March 28, 2013

Global Green USA Green School Makeover Competition Presented by Pureology







Time is almost over to enter into Global Green USA's Green School Makeover Competition presented by Pureology. The competition ends on Mar 31, but don't let that deter you from entering! You still have a chance to win for your child's school.

So what are the actual benefits to having your child go to a green school? Is there really a difference?

Improved student performance. When children learn in classrooms with natural daylight, improved sound quality and non-toxic building materials such as non-VOC carpets and paints, test scores can improve as much as 20%. Attendance also improves!

More funds for student resources. When green upgrades are made to a school, water and energy costs can be reduced by as much as 40%. These savings can be channeled back into resources that directly benefit students, such as textbooks, computers and other essentials.

Reduced carbon footprint. We're all looking at ways to reduce our carbon footprint individually, so why shouldn't your school? Greening a school significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions that cause global warming.
What and who is Global Green USA? Global Green USA helps to update some of the older schools that can't afford to make the renovations needed to provide a clean and safe environment for our kids.

So what are some things that can help your school become more green?

  • Create a recycling program
  • Conduct an energy audit to see how the school can conserve energy.
  • Switch to green cleaning products.
  • Install energy efficient light bulbs.
  • Replace outdated floors and carpeting, with new non-toxic material.
  • Install solar shades to improve natural lighting in classrooms.
  • Use sustainable building material, such as bamboo flooring and recycled gym mats.

Now there are a few things that you can do yourself in that list. Bring up making a recycling program during your next PTA meeting. Ask about energy efficient light bulbs, they're actually pretty affordable. Last ask your principal to look into green cleaning products. The rest of the options are obviously a bit harder, but can always be brought up in the next meetings with the superintendent.

So want to enter into the PUREOLOGY and Global Green USA's Green School Makeover Competition? Enter HERE and good luck, your child and schoolmates will thank you!



Disclaimer: I'm just spreading the word on a really great competition. This is not a sponsored post and no compensation was received. I heard about this competition through Influenster. 


March 27, 2013

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!




Mystery Box Giveaway

So who is the lucky Infinite Dreams Reviews fan that won this awesome prize -- *drumroll please!*

ANGELA WARD HARTNESS




Rafflecopter loves this gal, seriously! Thanks to everyone who participated and look for more reviews and giveaways from me in the next coming days. 
 

March 25, 2013

Vaseline Spray & Go



VASELINE
SPRAY & GO



Included in my Influenster Sugar 'n Spice VoxBox was Vaseline's New Spray & Go lotion. It's essentially lotion in a can which should make it much simpler to use. It's one of those products you don't think you would ever really need, but when you use it - it's addictive.

So the cap opens and closes by clicking either to the left (closed) or right (open). You give it a good shake and then press down on the top to spray out the lotion. It features a continuous spray so you don't have to stop because it's "lost its juice". The spray is fast and a bit forceful so make sure you don't do it too close to your skin because some lotion will actually fly off your arm. Also no need to press down hard on the top because a lot will come out at once. I think that was really my only issue was that it is a bit harder to control how much actually comes out of the can. The spray is fast, the lotion easily comes out, and its easy to open and close.






The lotion itself comes out as a semi-liquid. As you can see in the photo it comes out really white so you know where you sprayed. The lotion smells really good, a nice flowery powdery smell. Yes I realize neither of those are really words, but its what I'm using! So anyway, the lotion rubs in really quickly and easily. It left my skin feeling silky smooth and it really did just take a couple of seconds to disappear. Now it did take a little longer though to really absorb and I was left with a sort of "wet" feeling for a bit. Other than that it works perfectly especially for when you need it quickly. So why use this instead of traditional lotion in a bottle? Well thats a harder question to answer - but one major upside is the continuous spray. It eliminates that time when you have to stop and get more lotion to apply. Especially those times when your lotion bottle is almost empty and you have to shake it up and down to try and get the lotion moving down.  Overall its a great alternative to the traditional lotion and really handy to have around.










Disclaimer: I was sent this product to try out for the sole purpose of reviewing it. No further compensation was received and ALL opinions are my own.

March 24, 2013

Revamped by Ada Adams


REVAMPED
BY ADA ADAMS


Synopsis:
A simple mission turned deadly.
Nineteen-year-old vampire Dawn has led a sheltered life within the confines of her father’s presidential headquarters. Upon being sent on a mission to revamp four goofy misfits into guardians of a peaceful little town of Angel Creek, Dawn believes that all her dreams have finally come true. What starts off as a simple task, turns into something unexpected, changing Dawn’s life forever and leading the action-loving, thrill-seeking vampire teen on a path of mystery, danger and intrigue.
 

My Review:
There is one major twist in ReVamped and that's that vampires are out in the open and are accepted by humans. You have shows such as Next Vamp Idol and Transylvania Shore, um yea I see what you did there Ada. Humans love vampires and are so accepting that they have a Scarlet House, which is much like the human White House.

The characters were well developed and center around, Dawn, the daughter of the Scarlet House - aka Vampire president. She's super cool and highly trained in martial arts and other combat. Her main job is to train younger vamps to defend themselves, even though vampires and humans live peacefully together. Things start to get "Fun" when rebel vamps start causing all kinds of problems thus putting the humans in danger. Dawn's father sends her on a special mission entrusting her to train a group of vampires living in a small town. Only problem is they totally suck at being vampires and Dawn has to train them from the bottom up.

ReVamped does have some underlying romance to go along with the sci-fi, fantasy them, but it is realistic. No angsty teenage girl meeting a equally angsty boy and falling in love within the span of 5 seconds. I'm not sure if angtsy is a word, but whatever I'm using it! Vampires are actually vampires with no stupid sparkling in the sun. Please don't read this book thinking you're going to find some vampire love and its just going to be beautiful, because you won't. You will find a great written book with an awesome thought provoking plot and awesome characters that will have you reading this book cover to cover without a break.



You can find Revamped over on Amazon.com: HERE
Also all available Ada Adams books: HERE
You can find her website here (although it hasn't been updated): HERE

Legend of the Oceina Dragon Book Review








Legend of the Oceina Dragon

by JF Jenkins


Synopsis:
Lord Oceina approaches the island Of Oceina when it is time for the giving of a sacrifice. This sacrifice enables the island people to live without fear of the other dragons nearby, and live life without worrying about the lives of their people.

The sacrifice must be a virgin, no older than 18 years old, of pure blood; this sacrifice is given to Lord Oceina as a trade for peace, safety and protection for the island residents. The residents find the sacrifice is just and acceptable and even the bearer considers them self to be worthy and special to be chosen. They approach their day of sacrifice to only find it is not what the past has portrayed but a whole different meaning to the word sacrifice.

There are four dragon species, representing different elements and each having their own qualities and abilities which are indescribably mystical.

Darien is the youngest of his species, Lord Oceina being his father hands Darien his sacrifice on his 18th birthday. His birthday gift if you may call it that - her name is Tai. A sacrifice I'm sure they will both remember.



My Review:
I've read a few of J.F. Jenkins books and this one definitely doesn't disappoint. I really love reading books that are in a series because I think it allows the reader time to get to know a particular character. J.F. Jenkins does an excellent job on allowing the characters enough room for growth as well as the plot. It is a YA romance novel, but it shouldn't be labeled with just that because its full or mystery and suspense. 

The characters are well thought out and really likeable. The setting is amazing and I would love to see into the mind of J.F. Jenkins because I don't know how she came up with Oceina.

Darien was a great character and my favorite in the book. He is definitely a great guy and I can't wait to read more about him and to see how he matures, because he has a lot on his plate. 


Tai is just a regular girl and is chosen to be the "sacrifice" to the dragon king. She obviously doesn't know what that means and ends up having a hatred for Darien even before she meets him. Talk about being confused when she finds herself falling in love with the "enemy". That's always a fun time isn't it?

I can't wait to read the next installment in the series and hope it is as good as this book, although I'm sure it will be.

You can find J.F. Jenkins books over on Amazon.com: HERE

Also at Barnes & Noble: HERE





Neutregena Hand Cream





Neutrogena Norwegian Formula® Hand Cream






I got the chance to try out Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula hand cream and one word - wow. Now you can read on the front of the cream, it says, "just a dab heals dry skin" and they mean it. The hand cream doesn't have any scent to it, but it does have a jelly type scent - if that makes sense. The formula is super concentrated which is how you get 200 applications out of the bottle. This is a great product for people who suffer from eczema.

 



As you can see in the photo to the right the cream is more like petroleum jelly. With just that little bit I used it to help make my arms super smooth. It absorbed into my skin easily, at least when I didn't use to much, and didn't leave it greasy. That being said if you do use to much be prepared to not touch anything for a long while. This stuff is super concentrated and if you use a large amount it won't absorb instead it'll leave everything you touch with a greasy film. Don't let that little issue make you change your mind about trying it out though because the price is great. At about $5 for the bottle you can't pass it up. Sure it might look like a tiny little bottle, but you will get so much usage from it. You can find it in many different stores so keep an eye out for it, especially if you suffer from extreme dry skin or eczema.




Colgate Optic White




Colgate
 OPTIC WHITE


 


So I was fortunate to get a whole set of Colgat'es Optic White - toothbrush, toothpaste, and mouthwash in my Voxbox. All three were full size so I could really get to try them out for the whole week. The claims are that these products will help me get whiter teeth in one week so I put them to the test! 




The first product to try out was the toothbrush. It was packaged up really good and for a second I had to search for how to open it up. As you can see in the photo I made it way harder than it needed to be. You just flip the edge up and voila, its ready to go!







The toothbrush was soft bristle which I normally like medium or hard. That wasn't too much of an issue for me though.It fit neatly over my teeth and cleaned them up pretty well. Although I did notice some spots where it had missed and I had to go over them again. It might just be the way I brush though. It does come with a tongue brush which I love!



The toothpaste tastes pretty much like regular toothpaste. It does have a more stiff texture though, I felt that difference immediately. The taste was good, nothing new, it foamed up a lot, and left my teeth squeaky clean. I can honestly say that after about 3 days of use I am seeing brighter teeth. It isn't a drastic change, but its happening!  I didn't think it would help, but I'd have to say I'm impressed.





Last step for me was the mouthwash and this was where things got a little difficult for me. Okay so the taste is alright pretty standard for a lot of mouthwashes. It didn't burn very much although if left on my tongue too long I did get some discomfort. My major issue is the texture of it. It is much thicker than other mouthwashes I've used and that completely threw me off. It reminds me of a really think medicine. I didn't like that it doesn't come with a cap that you can actually use. No real measurement other than the directions which tell you to use 3 tablespoons. I just took a leftover measuring cup I had and used that. Because believe me if you put too much in your mouth it will foam up so much that you won't be able to continue without spitting some out. I speak from experience so yea...anyway just make sure to measure it correctly!

Overall I really have enjoyed using these and actually went out and bought some more of the Optic White toothpaste. They are a bit more expensive, but I think because of the results - the cost is totally worth it. You can find them practically every where so be on the lookout!







Disclaimer: I received all products shown in this review from Influenster. All opinions are my own and no further compensation was given.




March 23, 2013

WNW Ombre Kit




Wet 'N Wild
Ombre Style Kit - Variety of Colors

I saw these in the store as I was shopping for something else and decided it was something I definitely needed to have. Now I love Wet N' Wild and use their products a lot so I had high hopes for this set. Now I went ahead and grabbed the three different colors that were available. - brown, blue, and purple. The sets had a good variety in colors ranging from very light to dark. It would make doing the ombre trend much easier, right? Well that's the idea and it does, for the most part, deliver on making it easier. Light I stated before the colors are already picked for you so it takes the guess work completely out of the picture. 


I chose the brown to try out as I thought the more fun colors would be better to share with you guys. Individually I love the colors - the colors included are a white, a creamier white, a lightish pink, a mid town brown, and then a dark brown. I tried them in various ways and got different looks. Thats what is so fun about these sets - you can use them in all kinds of ways. Get creative and just go to town with them, like the southwestern themed manicure I did to the right - see it? You can use the 5 different colors in any way you choose. Do a lighter ombre look with the three lighter colors, or choose the three darkest. Really the choice is yours! One of the great things about these sets are they are super affordable at only $3.50 each! I mean seriously thats a great deal, even for mini polishes. So what do you guys think? Do you like the set? Have you seen them in your area stores?

 

March 20, 2013

nuNAAT NAAT Brazilian Keratin GIVEAWAY




nuNAAT GOGO (Give One, Get One) Giveaway!





Enter for your chance to win TWO sets of the products  I just recently tried and LOVED, review HERE, from nuNAAT  – one for you and one to give to a friend! When entering, be sure to select my blog name “Infinite Dreams Reviews” from the drop-down menu so they know who sent you.

The nuNAAT NAAT Brazilian Keratin Collection  is great for ALL HAIR TYPES, and works especially well to protect your hair and keep it healthy if you like to style using heat (with a blow dryer or flat iron) like I do! The winner will receive the following products with an estimated retail value of $65:
  • -  2 NAAT Brazilian Keratin Daily Care Shampoo
  • -  2 NAAT Brazilian Keratin Daily Care Conditioner
  • -  2 NAAT Brazilian Keratin Intensive Hair Mask
  • -  2 NAAT Brazilian Keratin Liquid Keratin Leave-In Reconstructor
  • -  2 NAAT Brazilian Keratin Serum Ultra Shine

TO ENTER: Visit the nuNAAT Facebook page



Rules:
CONTEST DATES: March 23, 2013 - April 13, 2013
Winner will be announced April 15, 2013 by e-mail. If response from winner is not received within 24 hours, a new winner will be chosen.
PRIVACY: Your email will not be shown and will be kept private.
ELIGIBILITY: Giveaways are open to readers 18 years or older with U.S. or Canada shipping addresses only (no PO boxes). For my international readers, you may enter and if you win, we can send the prize to person of your choice with U.S. or Canada shipping address.

No purchase necessary to enter or win.




Campbell's Braised Beef Stew



 CAMPBELL'S SLOW KETTLE SOUP
 BRAISED BEEF STEW




I was lucky to get to try out the new Campbell's Slow Kettle Soup. It comes in a pop top small tub, where the top works as the cover. There are 7 different varieties as of now:
  • Braised Beef Stew
  • Kicken Crab and Sweet Corn Chowder
  • Portobello Mushroom & Madeira Bisque
  • Roasted Chicken & Chardonnay
  • Southwest-Style Chicken Chili
  • Tomato & Sweet Basil Bisque
  • Tuscan-Style Chicken & White Bean

All of the Campbell's Slow Kettle soups contain less than 300 calories per serving. For every soup you get 2 servings of 1 cup. I got the top off and grabbed the tab, sadly though it was a little work to get the top actually open. I was kind of scared of spilling it every where. Once it was opened up I can honestly say I didn't think it was very appetizing. The orange color with the tiny bits of veggies floating around didn't get me thinking happy thoughts. But you never know how something will taste until you try it out. So I grabbed a pan and dumped the soup into it so it could get nice and hot.




Don't laugh at my extremely beat up pot!

While I waited for the soup to heat up I decided to check out the nutritional values and all that good stuff. I was actually really saddened by what I saw. I have been trying to live more healthy this year which means cutting down on my salt intake, calories, and carbs. The sodium was 830mg for just one serving. Everything else was fine for me, but for having that little bit of a serving it was just too much salt. For adults you should have anywhere from 1,500mg to 2,400mg daily so to have almost half of that in 1 cup of soup is just not acceptable for me. With that being said I measured out my 1 cup and planned the rest of my day around it so I could really try it out and give my honest opinion. It's a good thing I love salads because I had a great salad for dinner.

Now back to the soup! It has braised beef with baby bella mushrooms, carrots, celery, roasted potatoes and burgundy wine. The beef was tender and not chewy at all, it fell apart so easily. The potatoes were firm and not mushy. I didn't notice the mushrooms too much, they were cut a bit small and really blended in with everything else. The carrots and celery were a bit softer than I like, but they weren't unpleasant. The taste was good and wasn't salty at all, which was a good thing.

Overall, the taste was good, the quality was there and it made a good, albeit small, lunch. I really hope that Campbell's makes a lower sodium version of these because they are really tasty. I did also try the chicken chili and wow - delish!

Disclaimer: I was sent this product by Smiley360 for the sole purpose of trying the product out. All opinions are my own and no compensation was received.



March 16, 2013

A Rodeo Man's Promise Book Review

A Rodeo Man's Promise (Harlequin American Romance #1382)A Rodeo Man's Promise 
by Marin Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Description: Winning dominated Riley Fitzgerald's mind…until the day he met Maria Alvarez. Now, all the rodeo champ can think about is winning Maria's heart—a task that may be tougher than busting broncs. As a struggling teacher of at-risk teens in an impoverished, gang-infested neighborhood, Maria doesn't trust the affections of a rich, hot-shot cowboy, especially one who's ten years her junior. But she can't deny the attraction between them—and luckily, Riley's never been one to back down from a challenge. There's only one thing that's more important to Riley than earning another world title, and that's earning Maria's trust. He's got one chance to prove to Maria that he's all the man she'll ever need, and she's the only woman he'll ever want.
My Review: The two main characters are Riley and Maria and the two of them cross paths early on in the book and never seem to spend much time apart after their initial meeting. Maria is older than Riley by about 10yrs, but that doesn't stop the young cowboy from pursuing her. Having had a failed engagement Maria is very guarded and tries hard not to let Riley in. The two grow closer as Riley helps Maria and the at risk teens she works with. Obviously we all know where this is going. Maria comes to terms with the fact that she is attracted to the much younger Riley and finally gives in, sort of, to his advances. As guarded as she is she makes Riley really work at capturing her heart.

Although this book is a romance novel there isn't really any adult situations and is a pretty innocent read. The book is short and to the point, but tells a great story. I kind of wished there was a part two to see where the two end up.

Drinks, Drama, & Degrees - Book Review

Drinks Drama & DegreesDrinks Drama & Degrees 
by Vermel Kinmon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I enjoyed the story as it's something that I could see happening between my friends and myself. The story is told in a real way with real characters. I can relate to a lot of the feelings that they went through. The story was about 4 African American teens going off to college and the growing pains they all had to go through. They each had their own hurdles to jump over and for the most part they all dealt with them. Their names were Destine, Jordan, Ericka, and Mya and they all went to TSU for college. Tons of drama in this book and I think a lot of women have gone through the same type of drama the characters went through.

I think I would have liked to have seen Destine and Jordan become friends again, but you can't have it all.

Now I did find a bit of typos and misprints, but I knew what the author was trying to say so it didn't take away from the story. I think that is something that will need to be addressed by the publisher and not so much the author.

Saucy Mama Review

SAUCY MAMA

So I received these two "Saucy Mama" products made by Barhyte from a giveaway that I had entered into. I wasn't asked to do a review, but they were so good I couldn't help myself. I had my choice of sauces and mustard so I chose Sweet Heat Marinade and Chipotle Mustard. The packaging on both of the bottles remind me of something you'd find in a small country store.

 

I grabbed the mustard first because I just had to taste it. I'm not really a fan of flavored mustard so I was a little wary. I actually really liked it even though it is something that I'd never go for. The taste was sweet and reminded me of dill pickles and then the heat came afterwards. The heat wasn't too much and gave just enough kick. I had it on some Kiolbasa sausage and it was phenomenal! I didn't even take a picture of it because it was gone so fast. The kids weren't huge fans of the mustard, but that just meant more for me! You can get your own Chipotle Mustard from HERE.  

 Next, up was the Sweet Heat Marinade that promptly went over the pork steaks I was making for dinner. I tasted the marinade and it was sweet, but not too sweet. It had the perfect balance and tasted so fresh. When it came time to cook the pork I placed it in some foil and it went into the oven. Once it was tender enough I grabbed some more marinade drizzled some over the top and put it into the pan to get a little sear on it. It was delicious! The flavors were so light and it went perfectly with the pork. It was an instant hit with everyone and I used it again the next night on some beef ribs. Whether it was pork, beef, or chicken it was fantastic.  Want to try some for yourself? Go HERE to buy a bottle.


"Saucy Mama" products by Barhyte are pretty affordable and can be found ONLINE. Go on by and try them out! 


 **Disclaimer: No compensation was received for this review and all opinions are my own.

Wrestling Reality - Book Review

Wrestling Reality: The Life and Mind of Chris Kanyon Wrestling's Gay SuperstarWrestling Reality: The Life and Mind of Chris Kanyon Wrestling's Gay Superstar
by Chris Kanyon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


When I first read the description of the book I was interested. While I am not a huge, nor was I ever, a big fan of wrestling this book offered more. I wasn't too familiar with Chris Kanyon, but google was able to fill in the gaps. It must have been so tough for him to not only let people in on his homosexuality, but to battle with depression at the same time. Towards the end of the book I so wanted it to be a joke. Like psych he really didn't commit suicide and is laughing his butt off somewhere. He was such a like-able guy and someone that I feel anyone could have gotten along with. Having dealt with depression myself and having lost my older brother to suicide I was a bit scared to read this book. It wasn't about his death, but about his life. He had a great life and I just wished he had seen that, just as I wish my own brother had seen it.

If any of the other wrestling books out there are like this one, then I'll be reading a whole lot more. Thank you to the editors/publishers, the Klucsarits family, and Chris himself for letting all of us read his story.

March 15, 2013

Rimmel Polish Review


 RIMMEL

Hi all, so as I was perusing Walgreens for some good deals I came across some Rimmel polish. I had a coupon for a $1 off and they were pretty affordable at $3.79. So I had to bite! I bought 3 polishes, a base/top coat, #370 Wild Orchid, and #410 Purple Rain.

First is the combo base and top coat PRO. I really like it and its actually replaced my Essie top coat. I love the wide brush as it covers my nail smoothly and quickly. Also, at $2.79 (w/coupon) it is the cheapest base coat and top coat that I own.

Sorry for the ugly nails!


Next I chose #370 Wild Orchid which has a very deep lavender color. It is very thick and I actually only needed one coat. That was a total first for me and I think I love it more for that. I normally don't do such light colors, but this is just too awesome to ignore. I love it and it fits nicely in my growing arsenal.

Doesn't it look so lush!?


Last was #410 Purple Rain which is a deep dark purple with dark red undertones. I don't exactly love it as much as Wild Orchid, but it's still a great polish. It also doesn't have the same consistency as the Wild Orchid. It's a bit looser and not so thick, so it took two coats to cover my nail.

Sorry for the cruddy job, I still haven't mastered painting with my left hand. lol


I'm so glad I chose to try out Rimmel polish because I absolutely love them! Rimmel almost always has $1 off coupons so you can totally stock up on some great inexpensive polish.




Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea

Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue SeaRed Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea
by Morgan Callan Rogers

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I actually thumbed through this book as I was reading another and landed on a page in the middle of the book. The words "hot tuna" stuck out and drew me in.

This books is about a girl named Florine and the turbulent waters she faces in her teenage years. The story mainly begins when Florine's mom, Carlie, goes missing on a trip. Florine was 12yrs old when her mother went missing and she struggled to move forward and realize that her father was trying to do the same thing. The next 6yrs go by with Florine and her three friends: Bud, Glen, and Dottie growing up in The Point. Florine's struggles with her father moving on to find some closure and attention had her reeling. Then disaster strikes as her rock, her grandmother, dies and leaves her "alone".

The other characters in this book were mainly her father, Leeman; her grandmother, Grand; and her father's gf, Stella. All the characters were pretty much likable except for Stella. She had liked Leeman when they were kids and left The Point only to return to him married. She kind of came across as really desperate and basically preyed upon a broken man. But that is just my opinion.

This book is a great read and I'm glad I had a chance to read it. The only thing that could have made it better was some kind of closure on Carlie's story. What really happened to her? Do I see a sequel in the future?


Make-Up Corner: Nyx Review

REVIEW OF NYX MAKE-UP PRODUCTS: 



Now I will be the first to say that I am a make-up newbie. Normally I just slap some mascara on and grab some lip gloss and go. But when I received some products from Nyx, well I just had to play with them.





I originally received 5 products, but two were immediately snatched up so I'll do my review on the three I kept. The products and names are:

Bronzer/Blush: Phi Phi Island

Eyeshadow: I Dream Of St. Kitt 

Pin Up Tease Mascara in Black 

Collection Noir Black Eye Liner 

Xtreme Lipcolor: Spicy


The first thing I grabbed was the eye shadow, it went on very smooth and the colors were great. They are actually much more vibrant than the picture shows. They are great for an evening look, but I think done right they would be fine to wear during the day. 

 


 Next was the eye liner and wow, the liner is very smooth and you don't need a lot on the brush. I actually think you can even take a bit off as a little goes a long way.

 

 The mascara says it'll give your eyelashes a nice curl. My lashes actually already have a bit of a curl so I didn't see much difference. I really like the brush though, it keeps your lashes from getting clumpy.

 

 As for the blush and the lipstick my skin color is too dark for both of them. I did try out the lipstick and it is so wow! The color is so vibrant and strong and it doesn't dry out your lips at all. It lasts for hours before you have to re-apply it. Although I didn't try out the blush my sister in law did. Her review was that the color is pretty and went on smoothly, but at times the glitter got out of hand. She had to remember to shake off the excess as there is so much glitter that when she didn't do it, it went everywhere. She also said the colors are perfect for going out.







**I received these products for the purpose of reviewing them. All opinions are my own except when stated otherwise. 

March 14, 2013

NuNaat Hair Products




NuNaat Brazilian Keratin Products
 
NuNaat was formed in Brazil using the natural resources found there to bring us some awesome hair care products. I was very fortunate to be sent 5 different products to try out and I took them for a spin. I have long thin hair that is wavy to curly. Depending on how I dry it, the curlier or wavier it gets. I have an issue with oiliness so finding a shampoo, conditioner and styling products that won't make that worse hasn't been easy. I love my hair even when its being "bad" so I don't want to use hair care products that are harsh on it. Thankfully Nunaat's Brazilian Keratin Products are all formaldehyde and sodium chloride free.


DAILY CARE SHAMPOO:
The Nunaat Brazilian Keratin Shampoo is formulated with green keratin and amino acids to provide a deep cleaning without being abrasive. It is sodium chloride free and made for daily use. I myself actually don't wash my hair with shampoo every day as I find it really strips my hair of the natural oils it has. I did go ahead and for 5 days straight I washed my hair with the NuNaat shampoo. It worked great and I didn't feel that it dried out my hair. It left it clean, but not stripped so it was still full of life and "moisture". I am still huge on smells so was delighted with the clean, fresh, light scent of the shampoo. It lathered nicely and rinsed off quickly. Definitely a shampoo that needs to be in your shower!


DAILY CARE CONDITIONER:
The conditioner contains high capacity conditioning ingredients to make for easy detangling. Now for someone with curly hair that is a huge deal. Growing up I hated my curly hair because it was so difficult to comb. I think for those with curly hair, we've all felt that way at one point in our lives. The Nunaat Brazilian Keratin Conditioner helps to tame frizz and unruly hair leaving you with silky soft hair. The conditioner is super thick and really coated my hair really well. The smell was a little different, it wasn't totally unpleasant, but not the same fresh light scent that the shampoo had. I like to rinse off my conditioner using cold water which helps to seal in all that conditioning goodness. If you've never done it, try it out and you'll definitely see a difference.


LIQUID KERATIN LEAVE IN RECONSTRUCTION:
This product is designed for heat styling and works wonderfully with a flat iron. I have a go to product when flat ironing my hair so hesitated a little when using this product. I was so glad I gave it a chance because it worked so well. It is a clear liquid that didn't leave any sticky residue and didn't weigh my hair down. Just make sure that your hair is dry enough before putting a flat iron to it because sizzling hair is no bueno! It has a more perfumey smell in my opinion, but it is not over powering and after styling leaves a nice clean scent.




 

SERUM ULTRA SHINE:
The ultra shine serum is so great and I love the shininess that it brings to my hair. I am so glad I got to try this out because I love shine products. It just helps to make your hair look so much healthier and full of life. The smell is almost non existent, but it doesn't matter because that's not what its for. What it is for is to help your hair look shiny without weighing it down. It totally succeeds in that and leaves your hair shiny without looking greasy! I have tried other products that just ruin the overall look of your hair because it leaves you looking like a wet dog. It absorbs really quickly, no stickiness, tons of shine, and no weighing down of your hair. It's a perfect shine product and if you don't get any of the other products in the line, this is definitely the one to get.


INTENSIVE HAIR MASK:
Last, but not least is the NuNaat hair mask. You use this instead of the regular conditioner and it essentially deep moisturizes your hair leaving it softer and more manageable. It has a good smell and is so thick that you don't need a lot at all. It went on easily and rinsed out easily as well too, just remember to rinse with cold water afterwards to close up the cuticles. My only gripe is that it takes 10-20 minutes. With having a large household it isn't easy taking a shower longer than 30 minutes. So I definitely had to leave this for late night after the kids were sleeping.

Overall, I'd give the whole product like an A-, because the smells of some of the products could be better and 10-20 mins is a long wait for me. You can buy NuNaat products at some Walgreens and Sally Beauty Shops. You can also purchase them online at Walgreens.com and Drugstore.com. The prices vary from region to region, but are all pretty affordable.




I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

March 12, 2013

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure





This is Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure Polish #250 Mudslide. A creamy light brown with pink undertones. Full coverage after one coat, but did two just to make sure. Wear was about 4 days before chipping. It is a bit thicker thus the reason for only really needing one coat of polish. The price is a bit hefty though at $8.29 a bottle.




Jesse's Girl Frosted Gumdrop Polish Set




Julie G Nail Polish 


 By Jesse's Girl Cosmetics

This is the Frosted Gumdrop polish set from Jesse's Girl Cosmetics and Julie G Nail Polish by Creative Rsearch Labs. It comes with 6 different colors red orange, red, orange, purple, blue, and aqua. Below I have photos showing them with flash and sunlight. All polishes only needed 2 coats to cover as they are saturated with different sized glitter. You can leave them without a top coat which leaves it rough and more matte; or add atop coat to make it smooth and shinier. Either way the shimmer and shine of these are so pretty whether you're inside or outside.


  The red orange is so bright as well and was kind of hard to photograph with flash. I actually forgot to get an outside shot so had to do an inside in regular light. I'll probably end up taking another photo tomorrow so you guys can get a better idea of what the true color is.







Red is so concentrated and a very true red. As stated above only two coats and it was opaque.






Orange, wow made me hungry for some orange. Seriously loved it and even though orange isn't a favorite color of mine I could see myself wearing this all the time.





Purple, well can't say much other than I love purple polishes. This polish has some added blue glitter into it for some added dimension.


Can you see the blue specs of blue?




This blue green color is totally fantastic and I'm wearing it right now. It was very hard to photograph because it looks totally different in different lights. Some it appears more green while others it is more blue. This goes to show you the wide range of this color.









This was a silvery blue and even has a hint of purple in it. In low light it really comes off as more silvery looking and I love it. I think it would make a perfect color for the summer and winter.





Overall I really enjoyed this set and for $20.00 shipped it was totally worth it because shipping was super fast. I mean I literally got it within a couple days after ordering it. If you love glitter polishes, like myself, then this is a definitely a set you'll need to get.