The Brand Babe

A place to chat about my favorite brands...and yours.

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JAFRA has arrived!  Have you heard of this skincare and cosmetics company with a 61 year history of celebrating women and what makes them unique?  I hadn’t until very recently, when I started seeing JAFRA pop on beauty blogs and Instagram.  Luckily I got my hands on the Royal Jelly line so I can test them out for myself and report back.

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Getting ready for a night full of fun and glamour with Garnier Olia! The gals are coming over and we're all going to dye our hair with this new formulation that leaves your hair visibly healthier, and with brilliant shining color. Can't wait to see the results!

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Testing out cosmetics from the new Neutrogena Healthy Skin Line this week! I love the packaging, but so far the pigments have been a bit too sheer for me. Looking forward to playing around and trying out a few more looks.

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Fun new flavors from Bumble Bee! Try premium tuna filets in Jalapeño, Chipotle, or Sun-Dried Tomato varieties. Dinner can't get any easier!

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This week I’m sampling new Folgers Iced Café Coffee Drink Concentrates thank to Crowdtap. It’s amazing how easy Folgers makes it to create gourmet ice coffee drinks at home!

They work just like Mio or other drink concentrates you’ve tried. Just pour, squeeze, and enjoy. (Click the second photo to expand and see each step.) All you need is milk and your favorite flavor - and at just about $5 for 12 servings, it will definitely save you a few bucks, too.

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Just arrived, and I can't wait to try it out....This Long Wear Eyeshadow + Built-in Primer from Neutrogena has a guide on the back for using all four shades to create the perfect look. Couldn't be easier!

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These Brookside Crunchy Clusters are so good, they're gone!!

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Campbell's has released a ton of new products lately, like soups made especially for cooking and their skillet & slow cooker sauces.  Over the past few months I've gotten the chance to try several new products and, I've got to tell you, they're all winners!  It seems like Campbell's knows exactly what you need to make weeknight dinners a breeze: sauces and soups to turn simple ingredients into complete meals. 

While I'm partial to the Thai Green Curry Skillet Sauce, the biggest hit in my house was the Savory Portobello Mushroom Soup for Easy Cooking, which I simmered over pork chops and served with potatoes. 

Have you tried any of Campbell's latest products?  Or do you stick to the classics?

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Ain't No Party Like a Hidden Valley Ranch Party

We hosted a Hidden Valley Ranch Feast last night for some friends, and I am exhausted!  We take game nights very seriously at my house, so after dinner we were up for hours playing some of our favorites.  At least Hidden Valley products made it easy to create a quick, easy, but super tasty meal for our guests.

One of the sides I made were these Original Ranch Roasted Potatoes - honestly, they're so easy you won't even need the recipe!  Just cut up your potatoes (I mixed red and Russet, since that's what we had in the pantry), throw them in a zip-top bag with some oil, and shake them up.  Then add one packet of Hidden Valley Original Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix into the bag and shake again.  That's it!  Roast for 30-35 minutes and enjoy.  I especially loved that clean up was a breeze, since you just have to toss out the zip-top bag.

We also made baked haddock with a sour cream & ranch sauce, and Hidden Valley Ranch Bread.  Everything went over great with our guests.  Now I'm just waiting for Hidden Valley to come up with some desserts!!

How do you like your ranch - dip, dressing, seasoning mix, or something else?

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Skintimate Mandarin Burst Moisturizing Shave Gel is bursting with freshness! I'm putting it head to head against my usual shaving cream this week and, I've got to tell you, the scent is sensational. The blend of mandarin oranges, lemon, and lime is enough to wake you up in the morning! Can't wait to see how this shave gel performs. What scent would you want to wake up to?

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This week the taste test isn’t for me - it’s for my dogs! I was familiar with Hill’s Science Diet, but this is a new line from Hill’s called Ideal Balance. These products have no corn, wheat, or soy, plus no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

I put Hill’s Ideal Balance up against my usual dog food in a head-to-head comparison, and the dogs lapped it up! They licked the bowl clean without even giving their usual food a second glance.

I should also mention that there is a line of cat food and treats as well. Would you consider switching your pets’ food to Ideal Balance?

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This week I'm testing out some new-to-me products from Cetaphil. This brand is all about gentle power - moisturizers and cleansers that are strong enough to give you skin that looks and feels great, but without all the harsh additives in most major skincare brands. Specially formulated to be gentle on skin, Cetaphil works for every skin type. I can't live without makeup removing wipes, so I'm most excited to break open the Cleansing Cloths. Have you tried Cetaphil lately?

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Don't drink your calories!!  Now, this is rich coming from me - I have been known to skip meals in favor of a can of Coke.  But Sweet'N Low has come up with these great skinny versions of all your favorite cocktails.  I can vouch for the Light & Sassy Party Punch - delish!  Find all these recipes and more at http://www.sweetnlow.com/.  

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Crowdtap Kinky Lemonade (For Grown Ups!)

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and it’s coming up fast!  In preparation for backyard barbeques and the long weekend, I decided to create a cool concoction that’s perfect for summer.  My friends at Crowdtap sent some fun supplies to work with, including this branded mason jar, cheery red napkins, and funky paper straws.  I put my thinking cap on and came up with a  frozen lemonade treat that’s all grown up, and the ultimate cool down for hot summer days.

What You’ll Need Makes 4 servings

32 ounces lemonade - I used Simply Lemonade, but you can also make your own with just a few pantry items 4 ounces Kinky Liqueur – my favorite cocktail ingredient, this vodka-based liqueur mingles flavors of mango, blood orange, and passion fruit 4 strawberries, optional for garnish Ice cream maker, or a large freezer-safe bowl

What You’ll Do

This is a truly simple drink that will become your go-to summer sip:

1. Prepare your ice cream maker per manufacturer’s instructions.  Pour in the lemonade to begin freezing.  My Cuisinart took less than 10 minutes to get to the perfect slushy consistency.

If you’re making yours manually, pour into the bowl, cover, and stick into the freezer.  Check every 20 minutes or so and stir to keep a nice consistency; you don’t want it to freeze into a solid block!

2. At the last few minutes of freezing, add the Kinky Liqueur.  You’ll want to wait until the end so the alcohol doesn’t prevent the rest of the mixture from freezing.

3. Pour your frozen perfection into mason jars, and garnish as desired.  Serve immediately. 

That’s it!  I’ll be serving this all summer long at parties and get-togethers with friends.  Of course, you can omit the Kinky Liqueur to create a kid-friendly version.  I already had strawberries in the house, but sliced lemons, oranges, or frozen mango cubes would also make great garnishes. 

What’s your favorite summer concoction?  And if you try my Crowdtap Kinky Lemonade, let me know what you think!

[thebrandbabe]

Here's the finished product - my Viva Vantage Paper Towel Derby Hat!

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An exhilarating shower experience you're bound to love, Herbal Essences now makes body wash! Available in fun scents like Happy Go Lather and Honey, I Smell Good - but my favorite part is how the bright colors liven up my shower!

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Amazing paper towel hat inspiration for this weekend’s Kentucky Derby! She even uses Viva brand paper towels, just like I did. Viva La Derby!