Review: 99centknobs.com

I LOVE Pinterest. Whoever came up with that site is an absolute genius! I have spent countless hours dreaming and planning. Being able to save all those ideas in one easy, organized area is perfect.

A couple weeks ago, a pin came across my board for 99centknobs.com. It was like Pinterest was reading my mind!. I have been trying to get rid of the fake gold that was all over the house for the past year. The cabinets were a large source of it. Between the old, discolored, broken hinges and those hideous gold and white cabinet pulls, it was time to update.  I had no idea how I was going to afford the replacements though. Then 99centknobs.com came into my life. Now, my kitchen, and all the other cabinets in the house are beautiful!

I was skeptical at first. What is the catch? How can they sell knobs for $0.99 when they are usually $2 to $5 a piece at the hardware stores? Are the knobs super cheaply made? Are the hinges going to fall apart in the first use? I tried to research reviews of 99centknobs.com with minimal success. Their BBB rating was good. There were no product reviews on their site, so it was a gamble. The only "expensive" part of my order was the shipping. They have flat rate shipping of $13.95, so if you only need a couple items, it's not really worth it, however if you need to order 27 pairs of hinges, 9 pulls, and 1 knob, then it is completely worth it. Those items are heavy!! (On a side note, I did order 20 pulls from Lowe's for the main part of the kitchen because I completely fell in love with the design, more about that in a future post.)

As I received some birthday money from my Grandma, I decided to use some of it to make this purchase. I was defiantly nervous as there was no information about this company. However, I was pleasantly surprised when 2 days later, my shipment arrived on my doorstep!

The pulls were very nice. They are slightly more grey in real life, but they are nice, solid and sturdy. I understand that computer monitors are not accurate in displaying colors. They did not include the screws, but I just reused the existing ones, so no big deal. Online, the hinges were listed as being manufactured by Liberty, and I found the identical product at Home Depot for three times the price (literally, listed for $2.98 per pair). I was very pleased to see that was the same product that I received. Everything was new in package.

I am thrilled with my purchase and would definitely recommend 99centknobs.com for large quantity knob, pull, and hinge purchases.

Sorry for the bad pic, but you get the idea!

(For the record, I did not receive anything in exchange for my review. I simply want to share this great company with you!
)

#FrostyVoxBox Wrap Up Review

I was very excited to be selected to participate in the #FrostyVoxBox campaign! It was so funny as I had just commented on a photo Influenster had posted on Instagram of the Vox Box about how much I would have enjoyed trying that particular set of items, then within the next couple days I got my invite! Yay!

Contained in my VoxBox was:

• No7 Protect & Perfect Advanced
• NYC Expert Last Lip Color in Sugar Plum
• Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane Decaf Green Tea
• EcoTools Hair Brush
• Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover
• Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner
• McCormick Gourmet Thyme (hehe, they sent me Time in a Bottle)
• Fruit Vines Bites

I was most excited to see the Rimmel products, as I am already a huge fan of their makeup line! It is affordable, but offers a great selection of quality products! I was also in need of a new waterproof black eyeliner pencil, so the timing couldn't have been better. The eyeliner of course did not disappoint! I will post a separate, more in depth review of the Rimmel Products in my next post!

The NYC Lip Color was a surprise like as I was worried it would be too dark for me. I am not much of a lipstick wearer because it is a pain, and I can never pick a color that suites me. When I put on the Sugar Plum color, I was surprised how it looked on me, it was a few shades darker than my natural lip color but not so dark it looked silly. I was also very pleasantly surprised how creamy and smooth it felt. Normally I don't like the texture and "taste" of lipstick but this was was actually quite nice. It didn't last as long as I hoped, but a quick touch up would have brought it right back. For the price ($1.99) it is totally worth the purchase in my opinion, even if you have to touch up once every few hours. I would definitely buy this product again. 

The biggest hit for me was the Ecotools hair brush. I am picky about hair brushes as I get a lot of tangles and knots with my way-too-fine hair. I was skeptical about this brush, which is the Sleek and Shine Finisher model, but I love it! It is my new go-to brush for everyday use! It doesn't necessarily detangle but it does an awesome job of making my hair not look greasy and "clumpy" like the brush I was using. Ecotools claims it speeds up the hair drying process, but as the only hair dryer I own is in my craft room and I have never used on my hair, I can't verify the claim! 

While strawberry is one of my least favorite flavors, I did like the Fruit Vines and plan on purchasing the cherry flavor in the future. The texture was just right, not too sticky, not too hard. I ended up eating a lot more in one sitting than I had planned lol, especially as I dislike strawberry. 

I have yet to try the No7 serum as it is a tiny pack so it will be nearly impossible to talk about how well the product works. I could say how it initially feels, but one or two applications isn't going to lead me to give a good opinion. 

As for the tea, I really don't like peppermint flavored anything other than the little starlight candies, and even those need to be mild, so I did not try the tea. I know Celestial Seasonings is often regarded as an excellent choice and they have a huge variety of flavors, so I'm certain this Candy Cane Lane tea would be very good if you like flavored teas. I just don't. 

The same goes for the McCormick Thyme. I know McCormick makes a high quality product that is worth the extra money, I just don't cook with seasonings very often, and even less often needing Thyme. Had it been garlic salt/powder, that would have been tried and tried. I don't have a sensitive palate, so the cheap-depot spices are for me as it is insanely rare I use them. I would like to try the McCormick Cilantro though as I love to make my knock-off Chipotle cilantro-lime rice!

Overall I enjoyed the products in my Frosty VoxBox! I suggest you go out and try them!

Influenster: The experience

If you have followed my blog for any length of time, you will see that I am an active member of the Influenster online community. What is Influenster you ask? Well, it's an awesome online community that gives you free stuff to try, and who doesn't love free stuff?

My first VoxBox...
Spring Beauty over 2 years ago!

Influenster is a place for people to share their opinions. When you sign up you gain Impact by connecting your social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc which help you to qualify for programs. Don't worry if you don't have thousands of followers (cause I certainly don't),
you will still qualify! You also earn badges by answering survey questions, reviewing products, completing campaigns, sharing products on social media, and answering other people's questions. You can become an "expert" in categories such as Eco, Beauty Queen, Gamer, Techie, Sweet Tooth, Decorator, Jetsetter, Pop Culture, and Tastebud.
When you participate in the site on a regular basis, you can qualify for VoxBoxes. VoxBoxes are the best part of being a member of the community. You are mailed a box of usually full size items for free to test and review. After each box is mailed out, you receive a list of tasks, usually very simple like "Like" a company on Facebook and post a review, or post to Instagram. The tasks build your impact score. As well as the VoxBox tasks, you receive brand specific tasks as well, which are just as easy. Sometimes you have to photograph a display in a store, or write a blog post review; none of the tasks take up much time or energy. I personally find the tasks to be fun. If you don't have a certain account, or are not comfortable with the task, it's ok to skip it. I never post to youtube. I am extremely self conscious of my voice recorded. Yet I still manage to qualify for more boxes, and I have even won some of the brand challenges!
In the past couple months, Influenster released a mobile app, making it even easier to stay connected! The app has a built in scanner so you can read reviews and compare prices right there in the store.

I love being a member of Influenster Nation! They reward you for your honesty as well. It's perfectly ok to say you don't like a product! I always review each product in my VoxBox honestly. There are products I have absolutely loved, like the Dr Scholls Cozy Cushion insoles, and the Sinful Colors nail polish, but then there are products I have not enjoyed at all. They want your opinion as it helps the company to make better products. Give your reasons as to why you say what you say, and you will go far on this site!

If you are interested in joining, send me a message with your email address and I will email you the information! It's a great opportunity!

Sunkissed Vox Box

Kimmel London Brand Challenge Prize

Kiss Brand Challenge Prize

SurfsUp Vox Box

Rose Vox Box

Brand Challenge Prize!

Review: Rimmel London Scandaleyes RetroGlam Mascara

I am a newcomer to makeup, I only started learning how to apply makeup a little over a year ago. Yeah, I know, late to the game at 27, but I was a tomboy in high school and never bothered to learn even for special events, but I was missing out! Now, I like to wear makeup for date days or special events. I have amassed a rather decent collection, mostly thanks to couponing and Ipsy (which I will review in an upcoming blog post).

Used for this look

Another way I have acquired new makeup is through Influenster. In the past I received the Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream which I enjoyed. This most recent VoxBox, the Rose VoxBox, contained Rimmel London Scandaleyes Retrogram Mascara. I have found my new mascara! It's amazing! It makes my lashes look so long and dramatic and the best feature, IT DOESN"T CLUMP! As I said, I am a newcomer to makeup, but the other mascaras I own do not go on as smoothly and nicely producing such a glamorous effect as this Rimmel London one does. You can find this in stores starting November 2013.

One of my tasks to complete the badge for the VoxBox (which will allow me to receive more Rimmel Products!) was to create a video or a blog detailing a 60s glam look. Well, you may know I do not do videos if I have to talk in it, self conscious of my voice, blah blah, blah...so a blog post it is!

Of course the first step in creating a 60s look for me was to google what 60s makeup looked like. I found a WikiHow that I used as inspiration for my look. It was a nice simple tutorial I was easily able to follow.

The first step was to pluck my slightly neglected eyebrows. Ugh, what a PITA that is, but at least I've gotten pretty good at it. Thank you internet! My Chella eyebrow filler helps define my brows.

My next step was using my Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream to even out my skin tone. It is a really great product! I had tried to use a primer and traditional liquid foundation, but it turns out my skin desperately needs exfoliating and it was doing a weird scaly thing. Gross. So off it came and the BB cream was the perfect solution, providing coverage plus much needed moisturization.

A quick sweep of NYX Cream Blush and Pixi Beauty Bronzer (both found in my Ipsy bag!). A nude lipgloss from Juice Beauty topped off my base look.

As suggested by the tutorial, I swept a pearly white eyeshadow across my lids and up to my brow bone. A light blue went across my lids. My Cailyn gel eyeliner was perfect for the thick liner with a nice wedge finish rather than a cat eye.

To really tie the 60s glam look together, the lengthening property of the Scandaleyes Mascara really topped it off. It gave me a nice open eyed look. It did not irritate my sensitive eyes either, another plus! I definately recommend trying this mascara! I know it is my new go-to!

The sad thing is, I spent time on this lovely look, but I have no where to go! Must be for the best as it is the middle of the first extreme cold snap of the season.

Review: Dr Scholls For Her Cozy Cushions

I was a very lucky recipient of the free Rose VoxBox from Influenster (If you would like an invite, message me your email address!). Included in this box was a Lindt Chocolate Truffle, Rimmel London Scandaleyes RetroGram Mascara, Kiss Gradation Nail Art, Dr Scholls for Her Cozy Cushions,  and BelVita Breakfast Biscuits.

 One of my favorite products in this box are the Dr Scholls Cozy Cushions. I have always liked the Dr Scholls brand, they make comfortable, quality insoles, plus they often have coupons. Currently there is a $2 off For Her insoles, as well as other offers.

As I have knee and joint problems, comfortable shoes are a must for me. They need to have some form of cushioning and support. These insoles offer just that and then some. An amazing soft fleece, think Ugg lining, will keep your feet warm and dry (very relevant considering this cold snap attacking the nation today!) According to the Influenster website, these insoles are designed to insulate your foot from the weather, absorb sweat, and provide support.

To get the best fit, remove your existing insoles, trace them onto the new ones, and then place the new insoles in your shoes. I did this and got an absolutely perfect fit! If your insoles are not removable, start by trimming to one size bigger than your shoe size and check the fit.

I placed my Cozy Cushions in my Bearpaw Meadow Boots (which are my all time favorite boots!) as the original insoles are worn out from a couple years of wear! Best. Decision. Ever. My already comfy boots just got better! The new Cosy Cushions are warm, comfy, and supportive. I was able to go for one of my mini marathon shopping trips which usually leave my feet sore regardless of what shoes I wear, with no pain! I want a pair of these insoles in all of my shoes for the winter!

Overall, these are the most comfortable insoles I have ever owned. I would definitely recommend them to anyone wanting to make their boots (or shoes) more comfortable this winter! You will not regret it!  

BzzAgent Review: Curel Intensive Healing Cream

As you know, I am a member of BzzAgent, a site that gives you samples and points in return for your opinion. I was chosen to participate in the Curel Intensive Healing Cream campaign, so I received 6 or so travel size pots of cream to try for free and share with friends.

I had high-ish expectations of this cream as it comes from such a well known, quality brand Curel (yeah, I have no idea how to get the fancy little ` above the e, sorry!). The timing was perfect as fall was coming and my skin basically decides it wants to be like the Sahara desert; dry, dry, dry! So I was excited for this opportunity to try this cream.

According to my campaign homepage this cream:

Spreads easily, non-greasy and absorbs quickly

Provides immediate healing relief and revitalizes ceramide levels for long-lasting hydration

Clinically-proven to help chapping and chafing caused by dryness

Fragrance-free and hypo-allergenic

9 out of 10 dermatologists recommend using it

Pediatrician tested: suitable for children 6 months and older

Excellent for dry skin associated with diabetes — Curél^® is a proud partner of the American Diabetes Association

(source: BzzAgent.com)

I had mixed feelings about the results of using this cream nightly for a week. The cream does absorb fast and is not greasy, which is impressive for such a thick cream. It is definately fragrance free...it's actually a bit odd as it really smells like nothing. I would have preferred a very light fragrance myself, but I understand the hypoallergenic reasons. It does give an immediate effect of softer skin, however by morning, my hands are just as dry as they always are. I tried to remember to use the lotion again, but I am just not one of those lotion addicts. I forget. I think a "lotion addict" would experience good results with this lotion on their hands.

For an experiment, last night I put some of the cream on my very dry, disgusting elbows. Sorry in advance for the visual, but my elbows feel like a dried out crocodile skin! Yuck! I would have posted a pic, but how do you take a pic of your own elbow? It seems about as feasible as licking it! But anyways, it's around 1pm EST and they are still soft. So it seems on tough, scaly patches, this cream works very well, as I had expected. My hands are just difficult, plus I have a slight addition to alcohol based hand sanitizer, so that makes it even harder for lotions and creams to work.

Overall, it seems to be a good cream for tough scaly skin, but not for general dry hands. This is disappointing to me as my hands are a bigger issue for me, and I was hoping to find a solution. But not having scaly elbows is a plus. ;-)

My recommendation to you depends on what sort of dry skin you have. If you have basic dry hands, then I'd say pass. But if you have scaly, rough patches on your body, give it a shot! Even in one night I saw results, which was what I had expected from Curel.

Review: Kashi Hummus Crisps Sea Salt and Olive Oil

I received a free bag of the Kashi Sea Salt and Olive Oil Hummus Crisps from BzzAgent, a site that sends you free products in return for you completing simple tasks that generate buzz about the product. One of the tasks is to blog about the product you receive, which is extremely easy to do as these crisps were AMAZING!

Serving Size 27 crisps

I was skeptical at first....I mean, I like hummus and all, but in a crisp? Not so sure. Luckily, I was wrong. These crisps are amazing. They are light and perfectly satisfy a salty snack craving. They are only 120 calories for 27 crisps, and 3 servings per bag, so if you accidentally eat the whole bag, it's no big deal. They also have 3g protein, 3g fiber, and 5g of whole grain per serving, so you can feel good about snacking on them. I love the Sea Salt and Olive Oil flavor, but they are very plain, so those of you who enjoy more flavor in your snacks, they have also have Carmelized Onion (which I have been told is also yumtastic) and Sundried Tomato, Basil, and Feta. Personally, I am not interested by these other flavors as I am kinda picky, but you may like them.

I finished the bag pretty quick, but then there was a tragic problem....I couldn't find the crisps in any of my local stores!! The horror!! Online they said there were none within 40 miles of me!! Fortunately, they are wrong, and just this week they started showing up in the stores. First place I found them was Shaws Supermarkets, but then today, they were sampling them at my local Walmart!! So I grabbed 4 bags...lol, yeah, they are that good!! They are $2.78 per bag at my local Walmart (prices vary depending on area) and there was a $1 off 1 coupon you can print which makes for a good deal on an awesome snack!

I highly recommend these crisps as a healthier alternative to traditional potato chips and other salty snacks.

How to Save Money and Get More from Comcast Easily

The other day I was randomly perusing the internet as I normally do. I stumbled up various posts on how to save money at Comcast. I know a lot of people hate Comcast, but they are our only choice, and honestly, we have never had a single complaint about the service, ever. The only complaint is cost. Holy crap. I guess it was close to $200 a month for our TV, phone, and cable. Yeah, that is not cool at all.

I am not confrontational. I don't want to threaten Comcast by saying I'm leaving as so many people online recommend to do. I hate phone calls period. I am just not that sort of person. So how else can I save money without confrontation? So online I went.

IMPORTANT NOTE: My methods will not work while you are still in your contract time with the reduced price. This plan is for when your contract expires and your bill suddenly jumps up to not just an arm and a leg, but to an arm, leg, first born child, and a kidney. 

We had the Digital Preferred package, 160 channels. I don't watch sports and neither does my husband except the occasional football game (Go Pats!), which is on network TV. I don't watch movie channels very often, I don't watch the majority of the channels we have. So why pay for them? With a few minutes of research, I found that we just needed the Digital Starter package (80 channels). I still get all the channels I watch regularly (minus Discovery Fit & Health, sadness) but that is a small sacrifice for the cost savings. I do use the HD DVR a lot. I cannot not have DVR as I go to bed early and all the good shows are on late! If I could live without that, it would make sense to drop all TV and do the Hulu for TV and Netflix for Movies like many people do. However, this plan was to get the most for the money.

The other thing with the TV was we hardly ever watch regular TV in the living room. My husband works all the time and I spend my time in the bedroom cause I have a serious case of laziness. So why pay for the fancy box that puts the guide on the TV and you can control with your iPhone? We had them change it into the tiny little box so we can get the digital channels with no frills.

We never ever use the house phone. Ever. I use it as the number to fill out forms I don't actually want to give my cell number to. Once again, why pay for something that we never use? The only reason we had it in the first place was it was cheaper than not having it! Silly bundles!

As for Internet. Don't touch my internet!!! We have perfect internet. Its the Performance speed level which is 20mbps. If we never have the faster internet, we will never know the difference as pages load plenty fast, Netflix streams great. Downloads are generally reasonable. Yay. All is well here.

Now, for the getting more your money aspect. I was reading a random post about how you can trade in your older equipment for the newer versions. Hey, if you are "renting" it anyways, why not? So out came our modem, DVR box, digital fancy box and into the car they went. At the Comcast office, we left with our same DVR box (and instructions to call in 2 days to set up an appointment for the X1 5 tuner (record 4 shows, watch a 5th rather than record 2, but watch one of them) DVR box of awesomeness which will cost a whole $2 more a month, but as we are saving so much, $2 is nothing), a new basic cable box, and a new Wifi enabled modem.

So to recap we:

• Downgraded from Digital Preferred to Digital Starter
• Exchanged a higher cost per month cable box to the basic one on the unused TV
• Cancelled our house phone completely
• Kept our amazing Internet
• Upgraded our DVR box from 2 tuners to 5 for $2 a month
• Got a much better wireless router/cable modem that makes our amazing internet even better

Overall we saved likely close to $40 a month while improving our services! We will see the exact savings when the first new bill comes in. 

Just a couple points to remember....be nice. You may hate Comcast, but I have to say, they have been excellent to us for this change. The office staff was happy to follow our requests. We had some technical difficulties with setting up the new modem and cable box and both phone tech support guys were very nice (and spoke English!!). You get a lot further than being a screaming jerk. Also, keep your account in good standing. It just makes things easier and they are more willing to help you out!

I now understand how Jeremy Clarkson feels...

And I want to be him  even more. I got to drive my dream car yesterday. Well, one of them; the Fiat 500 Abarth. It is a 160hp/170lb ft torque turbocharged  4 cylinder engine and 5 speed manual.. That may not sound that great, but you have to remember that this is a very small car. So that is a lot of power.

Boy, do you feel the power. It is definately one of the fastest cars I have ever driven, and by far the most fun, because not only does it have a boatload of power, but it handles awesome too! It has a improved suspension over the "regular" 500. Unfortunately I was unable to really get on it in some corners due to traffic and the crappy area we got to test it in.

What I couldn't get over was the amazing sound from the exhaust. It was deep and throaty, not fart can-ish at all. A true Euro tuner. Obviously, I kept the car in Sport mode (improves throttle response, adjusts  the tightness of the steering) and you just touch the throttle and the car emits amazing sounds out of the exhaust. However, while idling at a light, it is nice and quiet. I didn't find the noise to be too much at highway speeds either. It was a perfect balance.

As far as the interior, I loved the boost gauge. The shifter had a nice feel to it, definately a higher quality than the plastic of the standard 500. It was quiet, and the race inspired seats were very comfortable. Other than that, it is the same as the standard 500.

I do know when the time comes for me to trade in my current Fiat 500, I will be seriously considering the Abarth as it's replacement. In the meantime, I am thinking a Mopar Cold Air Intake and Mopar performance exhaust will be a nice addition to my Fiat.

Review: Sinful Colors Sinful Shine

I am a bit of a nail polish addict. So much so I bought a professional type wall rack to display it all as my crappy Sterlite shoeboxes weren't cutting it. I got this awesome rack from Amazon to corral my collection. It was shipped quick and easy to install. We did add 2 small L brackets on the bottom for stability, but they weren't necessary. Anyways, back to the reason for the post.

I received a bottle of Sinful Colors Sinful Shine in my Influenster Sunkissed VoxBox. It was the color Rebel, I wasn't thrilled with the color, it's a neutral browny gray color. However, as part of the program, I figured what the heck, I'll try it. The color grew on me and I could see it as a nice base to do some nail art on. It applied easy. Nice and smooth. It took 2 coats and it was perfect coverage. The shine is incredible. They claim it's 5x shinier than a patent leather shoe (whatever patent leather is....I'm so not fashionable lol). To me it's as shiny as a freshly waxed car. Anyway you put it it shines.  I kept the color on for about a week and the shine lasted, but the color did chip. It's worth mentioning that I did no prep to my nails, and I drive a bus, so it's not easy on my nails.

The best part of this nail polish other than the shine is the price, it's only $2.99!! I love inexpensive nail polish! If you look at my collection, there is no way I can be paying $8+ a bottle, plus I am a bargain shopper! The quality is good for the money. You can only find the Sinful Shine Collection at Walgreens,

I liked this polish so much I went and bought two more colors, Picante, a reddish pinkish bright color, and Alfresco, a pretty light blue without being baby blue. 

I would definitely recommend these nail polishes to anyone looking for a shiny colors that's easy on the wallet. There are 32 colors to choose from. 

Review: Dr Scholls For Her High Heel Insoles

Yet another product I received in my Influenster Sun VoxBox was the Dr Scholls For Her High Heel Insoles. At first I was like, what am I going to do with these, I don't even own high heels, I barely have flats that aren't sneakers or sandals! Then I remembered about a pair of Crocs flats I owned. They are very comfy, however I am not a huge fan of the little massaging nodules that Crocs are famous for as I have sensitive feet from years of wearing socks and shoes.

Pic from DrScholls.com

Once I finally got into the packaging (luckily I won't hold that against the product lol), the  insoles felt very nice. Just enough squish to them while still providing support. I was able to peel off the backing to reveal a mild adhesive that keeps the insole in place. I had to readjust the left insole several times, but the adhesive stayed useable. If my shoes had a felted insole, I think that would affect the adhesives reuseableness, but in my case it was all good.

I liked that they have arch support and massaging gel at the ball of your foot. It made my shoes even more comfortable than they already were. I know I'll be able to strut out in style while being comfortable with these insoles under my feet. I will have to try them in a couple pairs of shoes I haven't really worn due to them hurting my feet. If you have any slim shoes, I would definitely recommend trying these insoles. Plus, there are often coupons that can be combined with sales to make these an affordable option!

Review: Goody Ouchless Ribbon Elastics

As part of my Influenster Sun VoxBox , I was sent a set of  Goody Ouchless Ribbon Elastics to try out.  Unfortunately, shortly before my box arrived, I got a hair cut which means I couldn't really try these elastics in my hair, but when my hair gets long enough, I think I will enjoy using them. They have a nice wide band of elastic ribbon that would not put as much pressure on my hair.

Pic from Goody.com

I really liked the colors, kind of wish there was a dark blue one in the mix as I wear a lot of jeans, and my work uniform has blue in it, but other than that, it's a cute color palette.

For the time being, I used them as a nice bracelet option. They are a bit tight and I have a small wrist (as in I can comfortably wear a children's watch and almost all one size fits all bracelets just about fall off), however the size seems perfect for an average ponytail. They are a bit wide for a short ponytail though, as I did try to use them in my hair. They did not pull or catch my hair, which was very nice. I have fragile hair that falls out and breaks easily, so these would be an excellent solution for me.

You can find out more information as well as where to buy these Ribbon Elastics and other Goody products at http://www.goody.com. If you have long hair, I would recommend getting these. As they are Ouchless I would also recommend them for finicky children who may not like traditional elastics.

Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream

As you most likely know, I am a member of the product testing website, Influenster. You fill out surveys and review products from pet care to food, to health and beauty. Every so often, they select a group of people based on your interests to receive VoxBoxes....a custom box with full size samples of products for you to test, share, and review, and no cost. I was selected to receive the SunKissed VoxBox that had a very nice selection of products. Included in this was Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream in Fair to Light.

I was pleased to receive this product to test as it was something I was considering purchasing prior to my receiving the Sun VoxBox.

Image from pgestore.com

According to Olay.com, this BB Cream has 6 main benefits:
• Refreshes skin instantly
• Brightens for a radiant glow• Evens tone with a splash of sheer color• Hydrates for 24 hours• Smoothes for softer feeling skin• Protects against UV damage with SPF 15

I am definitely not an expert with skincare and makeup, I only started experimenting with it in the past year; however I have been intrigued by the promises of a BB Cream and the simplicity of application.


I applied this BB Cream with my fingers and blended it in. I was hoping for a bit more coverage, and I found it a bit greasy. My skin is combination, lately dry in the T-zone and oily everywhere else. This products felt good on my dry areas, but a bit heavy elsewhere on my face. I was hoping for a bit more coverage, but from my research, American market BB Creams are rather sheer compared to the Asian originals. After the product was on my skin for a few minutes, I did notice a better coverage than upon application. It has been comfortable to wear, I don't feel it on my skin unless I actually touch my face. I was out shopping in the heat and humidity and feel the product lasted well. The smell of the product is pleasant, and not very strong, which is nice. I don't like heavily scented products as I have sensitive skin.

If you need light coverage and dry to normal skin, I would recommend this product. If your skin is oily, I would recommend finding a different BB Cream.

You can find out more information and purchase at: www.olayfresheffects.com and http://www.amazon.com/

Palmolive Fresh Infusions Review: It's so sudsy!!

If you didn't already know, I am a member of Influenster, which means I am randomly selected to try new products. In order to continue receiving products, I have simple tasks to complete, like take a photo on Instagram, post to Facebook, write a blog entry....so here I am.

My latest product is Palmolive Fresh Infusions dish washing detergent. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact I got 3 full size bottles to try!

Of course, the first thing I did was smell each of the varieties. My favorite was the Lime Basil and Lemon Thyme.  The Ginger White Tea is my hubby's favorite. He is the one who does the dishes, so his liked are important. He says that they suds up very nicely, more than most detergents. The grease cutting power is average. I know when I used it yesterday to soak a pan, it foamed up nice, but the best part was that it had a nice smell to it. It wasn't overpowering, but it covered up the smell of the junk in the pan, which is very important to me as I now have a very sensitive stomach/gag reflex.

The one thing I noticed is the labels don't match. Consistency is important, but these are a new product, so maybe they are testing out different designs. I prefer the label on the lemon and green tea ones. Its more balanced than the one on the Lime one. I do like the overall label design with it being clear with the pictures on it. The bottles are nice too, they are attractive to have displayed by the sink.

I'd definitely purchase this product again, and recommend it to my friends to try.

Follow up Influenster Vox Box: Sally Hansen Salon Effects`

It's been about a week with the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish strips I received from Influenster. They lasted surprisingly well with very minimal chipping. I have soft nails, so there was some cracking, but it wasn't very noticeable up close. I was also pleasantly surprised with how easily they were removed with acetone nail polish remover. They came off clean and did not leave any color residue like regular polish does. 

I will be purchasing these again, and would definitely recommend them to anyone not wanting to spend the money or time to go to a nail salon.  :-)

Influenster VoxBox Review #1: Sally Hansen Salon Effects

It is a hot summer day here in NH, and while most people are out enjoying the sunshine and heat this holiday weekend, I am better suited for staying in the nice cool AC. So what better thing to do than to work on my VoxBox reviews?!

I tried the Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail polish strips. The pic does not show the color I used, but you get the idea! In the future, I will take a pic of the actual product.

But anyways, I had been wanting to try these for a while but couldn't justify the price ($8-$10). Lucky for me, when my Influenster VoxBox arrived, I had a set inside.

At first it seemed like a lot of work, you have to shape and buff your nails (they include a multi use mini nail file and cuticle stick). Then, one of the most important steps, is to wipe down your nails with polish remover to remove oils and residue from the buffing. This made perfect sense  to me after restoring a car. I don't really have much for nails as I am a bit of a nail biter :-\ so the process was quick and easy for me. The directions included are very clear and simple to follow.

I have to say, I am very pleased with the results! There is no dry time and no mess other than the assorted bits of paper and plastic film used to protect the strips in the box. See the results for yourself!

I apologize for my hideous hands, for being only 27, I have the hands of someone much older. Yuck. But anyways, back to topic. As you can see they are a nice fit. Overall, I did feel like they took longer to apply than traditional nail polish, however, factor in the dry time and I was ready to go a lot sooner. 

Now, to see if they last, especially as I am not a "girly" girl....

I still have plenty more items to review, and I will update on these the next time...

Influenster

In my hours and hours of perusing the internet, and more specifically Pinterest, I stumbled upon a site called Influenster. You sign up for it and complete survey-like questionnaires about as many aspects of your life as you want. I did that. Then kinda forgot about the site until I got an email in my inbox saying that I had been chosen to receive a VoxBox. What is a VoxBox you may ask? Well it is a delightful box mailed to your residence chock full of goodies!! When it came, I just let it sit  on the table for a day, thinking that it will be useless stuff I don't want or use, much less something I want to blog about. But, then I decided to open it and was pleasantly surprised. I had received a nice shipment of goodies.

It included:

• Sheer Cover Duo Concealer
• Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash
• Chapstick lip SHIELD 365
• Sally Hansen Salon Effects Polish strips
• Bath and Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist
• SOYJOY bar
• Dr Scholls for Her ball of foot massaging gel 

My initial impressions are:

• Concealer...eh, I don't wear makeup, so I need to figure out what to do with it so I can try it! But I would like to try it as my face is icky. 
• Body Wash....I like Aveeno. I hope it will help my dry skin. Nothing seems to help me. 
• Chapstick....absolutely perfect for my scooter bag! My lips are dry anyways, and the sun protection is a major plus. 
• Nail polish. I will never turn down free nail polish! Now, to find the time to figure out who to apply it. 
• Body mist....what a very nice scent! Sweet Pea. It is one of the scents I like! 
• SOYJOY bar. I have had them in the past and they were decent. Unfortunately they sent me blueberry and I don;t like blueberry flavored stuff. My fiancé quite enjoyed it though, and wants to buy more for a healthy snack/meal.
• Insoles....they are made for high heels, but as I don't wear those, I will try them in some flats instead. 

I will write a more complete review after I have chance to try the products! (Plus this is kinda part of the deal of them sending me free stuff, lol) If I want more free stuff I have to be an active member! Oh well, I'll take it!