Category Archives: Personal Products

Balmshot Lip Balm Review

Balmshot SPF 15 Lip Balm Review and Giveaway

I have mentioned how lucky I am to live at the beach and on the coast of San Diego. While the sunny days outnumber the cloudy days, there is a downside – chapped lips.

Since I live close to a convienent store, I often take walks to get a coffee drink or to get laundry quarters. There are days that the wind coming off the ocean and reaching my lips is a bit harsher than I am able to handle. The other problem I suffer from is lack of water in my daily routine. I try as I might, but just do not get the water intake I should have which results in dry chapped lips.

I go through an adequate amount of lip balm, and am always looking once that moisturizes, protects and has a pleasant flavor. When I was recently contacted by a company whose lip balm is in gun shells, it got my attention. Balmshot Lip Balm comes in one of the more unique packages I have seen, as well was being a beeswax SPF 15 lip balm.

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Svelte Men Product Review

Svelte Men: Shave Cream and 3-in-1 Review and Giveaway

Men are synonymous with simplicity, there are few things as simple as a man. I have been lucky in that I was raised by a man, so I have inherited that simplicity. I take little time to get ready and generally use few products. I believe that woman attract men that are much like themselves. If this fact is true than I found the male equivalent of my level of simplicity.

Until recently I believed I married a man who had the same simplicity as I have, as it turns out he may not be as simple as I once believed. It turns out that for men the shaving process is much more complicated than I initially thought. It was through review blogging I made this discovery when I received an offer in my inbox for a review of shaving goods and mentioned it to Jason. I was then informed that is was a little more complicated than a shaver and water.

The email I received was from Svelte Men, a men’s barbershop located in the Hollywood Hill’s of Los Angeles and Manhattan Beach California has a line of shaving products for the at home use.

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Sun Bum Hair Care Review

Sun Bum Shampoo and Conditioner Review and Giveaway

Sometimes it is easy to forget how lucky I am. I was lucky to grow up less than 5 miles from the beach, and now as a homeowner I live a mere 1/4 mile from one of the most world renowned beaches in the United States.

The ocean is a vast and quite the mystery. The mystery being an answer to a question that is always being asked. On breezy days we can smell the saltwater coming off the ocean and feel the ocean breeze. My neighbors are all a decade or younger than my husband and I, and spend their days as mermen and mermaids. Despite this age divide we have one common thread, our mutual respect for the ocean.

As a kid that grew up so close to the ocean, I often had sun bleached hair that tended towards white the early part of life. As I have gotten older, I take much better care of my hair, but I still worry about sun damage and those relentless UV rays. I rarely use additional product and I let my hair air dry, but it really starts with my shampoo and conditioner. I recently received a bottle of Sun Bum Shampoo and Conditioner.

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Homemade Bath Bombs, Salts & Scrubs Review

Homemade Bath Bombs, Salts & Scrubs: 300 Natural Recipes for Luxurious Soaks Review and Giveaway

About 4 years ago Jason and I bought our first home! We live in what we call our “shrinky dink” house – which is a quite appropriate. The reason for the name is imagine a house with an upper deck and a big front porch and all the indoor living areas as per typical of a house. Now imagine shrinking the house into a quarter of its intended size and you have our home.

We have all the modern conveniences, short of a bathtub. I never imagined I would miss the bathtub as much as I do, but honestly it is missed deeply. Since I lost that one luxury of life, I now spoil my friends that do have a bathtub with assorted bath bombs and soaks.

I have wanted to find a master book that has natural remedies and natural scents to cure the ails of getting older. When I received Homemade Bath Bombs, Salts & Scrubs: 300 Natural Recipes for Luxurious Soaks by Kate Bello I was excited.

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NeoCell: Beauty Bursts Review

NeoCell: Beauty Bursts Review and Giveaway

It is funny how one moment can not only change your look, but also your life – let me explain. For some unknown reason, about 6 months ago I decided it would be a good idea to cut my hair – no problem right? Wrong, I decided to take my scissors in the bathroom and grab a clump of hair and began cutting. The big problem is that I have no training, formal or informal, for hair design. What resulted was about 9 inches eliminated and my husband asking if we needed to go to the salon in the morning to repair the damage I had caused.

There have been few times in my adult life that my hair is short enough to sit on my shoulders. This has been an adjustment because I was fond of tying my hair up in an easy knot. My hair is growing back, but not at the speed or length I prefer. I am always looking for that added supplement to give my body the bump it needs.

Back in December of 2015 I had the opportunity to review NeoCell Laboratories Biotin Bursts, and I have seen such positive results that when I was approached for another review I accepted. I got the opportunity to review NeoCell Laboratories Beauty Bursts Chewable’s in Super Fruit Punch flavor.

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Brush Naked Bamboo Toothbrush Sweet Giveaway!

The Brush Naked Bamboo Toothbrush Sweet Giveaway!!

One of my favorite things as a review blogger is that I get to discover and sample items that I normally would not have the opportunity to. Another one of my favorite things about being a review blogger is when I have the chance to give you all an opportunity to also sample the things I find and love.

As an aunt and uncle to some truly wonderful kids we think often of the world and the environment that they will be inheriting from us. We think more about long-term sustainability and really what is sitting in landfills for generations to come to discover. Jason likes to be able to swap out his toothbrush in a fairly regular interval, therefore our contribution to landfills has been considered.

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Stopain Migraine Review

Stopain Migraine: Topical Pain Relieving Gel Review and Giveaway

As regular readers may know, I am generally skeptical about natural health products. I have never really believed that taking a herb or applying a topical mixture can make my life and health better. I am a big believer in western medicine and the science that tends to support mainstream treatments. I am happy to say though that as I get older my opinion is changing. I am slightly over 40 and I realize that this body, these organs and my brain are the only ones that I am going to get and I better take care while i can. For this reason, I am now looking into the remedies that I once eschewed.

Sadly for me I am a migraine sufferer, and it is not pleasant. I tend to get a migraine when I cry too much, when I am stressed out or when the day ends in “y”. There is no rhyme or reason to my migraine onsets, despite diaries kept and observation made. About 10 years ago I thought I had found the magical combination of medications to help me, and then the manufacturers took the main component off the market. Since that decision I have searched for a cure and the more natural the better.

Recently, coincidentally on a day where a migraine seemed eminent, I was approached by Stopain Migraine Topical Pain Relieving Gel Now normally I would have hit the reject button and moved on, but the idea of natural migraine relief seemed appealing. So as history now shows, I hit accept instead of reject and hoped that this might be the assistance I so desire in dealing with these migraine headaches.

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BuddhiBox Monthly Subscription Review – December 2015 Box

BuddhiBox Monthly Subscription Review – December 2015 Box

When we are children we do not think that the words that people say to use can hurt us. The sad part is that words many times words can hurt more than the largest weapon. Each night we watch the news, and each night we marvel at the amount of crimes and stories that could have a different outcome had words been used instead of the alternative weapons.

I was a young girl when I learned that words can hurt and to choose my words wisely. I apply this to each aspect of my life, and I am blessed that my husband does the same. We were both bullied in school and now how kind words can make a world of change and mean words can ruin your day. That is one reason I look forward to my monthly BuddhiBox – these are messages that are important in the yoga and real world.

I recently received the December BuddhiBox and I am again pleased and thrilled. Earlier in the year, I had the opportunity to review previous boxes (click here) and they are always a fun adventure in the yoga/healthy living lifestyle. The message is always one of compassion, and understanding and living a pure life.

This month we are back to the familiar bright green tissue paper carefully covering this months treasures. This month came with 4 cardboard information cards that are in full color and on thick glossy card stock. The first card was the Yoga pose of “Garland Pose” that shows the pose in full color, as well as the benefits and directions about the pose. These pose cards are made especially for BuddhiBox by a company called Yogicards. There is a recipe for a “Broccoli Hemp Potato Salad” that is made using 15 ingredients – 6 being spices that when put together creates a fresh, healthy and flavorful salad. The final information card included was a box manifest and on the other side the following quote:

The heart that gives, gathers. – Lao Tzu Continue reading →

Udderly Naked Valentine’s Day 2016 Giveaway

UDDERLY NAKED GOAT MILK SOAP VALENTINE’S DAY GIVEAWAY!!!

With Valentines Day approaching there are few things as personal as homemade soaps and body lotions. In honor of this approaching day of love we are giving away a love themed assortment of body products. I had the opportunity to review Udderly Naked Goat Milk Soap back in April.

Udderly Naked Goat Milk Soap is generously offered to giveaway the following Valentines Day themed pack including Wine & Roses Soap, Love Me Tender 4 oz Goat Milk Lotion, Passionate Pink Lip Balm, 4 Bath Truffles in lavender/lemongrass & ylang-ylang grapefruit & benzoin.

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ColorMetrics: Touchback and Streekers Review

ColorMetrics: Touchback & Streekers Review and Giveaway

I have mentioned in the past how I put my hair through a lot of abuse, due to dying and getting a permanent whenever legally allowed. I have sense calmed that abusive action and now when I do color my hair it is with natural dyes, and no ammonia or peroxide.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, I am a San Diego Charger fan, and a proud fan. I love wearing my jersey on game days, and I have scrunchies and ribbons galore to adorn my hair with. I decided long ago, that despite my love, I would never dye my hair a blue or yellow (blond is yellow isn’t it?). I have always thought it would be fun to show my pride via my hair.

I am always on the lookout for new or different products that can change my hair and I have discovered two such products from ColorMetrics – Touchback Instant Temporary Color and Streekers: Wild Weekend Hot Colors for Cool Hair.

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