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Yesterday my best bud and fellow Neon Bible writer Roni got married!  To keep things running smoothly from hair appointment to hora, the other bridesmaids and I made her a Wedding Day Survival Kit, or as we called it a Just in Case Case

Included was:

• Q-tips
• eye makeup remover pads
• aloe vera wetnaps
• body lotion
• mini deodorant - make sure it’s clear!
• bobby pins

• moleskin - very important.  we all put this on our feet before the ceremony.
• clear nail polish - to repair cracks and hang nails
• hair spray

• Pepto Bismol
• Gravol
• Advil

• Lint roller with pet hair protector
• Tide to go - very useful, especially after the bride fell down during her “running” photos
• compact mirror
• scissors

If you’re going to make a Just in Case Case for your bride, brainstorm with your bridesmaids and make a list, then figure out who’s going to get what.  Don’t forget a cute basket or tote.

So I guess I should introduce myself, I’m a buddy of Gee-Dubs; I have a real name, a real face, but on the internet and at various venues in Vancouver, I’m known as simply That Stupid Hipster. I’m here to provide a male’s perspective in thrifty/frugal grooming, as well as my look into fashion and other crap I’m sure you’re excited about (so long as mistress bible allows it). Although I should mention that I’m not the typical Man’s Man, however, I’m not gushing over the new David Choe Collection, nor am I excited about what the hell Vera Wang is doing, Think of myself as a healthy medium between working class utility and pretentious Indie inanity

With that being said

Bodywashes, the answer to the busy man’s grooming needs. It’s a great solution that you can pick up throw it in the shower and not have to worry about it until the bottle runs out. While it’s certainly a covenant way of keeping clean they aren’t without their faults. I’ve tried a few in the last couple of years just having it at work and I’ve noticed that some are fine and will do for physical workplaces. But let’s be clear about this, these are stop gap measures for afterwork/after gym washing. They should not be used purely as your soap and shampoo. You’re all big boys now we have to get actual toiletries.

Lets see how they stack up shall we?

 Old Spice Red Zone Body Wash and Shower Gels

The first one of these I tried was the Afterhours shower gel. Boasting “Scent Technology” that deploys scent through out the day, Red Zone had little beads of…something, which I can only assume is for exfoliating. While I didn’t notice my skin feeling it was exfoliated, I didn’t have that feeling of gross residue which I got from other. And I did notice that the scent stuck around for a while and was a subtler than cologne but more noticeable than deodorant.

As a soap it was fine no different than bar soap. As a shampoo it left my hair dry and I noticed more dandruff than usual.

Also I would find random blue beads in my hair within the first couple of hours of getting out of the shower.

Did It Clean? Yes.

Did It Smell Good? Sure.

Was it Gross Using It? Of all of them no this was the best for that.

The classic Old Spice Body Wash. Was fine, did everything it was suppose to do, didn’t feel slimy after using it, worked fine as a shampoo. However, as any high school girl knows too much Old Spice is a very bad thing, Now imagine bathing yourself in the distinctive scent. While using this bottle I kinda was self conscious of how much I smelled, though I doubt it actually was that noticeable. And I’m sure it’s preferred rather than the scent of dude coming from you as you’re standing in line.
Did It Clean? Yes.

DId It Smell Good?  Way to heavy Scent wise.

Was it Gross Using It? Texture wise fine whatever, the scent was enough to make me gag
Axe Shower Gel

I hate this stuff. Though Axe is currently the king of body products for guys, bros, and athletes in North America, its shower gel has an unpleasant texture and almost is like washing yourself with something you played with as a kid. While it didn’t produce a gross residue I did feel like I had ‘something’ on me right after I showered. I liken it to washing with shampoo which is appropriate because it seemed to work with my hair fine.

Scent wise it was a little heavy right of the bat but dispersed to nothing within a couple of hours.

Did It Clean? As sad as this may seem, I didn’t feel any cleaner after using this stuff.

Did It Smell Good? Sure.

Was It Gross Using It? Yeah, totes.
Addias Body Wash

For my money the best bang for the buck. Subtle scent, decent soap, garbage for shampoo though however I don’t depended on a body wash for constant day to day use. I would say that it’s fine in conjunction with actual shampoo and conditioner for going to work but for pleasant personal hygiene/date night alittle more effort is..suggested.
Did It Clean? Yes, fo’sho.

Did It Smell Good? Yeaup and out of all of them it’s the least, aggressive?

Was it Gross Using It? Nada.

In the end for about 8 bucks across the board you can grab something which is fine for a workplace locker room or for places you just want to use one bottle for everything, (school, the gym). I wouldn’t recommend these for constant hygiene but for something quick and easy any of these are fine. The Adidas wash is my personal favourite all of these. But again, these are just stop gap used when I’m marooned on some God-forsaken island.

Though I mention some were grosser than others while using it I would like to point out these are really all gross. Seriously proper soap proper shampoo and yes proper conditioner are mainstays in my shower…box thing.

One of my favourite times of the year is fast approaching… my mom’s annual trip to the great state of Nebraska aka. the week where she buys me stuff from Target and Bath and Body Works and I don’t have to pay her back!

So far on my list of not available in Canada products to get are:

L’Oreal Elnett Hairspray - I’ve looked everywhere in Vancouver and I can’t find this stuff. I’m pretty sure we don’t have it. Although I’m not usually a hairspray person, I am a sucker for people telling me what to buy.

Bare Escentules RareMinerals Blemish Therapy and Foundation - Okay, so yes there is one particular Shoppers downtown that sells Bare Escentules, and I could just restock my foundation there, but why pay for something you can get for free… from you mom? I’m really looking forward to trying this new Blemish Therapy. I rarely have any blemishes or blackheads, but when I do, I throw a fit. This may give me some piece of mind, although I hear it smells like a sulfur pile.

Bath & Body Works 3 for $10 Hand Soap - Obviously.

Fekkai Coiff Contrôle Ironless Straightening Blow-Out Balm - While my skin is generally flawless my hair is as damaged as it gets. It’s dry, flat and the ends, oh the ends. I’m hoping this will help minimize some of the damage I continue to inflict on my sad strands.

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, which means no excuses to show up to your date in yoga pants with a Terry’s Chocolate Orange left over from Christmas. Obviously this blog is read pretty much exclusively by women, which means this probably won’t be a problem, but it’s still fun to plan ahead.

Check out what Lush has to offer for Valentine’s day.

I’m loving this Sex Bomb bath bomb. From the website: Romantic pink water and an incredibly sexy jasmine fragrance set the mood… and once the rice paper rose petals fill your tub, there’s no holding back! This is also a great gift for those who plan to spend their Valentine’s day alone, crying alone in the bath with a bottle of wine. If you’re going to be sad and dramatic, then you might as well do it in pink water.

Plus, it’s only only $6.00 CAD so you really have no excuse.

Next, check out the Soft Coeur massage bar. From the website: Prepare to get messy with this deliciously romantic concoction of honey, cocoa and natural melty butters, designed for warm, sensual, full-body massages.

I’m a sucker for any sort of bath or beauty product that looks like food, so this is perfect for me as it looks like a big heart shaped cookies and cream bar.

Lush is also offering some more expensive gift packs priced between $42.00 and $64.00 CAD but I’m not one to spend that much on bath products at once. For a cheaper and sweeter option, I suggest making your own Valentine’s Day Lush gift pack. Pick out a few products and than wrap them yourself with some chocolates and candy. Lush’s bath bombs and soaps range somewhere between 6 and 12 dollars so it’s a great way to save money.

For the little ones

I’m a firm believer that makeup application should begin in high school and never before. I wasn’t wearing makeup until I was 15 and discovered liquid eye liner. Before that I owned one lipstick, a blue balm type thing from Wet ‘n’ Wild that apparently changed colour with your mood. Good times.

Now, young girls have more options when it comes to innocent and fun beauty that doesn’t involve any brushes and pots.

If you live in Canada, and have a daughter, niece or any other little one on the list then you’re in luck. Head to The Bay’s bath and beauty department and look for the so-delicious-you-could-eat-it Open Sundaes display. The company makes beautiful and delicious treats with even more beautiful packaging in the shapes of honey bottles, cupcakes and more.
This Christmas, for my beautiful little cousin Mckaylie I’ll be picking up…

- Lemon Drop lip topping - $8.95
- Pink Sugar body scrub - $14.59
- Cocoa Bombs bite-sized bath bombs - $9.95

Open Sundaes products are available at most Bay locations as well as online. They’re products are adorable and all natural, and the perfect gift for any tweenage girl. Plus, you get the extra joy of supporting a local and independent company.

Bath and Body Works is almost too good.  Usually when I go there I become so overwhelmed at the shear product volume that I can’t even bring myself to pick out three assorted hand soaps.  But my mother, a great long distance shopper encouraged me to press on through and I ended up going home with a few great things.

Final Bath and Body Works Haul

• Vanilla Bean Noel sparkling shower gel
• Winter Candy Apple hand sanitizer
• Black Amethyst hand soap for my boyfriend (I tried to pick the most manly scent)

My mom ended up going how with a crap load of C.O. Bigelow gear.  Apparently she hasn’t seen this stuff since the 60’s and since she’s obsessed with nostalgia, it ended up being a pretty expansive haul.

My total purchases at Bath and Body Works ended up at around $30 USD