Three Good Reasons You Should Be Using Cold Cream

  I don't know about the rest of you, but I am a product junky. I go through phases with everything. What I wash my face with is no exception. After I turned 30, I was having issues with dryness AND blemishes (grrr). I went to see help at my local health food store and the proprietor suggested that bar soap was better than the liquid washes. The explanation for this is simple, when you have water in a product, you HAVE to have someway to inhibit microbes from growing in it. They tend to feed on the nutrients in any product containing water for them to grow. As a side effect, your product can become noticeably gross or cause your skin to breakout, but I digress. I switched to using bar soap with my Clarisonic. The best soap I found was an MSM soap on iherb.com by At Last Naturals http://www.iherb.com/At-Last-Naturals-MSM-Soap-Herbal-Moisturizing-Bar-3-oz-85-g/21305. It isn't the greatest for removing eye makeup, or makeup in general though.

Idk if you can tell here, but I wear a TON of makeup!

 I was getting those inexpensive store brand makeup remover wipes, but they seem so wasteful if you don't have that much to take off. A month ago I got it into my head to pick up some Pond's cold cream, but I kept forgetting until I saw a 2 for 1 sale at CVS. So I picked up one each of the cucumber & deep cleansing varieties, & I have been happy with my results. This also prompted me to do some research on my latest cleansing craze.
 According to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_cream, cold cream is a water-in-oil type emulsion, the opposite of the oil-in-water type emulsion that body lotion is. This is why it's good for removing  makeup & dirt, it lifts residues from the skin while the opposite formulation is good for sealing things in. The water being suspended this way, also leaves a feeling of coolness when applied to the skin, which is why it's called "cold cream." Cold cream is a tried & true cleanser, dating back to the invention of it by Galen, a second century Greek physician. Today it's possible to get cold creams that are very close to Galen's formula, like Lush's Ultrablandhttp://www.lushusa.com/Ultrabland/02749,en_US,pd.html, but at $30 a jar I'll have to wait!
I'll just have to stick with my Pond's that starts at $3.59 a jar & is available everywhere.

  My favorite of the two varieties is the Cucumber Classic. I've tried both kinds for shaving & this one doesn't gunk up my razor. As you can see from the texture it's not as thick as the deep cleansing. The smell is also nice. The deep cleansing is really good for removing mascara. Both varieties contain mineral oil & preservatives. I really don't have a problem with mineral oil. It has a long history of safe usage & is excellent for removing makeup. I also haven't heard of anybody with allergies to mineral oil. The presence of the preservatives also doesn't bother me, because I don't want to have to keep my cleanser in the fridge. I love using cold cream for shaving now, & I've also convinced my husband to switch over to shaving with it as well. It's even great for shaving more sensitive areas with. A dirty little secret of mine is that I don't shower every day. I wash my face & brush my teeth, but I will cut shower time from the schedule in a heartbeat if I'm pressed for time. I found that cold cream is excellent for quick wash ups in the sink, it completely removes any sweaty smell from my pits. Since I know of at least 4 uses for this product (cleansing, makeup removal, shaving, & soothing sunburns), I put this in the category of an inexpensive bathroom shelf staple. Do you have a unique usage for cold cream? I would love to hear about it in the comments section below. TTFN
*All photos are property of me, & I expressly forbid any use of them without my permission. I know that my selfie is blurry, but I'm not the greatest at taking these kind of pics & putting your pics out there on the interwebs is nerve wracking.

Pheromones Are Magic, part 3

  Today I am on to part 3 of pheromone reviews. Though it likely will not be the last time I review products in this category, but I do have a LOT of other topics to discuss & recipes to share &.... well you get the picture.
Also I quoted from a pheromone wiki in my last post, so here is the source if anyone is interested in perusing it http://www.lovepotionperfume.com/reading_room/articles/PheroWiki
 I ended part two promising to discuss the sexxxay pheromones, but I wasn't quite finished speaking on the socials. You can't talk social, without talking about Alpha-Androstenol! You can actually find this molecule at a few different sites, it's really all about preferences & who's giving the best deals, of course:
Alpha Dream: http://www.alpha-dream.com/alphanol.php
Love Potion: http://www.lovepotionperfume.com/perfumerie/potion/PUNA-NolSpray/
Androtics:http://www.androticsdirect.com/product.php?productid=24
True Pheromones:http://www.truepheromones.com/androstenol-3-alpha/
Uncanny Mind (?): http://www.uncannymind.com/msense.html

As you can see, it was quite easy for me to dig up some links to purchase. I spoke about A-nol briefly in my Topper review. A-nol is going to be found in almost all the pheromone blends you come across because it lightens the mood of more intense molecules & generally plays well with any molecule it's paired with. A-nol is great for beginners, there really aren't many ways to go wrong with it (that don't involve drinking). It does give some people an instant headache & it can interfere with some people's sleep schedule. Some people have reported that it makes them feel hyper.


I have a couple "in between" blends that I like. They don't send out a strong sexual signal, but they are aimed at attracting the opposite sex. Since they don't contain copulins (a strong female sexual signal), nor do they contain androstenone or enone (an aggressive male sexual signal), these bends are considered work safe & can be used socially. However, in my experience wearing them, even though they can be used socially they do give one a "flirty" vibe to the opposite sex. So I don't see myself wearing these in a more conservative environment.
Perfect Matchhttp://www.lovepotionperfume.com/perfumerie/potion/PerfectMatch/

A lot of people do use this in a work environment, but it is described by the retailer as a "soul mate type blend that both sexes can wear." I like wearing this one with my husband. Interestingly enough, we get better self effects if we use this blend at the 333 mcg per bottle concentration, or 1/3rd strength. Rather than the 1k mcg per bottle strength that it is sold in, as pictured. We definitely flirt more with each other & want to be near each other more when we both have this on. This is more "new relationship" behavior, not really behavior that has become typical in our 8 year marriage.


Heart & Soulhttp://www.lovepotionperfume.com/perfumerie/potion/PUNHeartSoul/

This was my favorite blend when I began using pheromones. This makes people feel comfortable & familiar with me when I wear it. It's a very good blend for making new friends. I also really enjoy the feeling of well being this blend gives me. The reason why I don't reach for this one very often anymore, is that it contains an ingredient that my spouse doesn't react very well to; Estratetraenol. This was a very frustrating discovery for me! I absolutely adore this one, but I also like getting through my day without conflict. Since he gets crabby when I wear this around him, I usually avoid wearing it. I think the Est. in it does tend to make (most) men more flirtatious with me due to the ultra feminine signal that Est. is & the other aspect of this blend that makes people chattier; Beta-Androstenol.
 On to the rock stars of the pheromone world, sexual blends! This is the category that gets all the hype. For a long time companies only seemed to care about getting their male customers laid. Slowly, but surely, the retail offerings have evolved with the realization that people have other needs. I believe that Mara over at Love Potion has cornered the women's share of the pheromone market, but other companies are trying to compete. Which is a good thing! Women were pretty much ignored by pheromone retailers for far too long. Which is an understandable oversight,  if you think that your only demographic are desperately horny men that are constantly rejected by heartless women. Anyway, finally these companies realized that even us heartless women need a little help from time to time. I think the pheromone community is getting past the strong bias for sexual blends & realizing that pheromones are a ton of fun to use as social engineering tools (I hope).
Sexpionage http://www.lovepotionperfume.com/perfumerie/potion/Sexpionage/

This is a stinky blend! There are a ton of cops in this one, enone is also a stinky molecule. Anyway, if you give this one adequate time to dry & cover it with a deeper scent, you will be pleased with the results. This blend is all about getting laid! If the object of your affection isn't noticing you very much lately. I would say give this a shot! I can tell when my man is preoccupied, or just not feeling it. These are the times when I go so far as to plop myself in his lap & he comments that I'm hurting his leg (or some such nonsense). That doesn't happen if I arm myself with this potion. He really doesn't stand a chance against my carnal desires when I tempt him with some of this disguised in a yummy smelling perfume.

Copulins are fairly inexpensive & easy to obtain. I posted a couple links that popped up in my search engine, plus Love Potion where I usually get my pheromones in general.
Love Potion http://www.lovepotionperfume.com/perfumerie/potion/POCCO/
As We Changehttp://www.aswechange.com/aswechange/displayitem.aspx?id=345194&cmp=compare_shop&SourceCode=80509000007
Love Scenthttp://love-scent.com/passion-copulin-concentrate-p-34.html

Astrid Jutte was the pioneer when it came to copulin research. Most copulin formulas that are sold are based on her recipe, at least the products that work. Copulins can be useful for women who want sex, as well being a tool for giving off a more youthful impression, for women that are past their peak reproductive years. Of course, one would use smaller amounts to achieve this affect in day to day scenarios. You definitely want to make sure that copulins are not detectable when you wear them, or you could come across as smelling unwashed & dirty. When I wear these, I prefer them to be already blended into my perfume. If I don't wait until my blend of choice "dries down" or the copulin smell settles down & becomes unnoticeable, my husband will ask what smells like p**sy! It usually takes 10-15 minutes for the dry down to occur & my copulins become unnoticeable on a conscience level.

I am trying to stick to pheromones that I use, but I'll give a shout out to Wingman because my husband has used their product on me & I can vouch for them.
Wingman Pheromones http://www.wingmanpheromones.com/

My husband has tested out the Black Label blend, which I liked on him, & I haven't heard anything negative about this company.















  So far, I've only written about the products that I've had success with. Up until this point, I've participated in forums & kept to a policy of saying little to nothing about products that don't work for me. You know the old adage; "if you don't have anything nice to say..." I don't think that is going to work now that I'm in blog territory though. I'm sure if you're reading this you probably want to know about the misses, as well as the hits.
 Androtics Direct / Phero Talk: http://www.androticsdirect.com/
I would say that Androtics has a cult following. It is possible to get good products through them, from what I've heard. I actually have very little experience with them. They have supplied Mara over at LPMP with pheromones in the past, but they quickly quit doing that for reasons that make sense to only Androtics. So right now I have a (very precious) bottle of (sold out) CFM from LPMP labeled as enhanced with Androtics' TAL. I have no idea what that is, but it seems to work for me when I'm wearing the perfume. A few years back, I want to say mid-2009, I had heard tell of something they call P86. A couple of my LPMP forum friends (I call them VGFs) spoke highly of it. Of course I wanted to get some. Unfortunately, they're prices are sky rocket high, but they do give a decent gift certificate if you join their forum; PheroTalk. Which I did. I ended up getting my P86, but I honestly can't say that it worked for me. I don't even remember why I wanted it so bad to tell you the truth, lol. They did ship fairly quickly & customer service was good. Now to the reason why I consider AD a "miss." They're expensive, firstly! Second, there is an unreasonable amount of secrecy regarding their products, I believe people have the right to know what they're getting. I'm pro-labeling, especially in food, & I don't like paying to do a company's testing for them. I feel that way about any company with shady labeling practices, whether they be large or small. Third, there is way too much controversy surrounding this company. It isn't hard to find negative commentary about Androtics Direct online. However, there aren't any red flags on the Better Business Bureau site, but I can't see their rating as the BBB is updating it's files on LA businesses. I feel that I can say with some authority that AD is not regarded well in the majority of the pheromone community.
 PheromoneXS : https://pheromonexs.com/
I want to be fair to this company. The owner has always been nice to me & the 3 products that I've tried, he sent to me free of charge, a while ago. To be fair to all the companies I'm discussing, I am including links to their products, whether I use them or not. That being said; I really can't agree with Pheromone XS' marketing platform. I don't think trying to discredit all of your competitors is really a good strategy for building a lasting customer base. I personally take issue with the quote "They might even try to scare you with words like overdose (OD) but they’re not telling you the whole story. Don’t let them fool you with terms like sweet spot testing. Why should you have to use three, four or even more sprays/drops to get the desired affect? Are they hiding something?" Are you kidding me? The companies haven't said anything about OD'ing on their products. Experienced members of the pheromone community have put a lot of trial & error of experience into what we tell new users. When we're asked for advice, then we assess the situation by what the person is telling us & offer our opinions based on our experiences. A reputable pheromone retailer should be honest if a customer is reporting bad experiences & obviously using too much to get good results. Rant over, lol. The 3 products that I've tried from this company are:
1. Desire Me copulin oil https://pheromonexs.com/pheromones-for-women/Desire-Me-copulin-pheromone-oil-women

I was sent a full size bottle in the amber rose fragrance scent to try. I do like this product. I put some on my best friend to try, because she liked the scent &, oh boy, did she get a surprise when the cops smell surfaced on her skin. It was hilarious! She did try washing it off, but it clung to her. When she got home, she told me that her husband was extra nice to her. (I bet!) This bottle will last forever, as you don't want too put to much of a strong sexual signal on for daily wear.




2.Unisexy Pheromone Massage oil https://pheromonexs.com/pheromone-erotic-massage-oil/unisexy-massage-pheromone/massage-pheromone-Unisexy-Body-Massage-Oil

I also liked the massage oil. The oil is a nice moisturizer & it is definitely all natural as it went rancid before I could use it up. I consider that a good thing, I would  be suspicious if it had lasted an overly long amount of time & claimed to be all natural. I wans't quite sure what the little roll on bottle was for & tried rolling it undiluted onto my skin at first, not a good idea!!! It burned like the dickens. The pheromone blend was nice, but not anything unusual. If I could use this up in a reasonable amount of time, I would be tempted to purchase some, but I have a large amount of bath & body products already, so it would just go to waste.



3.TeaseXS https://pheromonexs.com/pheromones-for-women/Tease-pheromone-Spray-women

Again, I was sent a full size bottle of this. I really didn't like this one AT ALL. I tried testing it a few different times to make sure it wasn't an isolated incident, but this one made me feel straight up hostile. It has been over a year since I tried this, so the formula may have changed. Whatever it was, the formula just didn't feel well balanced to me. Hopefully they worked the kinks out, but I definitely won't be retesting this to find out!






Lastly, I'm going to discuss forums.If you're looking for reviews on pheromone products, you will probably end up on a forum. If you know that the company selling the products you're looking for reviews on, also owns the forum the reviews are on,  then you can expect a fair amount of bias toward their products. There is one pheromone forum that claims to be entirely unbiased, & this forum is not owned by any of the pheromone companies that I'm aware of. However, it is generally impossible to remain unbiased, that is just human nature. So I would take that claim with a grain of salt if you come across it. Thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment below, I would love to hear from you! TTFN
*All images & sources used are the intellectual property of their respective owners. The only company discussed that I have any affiliation with whatsoever, is www.lovepotionperfume.com as a part of their forum community.

Pheromones Are Magic, part 2

   The six pack of Boulevard Wheat I had with dinner convinced me that it would be a good idea to blend up a tasty veggie juice in my Health Master, as a base for the ultimate Bloody Mary to serve to my husband when we got home from dinner. I probably drank about 2-3 glasses of said juice, sans vodka, because it was delicious & I was thirsty. So here I am at 3 a.m., just bursting with energy. Thanks Montell Williams! Now it's time for me to channel this insomnia into an informative & entertaining blog post, just for you :)  As promised in my former post, I'm here to finish up my thoughts on pheromones. Well, at least the ones I've been accumulating since 2009.
  A good place to begin my in depth analysis of pheromone usage would be the "social" category. I cannot sing the praises of this category enough! The reason these type of pheromones & pheromone blends are called "socials" is that they are appropriate for every situation. You can wear them to church & work, as well as around the object of your affection. There are sexy blends that pheromone users have crossed over usage of, into the social category. Even though they may work great as socials, the creators of these type of blends did create them with a specific purpose in mind; so don't be surprised if you net a strange reaction occasionally when you wear them in an unintended fashion. (I ended writing @ about 4 a.m. & resumed today here:) A couple of the blends I personally do this with are: 1.G2 ( http://www.lovepotionperfume.com/perfumerie/potion/PUN-G2/)

The website states that "this blend was designed as a same sex attractant for female..." But that is not the way that I use it. Personally, I find it's great to use around other women in general. It gives me an "it girl" factor & makes being around other women a pleasant experience. Occasionally I do get the wrong kind of attention from women that do swing that way, but that isn't their fault, I am in effect sending out that signal when I wear this. The other 90% of the time it's a great blend for social interaction.

2.Cougar ( http://www.lovepotionperfume.com/perfumerie/potion/PUNCougar/ )

What can I say about Cougar that hasn't been said a million times on LPMP's message boards? Lol, I guess a lot if I'm assuming that you, as the reader, are new to pheromones. Alright, well I use Cougar as a social, but I have noticed weird reaction, i.e. inappropriate to situation reactions a few times while wearing this. The website states that this blend is designed to "evoke the impression of youthful fertility..." Well, shazam, it definitely does that! I like this one because it makes me feel energetic & upbeat. I have noticed that when I wear it, I have found myself literally encircled by guys, that are just listening to me talk with rapt attention. They didn't even realize they were doing it. Kind of weird in certain situations, like after a Speech class or MS Word course. (FYI I'm pursuing a B.A. in Criminal Justice Administration, you're never too old to better yourself.) On one occasion I have nearly gotten into a boxing match with a jealous spouse when wearing this. But you know, some people just can't stand to see you shining ;)  Lots of the women that wear this haven't had any issues with it as a social in the least. These are just my experiences & I do have to remind myself of the intended purpose of the formulators when I reach for something to use "off label" when wonky incidences do occur.
 Now, on to my favorites that are legitimately in the "social" category!  I know, I know the ones I'm listing are all from the same site, but that is because my collection consists pretty much of products from this company. I will be listing at least one from a different company. How about I start the social category with this one?
1. Erox Eau De Geek ( http://www.perfumemaster.org/Erox/Erox-Eau-de-Geek-Unisex-Fragrance?gender=W&search_letter=E&search_mode=SFA#.UZPt_7XihgE)

So Erox partnered with CrowdGather back in 2011 to launch this pheromone laced body spray. It is labeled as unisex & has a drier citrusy flavor to it. I met Sanjay over on a forum I used to be a member of, & I'm still friends with him via Facebook & I follow him on Twitter https://twitter.com/crowdgather because he is awesome. Anyway here is the article on the Erox partnership http://adage.com/article/bob-garfield/social-media-scent-leave-a-bad-smell/228884/  For me, personally, I like the self effects of Geek, but I don't care for the scent on it's own & it doesn't blend well with my perfumes as they tend to be sweeter. If you're a female not into sweet scents this could work great for you. I will say that my husband loves the smell & the delivery system. All in all, I am sad that I'm almost out of this one.
2. Topper (http://www.lovepotionperfume.com/perfumerie/potion/Topper/)

Topper is a fairly new toy in my box. I love this one! It's marketed as a finishing spray consisting of Alpha Androstenol & DHEAS. My bottle is 2,500 mcg per bottle strength, if that means anything to y'all, lol. Anyway I like to pair this one with the first two blends mentioned above & a few more. This one is like youth in a bottle, due to the DHEAS. For those who think this sounds familiar, you've probably seen the name DHEA in your local health food store. There's a reason for that, DHEA is being touted as a "fountain of youth" type supplement. While I wasn't familiar with it as a supplement, my husband quickly made me aware when I was babbling on about my new blend. Though DHEAS is NOT DHEA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehydroepiandrosterone
DHEAS (from the LPMP phero wiki): "DHEAS aka Dehydroepiandrosterone Sodium Sulfate ~ DHEAS is produced in both sexes up to around the age of 24, and then tapers off. It is assumed to be associated with bonding between people, and suspected to be responsible for women's cycles syncing together. It is generally agreed to have genuine pheromonal properties, and the effects appear to be the stimulating of friendliness and kindness from strangers, and a bonding aid for existing relationships." 
Good enough for me. 
3. Open Windows (http://www.lovepotionperfume.com/perfumerie/potion/PUNWindows/)

My husband & both like this one. Well, with him his like of a blend depends on the scent vehicle, but he loved it in (now sold out) LPMP's Irresistible Forces http://www.lovepotionperfume.com/perfumerie/potion/IForces/
Enough about him though....  I love it because I feel happy when I wear it. I find it does what it says, it makes me more approachable, but it actually makes people want to approach me & have a conversation. Good for making new friends & when I pair this one with Topper... I am a superstar. I am adored by the masses as a very local celebrity in their midst. I swear if I wore this combo to an audition, I would end up with my own reality show.
 Well, I wanted to get into the sexxxay blends, but a 3 alarm emergency has erupted in the household. I.e. my husband has intiated a full on bitchfest, so I better get off here & pay attention! Lol. I guess there will be a part 3, TTFN. 
*All images & sources used are the intellectual property of their respective owners. The only company discussed that I have any affiliation with whatsoever, is www.lovepotionperfume.com as a part of their forum community.

Pheromones Are Magic, part 1

  This is my first post with my blog; I think I would like to start with a subject that you won't find too many people speaking about (independent of sponsorship); pheromones.(Pictured below are 4 blends from http://www.lovepotionperfume.com/ )

 I first dabbled with them in 2003, in the form of Realm (for women) perfume. Another, very attractive, girl I was friends with at the time used this perfume & I always thought she smelled amazing. I didn't care about the pheromones in it, I just wanted some of her shine, lol. Guys did use to remark that I smelled really good when I wore it, even more than my other perfumes. I had stopped wearing it for a long while, until I saw it at Marshall's (2008) & picked some up for my husband & myself. While I no longer wear Realm, it did pique my interest in pheromones. At the end of 2008, I read buzz of Love Potion Magickal Perfumerie. I began perusing their site & finally dived into trying some products in the beginning of 2009. This is where I became seriously interested in pheromones. I began this post saying that I was discussing pheromones, but I really can't separate my pheromone use from my use of LPMP's fragrances, as I haven't really gotten over the top (noticeable) reactions from pheromones unless I pair them with LPMP fragrances.
  The four blends pictured above are some of the unique offerings I've found on their site. They offer a nice selection with a huge amount of options to get them in, which can be daunting if you're new to ordering with them. I hate sounding like a commercial for them, but I've just had really good experiences with this company & the owner, Mara Fox, is one of the nicest people on the planet. So now that you know my favorite place to procure them, back to the matter at hand. I've had mostly good experiences using pheromones & a couple of bad ones. Most people tend not to give much thought to them, or consider them to be "snake oil." My husband doesn't really care either way, although I regularly see him reach for the cologne I bought him  (http://www.lovepotionperfume.com/perfumerie/potion/Pashazade/).
 In general, the blends I pick are about me. I'm not going to wear something if I don't get anything from it. My favorites are the "social" blends. These blends are more about "the happy," although that doesn't exclude  them from being useful tools to snagging a mate. Anything that gives you an extra shine can help you to be perceived as more attractive. You know things like; makeup, perfume, nice clothes, & money ;) I do have a few "sexy" blends, but I don't reach for those on a regular basis. I don't find them suitable for daily wear. Strong sexual signals aren't a smart bomb & I'm not interested in getting followed home from the grocery store by a creeper. The bad experiences I've had, have come in conjunction with me drinking alcohol. I just don't have ANY tolerance to alcohol when I wear most pheromones/blends. Well, I am penning this during laundry time & it is now time to fold & wash some more :) So TTFN & look for part 2.
*All images & sources used are the intellectual property of their respective owners. The only company discussed that I have any affiliation with whatsoever, is www.lovepotionperfume.com as a part of their forum community.