LBH Weekly Roundup: Soap Pump Dispenser, Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment Perfecting Wand, Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream Hydrating Moisturizer

Ever since my favourite lip balm by Ombrelle was discontinued, I have been on a quest for a replacement.  I decided to give Fresh's Sugar Lip Treatment Perfecting Wand a go mainly because of the applicator.

via sephora.ca

It has these tiny silicone nodules studding the applicator which gently buff the lips as one is applying the treatment.  Possibly I was overenthusiastic in applying it but I ended up putting on a thick layer that had the consistency and texture of contact cement.  I tried dabbing off the excess with my fingers which was a mistake as I could not, for the life of me, wash it off my hands.  It was so viscous that, much like trying to rub off superglue, the situation just got worse.  I will say that the sensation of rubbing those tiny nodules over my lips was oddly relaxing, akin to using a miniature Foreo.  And props for the pleasant sugary smell and the fact that my lips felt smooth and hydrated the next day.  However, I think the search continues as I am too afraid to use the stuff any more.

Another thing that I have been lacking lately is a liquid soap pump dispenser.  Over and over, my soap dispenser would clog up and, no matter what I did, clogged it remained.  This means that it gets binned which is a waste as it is only the pump that has stopped working.  Then I had the brainwave of fitting a generic pump to a vintage mason jar.  I am obsessed with vintage mason jars.

It is such a thrill to repurpose a vintage treasure and be able to use and enjoy it several times a day.  The mason jar holds a large amount of liquid soap so I am not constantly having to refill it.  And should the pump clog up one day, I can just fit another generic pump to the jar.  I had been using a Nalgene travel bottle to hold liquid soap for months as I puzzled over a solution.  Of course, I had to show off my brilliant life hack to Monsieur who hadn't noticed any change to the bathroom counter lineup and wasn't likely to any time soon.  Hands up if, like me, you are a hockey widow.  

Perhaps I should rename this post "Weekly Oddities" instead of the "Weekly Roundup" as the following moisturizer is to me an oddity much like the Fresh Lip Treatment.  I am not overly fond of heavily scented skincare and Peter Thomas Roth's Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream Hydrating Moisturizer is oil free, alcohol free and fragrance free.  

via sephora.ca

It has a light, milky consistency and this moisturizer would suit oily and/or sensitive skin types.  It is available as a serum as well.  I enjoyed using it but I just could not get past the over-the-top, hyperbolic description which reads in part "Drench your skin with a liquid cloud of pure endless hydration drawn right from the atmosphere.  This concentrated 30% Hyaluronic Acid cream transforms atmospheric vapor into fresh pure water from the clouds, providing your skin with a continuous burst of intense hydration that lasts up to 72 hours..."  What are the people at Peter Thomas Roth saying?!??  Any cream that can draw vapor from 35,000 feet up in the air straight to my thirsty epidermis is a magic show well worth watching.  All the time I was slathering this stuff on my face, I couldn't help the sneaking suspicion that such smoke and mirror descriptives could only mean that I could get a similar dupe at 1% of the cost somewhere else.  This is reverse psychology at its best.

And now it's back to being a hockey widow...

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LBH Frugal Life Hacks 1.0: Coralling Clutter, Repurposing Containers and Dollar Store Finds

When my health took a nosedive, it was months of struggle before I admitted to myself that I had to take stock of my home and my life and start changing things that weren't working for me anymore.  I think that, as a whole, we often become numb to those little things that annoy and aggravate us.  For example, the clutter and mess under the kitchen sink was a continuing source of embarassment for me.  I have been very good about taking reusable tote bags with me wherever I go so the amount of plastic bags entering my home has been greatly reduced but there was a time when a vortex of grocery plastic bags  would explode forth whenever the cabinet door was opened.  Various cleaners would be tossed on top which would fall down below the heap, never to be found again.  I couldn't rummage around like I used to and had to think of thrifty ways to arrange the morass to allow for ease and efficiency of movement.

Enter Command Strips to the rescue!  I found a caddy at Dollarama (Canada's version of the Dollar Store) which was meant for holding soap on a shower wall, took off the two suction cups on the back and stuck on a Command Strip.  The caddy holds a roll of garbage bags and twist ties and is affixed to the back side of the door.  I love Command Strips as you can MacGyver so many things with them.  The caddy was only about a dollar so is an extremely affordable organizing solution.  Elevating organizational tools helps to relieve clutter and ensures easy access for me.

Another Dollarama find was a car socket charger.  What did we do in the days before a GPS in our smartphone?  However, I have found that using the GPS drains the battery very quickly.  Name brand car chargers can be quite pricey and I can't tell you how many I have bought that just stopped working.  So, I was very pleased to find this little gadget that actually works.  It was only $4.00.  I have my smartphone charging the entire time that I am using the GPS so the battery is never drained when I arrive at my destination.  Just remember to unplug it when the car is not running otherwise it could drain your car battery.

Easter is around the corner and maybe you will be lucky enough to be given a box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates.  After you have gobbled down the contents, it is really easy to remove the label and you will be left with a clear box that can be repurposed many different ways.

As you see, I have filled it with cotton swabs, balls and pads. It makes a lovely, minimal Muji style toiletries container for no added cost.  I have reused spray bottles that once held all-purpose cleaners for my homemade vinegar and water cleaner and am always on the lookout for containers that can be repurposed.  A caveat to this is to use your common sense.  If the container once held a toxic or caustic substance then I would be wary about reusing it.  Do you repurpose containers?  Do you have any frugal tips to share?

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