Misikko Review: Corioliss Curling Wand

I'm going to preface this "review" with a disclaimer: I've had this product for months and months. I was originally contacted by Misikko many moons ago to review one of their flat irons. Well, I never have straight hair so I opted out. I was able to choose a curling wand and give it a go, but upon it arriving to my house I started to notice how saturated the "blogsophere" was with Misikko reviews. Normally I google every pitch I get to make sure I'm not one of a hundred bloggers writing about the same thing. I kindly responded to my contact that I'd keep hold of it to review later in the year, once the saturation had died down a little. I've seen reviews for flat irons and blow dryers, but hopefully there aren't umpteen billion wand reviews! If there are or you aren't interested, feel free to skip over! ;) (Also -- I know absolutely nothing about hair styling or anything.. Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I manage to do my own hair without too much catastrophe but whatever!)

As the months past I didn't give the wand much thought. Remember my basketball head incident? Yeah, it took me a few months to get my hair color under control. The last thing it needed was a heating tool touching it. Finally I made progress with my hair and decided to give the wand a try. Holy cow. Y'all, I was so ready to be disappointed. I guess I tend to be kind of a cynic toward expensive things. I think I don't need them or I could do it myself. I've always used a cheapo little $10 curling iron from Target. I don't need to be wowed and dazzled by some name brand. Or do I?... I still feel the same, but I can say that I am very pleased with the results of my Corioliss 18mm curling wand. I was so confused on how to use it, but after a few Googles, I had it down. Granted I managed to give myself some pretty gnarly burns (that thing is hot!), but I did it to myself considering I decided to forgo the accompanying glove. 

Let's talk about the product specifics and I'll give you my opinion on the overall item...

This is my hair using a traditional clamp curling iron (with straightener and entirely too much hairspray):

This is my hair using the Corioliss curling wand (and absolutely no hairspray!):

The packaging is a huge deal to me. It can make or break my loyalty toward a brand. The wand itself was very neatly packaged in this well designed box. It felt like you were getting something more high end as opposed to ripping open that awfully sharp clear plastic! It was packed up with various ELF cosmetics and maybe even a sleeping mask. This was a nice addition, except I felt like it didn't really fit the Misikko brand. While Misikko items are far from the most expensive on the market, they're still much more high end than what you'd pick up on an impromptu run to the drugstore. I love ELF products and use a lot of it myself, but a $1 eyeshadow packed in with a $130 curling iron seemed a bit off putting. But maybe that's just me! I didn't really find any use for any of the extra gifts, but we're really talking about the wand here anyway!

I absolutely loved the results of my hair from using the wand. My curls were soft, bouncy, and less of a tight spiral. They had more body to them and they just felt nicer. I love that the wand got hot enough to curl my hair without the aid of hair spray or another heating tool. Overall, the wand was very very quick and efficient.

The wand comes with a glove to help protect your non-dominant hand. Use it! So many people say you're fine without it but I have the most epic burns on my hand from this thing. It's hot! There are no heat settings. It's simply on and off. It's a nice simplistic design which I can get behind, but be warned! I also really appreciate the fact the wand was designed so that it can rest on itself, with the head stick suspended in air. That way you don't worry about burning whatever you have sitting near it, but you don't have to worry about those pesky stands that get tangled in your curls. 

I won't lie and say I think this is a miracle product. My experience with other wands is non-existant so I won't simply say "Go spend $100 on THIS very product!". I'm still not sure I could stomach the thought of spending $100 on a curling iron when I'd much rather spend it on a roadtrip (or shoes!). I will say that I've been converted. I'm throwing out my clamp curling iron and giving in to the ways of the wand. I've looked up reviews on various other wands at different price points and many say the ones available at Target are great, too. If you're looking to have some fun bouncy curls, give the drugstore one a go! If you still feel like you need more oomph, check out the Corioliss line! If my Corioliss ever craps out on me, I'll probably try a less expensive version before buying a new one, but I am very happy with these results! I even had people at work say they loved my "new hair color" (which wasn't new at all... and hadn't been dyed in 3 weeks!). The lack of product in my hair gave it new life. It just looked more effortless, yet put together. Anyway, this product has my vote, but don't be afraid to explore other options!

Do any of you use a curling wand? Specific brand that you just can't live without? Tell me all of your hair tool secrets! I'm still kind of a n00b!

Carapelli Olive Oil: Taste Testing Isn't Just for Wine

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Carapelli Olive Oil. All opinions are 100% mine.

Think all olive oil is the same?  If your  answer is, yes, that's what I thought, too.  That is until I was offered the opportunity to do my own taste-test of three distinct olive oils made by Carapelli.  You may recognize the Carapelli name.  They were the first olive oil producer to promote bottle extra virgin olive oil in Italy and it's ranked #1 there.

Carapelli Olive Oil is the real deal. Their headquarters is located just outside Florence and their olive oil is made solely from the first cold pressing of olives from the finest Mediterranean olive growers.

I started using olive oil years ago when I read about all the health benefits of olive oil vs other types of oil. Of course, the fact it adds so much flavor to foods doesn't hurt either. I use olive oil in salad dressings, for dipping and for adding flavor to the foods I cook out on the grill. I especially love it on grilled asparagus. Yum!

Ironically, though I've tried various brands of olive oil over the years, the last olive oil I purchased a couple of months ago and is currently in my cupboard, is the Carapelli brand. That's the bottle I already had there on the right.

The other three bottles are the ones I received  for the taste-test.  They came in this neat box.

When I opened the box, here's how it looked inside.  The little bowls on the lower right are for dipping.  I wouldn't need them for the taste-testing, but the small blue glass was to play an important role.

Have you ever been to a wine tasting? Taste-testing olive oil is similar, but different.

When tasting olive oil, you follow the rule of  The Four S's: Swirl, Sniff, Slurp, and Swallow.

For each of the three olive oils I received, I poured about a tablespoon into the special blue glass included in my kit. The glass is blue because as part of the taste-testing process, it isn't necessary to see or note the color of the oil.  The color could even influence your opinion, so probably better to disguise it.

There weren't any rules about which oil I should taste first, so I decided to start with the Organic Oil. I'll go ahead and confess now, though they were all good, the Organic olive oil was definitely my favorite of the three.

Carapelli Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Organic

I poured about a tablespoon of the Carapelli Extra Virgin Organic Olive Oil into my blue and glass and swirled it all around.

The swirling action helps release the oil's esters, which are the molecules that contain the aroma.  Interesting, huh?  I held the glass in the palm of my hand because the warmth of your body helps to release the aroma.

Next I sniffed the oil, inhaling deeply. The Organic oil had a rich, full aroma. In fact, it made my mouth water. 

Next, I sipped the oil and while sipping it, I allowed a little bit of air to enter my mouth. That's why the 3rd step is called, "slurp." The slurping action emulsifies the oil and better spreads it throughout your mouth.

The fourth and final step when taste-testing olive oil is to swallow and note or jot down any tastes or sensations. Looking back at the notes I jotted down regarding my impression of the Carapelli Organic olive oil, I noted that it had tasted, "smooth" and "flavorful."  I also recorded down that there was no hint of bitterness. I noticed just the slightest bit of a peppery flavor, once I swallowed the oil.

Carapelli Extra Virgin Olive Oil:  il Numerato

Carapelli il Numerato tasted very different.  To start with, it didn't smell as full-bodied (my terminology) as the organic.

I did find il Numerato to be a bit more intense in flavor and definitely more peppery.  I didn't notice the peppery part that much when I first sipped it, but as I swallowed, that's when I noticed it tasted more peppery than the Organic oil.

Carapelli Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The last Carapelli olive oil I tasted was the one that was the same as what I already had in my cupboard.

It was tempting to use the bottle I already had since it was open, but I decided to open the new bottle so everything I was tasting would be from a brand new, previously un-opened bottle.

So, what did I think about the Carapelli Extra Virgin olive oil? I found it just as flavorful as il Numberato and the Organic, but one thing that seemed to stand out was it tasted the most peppery to me of the three. I could really taste and feel the pepper on the back of my throat.  If it had been in a salad or on a food, like bread or asparagus, the peppery flavor may not have been as strong.

My Favorite:

All three types of the Carapelli olive oil tasted great, but my favorite of the three I tested was the first one I tried, the Organic.

Coupon for Carapelli Oil:

While checking Carapelli online this evening, I found a  $1.00 OFF coupon at www.CarapelliUSA.com.

This was so much fun! Have you ever done a taste-testing of anything other than wine?

See you this evening for Tablescape Thursday!

Eyes Lips Face

In addition to shoes [!!!], I've become a bit more obsessed with makeup and nail polish. I mean, I've always liked makeup, don't get me wrong. But I was never really really into it. I'd find a blush or eyeliner that I liked and I'd simply stick with it. I ran out of Nars Orgasm blush and never felt like driving back to Franklin to pick up a $30 compact so I opted for someone's suggestion of Candid Coral blush by ELF. Amazingly it was $3 at Target! I actually really liked it so I continued to use it. It took me about 6 months go to through one little compact. Afterwards I found myself curious about the quality of the rest of the ELF line as someone inquired if I had tried some other things. Before moving out of Spring Hill I decided to run by Target and stock up on eyeshadows, blushes, lipsticks, etc. Then once I got settled in here I found a 50% coupon code for the lipsticks! I quickly ordered a whole bunch of them as well as some nail polish. The pictures below don't do my little collection justice, but I wanted to share my feelings toward this company on the blog because I've been pleasantly surprised!

I'm a firm believer in splurging on great primer, foundation, and any products that you just truly truly love. (Bare Minerals foundation, Fresh Minerals and Smashbox primer, and MAC Fluidline eyeliner in my case!). But what about the other stuff? I've loved their lipsticks so far! At prices between $1 and $5 ($2.50 on sale!), they've been so great! My favorite shade thus far is a tie between Party Pink and Rosy Raisin. [Those are in the "Mineral Lipsticks" section!]. I've also loved the bronzer! It gives me a nice pinch of color to welcome in Spring. I'm a naturally pale gal but it's not dirty looking on my skintone.

If you've got a Target in your area, be sure to swing by and see if they have an ELF section in their cosmetics department! It's definitely worth a shot! Even if you end up hating it, chances are highly likely that you will have spent under $5!

Now through the 28th: Buy one item, get the 2nd for 50% off! Use the code PRESHALF on orders of $20 or more! 


I'm thinking about placing another order simply because the coupon code is so good! Hooray!







Have you ever used ELF Cosmetics? What are your thoughts? Worth the price? Better than you expected? What products are your favorite?

PS; This post is in no way, shape or form sponsored by or affiliated with Eyes Lips Face Cosmetics! I purchased these items with my own money. This is solely my personal opinion and I decided to do this post and review simply on my own account! I just like to share fun new products when I come across something fantastic.

Mail Call

One of my absolute favorite times of day is around 11am when USPS comes around (we have the nicest postal guy ever!) and then around 1:30pm when UPS comes knocking (he's equally as nice!). I love love love receiving mail. Whether it's a product of a rad blog reader, penpal or my late night shopping binges, it's so exciting to open the door, see a package, then rip the box to shreds. It's like Christmas on a weekday! I've been getting more mail than usual lately (and my debit card is on fire!), but I was the recipient of 2 rad packages earlier this month that I'm excited to share!

Up first is a package from Erin of Sunshine and Carousels! She makes pretty handmade hair pieces and accessories, and I'm always donning one of her headbands it seems! She's one of my sponsors this month so she sent over 4 pretty headbands, including a black replacement for the one she sent be back in.. October? Yow! She just launched her Spring 2011 collection yesterday so be sure to pop over and check them out! They're comfy headbands that don't give me headaches (win!) and they come in the prettiest of colors! She also has things like earrings, too! Swing by and tell her you're visiting from LCH!

Then I had a little package that I had been looking forward to for about 2 months! BudgetGadgets gave me my choice of item from their shop and they're also offering up a discount code for all of you! I perused the site and looked at their suggestion of a watch, but since I usually steer clear of jewelry I opted for the Lips Phone! Mike makes fun of me so so so much for my choice I couldn't help it! I know it's cheesy and somewhat juvenile for a 20-something to want a big red lips phone, but I felt like it was the perfect blend of Cher from Clueless and Clarissa from Clarissa Explains It All! Tell me you don't see it! I dare you! It's sitting pretty up on our sidetable in our room and it looks perfect! If you're interested in snagging up some wholesale-priced items then be sure to check out Budget Gadgets and use the coupon code 'honeybeeinthecity5off' for a 5% discount! Doesn't sound like much, but check out those prices! It's not even needed! 

And finally.. something I got just today! I did a blog redesign for Somer earlier this month and she was so sweet and appreciative that she knit this little pretty up for me (with a bow!) and sent it my way just to say thank you! How sweet is that?! After the storms last night the weather took a turn for the cold so I'm glad I'll get to wear it at least once before Spring comes! The bold blue color is something I totally lack in my wardrobe so now I'm glad I'll have something to build around! Thanks Somer! (This is her Etsy if you're interested!)

*Excuse my blah-ness in these photos! When at home I live with my hair in a messy high bun, little-to-no-makeup, and a DRUG FREE hoodie haha Oh, and furry pink slippers! Ahh! 

Do you like receiving things in the mail? Do you have penpals? What's the most exciting thing you've received lately?! Usually I just get bills and more bills!

Come On, Spring!

Today's weather was definitely a breath of fresh air. The high was originally only supposed to be 46 but we're sitting at 55 right now and I couldn't be happier! The sun is about to go down though so I'm sure it'll be dipping a little cooler. Mike and I need to go get our walk on before that happens! Work last night was exhausting. We were so busy but that's good because it means 1) good money and 2) the time goes by much quicker. I hope tonight is as lucrative as last night! We ventured out to town to take these photos but I wasn't totally feeling the outfit and both Mike and I were in sort of a funk today. Nothing really to cause it, but we both weren't feeling 100% percent. Still I wanted to show you some goodies I've received in the mail lately!




This dress is one I think I bought around this time last year. Maybe even earlier! I only remember wearing it once or twice so I decided to bring it from my dusty closet and show it some light. The reason I didn't wear it is because I had misplaced the tiny red belt that went with it and nothing really kept the balance as well. But it has been resurrected! Can you notice the mud on the sides of my wedges? Being the graceful gal that I am, I totally almost ate pavement after tripping in a rather large muddy hole... Whoops! Anyway, it's from Charlotte Russe and the cardigan/tights are both from Target. The wedges are Dolce Vita for Target and the headband is courtesy of my sponsor Sunshine and Carousels!


I received this sweet little cowl scarf in the mail the other day and I had to take advantage of the early-day 40 degree temperatures to show it to you. It's supposed to get up to the low 60s this week and I don't think I could stand wearing a scarf or coat! I love the color and feel of this scarf! It's neat because it's been crocheted in a way that I've never seen. Huge loops and it gives it a honeycomb effect. I love it. Tiffany was kind enough to send one my way so even if I don't get a lot of use out of it now that it's starting to warm up I will definitely wear it next winter! If you're interested in seeing some of her stuff, venture over to her Etsy!

Another package of goodies showed up last week and inside were a plethora of vegan pigment eyeshadows from Mallory at MINNA! I'm not an eyeshadow girl by any means. In high school I would don bright and bold colors from MAC but ever since I've definitely played it down. Mainly because I don't know how to apply it worth crud! You probably can't tell too much in the pictures above but I was wearing Rose Water, layered and blended with Iced and then Doll House as a highlight on the inner corners. We tried getting some photos of my eyes but they all turned out pretty lame because I didn't have any eyeshadow primer on hand! Instead you get to see my goodies! I'll admit it'll take me a while to muster up the courage to wear the brighter looks such as Rouge, Royal and Coby, but I'm planning on it! Above are my top 5 picks of ones I need to get my hands on! From L-R is: Waters, Money, Pollen, Sassy and Softy! Love! If you're interested you can check out MINNA Cosmetics on Etsy! You can snag up the Valentine's set or order samples (as seen in the little baggies) of some colors to try out! Such a great price for quite a bit of product! I love the way they're packaged, too. So professional! And they're FDA approved!

Anywhoo! Mike and I are going to go chill out for a little bit and try to decide on some Valentine's Day plans! Last year we spent it on a mini-roadtrip vacation in the mountains but with our upcoming week-long roadtrip in a couple of weeks we opted against it this year! I was really sad but I didn't want another camel bite incident! Yikes! Happy Saturday, y'all! xo

Sponsor Spotlight: FlapperDoodle!

Kate contacted me last month about sponsoring the blog for the end of 2010 and I was immediately taken by her little Eloise and Ramona! Named after two characters in her favorite short story by J.D. Salinger, Eloise and Ramona are two of the most fabulously styled flapper ladies I've seen! You can find them donning stationary, notecards, and even tote bags! Did I mention jewelry yet?! Kate sent me over and huge array of goodies [You spoiled me, Kate!] and Mike had a blast shooting photos of them! It was snowy and so wet outside so there are no good photos of me with the bag, but you'll love the stuff when you see it, I'm sure!



Kate sent over a tote bag, book nameplates, the cutest set of 8 cards and envelopes and "Ramona The Tattooed Lady"... a piece after my own heart!

What I really want to know is how she gets them to be such good quality?! The cards look like something you'd buy straight from the finest of stationery stores. I love that the cards are blank inside, too, so you can write whatever you feel is appropriate. The 8-pack comes with 4 different designs (2 of each) so there's definitely something for the occasion! [Mike didn't know this when he shot the photos. Silly!]

Her website is so incredibly easy to navigate [I appreciate this so much!] and there's even a little blog, too! Kate is currently in the process of moving so the stationery isn't currently available, but I highly sugest you bookmark her online shop and go hog wild once she returns! You can still purchase PDF printables and share some coloring fun with your favorite niece or nephew! 

You can find Eloise and Ramona (and Kate, too!) at these fine places:

Website // Blog // Facebook // Twitter // Etsy // YouTube

Thanks for sponsoring the blog in December, Kate! And thanks so much for the lovely goodies!

♥♥♥♥♥♥

I still have a couple of spots left for January if you'd like to sponsor the blog! Just email me at kaelahbee@gmail.com!

Crochet Headbands by SusannahBean!

Well, we're snowed in. Snowed in in Tennessee means an inch or two of snow and some ice here and there. Our whole parking lot is iced over and it's enough to keep us inside. Okay, well, that and the fact that Mike has taken sick all over again. Apparently last week when I had the crud full throttle, he only had a teensy bit of it. He started getting pretty sickly last night and now he's just a mess of a guy on the couch doped up on Nyquil. He's slept all day basically. Anyway, we couldn't get out of the driveway this morning so he didn't go to work. We [read: I] have been watching Grey's Anatomy and National Geographic all day. This is all filler information really but the point: it's cold. It's very very cold. And the girls still need to go outside so I've been keeping my ears warm with these lovelies from SusannahBean!



These photos were taken last weekend so excuse my wonky eye. I had a pretty ginormous stye on my eye for the better part of the week and it shows ;P

Susannah sent me one of her Bloom and Clara Bow headband/earwarmers and I've been wearing them with everything! They're so practical and functional and just oh so sweet. And at $16, you can't beat them. Plus they come in like every color ever so I suggest you sneak on over and grab up a few of your own! [They're sort of hard to see in the pictures because black just soaks up light, but the Clara is a chunky bow and the Bloom is a cute little flower!]

They're expertly made and the perfect size. They keep my ears nice and toasty while I'm running after the two pups in the snow. I think they'd make the most fantastic stocking stuffers or Secret Santa gifts. Who wouldn't love a sweet little handmade goodie?!

You can visit Susannah's shop and check out her selection of crotched items by clicking here or you can drop by her blog and say hello by clicking here! Hooray!

♥ (all images by mike) ♥

Thanks for the awesome stuff, Susannah! ♥