Olay Shine Shine Go Away Cleanser

I received the Olay Fresh Effects Shine, Shine Go Away in my #ParadiseVoxbox courtesy of Influenster. I am always open to trying new facial cleansers because you never really know for sure if there is something out there better for your skin.

So when I opened it up to try the first thing I did was smell it. I'm huge on smells and if I don't like the smell of something I find it very hard to use it. It has a good clean scent, not medicine-y or even too soapy. The texture was stiff and creamy, and the color is a silvery gray. Now one thing to mention is that a little definitely goes a long way. I got my normal amount that I would use in my other facial cleansers and because its so stiff, I really had to work with it. If you get too much at once it is a bit difficult to lather up. So when the directions say get a small amount, they definitely mean it. It is meant to be like a mask, which I'm guessing is why it's so dense.

I have problematic skin, some cleanser give me major issues. They can burn, cause redness, itchiness - etc. This didn't at all, although I'm not really sure its made for people with sensitive skin. I can tell you that if you do have sensitive skin, you could still probably use this. The fragrance isn't very strong so it won't irritate your skin. It does have kaolin clay and witch hazel in it, so if those ingredients give you problems then its best not to use this.

I think Shine, Shine Go Away works best for those who suffer from oily skin. I am one such person and have tried many things to try and get a handle on my oily skin. This actually works and gives my skin a smooth, almost matte finish. I know it's not really matte, but my skin isn't shiny either! It feels clean and looks clean, no shininess on my nose and forehead. No splotchy, shiny redness on my cheeks either, just clean good looking skin.

The prices range anywhere from $6.99 to $8.99, occasionally it does go on sale, or there are coupons in the Sunday paper. Either way you should still try it out if you're looking for a facial cleanser that is tough on dirt, but not on your skin.

Olay Fresh Effects has seven products in the line, and I've tried three of them: Shine, Shine Go Away, Bead Me Up Exfoliating Cleanser, S'Wipe Out Make-up Cloths. I can assure you that they are all really great products. If you are a looking for a great new facial cleanser then I'd highly recommend checking out Shine, Shine Go Away.








Disclaimer: I received this product in the Influenster #ParadiseVoxbox for the sole purpose of reviewing it. All opinions are my own and no compensation was received. 

Goody TangleFix Brush

Another great product included in the Influenster #ParadiseVoxBox was a Goody TangleFix Brush. I had never heard of this brush before so it was a totally new product for me. I was pretty excited to read that it was 70% more gentle (with detangling) than your regular brush. For my niece this was totally going to be a worthwhile product.

The brush features:
• Super-flexible bristles work with the hair, not against it
• Lightweight for less fatigue
• Easy grip sides for better control
• Dual size design for children's or adult's hands


So looking at the features themselves, the bristles are super soft. They're made out of plastic, and honestly I didn't think it would work with my niece's hair. She has thick unruly hair so I use a heavy duty brush for it. My niece is 13 so she can brush her own hair now. She started out from the bottom and worked her way up her hair. She didn't complain at all about the bristles being to hard.

The brush is really lightweight, and the shape helps to grip it better. I have hand issues and can't really grasp things for too long. I didn't have any issues with using this brush, it was pretty easy and went quickly. I have a smaller hand and found that the brush still sat comfortably in my palm. Because you're able to grip it easier you don't get any slippage just in case the brush does get caught in your hair. I couldn't really say if it would be easy to hold if a young child were to use it as I don't have any. My niece's hand is actually bigger than mine and she definitely didn't have issues grabbing onto it.

My niece had fun playing with this brush, really trying to get her hair tangled up so she could try it. I thought it would be better for her to try because over the years my hair has thinned out. She said it went through really easily, it didn't hurt at all, and it left her hair feeling really soft.

The brush is fairly inexpensive being less than 8 dollars it definitely won't hurt your wallet to try this out. You can buy it at Target, for sure but I'd keep an eye out at other major big box stores. This brush will definitely make brushing your little ones hair much easier, less painful, and tear free.



Disclaimer: I received this product in the Influenster #ParadiseVoxbox for the sole purpose of reviewing it. All opinions are my own and no compensation was received.

Dr Scholl's Heel Insoles

One of the products that I received in the #ParadiseVoxbox from Influenster were Dr. Scholl's High Heel Insoles. They sent insoles that would fit a size 6 shoe up to a size 10. I have a size 7 foot so can't comment on how the insole works for a larger size shoe.

The package was easy to open up and the insoles were really easy to put on the shoe. The insoles are clearly labeled with left and right, heel and toe for easy application. You just have to peel off the backing and stick it on. Yup it has a sticky backing which means you can stick it on any shoe you have in your closet. Sadly the stickiness doesn't last forever and you're left with insoles that don't stay put. I understand that they aren't meant to last forever though, so I think the length of time it did last was very reasonable. For me that amount of time was about a month or so, and that was with numerous changes from heels to my favorite flats.

See the orange line - thats the arch on the insole!

It is perfect for all kinds of shoes,not just heels. For me sandals tend to hurt my feet the most because they have no arch. I have a natural arch on my foot so when I wear flats my feet pay the price. The insoles have some extra gel support where the toes are, and they have an arch. It makes wearing flats and heels so comfortable, especially when they don't have an arch. It means I can wear them longer and be on my feet for longer periods of time without wanting to cut my shoes off and chuck them out the window.

Now their price is a little more expensive when compared to other insoles, but they are well worth it. Also you'll get a good amount of wear before having to replace them. Dr Scholl's runs coupons in the paper periodically so you'll never really have to pay full price for them. So if you're looking for some comfy insoles and haven't decided on the ones you want to buy, then you should definitely try Dr Scholl's For Her High Heel Insoles.

Disclaimer: I was sent this product for the sole purpose of doing a review. All opinions are my own and no compensation was received.

NYC Sparkle Eyedust Eyeshadow

New York Color Sparkle Eyedust

Inside my #ParadiseVoxbox was a NYC Sparkle Eyedust eyeshadow in "Smoky Topaz". It is a shimmery light bronze with a hint of purple. The eyeshadow itself is super pigmented and at first I felt like I had applied too much. The color is bright and shimmery, and definitely popped. I added some green to it because I felt it really went well with it. Of course I hadn't realized my eyeliner was messed up until after editing the photo, doh! my bad. As you can see though the color looks great and blended really well. I used the applicator and a regular make-up brush. While the applicator worked alright, I still really prefer a brush instead. The applicator is like the type you'd have on a lip gloss. I found it to be a bit messy when pulling it out to use it. It would get a little bit too much eyeshadow onto it which cause a bit of fallout. No matter how I pulled the applicator out (slow, fast) it still ending up dropping eyeshadow all over the place. It wasn't too big of a deal at the beginning, but I had to be careful when reapplying it because I didn't want it to get all over my clothes. Speaking of reapplying, it actually was hours before I had to touch it up a bit. It definitely would last the whole night if you had a date or ladies night out, and you wouldn't have to mess with it.

There are a total of 10 shades

1. 879 Opal Sparkle: Shimmery White
2. 880 Golden Champagne: Light Shimmery God
3. 881 Pink Topaz: Very Light Pink S
4. 882 Smokey Topaz Light Purple Shimmer with brown undertones
5. 883 Amber Glitz: Darker Shimmery Gold
6. 884 Bronze Shimmer
7. 885 Amethyst Dazzle
8. 886 Aquamarine Sparkle
9. 887 Brilliant Sapphire
10. 888 Diamond Dust

The best thing is that they're super affordable so you can get every color and not have a huge hit to your wallet. They're only about $2 a piece so why not try them all out? You can find pictures of all the available colors on the NYC Color website: Click Here.

Disclaimer: I received this product in the Influenster #ParadiseVoxbox for the sole purpose of reviewing it. All opinions are my own and no compensation was received. 

Hormel Rev Wraps

I was excited to try out the new wraps from Hormel courtesy of BzzAgent. They're called "Rev" Wraps and there are 8 different varieties:

• Pepperoni Pizza
• Ham & Cheese
• Peppered Turkey
• Meat Lovers Pizza
• Italian Style Ham
• Hot Pepper Ham
• Italian Style
• Spicy Italian Style

They come packaged in a plastic container and are really easy to open. Sadly my area grocery store only had four of the varieties - Ham & Cheese, Peppered Turkey, Meat Lovers Pizza, and Pepperoni Pizza. Of course I bought all four of them so I'd be able to try them all out.

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 The first one I tried was the #3 Peppered Turkey. The wrap uses one large round piece of cheese, three slices of turkey, and wrapped around that is a wheat flat bread that reminds me of a tortilla. It has 220 calories, 90 Fat calories, and 18g of protein. I was a little alarmed with the sodium in the wrap, it was 41% (950mg). Right now I am watching my salt intake so I changed up my dinner as to not go over my limit. I decided that I could make it my own by adding some of my favorite ingredients - spinach, mixed greens, and avocado. The result was super delicious and really filling. I wasn't sure that I would be satisfied with just one wrap, but I really was. The flatbread didn't hold up very well and did start to tear a bit when I started working with it. It held up enough for me to finish my meal and in the end it wasn't that big of a deal.

Click to Enlarge

The next wrap I tried was the Ham and Cheese and again I wanted to be a little creative. I figured I'd have this one for lunch so I got an egg, some spinach, and the Rev. The Ham & Cheese has 240 calories, 110 fat calories, and 17g of protein. This wrap too had a lot of sodium in it: 990mg to be exact. I didn't want to use up too much of my daily intake so I took out two of the slices of ham. Each wrap comes with three small round slices of meat, and one large slice of cheese. I separated the egg white from the yolk and poached it. The spinach I left alone as I don't care much for cooked spinach. This was a fantastic late breakfast for me and really held me over till I had my small lunch later in the day. I didn't feel hungry in the least and didn't feel tired afterwards.






Sadly I wasn't able to get pictures of the last two wraps as they mysteriously disappeared from the fridge. I don't know if the nobody ghost visits your house, but it practically lives in mine. You know the nobody ghost, right? Something gets eaten and nobody touched it in the house, even when you have 5 suspects they of course push the blame onto the nobody ghost. Either way I'll do my best to give you some info on the last two: Pepperoni Pizza and Meat Lovers Pizza. When I went to the store they didn't have any in stock so I may do another post featuring these two wraps as I actually had some great ideas for them.

Obviously they're both pizza wraps and I wanted to turn them into pizzas. I planned to unwrap them and throw the flatbread into the over to crisp up a bit. Then I would have taken it out, put a bit of pizza sauce on it, cut the cheese and pepperoni (for the regular pepperoni wrap) into small shreds to evenly coat it. I think doing it this way would be a totally fun way to get the kids involved in their own lunch making. You could also cut down on the ingredients so the sodium isn't too high. The pepperoni pizza has 300 calories, 180 fat calories, and 16g of protein. It has 990mg of sodium in it, so you can obviously see the trend. The last is the Meat Lovers Pizza, again I wanted to make it into an actual pizza and think it would have turned out awesome. It has pepperoni, spicy salami, genoa salami and mozzarella cheese. The nutrional value is: 280 calories, 160 fat calories, and 15g of protein. The sodium is 950mg making it a 41% dv.

I would love to see some low sodium varieties hit the market because these are really great. They're convenient, tasty, and relatively inexpensive. The cost about $1.98 for each wrap and while they do look small, they will definitely fill you up. I also would have liked to have seen some condiments inside because I normally don't eat a ham and cheese sandwich without mustard. I don't know if that would cost more to add, but I think it's something they should definitely look into.

You can find Rev Wraps at most grocery and supermarkets, although you might not be able to find all varieties at first. So if you see them in your store don't pass them up because they have potential to be a great meal. Don't be afraid to customize it either!



Disclaimer: I received 1 free product coupon and 9 - $1.00 coupons to share. I was not required to write a review. All opinions are my own and no further compensation was given. 

Remedy Skincare Review

REMEDY SKINCARE 

I was very fortunate to get the chance to try out a few products from the Remedy Skin Care line. They so generously sent me four different products: lip balm, nourishing skin cream, hydrating cleansing gel, and hydraguard skin cream. All the products have phytoplex in them, and to be honest I didn't really know what that was or what its benefits were.

So what exactly is phytoplex?
- Phytoplex is essentially a combination of all-natural, plant-based ingredients, including soy, algae extracts, green tea, and cloves.

- It’s free of ingredients that might cause an allergic reaction, such as aloe, sulfates, parabens, petroleum derivatives, and phthalates.

- Because of its unique blend of gentle ingredients, Phytoplex is perfect for people with sensitive skin.

- The marine-based algae extracts in Phytoplex provide an intense dose of vitamins, proteins, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants - all of which nourish skin and protect it from signs of aging.

- Phytoplex has more antioxidant capabilities than olive oil, apples, or red wine!

- When used in skin care products, Phytoplex works to reduce redness, soothe skin, prevent moisture loss, reverse signs of aging, and
protect skin from radical damage.

So now that we have a grasp on what phytoplex is, how does it really work in the products?

The first product I tried out was the lip balm. It doesn't have any weird smells, and it is petroleum free. Some of the ingredients include sunflower oil, beeswax, and mango seed butter.  It did tingle a little when I put it on, but it wasn't unpleasant. It left my lips feeling soft and moisturized, no chapped lips here.

Next was hydrating cleansing gel  which can be used as a regular liquid soap in a typical shower or it can be used as a soap for a sponge bath. I liked that it was also no rinse because my mom, who can't stand in the shower long, was able to use it easily. It isn't meant to get sudsy so it definitely wouldn't make for a great bubble bath. There isn't much of a scent and it's pretty non-evasive so people with sensitive skin could use it daily . I mainly let my mom use it as she has skin issues. She really liked it and was sad I didn't have more. It made it easy for her to get in and get out because she didn't have to worry about not rinsing off correctly. It left her skin soft and there was no skin irritation.

You then can use the nourishing skin cream after your shower. Like the other products there isn't much of a smell, well untill you spread it out. The smell almost reminds me of cookies and honestly it can be a little overbearing. Now a lot of lotions say they absorb into the skin quickly, but Remedy's Skin Cream really does. The cream is a bit stiff, but quickly breaks down to an almost watery consistency.  Now remember that smell well it lasts for a few seconds and then goes away. I'm sure anyone can deal with the smell, and if you do you'll definitely be rewarded with some super soft skin! Seriously I don't think my skin has felt softer with other lotions. The smoothness lasts for hours, longer than some of the leading brand lotions.

The last product I tried out was the hydraguard lotion. This was the lotion I was most excited to try. It's a water-resistant, nourishing hypo-allergenic lotion for dry and cracked skin. I first thought of my horribly dry cracked feet. I have to be honest, I walk around bare foot a lot. I'm normally never in shoes at the house, even if I step outside. Yup I will walk outside on the hot concrete and asphalt which does nothing for my feet. Years of doing this had left them gross and calloused. With one application I was already feeling smoother, not so rough skin on my feet. If you try any of Remedy's products this is the one I'd definitely recommend. I really wanted to try this out for a while to show a great change in my dry heels, I wasn't disappointed with the results.

You can head over to the Remedy SkinCare Website - where you can find more general information on all the products they offer.



Disclaimer: I was sent products from Remedy Skincare for the sole purpose of reviewing them. No further compensation was given. All opinions are my own.

Influenster Paradise Voxbox

INFLUENSTER PARADISE VOXBOX

I was so excited to hear that I had been chosen to get a voxbox from Influenster. I am always finding new great products through them. They always have great reviews by other users to help give you an idea of what products are best for you. Included in my voxbox were five awesome products: NYC shadow, Suave Moroccan Oil, Dr. Scholl's Heel Inserts, Olay Shine Shine Go Away Cleanser, and a Goody's TangleFix brush.

I think this voxbox has a great variety of products for a woman on the go to pamper herself. So look for some great posts coming up on all these great products.




Product Reviews:

• Dr Scholl's High Heel Insoles: Coming Soon
• Suave Moroccan Oil: Coming Soon
• NYC Eyeshadow: Click Here
• Goody TangleFix: Coming Soon
• Olay Shine, Shine Go Away Facial Cleanser: Coming Soon

Disclaimer: I received these products from Influenster to try out. Reviews were not required, no compensation was given, and all opinions are my own.