#Buy Shea Butter near me

[bbraefairy]

𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐀 𝐁𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑, megumi fushiguro

WARNINGS - black!reader, f!reader, oral sex, teasing, 18+ characters. for the black girlies but readers of all ethnicities are welcome to enjoy!

a/n - my first time writing in this fandom. sumn for me to get used to, so i started off easy. lmk how u guys like it, & if u want more!

ִ ࣪𖤐༄

“I love when you do this in the morning.” Your soft voice tumbled out of your lips.

Megumi was rough around the edges, tender at the core. The world saw a stoic, bothered man, but with you, Megumi was everything soft and sweet.

You wore a white, french-styled lace bralette, and a thong to match. Your stomach was flat on the white silk linen, one cheek set on the silken pillowcase. Petals of carnations and roses were adorned around your body. Lavender candle, crackling and dripping molten wax on the nightstand.

Just because he wanted to.

The morning was an invitation to become agents of dreams and loving actions. Rays of sunlight doused your room with pools of amber and gold. The gust through the windows gracefully lifted the curtains as a gift of freshness. The sky was a blend of smudged stars, argent, and ivory clouds that flowed across the sky in the form of broken verses.

“I know you do.” Megumi’s hand’s, lathered in thick shea butter, pressed from your lower back, up to your shoulder blades. His fingers splayed firmly as he did so, compressing deep-seated passion into your well-melanated flesh.

Megumi was all for helping you unravel into your feminine and romantic persona. He was aware that the world was misogynistic and dominated by the patriarchy, with little to no concern of minorities— such as black women. He was invested in caring for you, helping you on wash days, buying some of your favorite hair and skin care, reading some of Maya Angelou’s poetry with you. He wasn’t afraid to embrace and delve into your culture.

There was no way he was going to love a woman without embracing her full being. Who she was, where she came from, what she experiences, why she interacts with the world the way she does, how such an epitome can exist at the same time as her. He made it his daily and utmost duty to care for you, even when it was hard to, even when it hurt.

Megumi kneaded his strong hands on the expanse of your shoulders, letting out a breath as he lined your figure with his touch. Hips patterned with marks that showed the capacity of a woman to grow and change. Curves and dips to show that you are a muse, a piece of art not to be reckoned with. Childhood scars, birthmarks, hyperpigmentation.

He loved you in full.

“Your skin, it’s so, so gorgeous.” He watches the butter pave paths of rich oil and glisten on your arms.

You let out a soft noise of delight, “Thank you, Megumi.”

Megumi gathers more of the raw extract and slips his hands down the back of your thighs, going down, then up, right below your behind.

Megumi’s voice, commanding, “Open up a little for me, angel.”

You spread your legs a bit, then Megumi dips his hands between your inner thighs. You contort a bit as his grasp reaches a sensitive cluster of nerves. Then his hands return to the outer thighs, then up the spine again.

Megumi progresses, smoothing his hand over your afro-textured hair that was concealing your face. The curls are gravity-defying and abundant. Your hair stands proud to Megumi’s touch, and he smiles. He always loved how strong-willed your hair appeared, it was just like you.

He peppers delicate, deep and languid kisses on the slope of your neck. Megumi’s lips wander to the terrain of your back. He kissed, sucked there. Dragged his hand on your hip, held the hip in place.

Megumi was following up his hand massage with a series of radiant kisses. Down the spine that bound the body of a plethora of dark and hidden mysteries. His hands ran across the shape of some more of your figure as he continued to press his lips on areas of your body.

You closed your eyes. Listened to his kisses growing hotter as they neared your thighs. Heard the quickening breath he was breathing. Feeling his touch start to lose focus.

It was all happening slowly but surely, but you were going to wait until Megumi said something.

You knew within yourself, you were a cascade of sensations and a symphony of desire.

Way before the shea butter.

There it was.

Urgent, but expected.

He paused.

Whispered. Tone covered in imperfect lust.

“Sweetheart, do me a favor,” The urge was welling up from his depths this time around. This was one of the times you knew there was a second part to the morning routine.

“Bend your back ‘nd let me eat you.”

“I was waiting to hear you say that,” You smiled, getting on all fours, “It’s one of those mornings, isn’t it, babe?”

Megumi sighed as your back formed into an arch, “Think so. We gon’ find out.”

Megumi slipped off the thong, put it aside. Clapped his hand on your ass, squeezed it, making you squeal.

“I’mma eat you out as a starter,” He lines his fingers just above your folds, semi-soaked in arousal. “Pussy’s prettier than the last time I left her.”

Megumi felt the adrenaline ebbing his body as he wiped his tongue on a piece of Heaven between your thighs. Your teeth clench, you brace your body for the cunnilingus.

His oral performance. You were the stage, and he was the show.

Megumi traced detailed circles on your oil-spread lower back and thigh. “Flinchin’ already, angel? I taught you better than that.”

You husked, “Megumi, please don’t tease me. Not this time.”

“There’s never gonna be a time where I don’t tease you, sweet girl.” Megumi gave your umber pussy lips crude, salacious sucks, drawing a whine from you.

Your pussy was like the petals of a flower. Blossoming with an itch only he could scratch. Every interstice and layer was asymmetrical. Seeping with nectar as he paid homage to your special place.

He licked his middle and ring fingers, then dipped them in your essence, feeling the rosé interiors close around him.

There was no pretense, his pulls and pushes were as hot as fire. Raging fire. He gives that coral pink clit, so solitary and vain, the most obscene suckle he could manage. Your composure was wilting. He’s licking, fingering, pulling taut, thrusting deep, making you elementally vulnerable to expanding and contracting. To Megumi, you were sweet succulent fruit and shooting stars.

“Fuck, Megumi— Fuck.” You were slipping up now, the words in your mouth were hoarse. Your legs contract together when you feel his fingers strike a nest of nerves and a deep corner.

Megumi spanned his touch down your shea-buttered back just one more time. He loved the slip. He loved the soothing. He loved the sex.

Megumi laughed as he submerged himself in saturated, vulva flesh. His ultraviolet tongue with dust of gold. “You found your words, princess.”

Megumi knew you always had your guard up, and that you always felt like your emotions had to walk on eggshells. Again, Megumi was always ready to be that place for you to take off the armor, and land and unravel.

Megumi was relentless. Ate some more from those secret lips. Curled his fingers in your honeyed abyss, put his wrist in it. Slapped your ass again ‘cuz he knew you liked it like that. Sweet as fuck— was his sticky, hot whisper. You were craving an orgasm at the core, and were reduced to a lack of self control.

You wondered if your bones should break.

You winced, feeling the rip currents of his desire split through you. “Yes, God, fuck.”

Megumi was a hound of lust, his growls were the lightning and your moans were the thunder.

His hands, slick with shea, dirty with you. He deepens your arch by pressing down on your back. Tongue busy, fingers sodden. “Mhm, that’s my girl. Talk me through it.”

Your mouth, clustered with buttered prose. Your hands twining around the linen. Teeth biting down on the pillow. The tremors make you feel dark and twisted. You’re blending hot curves and mystic chimes of the tongue.

You shrill into the pillow, feeling the chronic ache birth at your spoiled-rotten core, “Megumi! You’re so deep— Oh, God, please.”

He asked, voice grated, "Am I?"

"Yes," You whine, the tension is building pressure inside of your mind. "You are, and I'm on the way."

He knew when it was coming. He watched for your legs to lock like steel. Watched the dark tawny palace between your legs breathe with ready alabaster. Listened to your breath snag with a curse. Observed the convulsion of energy from the zenith of the spine to the nadir of the same.

“Cum for me, angel. I’m a keeper.”

He knew when it was coming. He watched for your legs to lock like steel. Watched the dark tawny palace between your legs breathe with ready alabaster. Listened to your breath snag with a curse. Observed the convulsion of energy from the zenith of the spine to the nadir of the same.

Your chasm drenched and released, flowed with ivory. You dissolve in ripe sounds of delight. You were served to him hot.

There she is, I knew you had it in you, angel, he praises.

You were light and fluffy, he takes your buttery-rich residue, hums when he gets a flavor. Spits between the folds to gather more.

He opens your mouth with his fingers, pushes them down gently.

His brusque instruction. “Suck,” And you do with a soft groan.

His jade eyes contrast with your almond, he deepens his fingers a bit. It makes your stomach crunch

“Atta girl,” Megumi kisses your full lips with care. "Did you enjoy your morning?”

You said, tone ragged from sex. “Yes, I did. Good Lord, can you eat pussy good.”

there it was

the flavor of you still marinating on his tongue

and

the golden threads of light and

the crisp breeze

ruffled amongst the linen and rose petals

lavender candle still sputtering

and creamed, lavish butter

spilled from your sacred canvas

and down your thighs

[kiwibes]

PLEASE ADD YOUR PLASTIC FRUSTRATIONS IM CURIOUS

Things that come in plastic for absolutely No Real Reason, which frustrate me everytime I do my shopping:

Shampoo and soap refills

Dry cat food

Milk

Yogurth

Fruits and vegs? Leave the celery and cauliflower alone!?

The Extra Package around the toothpast. Maybe they haven´t noticed but it is already inside a package

Toilet and kitchen paper

Juices and sodas. Any large drink bottles really

Small rice, pasta, couscous....cardboard or refillable is perfectly usable

Nuts and dried fruits

Cookies packaged seperately. Sometimes I want 4, sometimes 6. Now I gotta open 1and a half tiny cookie package.

Most of this is stuff I buy regularly and if they were just sold differently I would have so much less plastic. And I know about shampoo bars (but I need a specific type of shampoo no matter how nice the shea butter magnolia bar smells), no-packaging shops (but there are none nearby), farmer markets (mine is small and even there some produce is packaged), etc. I found one spot near my work that sells milk in glass bottles but I just think it shouldn´t be so hard.

[blacklavishessentialsblog]

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[quandaryqueen]

So I just read that post about what the Riddlers smell like (and I'm glad we can all agree that Arkham!Eddie needs to be thrown into the shower!🐀) Any headcanons on what scents they might like on their partner? 🤔

The Riddler's favoured scents on their S/O headcanons

Edward Nygma X Reader

I love the way you think, Mun 👀

It is now once again time to run around the house to sniff perfumes 🤧

All I can say is the fact that they have on thing in common-- is the fact that your perfume shouldn't be too overwhelming.

💚 Gotham

No, omg 'coz I just remembered that this dude canonically sniffs people by the back of their necks like a creep. But anyways, I bet he tries to guess what fragrance do you wear, by watching you and sniffing your neck when you walk away— which is yes, bordering on creepy stalker guy status and I can't blame you if you think that's fucken creepy. Because it is, regardless of his intentions. Once he's figured what you use, depending on his current budget, he'd buy and gift it to you.

But that didn't answer your question 😅

He happens to be fond of cooking, baking to be precise. Perhaps some vanilla, oh! Shea butter. He likes Shea butter. Cleopatra apparently loved shea butter. There is a mention of caravans of clay jars filled with shea butter for her use. It’s also said that this luxurious ingredient was beloved by the Queen of Sheba and Nefertiti. But yeah, Shea butter.

💚 Young Justice

Of course, nothing too overwhelming but let's be honest, he wouldn't care about himself if you happen to spritz yourself 37 times from head to toe. Nausea? No, it's just him getting drunk of your presence. But if you choose something subtle, something that won't kill him, he finds something citrus or fruity scents in general soothing. But he doesn't mind about which scent you use either way.

Like when you'd hug him after a long day, he'll bury himself in your hold and breathe you in, before clinging closer. Maybe stop the pricking tears from the corner of his eyes when that particular day was extra rough on him.

💚 Arkhamverse

As Riddler simps, we really need to bond together. How about we abduct the Riddleman and lock him in the shower? You know, for team building? Great! I'll get the duct tape, you guys hold him down. I neglected to mention that this guy probably uses 3in1 bath products. So let's make sure to give him proper shampoo, conditioner and soap. Maybe throw in some skin care.

But jokes aside, let me tell you, this man is addicted to your scent. When you're gone (let's not kid ourselves here, when he's gone), he looks for your warmth, your touch, your fragrance. He'd grow extra fucking hissy when he misses you and in his frustration of getting constantly side tracked due to his longing, tantrums will be thrown in the workshop until you go there to undo whatever damage he's done to his environment, and himself.

And the instant you got near, he is latching himself on you. Good luck prying him off.

He likes musky scents, maybe throw in some floral scent to it. Something calming, perhaps lavender or Arabian jasmines (Sampaguita, to my fellow countrymen). He never knew he liked floral scented things, it was an accidental find.

💚 Batman the animated series

BERRIES! The scent of berries and cinnamon. Not necessarily mixed together, but perhaps separately. Oh, and caramel and coffee.

Perhaps it was something he's fond of when he was still downing the berry flavoured energy drinks and caffeine to substitute his need to sleep during tumultuous hours in college, but he really does love the scent.

He is also inhaling the scent of his significant others when hugging them and it really makes him think about how lucky he is that he finally has someone who loves him. In a way that he doesn't question their every actions, whether they have hidden intentions behind kind gestures, that something sinister his behind your sweet smile... But no, you genuinely just love him, with no personal agenda at all.

💚 Batman Unburied

Yeah, every iterations of Riddlers have not given a kind touch in their life. He attained some sort of trauma from a scent, an expensive musk worn by one of the guards in Arkham that regularly would regularly degrade him so whenever he smells this certain scent, he'd have an anxiety attack.

But anyways, favourite fragrance on his significant other... Well, the scent of chai doesn't fail to soothe him and I think there are some perfume with hints of ginger flower and almond cream, I think he'd be really into that.

Developing his acute sense of smell towards a person wearing a particular scent he hates, he also can smell when you're near if you're wearing the chai perfume and he will be instantly running in your arms. Like the other Riddler's, he will fucking cry if you just embrace him in your arms, he will cling tightly and just grip your flesh, you'd feel his nails dig in your skin. Damn... Let's all gather the Riddlers and just hug them.

[idontblushsrry]

How the Jujutsu Kaisen Characters Smell

A/N: Absolutely no one asked for this but I have thoughts and now yall have to hear them. Btw gonna put a keep reading because I’m trying to cover as many jjk characters as possible so it’s gonna get long.

Warnings: Spoilers if you’ve only seen the anime or haven’t read the manga up to the Shibuya Arc (relatively minor but you’ve been warned)

Itadori

He’s nowhere near the best smelling but his scent isn’t awful 

He sweats a lot so he takes showers a minimum of 2x a day

Overall his smell isn’t that bad, he just smells like outside 

5/10 points for effort but he always smells like he just got done rolling around in grass

Fushiguro

Fushiguro smells like the suave ocean breeze body wash with an undertone of pen ink 

His smell is very nice, it’s not the most remarkable but it’s not stinky

Middle school Megumi was definitely a hot mess that smelled solely of axe body spray and other middle schoolers he beat up (Tsumiki tried her best but there was only so much he’d compromise on)

After he started attending the Tokyo school, Maki threw out his axe and made Gojo buy him actual cologne/scented body wash

7/10 smells like a friend (points reduced because he used to use 3 in 1 body wash)

Kugisaki

Kugisaki is very much clean

She keeps up a beauty regimen and doesn’t play when it comes to upkeeping it

She has this light floral scent because of that; it varies between cucumbers and roses

Her body wash is also consistent with the smell of her beauty products

One thing about Kugisaki’s smell is that it does change completely depending on what products she’s using

Although, if she were to be completely clean with no scented products, she’d have a smell that’s a little bit metallic because of the nails and a little pumpkin-y

10/10 points because she sets the standard

Gojo

Smells like the inside of a guys car

He smells like bergamot and cedarwood mixed with a hint of leather

Overall he smells nice and it’s frustrating because his scent lingers. It’s so distinct that even when he’s gone, his scent will stay behind just to taunt you

9/10 minus one point for being Gojo

Maki

She’s very particular about hygiene 

It mainly stems from 1) her upbringing and 2) the level of cleanliness needed to clean all the weapons she uses regularly

She smells of metal polish, lavender with a hint of patchouli, and a slight undertone of rust

10/10 overall very strong scent but it’s so uniquely her that it’s calming 

Inumaki

This makes no sense but I feel like Inumaki smells like the sandwich part of a deli

Specifically that fresh baked bread and sliced lettuce smell

It can be a bit nostalgic at times especially because the smell in general occurs in a lot of places 

10/10 because bread smells good

Panda

It’s canon that Panda smells like the sun but we can get more specific

Panda does smell like the sun but I think he smells like a freshly cleaned room with the curtains open

The smell is like air freshener mixed with the sun

The air fresheners he smells the most like are: morning and dew, wood, pine, pet odor eliminator

10/10 no explanation needed

Yuta

Smells like teen spirit

Pre-jujutsu high (and before he was sent away to Africa); Yuta smelled like deodorant

He smelled like wayyy too much old spice, it was pretty bad

Post trip to Africa (idk which country he went to), Yuta smells of shea butter, frankincense, and charred wood

8/10 the crimes of pre jujutsu high Yuta will not be easily forgiven

Nanami

He smells like the blue Ralph Polo Lauren cologne

No I will not take criticism

He also smells a bit like the wrinkle spray people use when ironing clothes

10/10 we been knew that Nanami looks good, smells good, and dresses good

I don’t even like that cologne but for him...

Shoko

Love Shoko but her smell isn’t the most pleasant

Literally smells like cigarettes and alcohol with the sterile smell of cleaner to top it off

She’s an icon but her smell can be overwhelming at the best of times and suffocating at the worst

5/10 some people might like it but it is not for me

Utahime

Her scent is very foresty, either pine or spruce, with an undertone of gree tea

Her scent is a bit muted too so you can only really smell it if she’s really close or if you’re hugging her

It’s not a bad scent though, it’s the type that immediately sets you on ease

10/10 smells like a warm hug

Mechamaru(spoilers)

He’s a robot what’d you expect???

Jkjk Pre-Shibuya he smells really sterile and clean due to his condition

His robots obviously smell like metal and wiring

Post-Shibuya arc(or yk during technically): He smells kind of like nothing

There's the slightest smell of sparks from his cursed technique and the hint of mojito’s smell lingering, but otherwise he smells like absolutely nothing

6/10 the lack of smell is a bit off putting

Miwa

I can’t explain but I feel like Miwa smells like banana and vanilla

Like Mai and Momo tricked her and she ended up actually liking the smell

6/10 not the worst but not the best

Mai

Mai smells really heavily of metal and gunpowder

Obviously brcause of her cursed technique but she ever expected it to stck to her like it does

She doesn’t make any active effort to change it though because she thinks it makes her seem cool and mysterious

4/10 because while it DOES make her seem cool and mysterious, she scares locals

Momo

She definitely uses bath and body works perfume (tempted to say she uses the glittery versions but alas)

She loves using all the candles, lotions, and perfumes because of how girly they make her feel; has a collection that’s probably on a rotater

Definitely uses sweet pea above all

Tries to get Mai to try some of her fragrances but she has a 30/70 chance of getting her to agree

7/10 another scent that’s not for me

Todo

He has a really intense cleaning regimen and is never caught lackin in the smell department

He gets all the more embarrassed when Yuuji smells stinky next to him and will always make Yuuji shower if thr boy stinks

Other than that, he smelled of an ocean-y cologne before Takada-chan released her perfume collection

Now all he talks about is how he smells like the perfect husband for Takada

Takada’s perfume is really light a floral (along the lines of rose + vanilla) and if Todo runs out, he tries to steal it from Momo’s collection

9/10 minus a point for being a simp

Noritoshi

Smells really clean except for when he’s using his cursed technique

On average, Noritoshi smells like the clean linen spray/ clean laundry

When he uses his technique, he smells like blood and when he uses his technique to “dope”, he smells like sweat

Usually he smells like clean laundry though, he’s very picky about how he smells and hates the smell he gets from using his technique

10/10 for keeping clean

Naoya

If you think this man washes his ass...

Sorry but he’s a little too busy being a misogynist 

Naoya saw the term gooch grease and was like “wow someone gets it!”

-400/10 I’m sick of talking about the ways this man smells like a popped neck pimple

Mahito

Only person that smells worse than Naoya

If Naoya smells like a popped neck pimple, Mahito smells like a literal sewer

He smells like sewage, garbage, rot and decay, melted plastic,etc.

Not only does Mojito’s body stink, his breath stinks, hair stinks, just everything stinks

Jogo and Hanami can’t tell since they don’t have noses but everytime Geto gets a whiff, he dies a little inside

-21982913293237932392379319210391090320323019/10 GET BACK. GET BACK. GET BACK.

Sukuna

Pre-death; he smelled like blood 9 times out of 10 

The other 10% of times he smelled like incense or jasmine but you’d never smell it for long

Post-death; stinky funky and rotten

I’m sorry but 1) he’s a mass murder who literally sits atop a mountain of skulls 2) he’s technically dead and only exists thriugh his fingers

If you think that man smells like anything other than rot and grave wax...

-2/10 be glad he got a higher score than Mahito

Choso

I love Choso with every ounce of my being 

That being said, he smells like a scab

Scabs don’t even have smells but somehow he smells like one 

Alright I’m done slandering him

3/10 because I didn’t have the heart to give him anything lower

Geto(spoilers)

Pre-Gojo angst: Geto was the best smelling sorcerer in the world

He was very meticulous about his grooming routine and showed Gojo how to care for himself w/o the aid of servants

A king of self care and personal grooming 10/10

Post-Gojo angst: Geto really stopped caring about his appearance

He’d keep clean to set a good example for his kids, but he didn’t really see the value of looking decent

Probably says “I refuse to use the technology of monkeys”

Even though Mahito smells worse, Geto does still hang around Mahito and that’s gonna rub off

2/10 take a shower man, sea water doesn’t count as cleaning yourself

Junpei

Junpei smells like dandelions/picked grass and cigarettes

Cigarettes are obviously because his mom smokes them so frequently the smell sticks to him

The dandelions/ picked grass smell is because Junpei spends a lot of time outside 

Out of boredom or a need to keep his negative thoughts at bay, Junpei started picking at the grass

I do think he eventually started weaving flower crowns made of dandelions and strips of grass

6/10 because I feel bad for him

Toji

This man...

As much as I’d like to pretend he smells good, he has a drooling worm hanging off him and  probably owns like one outfit

That being said, he’s not as stinky as Naoya or Mahito (or even Sukuna), because he does clean himself when he has the chance

It’s just that he spends his money so quickly that he kinda forgets sometimes

Although he usually has no problem finding some woman who’d be more than willing to put him up in a hotel room

His smell is musky but it’s not funky

He smells like a guy right before they start to get stinky, it’s a delicate balance

4/10 he’s a lil funky but it kinda feeds his image

[thermaflute]

Shigaraki with a fem black s/o who kinda owns his scrawny ass pwease uwu

I hope you don't mind that I combined these! I just thought it was cute and started projecting my art student ass.

Tomura Shigaraki

👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋

You honestly just happened to be in the right place at the wrong time. You were lost, a bit confused and trying your best to get around town. You didn't think you'd be anywhere near a villain attack.

Your friend recognized the two instantly as a black hair man walked up to you.

"Hey, this one is cute."

"You really think I care about that?"

"No, but they're at least fun to look at."

The grey haired villain turned to look at you in annoyance and was pleasantly suprised.

Your face wasn't upsetting at all, he never thinks that about people but he actually found you really pretty. It's not like he's never seen a black person before, he just think's you're unique.

You thought the same about him. Even in this situation, his unbothered attitude was strangely, cute?

Dabi definitely clowned him for actually finding someone attractive.

After the initial shock of everything, you quickly grabbed everything you needed for class through the rubble and ran with your friend.

"Huh, they really stole all that shit huh? Must be really into stationary."

"There was an ID on their lanyard, they're a student."

"I didn't realize you were looking."

He said nothing but frowned with a grumble before moving on.

He acted as if it was nothing but quickly got all your information.

Kept tabs on your classes, where you were going, who you were with.

He creepy bruh.

You got a text from a strange number that cut straight to the chase.

"I saw you steal half the store worth in cold press paper and copics. Thought that was hot."

"Hello?????"

"I was with that ugly staple dude."

"Oh. Ain't you a villain?"

"I might be. You gonna block me or?"

"No, I respect the hustle. It's just not mine."

"Hmm, cool."

"So am I supposed to ignore how you got my number."

"Remember when you asked if I were a villain?"

"You're rude, anyway,,,"

It was awhile before you actually met him again in person. He settled for texting you and playing games since theres not too many place you can go to with someone as notorious as him.

Buys you games to play with him, if you ain't got a particular console expect it in the mail tomorrow.

Same with supplies. Charcoal? Done. Markers? It's yours. Paint? He's a little confused as to why you need that expensive ass Gouache, regardless, he's getting it for you.

When you guys do meet again he seems grouchy and upset, but really he has no idea how to communicate with you. He's not a dating person, or a person person so he didn't want to scare you off with his usual attitude and activities.

Dabi laughs at you two walking in. "Bruh she's too pretty for you, let the girl go."

"She came on her own actually"

"Oh you didn't have to kidnap this one?"

He rolls his eyes and looks at you "I've never kidnapped anyone, well, not for this purpose at least."

You laughed at his slightly nervous look, "like I said, I respect the hustle."

The league got used to seeing you around, you weren't necessarily part of the club but you helped with whatever you could and they appreciate your presence. (Plus you calm down your rude ass man so that's a plus)

He's also awkward, and a tad brash, but he means well. It's hard for him to say loving words, so sometimes his compliments come out weird.

"Why do you smell like that?"

"Uh? It's just this shea butter mix I-."

"Oh, well it smells okay."

"Okay..."

He'll act like affection is acid on his skin but with you he realizes he's quite touch starved. He won't initiate it, but if you start he won't stop you.

He's very demanding and not too understanding of anything school related. He the type to not understand that getting out of class at 3 doesn't mean you'll be at his door at 3:05.

Sometimes he'll just watch you work quietly. It may not seem like it means much, but it's a small way of showing that he cares. He still think college is ridiculous, but if it makes you happy he'll tolerate it.

Don't get it twisted tho, he's soft to you but he's not soft in general. Yes he's your boyfriend, your mass murderer boyfriend 😌.

No seriously, you're the exception, don't expect him to be too kind to anyone else lmao. It's just you.

[loverholicrobotronic]

WHAT I THINK OF DIFFERENT SOAPS

🧼 the classic dove

Good and timeless. A bit drying i find but its creamy when being lathered and thats enough for me. I love the scent and it lingers deliciously in a room if you leave it exposed

🧼 dove pomegranate

Devil sent. Smells like cheap aggressive cleaning products with very little pomegranate notes whatsoever. Mine barely lathered. Just to keep the hate going the colour of the bar is ugly too. I use it to clean the floors and its barely doing it right

🧼 dove shea butter

Idk what about this scent is too creamy for me almost asphyxiating. Doesnt lather as good as the classic. Its not awful per say and probably less drying. I used it for quite some time but got bored and haven't picked it up since

🧼 johnson's baby soap

So not good. Everything is mostly average like it passes but the powdery scent is so strong it irritates my nostrils without even reaching them. I don't think you should be lathering this near a baby the smell is too much...

🧼 dettol original

Another classic. Everything about it feels like bleach for the skin but i mean it mostly positively. Lathers nicely and leaves me feeling clean. I do get bored of it though

🧼 işıl zeytinyağı (olive)

This is literal art. Lathers well and delightfully soft. This bar is HUGE and relatively cheap. The scent is pretty muted yet idk what about it hits just the right spots i personally have been obsessed w it for some time like. Desperately lathering it to fully intake the olive oil notes. Mamma buys loads of it and grates them with a cheese grater onto the laundry load and it works amazingly. The only soap that genuinely doesn't dry my hands out

🧼 işıl beyaz

Also very nice. Muted clean scent that i really like. Its so soft when lathering but leaves your hands squeaky clean which is not recommended since its drying but i very much enjoy the sensation

[lovely-low-waster]

Spring & Vine Shampoo Bar Review

I recently finished up a bar of the moisturizing shampoo from Spring & Vine, and I had a pretty good experience with it. I like to always have a shampoo with a specifically moisturizing formula because I do dye my hair and get some damage which could use some extra moisture. I also have very long hair so I do use products that give me a lot of moisture. This bar did feel moisturizing for me hair. It uses shea butter and oatmeal in it's formula to give it extra moisture. It didn't have a scent as it was fragrance free which isn't something that's important to me. Because it was shaped more like a traditonal bar of soap it did thin out and snap before I could finish the bar so I had to smoosh them togehter to keep it usable. It does state that it is an equivalent to a 12.6 oz bottle of liquid shampoo.

As for the sustinability aspects of the product I was a little disappointed. The box was cardboard and recyclable, but inside the bar was wrapped in plastic. This felt unnecesary as the bar wasn't accesable without damaging the external packaging noticably. I'd be more willing to purchase it again if it didn't have this. Though it is still better than a new plastic bottle every time. It also says that it uses 90% less water than traditional shampoo which reduces the water foorprint of the product. Additonally the product is cruelty free and vegan if you want to avoid anima- based products. Overall I liked the formula I found it to be effevtive, but I'd like to see some packaging changes before I buy it again. However this is a very accessible option for a lower waste shampoo bar as it is widely availible at Target in this formula as well as a few others. It is still a bit difficult finding shampoo bars in stores that aren't natural and organic focused, so it's nice seeing the option in larger retailers that are more readily accessable. I'll link below to the product on Target's website where you can order online or check it's availibility in a store near you. Has anyone else tried any of Spring & Vine's products?

https://www.target.com/p/spring-38-vine-moisturizing-oatmeal-shampoo-bar-3-5oz/-/A-76577700#lnk=sametab

[fourrarri]

He’d never thought himself much good at giving gifts. At least not the traditional way. A general non-interest in materialism and a fondness for practicality that grew with his age having made a habit for him of gift giving at random to address a need rather than wait for any specific occasion. Not something that anyone ever seemed to mind but had always caused him a prickle of disquiet in him when it came to birthdays, or christmas. Anytime he was left floundering for gift ideas really. Especially when the occasion for gift giving was someone near & dear to his heart & well within means to buy whatever they wanted much less needed.

Still, he’d always loved a challenge, and Lance. . . Well, the hitman was nothing if not that no? And so much more besides, as he’d been delighted to find in the time he’d gotten to know the man thus far. Knowledge he’d put to proper use making the birthday boy’s gifts over the last month. Gifts that not only fullfilled Joel’s fondness for practicality but that he hoped would meet the other’s fondness for aesthetic beauty as well. 

But perhaps above all, he hoped they’d translate how much he appreciated what Lance had been willing to share of himself with him. His openess. His history. How very genuine he always was in any response he gave him. Joel wanted to honor that. Show him somehow beyond words that he’d heard him, that he cared. That he was glad to know him. Who he’d been, was now, and if Lance was keen, who he’d become.

“I uhh--, made each of your gifts myself. Well, mostly. I didn’t actually make the packaging on these first two, just what’s inside em.”

The first of the gifts was a bottled set of massage oils. Each one had a color scheme of preserved blossoms to indicate the essential oil he’d picked for fragrance. Flowers that he’d picked himself either having found them while hiking or from various flowershops. The florals he’d then dyed, dried, arranged, glued, and set inside each bottle before adding the oils. 

It was no secret that Lance not only enjoyed attention, but absolutely thrived on it. Had made it clear on a handful of occasions that he was not above demanding it, loudly. Or turning into a complete bratling when it wasn’t given to him for longer than he had patience to wait. Lance also liked to touch, to be touched. And if Joel had thought to indulge himself his fondness for ‘taking care’ whilst gifting the man something that encouraged lavish amounts of pampering and focus all on him, well. He rather doubted the other would have issue with it.

“These are massage oils infused with aloe and other essential oils for skin care and fragrance. Should come in handy the next time the sun toasts ya a bit more than you meant. Or when you’re feeling neglected.”

The second wasn’t any less playful or indulgent. They were at a glance a bit of an inside joke, one that only a very small handful of people would probaly ‘get’ if what Lance had told him was anything to go by for how many people knew how he really made money. The gift was a set of lip balms he’d made with a mix of beeswax, shea butter, vaseline, and jojoba oil. Each one had been carefully colored with a combination of powder made out of the leftover blossoms, and food coloring to add tint to them along with their protective and restorative properties. 

The set itself was shaded from translucent to various nudes that ranged from natural pink to warmer spice hues. When adding the tint, he had paused, idly wondering if the addition of color to the balms would be too feminine a detail for Lance’s taste. A thought that had gone as fast as it’d come when he recalled the man’s new habit of painting his nails. How much value he placed in his appearence, how little he placed in social norms, how he was seemingly content to enjoy what he liked and not question it beyond that. How very fond he was of Lance for it.

His favorite part of this particualr gift however, was that the case for each one was a hollowed out, reforged, and repurposed rifle cartridge. This detail had probably been what’d taken the most work on his part but in the end he was more than pleased with the results, was certain Lance would be to, as evident in the smile curving his lips as he spoke.

“All that drinking and sunshine dries out your lips chéri. These should help with that, keep you kissable. Some of them are tinted to if you’re feeling flirty.”

The last was the only gift that he’d actually bothered to wrap. To hide. He’d wrapped it meticulously, kept the corners pristine. The paper was ocean blue, patterned with metallic designs. Tied with gold ribbon, topped in an immaculate bow. Inside was a simple white box, and below the lid, buried within more blue, delicate tissue paper was a driftwood picture frame. The frame scaled perfectly for the sketch portraying a memory Lance had described to him in detail from his childhood and coupled with his recall for the one picture Lance had, that he’d shown him upon asking. A picture of him in his boyhood and his mother.

The sketch had taken the whole day. Had been born from a deep rooted desire to somehow give Lance something of that day beyond what he held in his memory. To replicate the warmth he’d had in his tone when he’d spoken of Marianna, described her for him, how she’d been more of a mama to him than the one who’d actually given him life for the most part. 

A fact that the man himself had seemed content with upon it’s revealing but had cracked open something hot and hurting inside his throat, in his chest. Something that felt like tears. Was tears. Tears he’d furiously blinked away, turned his face & hid when Lance seemed to nearly notice. Had fallen free once home and he’d contemplated how his friend had learned to normalize loneliness. Normalize family being something you acted out for company and performed rather than actually had. Normalize not having any pictures of them in your home for everything family photos were meant to be and never had been for him. 

He hadn’t thought about it. Simply grabbed his sketch book, sat on the chaise in the corner of his living room, just beside the french doors that led out to his porch. The same ones that allowed sunlight in enough to warm him as he worked.

He’d let his hand skate across the page, pencil loose in his fingers, slowly, slowly, the shape of child Lance, the details of Marianna he’d given him coming to life. The profile of her face was hidden, back to the viewer’s sight as she turned, scanned the ocean debris at her feet, the tumble of soft sand in the churning wave line. Smile lingering at the corner of her lips. A peek of profile through her hair but only details, not her whole face. Curls tumbling down her back, the wind catching them, lifting a few stray tendrils. Pointing, reaching, directing a grinning Lance to another sea treasure she’d spotted for him to bring back home.

He wasn’t sure how many hours he’d spent on it; shading in her shadow on the sand, working to capture the gentle folds of of her sundress, capturing every detail Lance had told him about her. All he knew for certain was that it had been early noon when he’d started, and when he’d finally stopped the sun had already gone down. 

He didn’t color it. Knew he wouldn’t have to explain to Lance why. How sometimes the best and worst memories looked better in black and white? In the crisp shadows of grayscale, how if you tried to bring back too much you could lose it all? That a memory was its own breed of ghost? How he knew beyoind a doubt he could never capture the blue of the ocean, the warm shade of her eyes, the soft highlights of her hair. Like trying to pin down the wind. Same as capturing her visage without a picture, he didn’t dare attempt bringing the life of color to this memory. Didn’t want to trespass any further than he potentially had.

The smile from before fades, breath catching in his throat enough it hurts to swallow around. Makes him work to force words around his words, his feelings, how little room they leave for anything else.

“Really not good at telling people about how I feel about them when it really counts. Always preffered to show them instead so---.” the words trail off, and he reaches out a hand for the last gift, pushes it within Lance’s reach as his heart begins to hammer away at the cage his ribs suddenly are.

“Not sure if it’s anything like you remember but I wanted to do something for you. Something special. And this wouldn’t leave me alone till I finished it. Ended up drawing it the same day you told me about it. Really hope I didn’t fuck up.” He elects not to tell Lance he means in general, not just the sketch itself. 

“You mean----, a lot to me Lance. I don’t even have words for it and I have a few languages to choose from. Hasn’t helped. But I wanted you to know, wanted to show you. Anyways, happy birthday.”

       💸 ║ ❛   ————— It always overwhelms him a bit, all these feelings towards Joel and how observing he actually is. Definitely not a man he’s ever met before. And Lance had men before that showed interest in him, tried to promise him the world but in the end the motives were completely focused on the MONEY and lifestyle of the rich and famous. And it’s not like Lance never understood, money and luxury are things he himself enjoys the most as well. But that thought just always runs around his mind; people wouldn’t give a damn about someone like him if he didn’t have all the money, the cars and the big mansion. JOEL is a different kind of man though. Lance managed to convince himself that even if there wasn’t all this money and luxury, Joel would still be there. But most importantly, Joel IS actually here, between all these nice things and in the end all he cares about is putting the smile on Lance’s face. 

          Lance examines all the gifts while Joel goes off explaining the details. He does listen to what he has to say very carefully but his mind is telling him things. What is it that Joel sees in him that makes him so sure he’s deserving of these things. It only makes Lance notice that he’s only good at accepting gifts as long as he knows the person didn’t really put any effort into it. But all the effort Joel put into it, Lance doesn’t wanna ruin the good moment. Ruin it with his bad thoughts punishing him for feeling grateful for something he doesn’t quite deserve. He is pretty good at shutting his mind off if things make him too vulnerable, so that’s his solution.

          A bright smile forms on his lips while looking at all these nice things. Suddenly it just feels so warm inside him, almost pressuring as if there’s something he just has to let out. It’s just a feeling of genuine HAPPINESS that Joel manages to break free, and usually that feeling is archived once he’s had a few shots. No alcohol this time, there’s no need for it. Not even his mind is running to it. Blue eyes wander from all these beautiful gifts to Joel, only for a short moment though. He’s desperately trying to form a sentence in his head to not seem like a child who’s got all the presents it wished for. But talking, expressing himself is hard when he tries to not get over that spot of vulnerability. 

          ❝   Qué digo, qué digo.. Thank you, amorcito, honestly. I really don’t know what to say.   ❞  And just as he tries to fight his brain to throw out ANY WORDS, there is another gift coming. Joel seems much more nervous about it, much more emotional. Lance doesn’t wonder too long after he eventually unwrapped it and now examines this personal work. It just causes him to feel a lot of emotions, they just hit him like lightning, yet he’s QUIET for a moment. While there’s still this burst of happiness, there’s also an ache in his heart that’s not easy to handle. A picture like that doesn’t exist but when he looks at it it feels like there’s something real about it. Lance never had a picture of MARIANNA, but if he did he wouldn’t hide it away like he does with the picture of his own mother. Marianna deserves much more than what he’s able to give her. And the fact that Joel actually took the time to awake the memories in his heart does cause him to get very emotional about it. Things like that make him cry like a baby when he’s alone, so he’s really fighting some tears. He doesn’t wanna cry on his birthday.

         ❝   I can’t believe you did that. Man, soy demasiado emocional para esto. This is a lot. I love it.   ❞   At least he got out a little bit before his emotions make his eyes all watery. Still, he fights hard not to cry over it. So the best way to hide that is to simply throw his arms around the other man’s shoulders. The hug holds on for a moment until Lance interrupts it to place a kiss on Joel’s lips.    ❝   Merci, chérie.   ❞

[rattusrattus3]

You're so magical! How do I add more magic to my life? Tell me your secrets goddex!

asdfghj this is such a cute ask ahhh thank u!!!! i am not an expert but ! in lieu of ur question i actually made a faecare tag on my blog that is full of very cute self care ideas that are very elf/fairy/angel like and may appeal to u! 

ok for my personal advice :) this is just stuff i like and u might like too but no need to feel pressure ! 

spend time with animals if u can! this can look different depeneding on ur situation but maybe u have a pet or a friends pet? or just go buy some bird seed and leave it outside ur window for ur bird friends! find a crow and feed them a shelled, organic, unsalted peanut! maybe go on a walk and smile to urself when u see a cute dog? either way, ime, animal interaction makes me feel magical

in the same vein, go outside! if u can! this can literally look like going outside ur door where there is one single tree and puddles and mud and gravel but u can spend time with the tree and tell it hello and hang out and try to meet the spirits that inhabit the area around u ! try to give offerings to the earth when u go outside! try to pick up litter and tell the earth you love her 

on the same note, talk to the moon and tell her about ur day and how much you love her! spend time hanging out near a window at night with the moon and stars and a cup of tea and ur thoughts and maybe some music and a candle 

yes candles are so good i highly reccomend :) i particularly like vanilla scented candles so maybe get one of those? or one of whatever scent u like! 

find music/podcasts u like and play them all the time! i find my day and life feels a lot better when i have media that i like around me 

clean ur space if u can or just tidy it 

drink water and be nice to yourself, give yourself lots of compliments and lots of love and try to treat urself with the same care and love u would give to a partner u love or a dear friend or a beloved pet 

putting lotion that smells nice on after a hot shower and doing skin care is sooooo goooood ! i particularly like shea/cocoa butter lotions and anything lavander scented, LUSH has a great one 

i love glitter like body and face glitter! try to get a enviornmentally sound one! but one i love is (again, sorry) from lush its called Fairy dust and its pink and sparkly and smells like bubblegum and is so nice (i cant find it online but maybe u can find it in store)? they have lots of nice powders, like i have another one from them that is lavander and sparkly and ill put it in my bed before i sleep and wake up smelling rally nice.. barring that just take some cornstarch and lavander essential oil and make ur own :)

make art! whatever that means to u! dont care if it “looks good” because art is about the feelings u have while u make it i think! 

try to do mental health work! whatever that means to u. I like therapy and meds and The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast

i like to journal but im bad at it but if u just keep a note book and keep stuff in it like ticket stubs and recipets and stuff its cool to look back on so take pics or write stuff down bc u will probably like to look back on this time as memories in the future

figure out how to be comfy and wear what makes u comfy!

do fun makeup if u want to :) 

i love u! hope this was good for u but i highly reccomend looking at that faecare tag bc theres lots more magical advice in there !!

[cncoh-damn]

Late Night Calls

Summary: As much as you love talking to the guys, late night calls with them isn’t always the best thing, especially when timezones are in the way.

Word count: 4,993

Tags: @richukisbb @quierick @mamacamacho @erickspretend1 @whymyeyeslikethat @zaddydejesus @zabdielsdimples @cncownerxcr7 @streamdecero @cncoxpmxvibes @marveloucnco

Wanna join the taglist? 

Ah, tests. No matter how good you were at school, there would never come a time when you’d look back on them with a smile. Of course, with this being the last year you’d have to take them (at least, until you decide to go to college), you just can’t afford to flunk a single one. Despite several protests from both your own squad and the boys, you promptly locked yourself in your room with nothing but several cans of Red Bull and one too many snacks that definitely didn’t count as dinner. Of course, you couldn’t really ignore the repeated knocking on your door (courtesy of Elodie, the twins, and Alex) nor could you ignore the buzzing of your phone, no doubt caused by the guys trying to convince you to take a break and actually eat something that didn’t come from a vending machine, so with a sigh, you get off your bed and unlock the door.

Unbeknownst to you, Alex stopped banging on the door roughly half an hour ago, and she’d been put on update duty; sending pictures and telling Zabdiel–who would then tell the others–how things were going on their end. Zabdiel did the same, although he still sent you messages every half hour or so. By the end of your five-hour study session, you swear there would be little grooves on your door from where one of the girls’ bracelets or rings hit. Checking your phone for the notifications, you’re mildly impressed to see the number of messages and missed calls you got, most of them from Erick and Chris. Probably something about your unhealthy habits, but really, you’re not about to listen to them; those two were sometimes worse than you after all.

And that’s how, ninety minutes later, you went back to your room after a somewhat excruciating–but delicious–dinner. As she came from a family that put a premium on academic achievement, Alex was the most sympathetic to your wanting to spend the rest of the night studying, though she was quick to tell you to not “study until you pass out” again. Slipping on a stolen hoodie (probably Christopher’s judging by how it wasn’t too baggy on you), you put on your studying playlist and get lost in your textbooks, a feat more difficult than it would seem.

The hours pass in a blur of flash cards, ink smudges, notes scrawled messily in the margins of a page, and several breaks for you to pop the knuckles of your hand when it feels like it’s about to cramp up from writing so much. By the time you finish, it’s already nearing eleven in the evening, and judging by the lack of noise from beyond your door, the others were already asleep or out. (E/c) eyes glance over the mess on your desk, papers and books and pens strewn around your laptop. You then glance over to the vanity-turned-extra-desk-space in front of your bed, brows furrowing at the mess. Not really the most ideal set-up, especially when everything you needed had to be within arm’s reach, but you could fix it later on. Or once your tests are over, something that seems more likely than the former.

Stretching your limbs, you let out a yawn before your eyes fall upon your phone, a notification light blinking to alert you of, well, unseen notifications. Placing your thumb over the home button for it to acknowledge your fingerprint, you rub your eyes with the other hand as your phone unlocks to show everything you’ve missed.

Thirty missed WhatsApp calls from the guys.

Several puns from Erick telling you to stay hydrated and take care of yourself.

Memes from both Chris and Erick that are related to the subjects you currently had.

Khan Academy videos from Zabdiel and Joel.

And finally, a group selfie from Richard, with all of them looking like kicked puppies. You have no idea who came up with the caption, but you were sure the dorks were trying to guilt you into studying and looking after your health. As much as you wanted to deny it, the fact that they all cared enough to spam your phone with messages telling you to take care of yourself warmed your heart. Needless to say, that picture gets saved to your gallery, where you’ll keep it to look at every time you needed a reminder to look after yourself it’ll stagnate and probably end up buried under the copious amount of memes and videos you save from your chats with the guys.

Noticing that your phone’s about to die–you both love and hate them for spamming it, because that meant your battery got drained quicker than it normally did–, you snag one of the many phone chargers on your bedside table, plugging it into the socket behind your table lamp and leaving it there. Next, you stretch some more before you pad over to your bathroom, fully intent on taking a shower before falling asleep. Hey, you might even get the chance to try out that new body wash you and Joel got from Lush the last time you hung out with him.

You step out of the bathroom twenty minutes later, shea butter-scented steam wafting into your room. Mental note to self, (Y/N): thank Joelito next time you see him, because shea butter smells so good. Plus it felt great on your skin, a bonus that usually came with the skincare products you bought. Yes, where most people bought skincare stuff for the sake of making their skin better, you buy the stuff because it smells good. After you wring out the excess water with a towel, you plonk down on the stool in front of the bathroom counter, a hairbrush in one hand and the hair dryer in another. Five minutes is all it takes for your hair to be just a little damp, and you set the dryer down to brush your hair until it’s no longer wet. Once that’s done, you brush your teeth and rush through the five step skin regime that Iana and Joel set up for you. Yeesh.

By the time your head hits the pillow, you don’t bother with anything aside from getting the blanket over your head as sleep claims you. Too bad you’re not getting the uninterrupted eight hours of sleep you wanted.

CYOA: Pick Your Boy

Christopher Velez:

maybe it wasn’t a good idea for you to set one of the most iconic songs in your music library as his ringtone

but really, Sk8r Boi was the song for him

YES IT’S BC HE’S AN ACTUAL SKATER

plus it was the first song you two ever jammed out to, so it’s got a special spot in your friendship

ANYWAY

as much as you love Avril Lavigne, you weren’t fond of waking up to the guitar riff you always played when you got your hands on an electric guitar

honestly you were tempted to let it go to voicemail because DAMN IT BRYANT, YOU WERE SLEEPY

but you figured that Chris wouldn’t call you at fuck knows what time in the morning if there wasn’t a reason

so you pick up, pulling the micro-USB connector from your phone’s charging port before pressing it into your ear, half your face smooshed into your pillow

“Nena!”

now normally the hyper ball known as Christopher Velez wouldn’t annoy you by simply saying one word, but… you were tired

so you grunt before speaking. 

“Hola, Chris.”

bear in mind you were rudely awakened by his ringtone playing, so you’re not in the best mood rn

but he deadass doesn’t pick up on it

so he’s babbling on and on, switching between Spanish and English way too quickly for your still-sleepy mind to comprehend

just as you’re about to yawn, he stops mid-sentence

“(Y/N)? Cuál es tu color favorito?”

you actually yawn while he’s asking, and it takes a second or so for you to realize he asked for your favorite color

“Uhh (f/c),” you say, yawning right after.

he doesn’t say much to you after, and you’re about to let the background noise from his end lull you to sleep

HA SIKE

just as you close your eyes, he makes this triumphant little noise that wakes you up again

and really, you don’t want to rain on his parade (even if he’s keeping you from your precious sleep), so you pull the phone away to let a tiny groan out

(Y/N) wants sleep

pero Christopher, el loco, just had to call you. smh

once you press the phone back to your ear, you barely just get the tail end of what he was saying

and really, you missed the guys (and Chris’ crazy laugh, but shh), but you needed sleep

so you yawn again before interrupting him

“Dude, I miss you and all, pero estoy cansado, chico.”

on one hand, he feels bad. but on the other, your sleepy voice is hella cute so… he has no regrets.

maybe a little guilt bc he knows you needed sleep to help with your test

so he’s all like “Ah, lo siento conejito. Go back to sleep, si? Just call me after your test!”

too bad you fell asleep in the middle of his apology lmao

he was waiting for a verbal response, but then he heard a snore

headass wanted to record it for blackmail purposes but nah

so he just hung up

gracias mucho, Christopher

(Y/N)’s circadian rhythm salutes you

also you called him as soon as school let out so you could tell him you did decent on the test

when you got it back, you sent him a picture. perfect score, hell yes.

lowkey you had to beg him not to post it on his IG. it’d be awkward af, plus it’d fuel some rumors that really wouldn’t be good for anyone

Richard Camacho:

okay, so you really had to set a punk rock song for this somewhat emo lil bish’s ringtone

but rn, you’re regretting it

no, Ronnie Radke, (Y/N) (L/N) doesn’t know why good girls go for bad guys now please shut it

it really suited Richuki tbh, what with him definitely pulling off the bad boy daddy dom look, but goddamnit it was loud

also Good Girls Bad Guys was the first Falling In Reverse song he ever listened to (courtesy of your emo phase that didn’t quite end, just turned lowkey) and he liked it

2012 (Y/N) is thrilled that 2018 (Y/N) has a friend who’s willing to listen to punk rock with her, even if said friend is a bit of a flirt

so he calls you around 4 am your time

you’re still a lil grumpy, but since you were in NREM 1, you woke up pretty easily

doesn’t mean you’re happy about it though

adios eight hours of uninterrupted sleep

but you figure this would happen sooner or later, especially since you and the guys have this sibling-like dynamic now

you pick up ofc, bc you’re already awake and you really don’t like sending any of your friends to voicemail

and he’s just surprised you picked up

there’s a little tremor in his voice and it makes you worry because you’ve never known his voice to not be even because of anything other than anger

or so you thought

now that he sounds upset, you’re a little more awake than before

“Que pasa?”

you usually switch between Spanish and English when talking to them, and it stays that way no matter how sleepy you are

there’s silence on his end for a while, and while it does make you worry more, it makes you a lot sleepier

you swear you’re about to fall asleep before he speaks up again

“No es nada. Just go back to sleep, okay?”

as tempted as you are to do just that, you’re not about to. bitchass had the guts to call you before dawn and make you worry before saying it was nothing? nuh-uh

you love sleep, but you love your friends (and your hobbies) more

“Don’t give me that bullshit Camacho.”

using his last name? he screwed up, and Richard knows it

he’s kinda quiet on the other end though, and you! don’t! like! it!

“Yashel? Richuki? C'mon man, what’s wrong?”

blame it on the fact that it’s like 4 am, that’s the only reason you’re being a softie rn

“It’s nothing. Sorry for waking you.” And then headass fucking hangs up

much to your chagrin

THE AUDACITY

he calls you before the asscrack of dawn, makes you worry, then decides that it’s nothing before hanging up on you? R U D E 

like, screw the fact that you only had four or so hours of sleep, something was up with Richard and you’re determined to find out what

so, against your better judgement, you call him

he picks up bc headass didn’t set a different ringtone for you even if you’re friends hmph

“What happened?” literally no hesitation or beating around the bush here; if something was wrong, then you sure as hell wanted to know about it, especially since he called you

“It’s nothing (Y/N). You have a test tomorrow, just go sleep.” and then he hangs up on you AGAIN

by this point you’re cranky and mildly insulted, so you plug your phone back in to charge before you go back to sleep

you didn’t wake up in the best mood that day, ngl

lil bit snappy, kinda sassier than usual

basically your mood was like Joel’s every time he was on Twitter

the bad mood followed you all the way through your test, and it was pretty obvious from how tightly you were holding onto your pen

after school, though, you call him again and hope he doesn’t hang up on you

“Wanna tell me what’s wrong now?”

“Am I a good dad?”

oof this was not something you were prepared for

“The hell are you talking about? You’re a better dad than most are, man.”

as it turns out, he misses Aaliyah and worries that he’s not doing the best he can as a father

and you’re like “???” because the fact that he and Yocelyn are co-parenting means that he’s doing his best

especially given that he’s away on tours and doing promo stuff a lot

and he’s slowly spiraling into this really dark space and you! refuse! to! let! it! happen!

“Dude, listen to me. Yes you’re not around as much as you want to, and yes you may miss some parts of her life, but look at it this way: you’re making an effort to be part of her life, and that’s way more than I can say for most of the guys who accidentally knock up their girlfriend. So chill, okay?”

soft hours have been extended all bc Richuki doubted himself :((

by the end of the call, he’s feeling a lot better

“Gracias, nena.”

“De nada, dude. Next time though? Don’t call me sounding all upset and shit and then hang up.”

he laughed at that, but then apologized, so you’re not annoyed at him anymore

lowkey you’re considering changing his ringtone but… nah

Zabdiel de Jesus

if there was anyone of the guys you thought would know not to call you when you’re supposed to be asleep, it’d be Zabdiel

but nOPE

he called you probably thirty minutes after you fell asleep

and even if Britney Spears is a guilty pleasure, you don’t want to wake up to Womanizer blaring from your phone

sorry Elodie

but it’s blaring and you’re rudely awakened and now you’re sleepily squinting/glaring at the stupid thing as if it would make it stop. it doesn’t.

so now you’re picking it up because damn it, what the fuck could Zabdiel want?

you yawn as you accept the call, laying on your side so you don’t have to hold the phone to your ear

“Que?”

you didn’t expect to hear loud ass bass and what was probably a party on the other end

but you did

and now you’re trying to keep yourself from cussing at him. you two weren’t that close yet, and no way were you going to risk offending someone because they called you at lord knows what time in the morning.

so you take a page out of his book and take several breaths to calm yourself before repeating the question

“Cometí un error,” he groans, and you’re so tempted to just yeet your phone away because fucking hell, he’s drunk! or somewhat intoxicated.

either way, you are not in the right state of mind to speak to a drunk person

“¿Qué hiciste?“ It’s a struggle to not let the annoyance in your voice show, but you barely even manage to hide it. Thankfully, he’s too drunk to notice.

“I screwed up, (Y/N).” The way he says it is almost too pathetic and you sigh.

“Si, you said that. What happened?” There’s mumbling on his end and all you could make out is a name: Gwen. it takes a while before you piece it together, and you facepalm once the puzzle pieces slot together.

he was upset about his ex

his ex that, according to rumors, he cheated on

and then, for some reason, he figured you were the best person to talk to? okay, not the best person, but one of the first people he should call. 

you were not equipped for this. nuh-uh.

“Zabdi, that was a whole year ago. Hell, maybe even more.” Really, you wanted to ask why the fuck he was thinking about this now

it’s been a Y E A R

“I really liked her,” he continues slurring into the phone, and you muffle a groan with your hand. did befriending an entire boyband mean that you had to listen to them talk about their exes even if it’s been a year? even if they were probably the cause behind the breakup in the first place?

can you resign from being their friend now? (you say this despite knowing you wouldn’t go through with it. you love the dorks too much)

“Zab, you can’t do anything about it now.” You’re trying to be a nice and comforting voice of reason, you really are, but damn it the bass is too loud and you still have a test later in the day

you don’t know what’s happening on his end, but you think you hear something that sounds suspiciously like a sob

cue another eye roll

“Escúchame, Zabdiel. It’s in the past, si? Nothing you can do about it other than learn from your mistake and no lo hagas de nuevo. Lo tengo?”

there’s a bit of scuffling on the other end, and your brows furrow. the hell was happening?

you get an answer when Clara’s voice comes through, and you blink. huh, guess they were bringing him back to the hotel. or his room, who knows.

“Lo siento (Y/N), the rest of the guys thought he went off with a girl,” she explains, and you muffle a yawn.

“It’s okay, Clara. Just–”yawn, “Make sure he doesn’t puke or something. G’night.”

you hang up before she does, plugging your phone back in before you finally conk out again

during dinner that evening, you ask the girls how to deal with a friend who’s an emotional drunk, just so you’re prepared for the next time he calls you when intoxicated.

after that, you send him a few feel-good texts. mostly stuff that siblings would send each other, so you’re really living up to the familial nature your friendship has begun to take on

Joel Pimentel:

just so we’re clear, the only reason you call Joel more than any of the other guys is because he rarely checks his messages, groupchats or otherwise

that said, you’re surprised when, instead of the first of your alarms, The A Team plays from your phone

it’s weird that he’s the one calling you and not the other way around, but you shrug it off

at least he’s calling around the time of your first alarm

“What,” you deadpan into the phone

“When the fuck were you going to tell me you were at the Infinity War premiere.”

whatever it is you were expecting to hear, this ain’t it folks

“Uhh… never?”

and cue a cranky Joelito ranting about you getting to be there and not telling him so he could’ve tried to get tickets 

to which you needed to cut him off

“Bitch, my parents got tickets. Besides, my godfather invited us.”

“Who’s your godfather?”

and cue the silence

“I’m not allowed to say.”

“W H O .”

it goes from this to you deflecting the topic until you decide to bring up your test.

he knows you’re trying to change the topic, but he’s going along with it. he’s been there before.

you start spewing out random facts, both to keep his mind from going back to anything Marvel-related and so you can see how much you remembered from last night’s study session

for the most part, it works.

Joel’s listening to you talk about facts, and every now and then he’d interject with a question, to which you quickly launch into an explanation that spawns even more questions from him

and so you two talk through the next two alarms you set, with you explaining concepts that would probably (hopefully please please please) show up on the test later

“You think I’m going to pass?”

“Hey, if I understood that because you managed to explain it to me, I’m pretty sure you have nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah, unless it doesn’t show up on the test.”

“… Don’t jinx yourself.”

you two hang up around the same time, and you’re in a considerably good mood considering he called you to ask how you managed to be at the Infinity War premiere

also it’s shocking how you two didn’t sass each other much during it

come to think of it, what time was it there when he called?

meh, you’ll figure out later. right now, you have to get ready for school, and that uniform tie isn’t going to tie itself.

#privateschoollife

ANYWAY, you get to school and shit, breeze through most of your classes until last period

DUN DUN DUN

test time

you’re shaking with nerves bc the teacher for this one is notorious for giving college-level tests to his AP classes

and even if he’s been your teacher for the past three years, you’re still terrified of failing any of his tests

but one look at the questions had you breathing a sigh of relief.

those were the things you explained to Joelito! you were going to pass!

ngl, you nyoom through the multiple choice questions and double check your math for the ones that need calculations

once school lets out for the day, you find a nice, secluded area near the botanical garden (again, private school feels) so you could call Joel and tell him you’ve got a good chance of passing the test

but when he picks up he sounds groggy af

oh, how the tables have turned

but you’re sympathetic bc he needs to look pretty; his face is one of his main selling points after all

“Hi, sorry I woke you, but I think I’m definitely gonna pass. Thanks for a while ago, bye, love you dude! Get some more sleep!”

how you managed to say that in one breath, no one has any idea.

meanwhile Joel’s just staring at his phone in confusion before realizing you thanked him for helping you recall what you studied

you two didn’t acknowledge the “love you” that got dropped in that quick, minute-long call and you never will

later that night, he calls you again because he saw another picture of you at a Marvel premiere

and this time, you two sass each other until you fall asleep

sass buddies til the end of the line

unlike Steve and Bucky BC THE END OF THE LINE WAS APPARENTLY A CHANCE TO TIME TRAVEL

anyway

it’s back to your regular, sassy program with (Y/N) and Joel. except for when tests come along, especially midterms and finals.

you two have late night calls just for him to help you study

Erick Brian Colon:

after a bit of shifting around in your bed so you can comfortably nestle in your blankets, you finally drift off to sleep, dreaming of getting an Academy Award in the future

as you were about to accept said award, the dream gets shattered when the fucking Guachineo begins to play

along with the shattering of that dream (because damn it, it’s been a near constant goal since you were a kid) comes a rude awakening not even thirty minutes after you fell asleep

as much as you loved Erick (PLATONICALLY), you were going to throttle him, pretty eyes or not

at least, that was the plan until you hear his voice

who knew someone could sound so shaken up over the phone?

okay that was rude and insensitive af but you weren’t expecting this

he literally sounded like he was about to cry, and damn it, this was the baby! this was little bebito Erick on the phone sounding like he’s about to cry and you’re not going to hang up on him.

to be fair, you wouldn’t hang up on any of your friends, but least of all Erick.

so in the sleepy voice you swore never to let anyone but the rest of your squad hear, you yawn out a “Que pasa?”

he’s practically sniffling, and even if he doesn’t quite want you to hear him cry, you’re one of the first people he thought to call, especially since the guys were out at the club 

“Extraño a mi familia,” he admits, voice shaking and you just want to wrap the guy in a blanket and cuddle him.

sure you don’t really get homesick much since you don’t live far from your parents, but it’s a wholly different thing for Erick

for one thing, he has a tight bond with his family. for another, he was what, 14 or 15 when CNCO was formed. it was probably the first time he was away from them for a long period of time, and sometimes, it didn’t get easier to bear with the passage of time

“No llora, bebito.” You’re trying to comfort him and all but you’re not exactly the best person to go to when you need emotional support. Hell, you can barely support yourself emotionally.

which brings you to the question: why me

and why when you had a quiz the next day

but this was Erick. not only was he your fellow group baby, but he was little bebito as well

you’re not about to let him be upset like this, not when you could do something about it

one problem though: you have no idea what to do about it. nice.

thankfully, he keeps talking.

as it turns out, it’s not just homesickness he’s dealing with

it’s also the pressure he puts on himself to be as good as the rest of the guys are

to be as charming as Chris, as good of a dancer as Richard, as intellectual as Joel and Zabdiel

and suddenly, you get where he’s coming from. mostly

it’s like an inferiority complex, but also, not really

as the youngest, you two had the most to prove

you two had the most expectations ahead of you

so it’s natural that you’ll end up pressuring yourselves to meet and exceed those expectations

now you know what to do, BUT you don’t know what to say

“It’s okay to feel like that, bebito,” you start, sitting up and pulling your knees to your chest. “Pero you need to remember that you don’t have to be like them. Dejaste de competir con otros when you guys won La Banda. Now, the only competition you need to worry about is yourself, si?”

you really want to baby him, especially with how soft and watery his voice sounds over the phone, but you know he’s not going to like it

as the youngest, you two end up being babied by those who know you as a member of your respective groups

and it gets annoying after some time because you just want to be treated like an adult

so you’re not going to baby him completely

you kind of stick to a soft voice the whole time you two talk

and when you feel a yawn coming on, you muffle it with your hand bc you don’t want him to feel bad

it takes a while before you ask how he’s feeling

but when he says that he’s feeling better, you immediately feel relieved

not just bc this meant you’ll be able to sleep soon, but bc it meant he wasn’t as upset anymore

a crying and upset friend always made your heart sad, but a crying and upset Erick? you were half-tempted to book a flight to wherever they were and give him a hug, exam be damned

“Gracias mucho, nena.”

“You promise you’re okay now?”

“Si. Good night, (Y/N).”

Yawn. “Good night, bebito.”

so you go back to sleep, then wake up when your alarms go off

the school day passes by in a blur, but you’re hurrying to go home bc you wanted to check in on him via FaceTime

so you do, but he doesn’t pick up

instead you just leave him a message in his voicemail

hopefully he listens to it bc as his fellow group baby, he needed to know that you were gonna be there for him when he can’t share stuff with the other guys

literally though, he’s the only one to always bring out your soft side.

but at least you love the dork.

[iridessence]

Are you rich?

Okay lmaoooo loaded question that will need some unpacking. 

Short answer: Not at all. “Rich” is subjective, but in any case if you (or a person from a finance background) took note of my life’s expenses versus my income on and off paper, it would be clear that I am nowhere near rich at all. I’m just very resourceful, creative and selective about what I show/curate online.

Long answer: I have been low to low-ish income for years (part of why I am so resourceful) and in 2017/2018 I worked an office job for under $15/hr which is not much if you live in a major city like me, but thankfully I have no dependents I must support nor any serious medical debt. I left the job because it was a hellish soul-suck.

I was savvy when I had steady income. now I’m living off savings and before COVID, I was supplementing with income from burlesque and modeling gigs, and help from my mom here or there. Right around the time I planned to return to the 9-5 workforce was when Covid hit, it’s left the world in financial shambles so I’m biding my time until it’s safe and I’ve been looking for jobs, outside of a few paid influencer opportunities here and there. in the meantime, personal loans, government assistance, selling some of my stuff I don’t use on depop and whatever my mom helps me out with, keep me afloat.

Not that it has to be public knowledge but when my father passed away in 2017, I got a little bit of insurance money which had been supplemental. It bumped me up to about the equivalent of someone working an actual livable wage (meaning NOT the minimum) in Chicago for about a year and a half, and ultimately came at the expense of, well, my father being dead. It basically meant that I could pay all of my bills, donate a little bit to help others when needed, buy some new (but still cheaper) clothes, finance a few costumes for burlesque (more expensive but still i did a lot of the work/research to make them a fraction of what they would cost if made by others) and put away a little bit to travel/wine & dine on a budget which I did here and there, not rich. Since sometime in 2019 the remainder of my savings ended up being used mainly for rent and such.

While I don’t think people should be straight up asking questions like this to strangers, I personally do want to be transparent because I don’t want people to think they absolutely have to be rich to enjoy a certain kind of aesthetic lifestyle for a moment here and there. Sure— if you’re not rich, it’s not luxurious most of the time and it’s more difficult, taking more planning and thought, but it’s not entirely impossible.

Some examples on how else I save money. These are some helpful guidelines, but I understand it may not be applicable for everyone's situation:

I have dietary restrictions anyway so I make a lot of my own food at home, I rarely get takeout or eat out.

I use a little bit of extra gas money to go to more affordable grocery stores and try to buy in bulk/on sale items.

I fixed up my space as much as I can but I do live in a somewhat rundown building where rent is not the highest for the amount of space there is.

most of my furniture and appliances, even a few electronics, and other things that populate my home are secondhand. I try to get a lot of things that are safe to get used, second hand.

i save a lot on toiletries and personal care products because my hair regimen is mainly coconut oil, leave-in and water. due to protective styling, I shampoo/condition less than average for most people as washing more frequently did  not give me the results I was looking for.  in regard to hygiene I use a lot of natural items, i mostly use apple cider vinegar in lieu of soap (the main perk of having sensitive skin that doesn’t like detergents lmao) and coconut oil or whipped Shea butter for skin moisturizing, Much of the stuff is not fancy and you can usually get it at a grocery store for cheap. The only skincare products i use aside from coconut oil is retinol serum and rose aloe spray which i buy a couple times a year for <$30

I typically only style myself hair and makeup wise, mainly use palettes that if name brand, were gifted, or they were drugstore and wholesale prices.

When i would go out for a "fancy night out," i most likely pregamed at home or a friend’s with free/cheap booze, and took a short uber or public transportation to a fancy-looking destination and only bought one or two drinks/appetizers there and tipped accordingly. Looking fabulous is the bulk of it and the fun part, but I’m certainly not on a bottle service budget.

When I travel for any destination, especially burlesque, I’ve tried to save on out of town housing by staying with family/friends, trusted community members, long-standing and/or trusted mutuals from tumblr/Instagram and as a last resort, a HomeAway booking. Hotels cost a lot and I’d rather have an opportunity to get to know someone who operates in the same circles I do if possible.

[purplesurveys]

644

What is your favorite time of the day? I love when evening sets. It’s the end of the day, everyone turns their lights on outside and it’s all pretty, and it’s a great time to tell stories and catch up with friends who were busy with you throughout the day. When was the last time you had pizza? Last December. My org had its last meeting for the year and JM treated us with four boxes of party-sized pizzas :) Are you close with your mother? She’s pretty okay when she’s in a good mood, but do I absolutely hate her when she’s not in that mood. She has an ugly side that I never learned to love. Do you have a short fuse? On certain things, yes. I get tense the moment I get in the driver’s seat, I have no patience for slow workers in my group, and in general my short fuse pops out when I’m hungry. Have you ever blown a breaker? I have no idea what this question means, which means I either don’t get the slang of the past, or this is a grown-up thing I’ve yet to learn.

What is your favorite cereal? Cookie Crisps! I haven’t tried Reese’s Puffs, but I’m like 98% sure that it would be my favorite as well if I ever get to try it. Is there a certain place that you go when you're upset? When I’m already in school, I might stay in my car but it gets hot inside so my next best option is the student lounge in my college called Skywalk, which is also where my organization is settled/headquartered. Typically, I’d go to an empty table and cry over there. At home, I like being on the couch or at the dining table. Name a new friend you've made this year. I haven’t met a new friend just yet, but the best new person I’ve met so far is my friend Sam’s uncle. His bar had a soft opening last Friday and she all invited us to come for a night of drinks and music. It ended up being so so fun, and the uncle was super nice and welcoming. Honestly, do you check the caller i.d. to see who's called you? The technology of caller ID never reached the Philippines. I can say the same for voicemail. Do you wear your seatbelt in the car? I forget it most days, but when I’m driving on more accident-prone highways like C5 or EDSA (also highways with the most traffic enforcers), I’ll put mine on. Have you ever known anyone that's gone missing? Yeah, my friend and orgmate Mik was reported missing for a couple of days last September. Their family approached our org asking for help in the blasting of social media posts hoping to find him. Do you put your foundation on with a sponge or your hand? I don’t put foundation at all, but when my friends do it on me they always do so with a sponge. What was the last thing you ate? I had chocolate digestives from M&S a few minutes ago but they tasted a little sour; so I checked its labels, and turns out it’s a day away from expiring D: So now I’m making mi goreng-flavored instant noodles. What game is in your game system right now? My brother plays NBA 2K20 all the time so I’m pretty sure that’s the game in the PS4, and as for the Switch my best guess is Mario Kart 8. What color are your toe nails? None. The 2nd to last person you texted, how did you meet them? It was in first grade, we were seatmates, I had a newly-sharpened pencil and I accidentally struck her palm with it and her hand started to bleed. She started telling on the teacher but thanks to my experience living with siblings and cousins, I was able to think on my feet and insist that I didn’t do anything. Angela insists to this day that I stabbed her on purpose hahaha, but it really wasn’t the case. But yeah, that was the start of our 15-years-and-counting friendship. Do you miss a lot of school? No, unless I really find the class not worth it. My worst attendance record was racking up 8-9 absences in the one and only psychology elective I took. I still love psych, but that prof provided a meh first impression and since then I’ve never been in the mood to take another psych class. Do you have to pee often? Only when I’m out drinking, but other than that no. Do you live near a pet store? No, I don’t. Do you ever watch The Bad Girls Club? I’ve never even heard of it.

Who was the last person other than family to tell you that they love you? My girlfriend. Do you ever play those games on the myspace ads? I’ve never seen a Myspace ad. But sometimes, ads for games that pop up on my phone will be interactive and will let me play for like 30 seconds hahaha I love those. Have you ever been told that you resemble an animal or insect? No. But I’ve said that about other people (not to them though). How many people have you kissed in the last month? Just one. Do you know anyone who writes really well? I’m taking journalism, so almost everyone I know writes outstandingly. Least favorite food? Raisins. Do you get big headed easily? Never. My friends and I are totally the type to smack each other at the back of the head if we ever ended up that way. Can you play any instrument really well? Sadly, no. But my dream instrument to play for the longest time has been the piano, and it’s always bittersweet when I watch my friends who can play it well. Are there any foods that you loved when you were little, but hate now? Pork and beans, because my mom used to buy cans of those allllll theeeeeee timeeeeee. I also ate a lot of Oreos as a kid, but I’m a little sick of them now. What is your zodiac sign? Taurus. What was the last picture you uploaded? Someone on Twitter initiated a challenge that asked anyone to upload side-by-side photos of the oldest picture they have of themselves on their phone vs the most recent one, and I joined. Do you prefer chocolate candy, or fruity candy? Fruity! For chocolate, I like them better as bars. Is your about me long and detailed, or short and to the point? Here on Tumblr, it’s pretty much to the point.  What is your favorite type of cola? I don’t drink soda. Who did you spend your last birthday with? My family during the day; Angela in the evening. Does it bug you when people spell color "colour"? No. That’s the more accepted spelling on some parts of the world, and no one has a right to bitch about it lmao. Do you actually pay attention to how many profile views you have? Ugh, that’s such a 2010 thing...along with embedded playlists that automatically play when you visit someone’s page hahahahaaaaaaah.  What flavor was the milkshake you had last? Cookies and cream, but it was my girlfriend’s. Where is the nearest place that sells smoothies? I’m not sure. But there are three malls that are all five minutes away from my house, and there’s gotta be at least one smoothie place in those. What kind of body wash or soap do you use? Funny that you ask this – I actually got three of these as Christmas gifts so I’m taking turns in using them :) I got a bourbon vanilla shower gel from my aunt, a milk tea-themed shower gel from my cousin, and Gabie gave me a shea butter soap because I mentioned to her once that I liked any skincare product that had any type of food in it, and turns out she listened hahahaha :)

[havekiddoswilltravel]

Organic Skin Care for Traveling Families by A Spirit of Joy

Taking care of our skin on a daily basis regardless of the season or our level of indoor or outdoor activity and travel is crucial for on the go traveling families. During our busy travel season, we can spend hours outdoors in the sun, ocean, lake, mountains or trails. Our family suffers from allergies, asthma and eczema and as a result, I’m extremely leery about using hotel or resort toiletries during our adventures.

 Last Mother’s Day, I placed an order from A Spirit of Joy for our family to use daily and as gifts to friends for the holiday. I bought two products for myself and I highly recommend that you try them.

A Spirit of Joy

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Bamboo Applicator

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Organic Radiance Facial Moisturizer

This moisturizer is amazing! I have pretty low maintenance skin and don't usually require a lot of product or makeup on a daily basis. I have been using this product for sixmonths and love it. You only need a tiny amount in order to cover your entire face and neck. I use it daily in the summer and fall and I look forward to using this product to get me through the cold New England Winter. We're a very active family and I can't wait to use this product during our cold weather hiking and skiing trips. Pro tip: I tend to use what's leftover on my hands after applying to my face and neck, to add extra moisture to my natural black hair. It makes my hair look amazing.

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 If you long for younger looking, healthier, more elastic and moisturized skin, I highly recommend that you purchase these products.

Let’s talk about the ingredients!

A Spirit of Joy Whipped Body Butter uses unrefined organic, fair trade African shea butter and unrefined organic fair-trade cocoa butter. The butters are whipped for hours into this incredibly easy to apply cream which leaves your skin looking amazing. I love that they are packaged in glass containers and thus avoid potential toxins from plastic. The glass containers also look classy when given as gifts.

Have Kiddos Will Travel Offer For Readers:

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Take advantage of this offer in time for holiday shopping! This discount code can be used on any size order, large or small! Typically, people love to gift items from this line to teachers, employees, church groups, social organizations, family and friends. The feedback that I’ve received from my mother and friends is that they’re hoping for additional gifts in the near future! You can’t beat that!

[crazy4tank]

The best protective day creams | Sali Hughes

New Post has been published on https://fashiondesigne.com/the-best-protective-day-creams-sali-hughes/

The best protective day creams | Sali Hughes

T ast month, I pointed out that the new Fenty Skin variety appeared promising and that I’d report back again. I hadn’t expected to have the ability to tell you that it’s really near perfect. Several of the items are refillable – simply pop a pod in to the outer packaging. And there are an emphasis on multitasking, straightforward formulas, rather than a bandwagon-chasing of all of the multi-step, single-ingredient skincare that will millennials buy by the number of.

Fenty Skin is so great that I deduct points just for the inclusion of perfume, which doesn’t bother me personally but can irritate several, and will put off many. The particular standout product is a well-timed one, as we ready ourself to emerge from the night, blinking. Hydra Vizor Unseen Moisturizer SPF30 (£32, 50ml) is really a light, skin-plumping, dewy-finish time lotion that gives good shine while adequately protecting your skin during shortish bursts associated with sun exposure (always utilize a dedicated sunscreen product in case spending lengthy periods outside, whatever the weather). Unusually within the category, it doesn’t tingle my eyes, and provides a base with regard to makeup that allows for correct blending without the sunscreen disintegrating or sitting greasily at the skin like some base firewall.

As is typical of Rihanna’s brand, Hydra Vizor furthermore applies invisibly, leaving nothing of the white, lavender or even ashy cast left simply by some sunscreens on dark brown, black and olive skin. This invisibility can generally only be achieved by chemical substance sunscreens, which is why I’m quite impressed with Day Protection Cream SPF30 (£20, 60ml), through another millennial favourite, Bybi. This has a richer structure than Fenty’s (it consists of shea butter, which is not for the oiliest types), yet uses natural mineral sunblocks that rarely aggravate delicate skin. I expected this to throw a white-colored cast, but after a couple of short moments of massaging, it sinks in with no trace. Just as with the Fenty, increased sustainability is as essential here as the product, that is reef-safe and dispensed from the cornstarch, not plastic, pipe.

Should you be oilier or spot susceptible, do try Paula’s Selection Clear Moisturiser SPF30 (£11, 15ml), a blemish-treating, but still calming, day lotion that is especially great for teens and old, hormone-triggered breakout sufferers, along with night-time retinol users who else always need daytime security. All are cruelty free. 

[justmeinbigd]

40+ Places to Shop Local (Online) for Christmas Gifts on Small Business Saturday and Beyond

All photos by me - Kristina Rowe (and most are pre-pandemic. Apparently I’m not much of a shopper.)

I hope your Thanksgiving was great and I hope you’ve been able to support some small businesses today. Here’s a list I originally posted on Reddit of some Dallas small businesses where you can shop for Christmas gifts or for yourself. 

Online shopping options are linked or described here to give you the safest possible shopping experience. 

I’ll be sharing some more holiday shopping lists featuring local Dallas businesses soon. (Some of us aren’t into Black Friday shopping, even in non-COVID-19 years.) 

Happy Shopping, you’ll feel great when you shop local! 

Toys

Froggie's 5 &10 - Note: Not much can be purchased online. This store will be moving in 2021 so they are offering discounts on pretty much everything in the store.

Toy Maven - Toys, games, novelties, and lots more.

Toys Unique - Games, puzzles, arts & crafts and lots more.

Twig & Olive - Boxed sets that encourage creative play with no batteries, buttons or screens.

Gaming

Common Ground Games - With board games, trading card games, miniatures and paints, it will also someday once again be a great place to meet others and play games. Their week-long small business Saturday sale runs through Sunday, Dec 6.

Madness Games and Comics (Plano) -  A pop culture mega store with new comics, graphic novels, actions figures, board games, RPGs, and more.

Richardson Bike Mart near White Rock Lake at sunset.

Bikes

Red Star Bicycle Shop - Family-owned bicycle services, repairs, sales, and rentals.

Richardson Bike Mart - Founded in 1962, this local shop has grown into a small chain with stores in Richardson, Frisco, Dallas and McKinney. Their website has multiple holiday gift guides and online shopping.

Oak Cliff Bike Synergy - New and used (some vintage) bicycles.

Preston Hollow Bicycles - Local bike store selling a variety of bikes, accessories, utility items, apparel and more.

Sports/Outdoors

A J Vagabonds - Outdoor & Sporting Goods store in Bishop arts with a motto of “Go Outside Y’all.” They have fun stuff and great gift ideas on their Facebook page, but it looks like most of it cannot be purchased online.

Buddy’s Sporting Goods - In business 40+ years, focus on team sports equipment and apparel.

Dynamic Discs - This company wasn’t “born in Dallas” and isn’t headquartered here, but it’s family-owned and has a small footprint with a strong presence in Carrollton and Lewisville. If you’re into disc sports, you’ll want to shop here.

Not Just Soccer (Dallas & Fort Worth) - locally owned and operated business specializing in everything youth sports.

Play it Again Sports (Plano) - Locally owned, new and used sporting goods and gear.

Ray’s Sporting Goods - The iconic Dallas guns and more store on Singleton.

Plants

North Haven Gardens - Sustained a hard hit from the tornado, got up and dusted itself off and got back into business. Truly deserving of your support!

Ruibal’s Plants - Locally owned and managed with four (beautiful!) locations in Dallas. 

Books

Deep Vellum - A nonprofit publishing house and literary arts organization. Order books they’ve published through DeepVellum.org or request any book you want and they will order it for you through DeepVellum.com.

Half Price Books - OK, they’re a huge chain but they belong to Dallas.

Interabang - Another tornado recovery story, their online shopping system is quite robust.

Lucky Dog Books - Used book stores in Mesquite, Oak Cliff, and East Dallas. No online shopping site, but you can call or email requests to see if they have something you want in stock and they will ship it to you.

The Wild Detectives - To provide an online shopping experience, they’ve leveraged Bookshop.org, which offers a large selection, great service, and supports local bookstores with the proceeds of sales.

Pretty bonbons from Chocolate Secrets.

Chocolates

Cocoa Andre - This Mexican-American family-owned chocolate shop has Mexican chocolates, themed chocolate molds, vegan chocolate, bean to bar chocolates made in house and much more.

Chocolate Secrets - Hand-painted bonbons and truffles are the thing here. They also have a great selection of different chocolate Santas, Christmas trees and other fun holiday-themed chocolates.

Dude, Sweet Chocolate - Chef Katherine Clapner likes peculiar things and unique flavor combos and it shows (in a good way) in the delicious chocolates and treats she makes.

Kate Weiser Chocolate - Oprah made Kate Weiser’s “Carl the Snowman” famous. Handmade and beautifully painted candy bars are special here anytime and the holiday version is no exception.

Pre-pandemic in the gift shop at Nasher Sculpture Center.

Gift Shops/Flower Shops/Stationery

Abundantly Aromatic -  Soaps, body scrubs, Shea Butter lotions, and more all  handmade locally with all-natural ingredients.

Bettie Lou’s - Sister store to Froggie’s Five and Dime, they offer gift baskets online.

Dallas Museum of Art Gift Shop - Posters and postcards along with more practical items like umbrellas and tote bags to fill your life with art.

Lone Chimney Mercantile - Dallas-themed art, kitchen linens with salty sayings, fun accessories and gifts. Order gifts from their online store or choose art prints and canvases from the owner/photographer’s Etsy shop. 

Nasher Sculpture Center Gift Shop - There’s lots here from home goods to jewelry and accessories ranging from affordable to extravagant. 

The T Shop - East Dallas florist with a lovely gift selection.

White Rock Soap Gallery - Soaps, candles, bath and body products and more from more than 50 Texas makers.

Pets

Scotty’s Bowties - Pet bowties, bandanas and more.

Uptown Pet Wear - Doggie wear, leashes, harnesses and more.

Etsy Spring Bash 2018. Love, love, love these gals!!

Apparel and Accessories

Bullzerk - Undoubtedly the coolest store in Dallas, offering entertaining, Dallas-themed stuff. Shop online and consider checking out the Charity Shirts category to also support the Dallas Zoo and other charities.

Favor the Kind - Apparel, accessories, and gifts. Cyber sale thorough Monday.

Lucky Franklin - T-shirts, sweatshirts and more for dog and cat moms, plant lovers and other wonderful people.

Mosaic Makers - Multiple local makers under one roof (and in one online shop!)

Odin’s Leather Goods - Leather bags, belts, and bracelets are just a few of the offerings at this store that went from making products at their dining room table and selling them on Etsy to a  workshop space in Coppell.

Neighborhoods

Bishop Arts District - This website has links to many of the retailers in the Bishop Arts District. Use the links there to check out which ones offer online shopping.

Deep Ellum - Here’s where to shop in Deep Ellum.  Be sure to “Load More” at the bottom of the page to see them all.Use the links there to visit individual shops for online shopping links.

I bought one of these handmade totes from Lucky Franklin and then I won another one (full of locally made goodies) in a Boho Market giveaway a year or so later.

More suggestions:

Buy merchandise (T-shirts, hats, etc.) online from restaurants, bars, small music venues, coffee shops, breweries, distilleries and more. Just visit the full website of your favorite places and look for a link to “shop.” Or if you’re in a position where you can do so, look for a donation or GoFundMe link on their site and help out some of the hardest-hit places. They could use your support. 

Hardware stores under the True Value and Ace brands are usually locally owned and operated. My favorite is Rooster Home and Hardware because George the Rooster lives there. Online shopping is through TrueValue.com. I’m told Stones Ace Hardware in East Dallas has free beer while you shop.

Shop local from dozens of area makers at Etsy Dallas. Use the links on the page to go to the Etsy stores that interest you.

The State Fair of Texas has a holiday shopping site where you can buy State Fair souvenir gifts and shop from State Fair vendors and GoTexan merchants.

Also, here’s a large list of local businesses offering gift cards, compiled by the Dallas Morning News in cooperation with USA Today.

Next week my list of great gifts of wine and spirits from local producers and shops is coming to the Dallas Observer Food and Drink section. Stay tuned!!