Category Archives: Review

Review: Mitchum Advanced Control Deodorant for Women

Posted on by
5

Last week I received a stick of Mitchum’s New Advanced Control Deodorant for Women as part of their new “Love Thy Pits” campaign.

The deodorant boasts Maximum Strength, Ultimate Protection from sweat, stink and other pit nastiness for “48-hours” a day. The stick came just in time as this past weekend was a marathon weekend of home improvement projects around the Knight & Nora household: a new deck, which included demolition of the old deck, rearranging and moving furniture, sanding shelves and tables, painting in the lovely sticky summer weather, and then moving everything back and forth into several new configurations until we found something we loved, and more deck work. Well, Knight may have done most of the deck work but I still was moving and hustling all weekend.

I figured what better time than to try out the new deodorant?

* The invisible solid is indeed invisible which I have to say is a first. Most deodorants that are a white stick are anything but invisible leaving that lovely ring of white gunk on your clothes and in your armpits. Not this one. I even checked throughout the day to see if my clothes were getting white-ring, but nope, they didn’t.

* The Powder Fresh scent is just enough to be there but no so much that it pesters or bothered me. There are some scents out there that are overpowering and you can smell it anytime you move or lift your arm. The only time I smelled the scent was when I started to perspire, which is an appropriate time to smell like your deodorant, I think.  This is apparently due to the encapsulated fragrance technology – fragrance bursts upon contact with perspiration ensuring Mitchum Advanced Control works when you need it most. Makes perfect sense! (No pun intended, I promise.)

* I love that is has Aloe  &Vitamin E in it. I don’t sit there and touch my armpits on a regular basis but the fact that my armpits felt softer and smoother (after shaving, of course) was kind of nice, especially in the summer time when I’m wearing tanks and dresses. Just makes me feel better.

* So, does it last for 48 hours? While I do shower daily,  I don’t always shower the first thing when I wake up on the weekends if I know I have another day of manual labor in front of me. I’m more of a Wait-to-be-done-with-my-projects- kind of girl before I shower, so since I took a late shower on Saturday, I did the same on Sunday. I didn’t reapply my deodorant since the Saturday shower and while it wasn’t a full for 48-hours since the first application, it definitely lasted longer than 24 hours. Other deodorants I’ve used in the past have been, well, less reliable. This great protection is likely due to the fact that  it contains the maximum, allowable level of active (20% aluminum zirconium) – the same as many clinical strength products – without the higher price.

* The price point on this deodorant is $3.99 a stick which is definitely in the ballpark of the other deodorant I’m currently buying. For the protection and the brand (I’ve always been a fan of Mitchum, I’ve used them in the past several times) I’d say $3.99 isn’t bad at all.

All-in-all, I was pleasantly surprised and pleased with this product; I’m using it religiously now and may have to try out their other scent, Pure Fresh when this stick is all used up.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for an exciting opportunity and giveway from Mitchum in the name of the “Love Thy Pits,” campagin. I promise you won’t want to miss it!  

 * FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary stick of this deodorant for review purposes but was not otherwise compensated to write a review. All opinions in this blog are my own and were written in response to my experience with the product.

Review: Starbucks Ice Cream

Posted on by
10

Since moving in with Knight, life has been great but it’s also been a huge change of pace at times, especially when we have the kidlets. We have joint custody, so 50% of the time. Some times the weekends are spaced out (as in every other weekend) and other times we have them back to back weekends and weeknights. It’s not a problem because we have more time with them that way it seems in sequential order which is good for everyone but at the same time I run out of time for me between the cooking, laundry, housekeeping and etc. Don’t get me wrong, Knight helps a ton but sometimes I need a timeout.

So when I was offered a chance to review Starbucks Ice Cream as part of a MomCentral campaign*, I jumped at the chance. Not just because I love ice cream, and trust me I do, but I knew on the evenings Knight works late and we would be kid-free that I could cozy up with a pint of ice cream, a good book, and get some relaxation in. And that I did this past Saturday evening.

 

Knight ran out to the grocery store, the kidlets were sleeping. The windows were open letting in a lovely breeze so I curled up with a pint of the Vanilla Bean Frappuccino, the mystery I was addicted to reading, and enjoyed the silence. Enjoyed the me time. And oh my goodness, I loved the ice cream. It’s creamier and more vanilla-bean flavored than any ice cream I have ever tried, even of the other gourmet varities. Rather than gulping ice cream down like I’ve been known to do, I savored every.single.bite. The vanilla-bean flavor is just unreal. Other things I loved about the ice cream: there are not oodles of ingredients. You can tell in the flavor: it just tastes natural.

I also tried another flavor, Java Chip Frappuccino. I’m not normally a huge fan of coffee-flavored ice cream but wow, was this good. It has a strong coffee taste, a perfect hint of dark chocolate chips and left me craving and wanting more of the ice cream. (I did share this one with Knight because he could use a timeout just as much as I can, is a huge fan of Starbucks and ice cream. He gives the ice cream two thumbs up.)

Some other information on the Starbucks Ice Cream:

* The price point is reasonable; since it’s new it was on sale at our grocery stores but I think $3.50 is reasonable for a pint of ice cream as delicious as this; definitely comparable, if not more affordable than other like ice creams that are specialty and gourmet.

* There are amazing recipes that Starbucks created to go with their various flavors of ice cream. I definitely have my eye on the Vanilla Bean Frappuccino Parfaits and the Espresso Shooter. View the various recipes, sign-up for special offers and information via email at the Starbucks Ice Cream website.

* There are seven flavors currently available from Starbucks Ice Cream: as soon as I can find it, I’ll be trying the Signature Hot Chocolate and Strawberries n’ Cream Frappuccino.

Up until lately I was a fan of a different brand of ice cream that shall remain nameless but after trying these two flavors, I’m in love. If I buy ice cream in the future, especially in pint size, I’ll be all over the Starbucks Ice Cream.

Have you head of or tried the new Starbucks ice cream? What’s a Starbucks flavor you’d love to try?

 

*I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Starbucks and received coupons and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate. All of the opinions in this blog are my own and I am sharing of my own accord.*

Review: 100 Percent Natural Lipton Iced Tea

Posted on by
6

Fact: Up until about two weeks ago I wasn’t a huge iced tea fan. Hot tea? Yes, I can’t get enough peppermint tea in the winter but I’ve never warmed to iced tea.

And then, 100% Natural Lipton Iced Tea showed up at my door step in six different flavors: Iced Tea with Blueberry Pomegranate, Green Tea with Passionfruit Mango, Iced Tea with Lemon, Green Tea with Citrus, Diet Green Tea with Watermelon and Diet Green Tea with Citrus, in the cutest Lipton carrying case that I am saving for future picnics and trips.

Here’s the breakdown on how I liked the flavors:

Iced Tea Blueberry Pomegranate and the Green Tea with Passionfruit Mango: explosions of flavor in my mouth. Seriously, fantastic blend. Combos I never would have thought of but they jive really well.

Iced Tea with Lemon and the Green Tea with Citrus: perfect after moving in boxes and boxes of one’s crap into your fiancés house. Refreshing, crisp and cool.

Though he grabbed them on accident, Knight took both Diet flavors (Diet Green Tea with Watermelon and Diet Green Tea with Citrus) to work with him this week and confessed that they were pretty darn good.

Other awesome things about 100% Natural Lipton Iced Tea:

* The ingredient list is simple and all-natural. You can tell when you’re drinking it that it’s a clean drink.
* The 100% Natural Lipton Iced Tea has 50-70 calories per serving, depending on the flavor. Far better than the soda that I crave from time to time.
* The Diet teas are preservative free and naturally flavored
* Lipton has paired up with Pandora.com by creating four all “Natural side of Music” stations: Lipton Country, Lipton Hip-Hop, Lipton Rock and Lipton Pop.
*There are some really simple and great recipes to make adult drinks with the 100% Natural Lipton Iced Teas as well, such as Watermelon-Lime Mint Punch, and a White Citrus Sangria. I’ve stowed the recipes away for a future BBQ.

Want to learn more about 100% Natural Lipton Iced Teas? Like them on Facebook.

The overall verdict? I’m a convert. And I can’t wait to get to the store to buy more of my favorite flavors.

What about you? Are you a fan of Iced Teas or perhaps an Iced Tea convert after trying the new 100% Natural Lipton Iced Teas?

FTC Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Gen-Yknot on behalf of Lipton and received Lipton product samples and a subscription to Pandora One to facilitate my candid review. Gen-Yknot also sent me a promotional item to thank me for my time.

Review: Whooga Boots

Posted on by
7

A few weeks ago I was asked by Whooga, Sheepskin Ugg Style Boots, if I’d be interested in reviewing their boots. I love boots, all colors and styles, so it was a no-brainer. (Side note, did you know that ugg is a boot style, not just a  brand name? And that there are other kinds of ugg boots out there, like Whooga? I did not until recently.)

I picked the Gold Tall Sheepskin Boot because I love the gold tone and flecks in the boots, and partially because my alma mater’s school colors are black and gold and maybe I thought these boots would be awesome next year on gamedays. They came in about 10 business days (expedited shipping is available for an extra fee) and in nicest packaging: a really fancy Whooga box with a ribbon tied perfectly on the front. It definitely felt like it was a special present sent just for me.

I decided to test out the boots on a busy errand day thinking this would be the ultimate test. I love wearing boots but sometimes by the end of errand day my feet do nothing but hurt. Fortunately the day I chose was also a stupid cold day, so the Whooga boots were more than appropriate. They have a thicker amount of fleece and insulation on the inside than my other ugg style boots which helped to keep my feet warm (maybe even too warm after awhile, but I’m sure that they will serve me well next winter when it’s freezing out). The only challenge with the thicker amount of fleece on the inside? It was a bit tough to get my skinny jeans to tuck in since there isn’t as much room, so I switched jeans to accommodate. After a six-hour errand day, there was no foot pain and my toes weren’t cold for one second. I love the gold metallic color and can’t wait to pair them with some fun sweaters and scarves next season. It’s getting warmer here so I’ve put them away for the summer but I am looking forward to pulling them out next fall.

They have many other color boots including purple, pink, sand and of course the basics like chocolate, tan and gray in both short, tall and mini styles (Gold is the only color not available in all styles.) If you have kids or men who like ugg style boots, they have those too.

Bottom line: a great boot, amazing colors and styles, and the price point is comparable, if not a little cheaper than other similar boot brands. If I could get them at my local department or shoe store it would be even better!

I  know that spring is upon us in most places, but what’s your favorite winter shoe/boot/style? What’s your favorite spring/summer shoe style?

* While I was sent a complimentary pair of boots by Whooga, I was not paid for my opinions in this review or to post positive comments. All opinions are my own and were not influence in anyway.

Review: Revlon CustomEyes Shadow

Posted on by
9

Earlier this month Revlon contacted me* asking if I’d be interested in trying and reviewing their new Revlon CustomEyes Shadow. The answer? Of course! I’m a huge fan of eye make-up, especially fun colors and combinations.

I was incredibly thrilled when I received three separate color palettes: Party Pops (a purplish palette), Sexy Smoky (a grey/shiny palette) and Naturally Glamorous (brown palette with some pop). I’ve been in search of a new look for some time now so I hoped this would be it!

Some information on Revlon’s CustomEyes Shadow:

  • Provides a complete, coordinated eye look in one product
  • Each palette includes a ‘how to’ guide on the back of packaging to show how to best use the CustomEyes Shadow & Liner in your favorite shade
  • Encourages you to express your individual style, offering looks for any mood, personality or occasion
  • Six expertly coordinated palettes each containing four eye shadows and one built-in powder eyeliner offering great versatility and convenience to achieve any eye look

As of late I’ve been on a colorsplash kind of kick so I first tried the purple palette by putting it to the ultimate test: baking, running errands with Knight, a trivia night and an evening of drinking, laughing and dancing. The verdict? It held up. There was no clumping, getting stuck in the creases of my eyelids (you know what I’m talking about it) and the best part is that it didn’t look like I was trying too hard to make my eyes look good.

The instructions on the back were perfect for someone like me who isn’t super great at being inventive with my make-up and I really felt like a make-up professional had done it for me. However, trying to get a picture of the make-up on my eye? Not so easy. So I give you a close up (where it doesn’t work so well) and one from far away where I’m baking with my brother (who grew a beard and looks 100% totally different)…

I loved the purple so much that I wore it all weekend, even though I wasn’t actually going anywhere on Sunday except to breakfast and, um, yeah, that was it. I gave the grey and brown ones a try as well, and same thing. Changed my look, lasted all day and I’m totally on board with it.

When was the last time you changed your make-up look? What kind of colors are your standbys?

* M80 approached me to partake in this review, and while I was sent free eyeshadow, I was not otherwise compensated for my time, my review, or posting this blog.