How to Use White Cosmetic Clay

This post may contain affiliate links

If you are like me, interested in making your own skin care products, or at least know what is in those you buy, you probably have seen the ingredient white cosmetic clay, or Kaolin Clay before.

What is White Cosmetic Clay?

White Cosmetic Clay is also known as Kaolin Clay, and often found in skincare products and cosmetics. It is a very fine and light clay with a natural absorbency. Because it is the mildest clay it is perfect for those with sensitive skin, like me,
or who are prone to allergies. Because it does not dry out your skin, it can be used in DIY recipes for those with dry skin
types. This type of clay is also softer for scrubs and masks, then the much harsher bentonite clay. Kaolin Clay
should be off-white in its dry state, and brown when wet.

Look for the unrefined variety when creating your own skin care products.

What are the benefits of White Cosmetic Clay?

1. it removes impurities from your pores
2. it stimulates circulation, improves healing, and provides nourishment for your skin
3. It does not over-dry, as mentioned above.
4. It has disinfectant properties, which helps prevent acne breakouts
5. It removes dead skin cells

Is it safe to eat Kaolin Clay?

Some nutritionists believe so, but most medical professionals disagree. Never take Kaolin Clay internally, without
the proper guidance of your natural health care professional.

Valentia Skin Toxifying Clay Mask – which is a part of the Valentia skin care line – uses the power of Kaolin Clay
to assist your skin. It is my go-to mask, and I have very sensitive skin. Despite this, it has never dried out my skin
leaving me rather refreshed, with a softer and less red complexion. If you are looking for a mask, that is not only
great for your skin, but also cruelty-free, check out Valentia Skin Detoxifying Clay Mask.

Disclaimer: I have received the Valentia Clay Mask for free in return for an honest review.

Backpain Relief: A Lumbar Pillow That Eased It All

As some of my readers know, my daughter has Chronic Tic Syndrome. One of her symptoms is often back pain. So we are constantly on the look-out for something that makes her more comfortable. A little ago we were offered the 5 in 1 New Memory Foam Cushion lumbar pillow by Ziraki to review, which brought almost immediate relief to her aching back. Making sitting during school work so much more comfortable, this pillow brought her the much-needed comfort and support she needed. After a few days of constant use, she announced happily that her backpain had lessoned, and after a few more days it brought even greater relief. The lumbar pillow comes with a cooling pad, which we not really could try out, as it had been surprisingly cool since we got it. What will truly put it to the test, will be the upcoming Las Vegas summer months, which often have a daily temperature above 100 and more.
Because it worked so well for my daughter, I am going to purchase another pillow for my truck driving husband, who sits in the driver seat for many hours every day. He took it only for a short spin, stating how it fit perfectly against his driver seat,
feeling comfortable and snug.
The pillow comes with straps, that adjust to any type of chair and seat, so it is very versatile – from use in the office, to use
during driving.

If you are looking for a lumbar pillow that brings you true relief, purchase 5 in 1 New Memory Foam Cushion Lumbar Pillow

And for my readers, I have a special discount offer:

GET 20 % DISCOUNT OF THE ZIRAKI PILLOW SET, WITH THE FOLLOWING PROMO CODE :

HDVRKGPF
Disclaimer: I have received the above-mentioned pillow for free, in return for an honest review. Opinions are mine.
This post contains affiliate links. See Disclosure page for details.

The Billionaire’s Touch by J.S. Scott – A Book Review

Book Title: The Billionaire’s Touch (The Sinclairs Book 3)
Author: J.S. Scott
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: March 22nd, 2016
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Premise: 

After a troubling childhood, wealthy Evan Sinclair likes his life orderly and controlled. He rarely gives in to spontaneous urges—until he begins a chance correspondence with a mystery woman who sounds like his complete opposite. She intrigues and amuses him, and the interest seems mutual…which is more than he can say for his current obsession, Miranda Tyler, the tough-as-nails, sexy schoolteacher who’s made it clear she’s not impressed—or interested.

Miranda finally has it all: a good job, friends, and the security of living in the quaint coastal town of Amesport, Maine. She even has an anonymous pen pal—a man she’s never met yet has bonded with almost effortlessly. The only thing unsettling her life is Evan Sinclair. The handsome billionaire is arrogant, pompous, and far too used to getting his way. Miranda tries her best to avoid him, until Evan’s steamy kiss turns her world upside down.

Soon their red-hot desire is scorching the sheets and has them both spinning out of control. But when secrets are revealed, will their insatiable attraction keep them together or force them apart? In J.S. Scott’s The Billionaire’s Touch, the eldest Sinclair just might have met his match.

 

My Thoughts:

 

After having read a few books which included billionaires in their plot, I thought way too many Authors trying to copy the success of 50 Shades Of Grey, by copying the style – which is not a good idea, because, in my humble opinion, the book was one of the worst once I have ever read, and I have read a lot of romance novels over the years. This book, on the other hand, was refreshingly not trying to be what should not have been, even though it had plenty of sex scenes hidden within. Nothing wrong with lovemaking and even though, I thought they could have used a few less scenes of the horizontal kind in this book, I was still smitten with the well-developed character and interesting, warm, and sometimes truly charming plot. I felt deeply for the scars that Evan had to bear, due to his cruel father, and even more so after what was revealed

I felt deeply for the scars that Evan had to bear, due to his cruel father, and even more so after what was revealed toward the last third of the book. J.S. Scott managed to make her male lead noble, without being unbelievable, his self-sacrifice a reason for his personality, and his  need for control, which gave him depth, likeability, and make for an interesting, emotional read.  Like I said earlier, the only thing that could have done better was the fact that there were almost too much sex too soon. Yet, it did not diminish my enjoyment of the overall story. Because this was my introduction to the Sinclair series, I am looking now forward to reading all of the other books about the brothers and extended family.

Because this was my introduction to the Sinclair series, I am looking now forward to reading all of the other books about the brothers and extended family.

 

 

The Billionaire’s Touch is available on Amazon now.

The above post contains affiliate links. I have received this book free via Kindle Unlimited, an Amazon service.

 

 

Time To Prep For The A to Z Blogging Challenge!

Are you participating in the A to Z Blogging Challenge? If you have no idea what I am talking about, check out this website for more information on the Blogging Challenge for the month of April, that has many bloggers preparing ahead of time, contemplating their subject matter, and looking forward to connecting with the many (hundreds ) of bloggers participating each year.

In this challenge, we are called to write something about a particular letter of the alphabet starting with of course A and working ourselves through to Z. Not everyone chooses a topic, in my first two years of participating I did not either, but I began to do so last year, and will again this year.

Mixing Spices Available On Amazon

Last year my  topic was Herbs and Spices, because of the release of my book “Mixing Spices”

This year, because I am working on a book about tea and mindfulness, I chose the topic “Tea Leaf Reading Dictionary”.

Every single day of the month of April, (minus Sundays, because we all take a break on Sundays for this challenge), I will be posting a few symbol meanings specifically for Tea Leaf Reading, including some tips and suggestions on how you work your own tea leaf reading sessions. I will also talk about symbolism in general and how this dictionary will relate to divining dreams as well, with a few tweaks and considerations.

 

Loose Tea Sampler available at Amazon

I am so excited about this entire project. And because I love you guys and you all have been such amazing partners throughout this blogging journey for me, I am giving away the entire series at the end of the month as a PDF – just to say thank you.  There are more freebies to come in the coming weeks, so if you like free stuff (and who does not), come back often.

Oh, and for those of you who are not interested in Tea Leaf Reading and Tea, I will continue to post my regular stuff, like marketing tips for creative people, some design updates,  book reviews, motivational stuff, giveaways and product reviews.

After all, as a brand ambassador, NetGalley reviewer and a designer, I cannot and am not willing to neglect my regular duties, because of a mere challenge.

I am so looking forward to the crazy business.

At the end, an extended version of the PDF, which contains the  challenge content  will be made available on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.

Blessings!

P.S. Don’t forget to stock up on Tea!

Coffee, Pie And Books – A Weekend Coffee Share Post

Orange And Blue – Mixed Media/Photography

 

Hey, nice to see you again, glad you could stop by! I got a hot pot of coffee waiting for us both, and a fresh apple pie, that I made after I bought way too many apples this week. Of course, it is vegan, but you would not be able to tell if I would not point it out. Trust me, I tried it out on a few people. No one could tell the difference.

I would ask you how your Halloween was. Mine was fine and quiet. While the kids did their own thing with their friends, I snuggled up with kindle and read. And of course, I could not stop, and had to force myself to go to bed a little past midnight. It was one of those books that I found on KindleUnlimited and hoped I would enjoy, but at the end not only did I enjoy it, I could not stop reading it. If you love romance novels – the hot and steamy kind, check out “Pretend You’re Mine – A Small Town Love Story” by Lucy Score

Abstract Beauty – Digital Art Print

Today, I am thankfully only working on my business, and not on the business of a friend, my husband and I are helping to build. So the plan for today is to write on a few blog posts, connect with people and put out a few designs. I have created a few more floral designs this week – as you can see – but I want to play with a few different themes this evening. My problem is sometimes that I have to choose between commercially profitable designs and more experimental and freely expressive designs. When time permits I do both. Lately, time has not been permitting me to just go for it. Hopefully with a little adjustment in my schedule, I will be able to give myself a little space in creating freely this week.

I would tell you that I am considering in committing myself to posting every day of the month of November. NaBloPoMo  is upon us, and I feel guilty enough for not participating in NaNoWriMo this month, that I might end up at least doing that challenge. I already had to tell my son, who is a budding writer and often times my soundboard, that I am not working on my books right now, because of all of the other things that need to be done. He understands because he knew our temporary stay here in Las Vegas was for work reasons, and would keep my husband and myself very occupied, yet he loves it when he can help me figure out story lines and makes sure I don’t go too crazy with some of my fantasy elements. I miss that back and forth as well, but hey, one has to make a living – especially if I have three people to get through college in the next few years and our dream home we are going for by 2019 is way up there in price. If we want to pull this off, I have to prioritize. That includes what I can write when.

Close Up Of A Rose – Digital Art Print

Speaking of books, I would tell you that I am currently debating on putting “Mixing Spices”, out in print form as well. That will not happen until next year because I need to add more visual elements in order for me to be happy with it, but it is something I am considering. I like eBooks, but I prefer holding a book in my hand, over reading it on a device.

So what are you up to this week? I am looking forward to hearing all about what you did how your Halloween went, and what your plans are for the future. And I do encourage you to share your plans and thoughts with the group. Simply follow this link and add your post. I will try my best to stop by as many blogs as I can throughout this day. Blessings!

Claudia

Quick, Fun And Entertaining – “His Stubborn Lover” by Leslie North

Title: His Stubborn Lover

Author: Leslie North

Publisher: CreateSpace

Publication Date: Sept. 24, 2015

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Romance

Rating: 4/5 Stars

A very quick, fun read, that could have been turned into a little longer novel, but it was perfect for a lazy Saturday afternoon (while I was waiting for my computer to be fixed). The characters – Brock and Keira are charming, and their connection steamy. I would not recommend this book for anyone who is looking for something rated PG 13, but if you don’t mind the physical, is cute.

I am surprised to have not found this to be a Harlequin book, considering that it fits perfectly into what that publisher offers, so if you read their books, you will like this one.
I am planning on reading the next installment of what is promising an action filled, quick entertaining read.

The only downfall of this book was that the title does not fit it very well. It makes it sound a lot cheaper and less thought-through than it actually is.  I almost did not read it,  because of that,  but like I stated above, I was unable to work and needed something to read, so I gave this book a shot and was glad I did.

 

P.S. This book was provided to me free via NetGalley, in return for an honest review.

Want to be a book reviewer? Need a website? Go to SiteRubix right now for two free websites! What are you waiting for? 

The Beginning Of An Experiment

I am volunteering myself for an experiment.

No, not what you are thinking, there are no taking weird pills, or sacrificing some part of my dignity (okay, that might not be entirely possible to avoid). I am talking about reading some books, doing what they say, and giving you the results.

To be more specific, I am speaking about inexpensive ebooks specifically written to increase blog traffic. I am not doing this out of entirely selfish and obvious reasons – what blogger does not want more traffic, right? – but I am also doing this because I want to dissect the following:

1. Do those quickly written Kindle e-books actually provide real information (more about that subject, and the people that are trying to sell us writer’s, bloggers and internet marketers write about as possible and profitable)?

2. Can they translate to real valuable information for the  marketing purposes of writers, artists, print on demand/product on demand designers, and other creatives ( so basically YOU)?

3. Are they all saying the same thing, or do they differentiate in content, so that it makes sense to purchase more than one of them?

4. Should you disregard them completely as humbug?

 

The 5 books that I am going working through – one a month, beginning Oct. 1st, are:

1. Traffic Building Basics; 50 Ways to Increase Your Website Traffic and Explode Your Business Today! (web design, web marketing, marketing) –  by Online Business Buddy

2. BLOG TRAFFIC: How to Double Your Blogging Traffic in a Month by Susan Beth

3. BLOG MARKETING: 26 Top Marketing Ideas for Your Blog (Business Blogging Series Book 5) by Kaye Dennan

4. Pinterest for Food Bloggers: How to Grow Your Following and Increase Blog Traffic (markets itself to be useful for any blogger) by Mary Loudermilk

5. How To Promote Your Blog – 101 Free Ways To Increase Your Website Traffic Today by Richard Adams

In that exact order.

How this will work:

I will read through the book during the assigned month, putting in practice the advice given, unless it sounds like something I do not agree with, and I will tell you the results. Of course, I can not give you all of the details of the advice that each book gives – you got to buy (or rent for free) the book for that, that would not be fair to the Author, but I can and will give you the answers to the 4 questions I stated above. All reviews and thoughts will be posted no later than the 2nd of the following month, so the review dates are:

Book one: review posted on Nov. 2nd
Book two: review posted on Dec. 2nd
Book three…. well you get the idea.

I hope you will join me, and we will all learn something from this experiment. I sure hope that they do what they promise. Looking forward to sharing that with you.

Blessings!

Claudia

Book Review: A Treacherous Trader by E. Adams and P. Riggs

Title: A Treacherous Trader
Authors: Ellery Adams and Parker Riggs
Publisher: Beyond the Page Publishing
Release Date: January 26th 2015
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3/5 Stars

A promising premise that was not fully realized, filled with too many coincidences and chance encounters, that just happen to make our nosy main character a part of a mystery she should not have been able to be connected to. The long drawn out conversations between Molly and her best friend, Kitty, made the novel at times boring, their relationship slightly annoying to the point that I had a hard time believing that they would be best friends in real life. The mystery itself was interesting enough to make this book a not complete loss, but I will not be reading any additional installment of the series.

A Treacherous Trader (Antiques & Collectibles Mysteries Book 4) is available on Amazon in Kindle Format

(Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the Publisher,via NetGalley, in return for an honest review)

Inspiration – Guest With Katy Tackes

Creativity thrives on inspiration, it is what propels us as Artists to reach deep and uncover the truths and gems within our chosen art.

I love asking fellow artist, what inspires them to create. This week, I had the chance to ask this question to Katy Tackes, Author of “Each Time She Wakes“, and “A Personal Creative Journal“. Here is her answer:

What inspires me the most?
Nature. Her beauty, will, desire to evolve, and create, and most of all, the way Nature connects us all with her thread of Love that flows through each of us.

Katy also told me, that she writes her stories to inject optimism into this world, and to remind us, that we are all connected.

With that positive, inspiring message in mind, check out Katy’s work here.

What inspires your creativity?

Wishing you a blissful day,

Claudia

Marked by Rebecca Zanetti- A Book Review

Title: Marked
Author: Rebecca Zanetti
Release Date: Dec. 22nd 2014
Publisher: eKensington
Rating: 5/5 Stars

This book was my introduction to Rebecca Zanetti, and I enjoyed it tremendously. While not familiar with the world that was already established, I had no problem getting acquainted with it, which to me is a sign of a good fantasy Author, as she managed to write a book within a series that can stand on its own. Her characters where interesting and three-dimensional, no flat villains, and no predictable heroes, instead a great flowing story, that centered around a young, Janie and the dark Zane.
Hot enough to make this a steamy romance, while action driven enough to make this an interesting plot, I truly enjoyed this book. In fact, I could not stop reading.

This book was provided to me, free of charge via NetGalley in return for an honest review.