movie, eventually, like when it's released on DVD and I can rent it for a buck.  But this series is definitely not my usual cup of tea.  I'm not mad I read it, because now I know what everyone's panties are in a bunch about and even learned a few new terms (thanks to google).  I mean, you never know when bondage and S&M is going to come up in trivia, right?! 

Okay, let's get into the soap already....shall we!?

 Fortune Cookie Soap launched this collection mid-January.  It's considered a "mini" collection, which basically just means it's a smaller (or "mini") collection that comes out between their main seasonal lines.  There is usually a handful of products, each coming in just one scent. 

This collection had eight different products and even featured a new product!  At the launch they even offered the ability to purchase the entire collection (limited to a few hours, maybe even a 24-hour block?) at a 10% discount.  If you weren't feeling the entire collection, you could also just pick and choose the items that spoke to you the loudest! 

I'm a sucker, and purchased the whole dang thing - but I can't resist sweet, fruity and floral scents so as I was seeing the sneak peeks leading up to launch I found myself practically drooling over the scent descriptions, and I knew I needed to have it all!

Bitten Lip Scrub  $8.99

This was my least favorite of all the products.  The scent description on the website says it's spicy cinnamon and cool mint.  I don't have any issue with the scent, but when using the product, it kind of tastes like lipstick, which is not cool...especially for a lip scrub.  I'll use this, but I definitely won't be licking it off!

Hard Limit Massage Bar $9.99

This thing is huge!  That's what she said!   But seriously, this is going to last a good while.  It also smells amazing...fruity and floral, perfect for Valentine's Day!  My nose really picks up the lime and apples first followed by the rose and a subtle jasmine finish.  And....how cute is the handcuff and little key!?!?! 

Inner Goddess Whipped Cream $10.99

Whipped Cream is Fortune Cookie Soap's version of body butter.  It's thick and creamy and packs a lovely floral scent that lasts all day!  The floral scent is light and clean mixed with a mild fruitiness.  It's really a very pretty scent.  One of my favorites from this collection - I've almost used up the entire pot!

Laters, Baby Fortune Cookie Soap $3.99

Another favorite!  I just started using this in the shower this past weekend!  This smells good enough to eat...vanilla, brown sugar, caramel and coconut - YUM!!!!  I find the cookies usually last about a week to a week and a half with daily use in the shower, longer if I use it on and off with other shower gels / body washes. 

Pleasure Bath Bombs $6.99

If I could eat the Laters, Baby cookie, OH MAN could I destroy the Pleasure Bath Bombs!!!!  They smell like a decadent, rich, caramelly dessert!  Unfortunately we don't have a bathtub in our apartment, so these are on reserve for now.  But, I cannot wait until I can drop one in a warm tub of water and just soak up the sheer awesomeness of this scent! 

The Red Room Body Wash $8.99

I didn't find this to have much of a scent before I used it in the shower.  Even then, it's pretty light, but still smells nice.  I really pick up berries, vanilla, and marshmallows, and not so much of the musk or sandalwood.  It lathers really well!  This wasn't one of my top products in the collection, but I don't have anything particularly negative to say about it....I think I've just been off body washes / shower gels lately and instead have been on more of a soap kick!

Twitchy Palm OCD Hand Sanitizer $2.89

Watch out!  This one's full of glitter!  If you're not so into the sparkle farkle, this may not be for you!  But, if you can live with a little glitz, this does smell terrific!  It's super fruity and delightfully sweet all around.  I really love the watermelon - lemon combination!  It kind of reminds me of the OCD from the Spring 2014 Soap Box, Afternoon Delight, which I also loved and was sad to use it up last Fall!  This is another of my favorite scents in the collection - even though I don't love, love the glitters! 

Vanilla Linen Spray $12.99

This is the new product Fortune Cookie Soap premiered this launch!  It's amazing!!  I absolutely LOVE linen sprays!  I mean, what's better than sniffing on refreshed and revitalized linens!  I love to spritz my pillow and sheets as the first part of my nighttime routine.  That way when I'm finally ready to climb into bed, the spray has had time to dry and I'm left with a lovely fresh scent while I  nod off to dream land!  This spray is anything but just plain 'ole vanilla - it's also got a little citrusy love from lemon and orange with some underlying jasmine and a touch of musk!  At least that's what I've smelled while inhaling my pillow at night!

Overall, I really loved this collection (other than the lip scrub) and am really happy I decided to purchase the whole thing!  I definitely would have had some regrets if I wouldn't have gotten some of these gems!! 

Have you tried any FCS products, and if so, did you check out anything from the Valentine's Day collection?  What did you think?  Favorites?  Unfavorites?

If you did want to check some of these things out yourself, I did just peek at the website and it doesn't look like anything is sold out right now!  I personally love this company and the awesome things created by their beautiful soapy minds so I love to spread the word when I can!!!! 

To DIY For: Homemade Face Mask!

Hello!!!

I have been dealing with some pretty awesomely crappy stuff at work, so you add that to my favorite monthly visitor and BOOM....pretty awesomely crappy skin!  Don't you just love when that happens?! 

Seriously, when one pimple finally fades away, another pops up somewhere else!  It was like playing {and losing}the very worst game of whack-a-mole ever! 

I was craving the freshly made goodness of a Lush Fresh Face Mask...but alas, our local Lush was all sold out - both times I tried to pick one up!  So, I turned to Google in desperation.  Plus I have kind of wanted to try making one from things in my own kitchen for a while now so this just kind of nudged my hand a little.

I found this super simple recipe online and decided to give it a go, but first - a few words of caution.  If you have sensitive skin or any sort of allergy to either of the ingredients....don't use this!  If you're not sure if you're sensitive, test a small amount on the inside of your elbow and wait until the next day to be sure you're safe before applying this directly to your face!  Heed this warning!  I'm not responsible for any adverse reactions you might encounter! ☺

Okay....so now that the boring part is out of the way, here we go!!

What You'll Need

• Honey
• Cinnamon
• A small bowl
• A tablespoon

What You Do

1. Combine 1 Tablespoon of Cinnamon with 2 Tablespoons of Honey and mix until well blended.  The mixture should become paste-like, spreadable, but not too thin. 
2. Apply the mixture to a clean face and leave on for 10-15 minutes. 
3. Rinse with warm water. 
4. Apply a toner and/or moisturizer. 
• Hint:  If you don't have a toner, you can make one with ingredients from your kitchen!  Just dilute a little lemon juice or apple cider vinegar with water and apply with a cotton ball.  You don't need much, but if you have leftovers you can refrigerate it for a few days. 

1.  Just plain old honey and cinnamon from my cupboard, nothing special!  2.  Combine the goods.  3.  Form a paste. 

I found this mask helped tame my break out and left my skin smooth.  The cinnamon and honey work together and provide your skin with intense exfoliation when you're rinsing it off. 

When rinsing is the only time I experienced a little bit of irritation (I don't have sensitive skin or any known allergies).  It wasn't unbearable, just a little tingly and my face was a bit red after, but not any more so than normal after using an exfoliating produce.  Though I don't have sensitive skin in the normal respects, I do turn red quite easily after touching or scratching my skin, so any type of exfoliating products tend to tomatosize me!  My doctor suggested I might have a mild case of dermographism or something similar, however, I have not been actually diagnosed with anything to date.  The redness in my case went away after around 15 or 20 minutes. 

Creature Feature! 

So if you've patch tested the mixture on your arm and didn't have any adverse effects, I hope you enjoy giving this mask a go!  I was rather surprised at how much it actually worked and will be using it again and again!  I especially love that it's so simple and I always have the ingredients in my kitchen!! 

Have you tried any homemade masks?  What did you think?  Please share your recipes if you wouldn't mind!!!   I'd love to try some more!