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Tone Petal Soft Body Wash

After a long hiatus, I am finally back with more reviews. There will be a ton more coming so stay tuned for those!

Tone: Is part of the Dial Corporation. It seems like this section of the brand focuses on creating a spa like experience. I'm reviewing the Petal Soft body wash, but they also have ocean therapy (deep sea extracts and pearl essence), moisturizing (mango splash scent), daily detox (white clay and pink jasmine), and fruit peel (apple, kiwi, grapefruit). If you look on their site, you can find more. They have soothing (oatmeal and shea butter), vino moisture (crushed grape and shea butter). Some of these are also available in bath bars and then they have two different scents for hand soaps. Where did I get this from?: I am a BzzAgent and I got this for free as part of giving my honest thoughts about this product.

Where can I get this from?: Walmart, Target, Kroger, Dollar General, Food Lion, CVS, Family Dollar, Walgreens, Kmart

Price: $2.99 for an 18 fl oz. bottle.

Review: It does a pretty good job at moisturizing while washing. It has some vitamin E in it to help with that. Vitamin E has wonderful benefits for the skin. It's an antioxidant so it goes beyond just moisturizing, it also helps to repair and protect your skin. It's very smooth and has no exfoliating beads or anything. It's mostly clear with a pearlescent glow.

Scent: It's supposed to be rose oil and peony infused, but it actually smells less floral and more fruity. Kind of like gummy bears, which I don't mind the smell of. It still has a hint of floral, but I'd say it sways more fruity to me. You'll find yourself craving the scent from time to time. Ingredients: I'm quite the ingredient freak. Like most shampoos and body washes, the second ingredient in this one is Sodium Laureth Sulfate. It's become easier to find body washes and shampoos without sulfates lately, but they are still EVERYWHERE. You can do your own individual reading about sulfates and come to your own conclusions, but it can be an irritant. I don't notice it much or at all in body washes. I don't have any type of skin issues where I'm itching like crazy after I use sulfate body washes. I do notice it more in shampoos though. It dries my hair out like crazy. Noticing that though makes me think twice about sulfates in something that gets lathered on nearly 100% of my body. We seem to forget that skin is an organ and it absorbs our surroundings and everything we put on it. This isn't a knock of Tone and the Dial Corporation. A lot of mainstream companies are using sulfates as surfactants, but it's not to say that I would like to see them find a more natural substitute!

Re-purchase?: I'm not totally convinced yet. The line of products with the scents is very appealing, but I'm thinking I can find something else out there that I feel better about putting on my skin every day. I'll definitely be checking this brand every now and then to see if they come with out sulfate free body wash or if the ingredients of this particular line have changed.

Green Mountain Three Continent Blend K-Cup

Green Mountain: These guys are all about fair trade coffee. This means the farmers get paid fairly for their beans which also helps out not only their families, but also improving their communities (schools, roads, water, etc.).

Where did I get this from?: I’m a BzzAgent and I got this for free. Where can you get this from?: Any mass retailer/grocery store/department store.

Price: This retails for ~$16.49 for a 24 count box.

Review: This Three Continent Blend is something that Kelly Clarkson's name is on. She went around and explored what Green Mountain does with Fair Trade Certified beans and checked out the communities. The beans are from South America, Asia and Africa. When I first brewed this, I noted that it smelled like a burnt roast. The smell wasn't particularly appealing, but I was hoping it would only be the smell. Then I tasted it, and even with sugared creamer, it tasted burnt. This is an extra bold coffee, medium roast, which is good (in theory). I love bold coffees and so this shouldn't have been a big deal, but the burnt taste was something I couldn't quite get over. It was also a little too acidic for me. They describe the flavor as being lush, hearty, smooth, and fruity. I can agree with hearty and fruity.

Re-purchase: I will have to pass on this one. I love Green Mountain and what it stands behind. I love Fair Trade Certified coffees and most of the Green Mountain ones I've tried, I've absolutely loved and re-purchased. This one, however, didn't do it for me in the flavor department. But with so much to choose from in under this brand's umbrella, you're sure to find something you like. With you, my readers, I would like to extend this offer that was given to me by BzzAgent. If you're interested in purchasing some K-Cups and trying this or some others, go to choosefairtrade.com and type in one of these codes. These codes can only be used once, so I can't guarantee they'll work for you because another reader may have gotten to it first, but it's worth trying.

Coupon Codes for choosefairtrade.com: FTBZZ-MDC4JYP FTBZZ-MDC8CQW FTBZZ-MDCB8WP FTBZZ-MDCKXR5 FTBZZ-MDD3Y8L

Curel Intensive Healing Cream

Curel Intensive Healing Cream: This is a cream that can be used every day on extra dry or sensitive skin. It's scent free and uses something called Advanced Ceramide Therapy. It says it absorbs quickly, replenishes both moisture and ceramide levels for long-lasting relief and hydration. Also hypo-allergenic/

Where did I get this from?: I’m a BzzAgent and I got this for free. Where can you get this from?: Any drugstore or mass retailer.

Price: This retails for ~$11.99 for a 16 oz jar.

Review: It is so hard to document dryness, but every time I wash my hands at our office, my hands just get completely dry and chapped. It's probably a combination of the hard water and commercial oil-stripping soaps. I would typically bring this to work and use it there, but because of the jar structure, it makes more sense for me to use this at home where I'm less likely to get all the germs I touch, back in the jar. With just applying this cream at home, it still works in keeping my hands feeling more moisturized in the office. There's absolutely no scent. You can try really hard to find one, but you will not find even the slightest hint of anything. Their claims are true; it does absorb quickly. It also isn't oily, so you don't have to wipe off that oily excess on your pants. I have a tiny little 1 oz jar and that thing is going to last me a while because it works with a tiny amount and you don't have to keep slathering it on. This is also supposed to be really good for people with diabetes, but I wouldn't stop it there. Because a lot of folks who are ill may not have the option to go to the sink to wash their hands at all times and use anti-bacterial wipes and other things... their hands can be really dry. Also because they're ill, you don't want to give them lotions that are incredibly scented or scented at all because that might get them to gag and feel even more ill. This will come in handy. If it's a loved one, using this to massage into their hands will be delightful for them. Re-purchase: Absolutely. This is great for the winter time. It's incredibly affordable and works well.

Concannon Wines

Concannon Wines: From the vineyards of California, Concannon offers a wide variety of different wines from Chardonnay to Pinot Noir. They have a line of Conservancy Blends that help protect the land from urbanized development.

Where did I get this from?: I’m a BzzAgent and I got this for free after a mail in rebate. However, for this Pinot Noir that I picked up, I did not use my rebate because I foolishly shredded my receipt as soon as I got home.

Where can you get this from?: Any nearby liquor store. Even the tiny one I got it from had a few selections.

Price: This retails for ~$8.

Review: I'm not regularly a huge fan of wines, but this has really piqued my interested in wines and wine pairing. If I had to pick up a wine, it would usually be white, but the only option for white that the liquor store had, was chardonnay, which I was not feeling. I'm definitely more of a sweet white wine. When I grabbed the Pinot Noir, I was expecting something extremely dry, but I was wrong. This Pinot Noir was very smooth, mild and extremely pleasant. You could drink it on its own, with a meal, or a light snack. If you look up Pinot Noir food pairings, you'll get a list of lots of fish, pasta, beef, gamey meats, chicken, etc. I had mine with salmon sashimi that's diced into small bite-sized pieces. This isn't the salmon you get in frozen packs, you have to buy this fresh from the grocery store and ask your butcher to cut you a slab of the fresh stuff sitting on ice for you. Buy it on sale, and when you remove the skin and cut the slab into bite-sized pieces, you'll want to divide them into small half cup containers and freeze them.

The sauce is what's boss. Take a cup of the Korean red pepper paste, add some Sprite to taste or ground Korean pears (this will make it a little sweeter and mild and also add a new depth of flavor), fresh chopped chives, sesame seeds, enough vinegar to add a slight tangy taste and to liquify the texture a bit. Now take a piece of salmon after it has slightly defrosted and dip it in the sauce and enjoy with your new red!

#concannon #wine #salmon #sauce

Green Giant Veggie Snack

Green Giant Veggie Snack: Green Giant just recently came out with TWO new snacks. One is the Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips with Zesty Cheddar and the other is Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips with Sea Salt.

What did I get?: I got a full size of each!

Where did I get this from?: I'm a BzzAgent and I got these for free. Where can you get this from?: Select grocery stores. Around here I could find them at Cub, but was unsuccessful at trying to locate them at Target stores. If you're using the product locator (http://bit.ly/18a8oQz), type "green giant sweet potato sea salt" or "roasted veggie".

Price: This retails for ~$2.99 for a 5 oz. bag.

Review: The last time I got a veggie invite, it was for veggie burgers and if you keep up on my reviews, you know that it didn't go over so well. So this time, when I was asked to do another veggie review, I was again... hesitant, but optimistic. Boy oh boy am I glad I took this on. I have found my new favorite chip. I would've never thought that something that identifies itself as veggie, could taste so good. My favorite out of the two is the sweet potato chips. These have a light, crunchy texture. The flavor is absolutely amazing that you could easily finish these in one sitting if you don't pay attention. They taste just like if you were to slice sweet potatoes really thinly, sprinkle them with sea salt and bake them. Everybody should try these. If you're going to have a party with 10 people, you should buy a bag for each person because a handful just isn't going to cut it for folks. These are made with real sweet potatoes. (I don't know how you could fake it). 40% less fat than regular potato chips.

I can't say I was a huge fan of the tortilla chips. They weren't flavorful enough for me and the texture of them just didn't fit my expectations. They were a little too thick for my liking. These are made with real vegetables and have 17g of whole grain.

Purchase again?: On a scale from 1-10, 10 being YES, I will absolutely re-purchase. I'm at a 10 and have already re-purchased the sweet potato chips twice.

#green giant #veggiechips #sweet potato #tortilla

Lysol Touch of Foam

Lysol Touch of Foam: So far, this comes in three scents: creamy vanilla orchid, rose & cherry in bloom, and wild berry bliss. It also only comes in one size (8.5 fl oz). It's creamy, very thick and foamy, clings to your hands, moisturizes and kills 99.9% of bacteria on contact. There are also antimicrobials built into the pump to protect all that's coming out.

What did I get?: I got a full size Creamy Vanilla Orchid.

Where did I get this from?: I'm a BzzAgent and I got this for free. Where can you get this from?: Any grocery/drugstore/mass retail store.

Price: This retails for ~$2.50-~$3.30

Review: When I first got this invite, I thought I was in for the Lysol Touch, which is the touch free way of washing your hands. However, I was extremely pleased with this foam version, which is completely different from the "Touch". This comes in a pump and you do have to use pressure to dispense the product. I will never be able to tell you if it worked in killing the germs; I'll leave that up to the science that backs it up from Lysol. However, I can tell you that it does a wonderful job in moisturizing. If you've ever been in those situations where you use the soap and it just dries your hands out even more... you need to switch to something more like this. I'm not saying that you won't need lotion after a while. Whereas the others seem to have a mission to dry out your hands, this tends to help you out with moisturizing them until you can get to the lotion. It smells great too. I would compare it to something like the Bath and Body Works line, but this stuff has the thick foam like a dollop of whip cream. I washed my hands about half and hour ago with this and it still smells great. It's really good at covering up or getting rid of pungent kitchen smells like cilantro...garlic...etc. Okay. Since we're on the topic of Bath and Body Works and this. Let's do a comparison, shall we? The Lysol Touch of Foam has 3 scents and comes in 1 size (8.5 fl oz). If we take the expensive end of the price range @ $3.30, that's about $.39/fl oz. Bath and Body Works has 38 scents and comes in 1 size (8.75 fl oz). The regular price is $5.50 and equates to ~$.63/fl oz. Now... I know what you're saying. Most of the time you go in and come out with duplicates because they have 4 for $15 or 6 for $20. Say you do the 4 for $15, that's still about $.43/fl oz. Then the 6 for $20 is finally ~.38/fl oz. So if you like variety, there's a way around it... you can buy 6 of them and get to about the same price. If you're looking for thick foam, then you're better off with Lysol. Both have moisturizing properties, so it's really a personal preference. The one thing that could really help Lysol is if they come out with refill bags. That way I don't need to worry about tossing away another piece of plastic into the landfills and I can save money on buying the bulk. The price is reasonable in comparison to a specialty store and for even discount/mass retailers. You're typical lilac and freesia softsoap is about $2.99 for 8.5 fl oz. And your Dial foaming white tea handsoap is about $2.99 for 7.5 fl oz. This market is saturated and really ends with people picking a fragrance that they like. I know I don't like to stay with the same hand soap product for life. I like to test different types from time to time within the general price range.

Purchase again?: On a scale from 1-10, 10 being YES, I will absolutely re-purchase. I'm at a 7. If they come out with the refill bags or if I find them, then 9.

#Lysol #TouchofFoam

Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge

Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge: Superfruits (goji berry, kiwi, and passionfruit) to the rescue. This product is meant to hydrate dry hair and infuse the hair with the vitamins and antioxidants from the superfruits without weighing it down.

What did I get?: I got a full size shampoo, conditioner and one minute treatment.

Where did I get this from?: I'm a BzzAgent and I got this set free. Where can you get this from?: Any grocery/drugstore/mass retail store.

Price: This retails for ~$3.99-~$6.99

Review: The shampoo is clear with little air bubbles and blue micro moisture beads. The conditioner and one minute treatment are both white and have a creamy consistency. The conditioner is a little thicker than the treatment. The one minute treatment is to be used twice a week. I've been using maybe once a week. When I started, my hair was as long as you see in the picture above. So there was a lot to try and moisturize, especially in the dry winter weather. Back then, I used more of the treatment and more frequently at the 2x a week rate. Now that it's shoulder length and the weather WAS warming up, I use it less frequently. I noticed a difference right away. My hair went from feeling dead and limp to smooth and revived. It used to feel like it could just break if I tugged on it, and now it feels like it'd bounce back. For the conditioner and one minute treatment, I only use it on the ends of my hair. The roots don't need any further moisturizing because the natural oils in the hair already have a built in moisturizing feature. For the rest of my hair though, it needs a little help because it's farther away from the natural oils. The line also comes with a leave in conditioner. It was not sent to me, so I can't speak to it, but if you find that you start with these three and your hair is still dry, then there's still hope left and you should try the leave in. I can't imagine anybody needing the leave in after this three step process though. It also smells great. If you know the smell of Garnier products, you can imagine what this would smell like because it's from the same family. You can really smell the nice mix of goji berry, kiwi and passion fruit. The scent doesn't linger too long on your hair, but if you try really hard, you can smell it a tad bit. The shampoo has sodium laureth sulfate. As you've probably read in a post from a year ago, I try to stay away from sulfates. They can cause skin irritation and are linked to other health issues. The chemical helps to lather up the shampoo, but I've used products like organix, L'Oreal sulfate free, and aveda products that don't have sulfates and work and lather just as well. These companies aim to provide health and beauty products that do the same work, in natural ways. Because sulfates can damage your hair follicles and even lead to dangers in other parts of the body, I've been conscious about what I use every day for my hair. I know that the skin is our largest organ and what is absorbed into the skin needs to be accounted for. What I may do moving forward, is use sulfate free shampoos and then the one minute treatment from this line, if need be.

Purchase again?: On a scale from 1-10, 10 being YES, I will absolutely re-purchase. I'm at a 2. If it didn't have that sulfate, I'd be at a 10. I'd be more inclined to purchase the one minute treatment.

Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Oil

Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition: This multi-purpose product works on your skin (face and body) and hair. It claims to have no oily residue. Triple Nutrition comes from the olive, avocado, and shea oils. It's also the first multi-use oil to come to the mass market. This can be used on damp or dry hair to moisturize and protect dry hair and improve strength and elasticity. Your skin benefits from the antioxidants and help protect against sun damage.

Where did I get this from?: I'm a BzzAgent and I got this for free. Where can you get this from?: Any grocery/drugstore/mass retail store.

Price: This retails for ~$5.99

Review: I've never used a product like this before, so it was an interesting experience to try something that could work on my hair and skin. In the winter time, I do get dry patches on my face. Especially around the tip of the nose and corners of the mouth, but now that it's been warming up, the problem is less apparent. At the beginning of this campaign, I had dry elbows and used this periodically to soften them up and that did work. I spritzed it and tried it on my hair when it was long and found that it did soften my hair, but I wasn't sold on needing it as a daily hair product. Especially since the scent is not what I had expected. When I first got this product, I expected it to smell fruit, like all of the other Garnier Fructis products. Instead, it was musky and smelled like stale cotton candy and a little like something grandmas would wear as perfume. Because of this reason, I'm not a big fan of wearing this out into the public and feeling that I smell like that. I'd rather use it overnight and let the scent fade. When I had it on my hair though, I did forget that I even spritzed oil on it. It did fade away and there was no oily feeling. I did use this when I was cutting eight inches off my hair. I needed something to gather the stray hairs and to make cutting easier. Wetting my hair with water would make a messy drip, so using this came to mind. It worked like a charm in gathering all hairs and helping me cut my hair, while moisturizing it during the process. That was just great! When I have it on my hands, it feels oily for the first couple minutes, but then once it settles itself into the skin, it feels more like baby oil/mineral oil/dry oil. If it had more of an appealing scent like the fruity smells, it would be a staple in my health and beauty drawer. For now, I will stick to the dozens of lotions I have all over.

Purchase again?: Not until a new formulation/scent is out.

Café Escapes: K-Cup Review

Café Escapes: This brand calls themselves an "anytime indulgence" for K-Cup packs. These are best when brewed with the 8 oz. option on the Keurig. It looks like they have these for all machines—the original types and the Vue.

Where did I get this from?: I'm a BzzAgent and I got this for free. Where can you get this from?: Any grocery and retail store, Keurig.com, CafeEscapes.com, GreenMountainCoffee.com

Price: This retails for $8.49/12 ct, $11.99/16 ct, $17.49/24 ct

Chai Latte: "An extraordinary taste of black tea and exotic spices. Introduced in 2009. Cinnamon and spices with milky sweetness."

Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa: "Milk chocolate creaminess."<---meh. Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa: "Deeply decadent, decidedly dark, definitely delicious."<----- I can't agree with that statement and I'll tell you why in my review section. Cafe Mocha: "A blissful balance of cocoa and coffee"<---also meh

Cafe Vanilla: "A tantalizing cup of the world's favorite flavor. Delicately sweet, surprisingly light."

Cafe Caramel: "Buttery rich, silky smooth, captivatingly caramelly."

Review: I've had this brand of K-Cups before. I bought a box of dark chocolate hot cocoa and hated it because of the fake sugar taste. There was no way around masking that and it was very apparent to me. I was ecstatic when I found two in the box that I would definitely buy again. The Caramel and Vanilla are well worth the money. It's like getting a latte at Starbucks, except for it's cheaper, more convenient, you don't have to change out of your comfy clothes to get a cup, and it's only 70 calories. The descriptions for the vanilla and caramel were spot on. These were nice and creamy with just enough sweetness for me. You DO NOT need to add anything. No sugar and no creamer needed. All you do is pop the K-Cup into the Keurig, hit the 8 oz. button, watch it flow down into the cup, see the slight frothiness form at the top of the cup, and sip. They make it too easy. The best part is you don't need to remember how many scoops of what and what ratio of coffee and water. The machine does it all for you and you get the same cup every time. The others (Chai Latte, Dark and Milk Chocolate Cocoa, and the Cafe Mocha) would be a no go for me. These all tasted too much like fake sugar. What's really interesting is the first ingredient on most of these (including the vanilla and caramel) is sugar and the last ingredient is sucralose. Why do you need both? I would ask the brand to consider taking out sucralose as a whole. I should also mention, that if you have very sensitive taste buds, you'll notice that the dark chocolate hot cocoa is also a little unbalanced and slightly heavier on the salt as well (yes, it has salt in it). So the saltiness mixed with the fake sugar taste really distracts from the entire flavor and experience.

Purchase again?: The only ones I'd ever purchase again are the Caramel and Vanilla ones. The others taste too much like fake sugar for my taste buds.

MorningStar Farms Veggie Burgers

MorningStar Farms: This company offers a wide variety of meatless options for "turkey", "chicken", and "beef" burgers, "chicken" nuggets, "sausage" links, corn dogs, and many more.

Where did I get this from?: I'm a BzzAgent and I got this for free.

Price: This retails for $4.99/10 oz pack (4 burgers).

Griller's Prime Ingredients: TEXTURED VEGETABLE PROTEIN (WHEAT GLUTEN, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, WATER FOR HYDRATION), CORN OIL, SUNFLOWER OIL, EGG WHITES, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF CORNSTARCH, NATURAL FLAVORS FROM NON-MEAT SOURCES, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, SALT, CARAMEL COLOR, ONION POWDER, SPICES, HYDROLYZED VEGETABLE PROTEIN (CORN, WHEAT, AND SOY), GARLIC POWDER, POTATO STARCH, MALTODEXTRIN, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE, SUCCINIC ACID, SUGAR, NONFAT DRY MILK, SOYBEAN OIL, WHEAT FIBER.

Review: Oh where to start. These burgers have ~39% less fat than ground beef, 170 calories per serving, and high in protein. When I first opened the packaged and smelled it, it smelled like dog food. I'm so sorry to say, but it really did. I cooked it up on a grill pan with some beef patties and I think the veggie burgers picked up some of the flavor because these were a little more appetizing. I also microwaved one and tried it and that wasn't as bearable. Although the microwaved version was more so, both were dry, dense, and had a slight cardboard like taste. If you are vegetarian/vegan, you may like these and have a higher tolerance. I on the other hand am very sensitive to the taste of meat and don't share that type of tolerance. It is healthier, but at the same time, I need meat in my diet and don't eat this type of meal frequent enough for it to become a problem. I guess you'll have to weigh your options. It is worth a try though. You'll either come to the conclusion that you can do it, or that you weren't cut out to eat a meatless diet. I will say that browsing the aisles, this option (judging by the photos on the packaging which I know isn't quite fair) was the most appetizing looking.

Purchase again?: I would have to politely decline. This has taught me that I'm not anywhere near being vegetarian and don't wish to explore any further.

#MorningStar #Veggie Burger

Neutrogena Hand Cream

Neutrogena Hand Cream: Repairs dryness, chapping, splitting nails, dry cuticles, scaliness and roughness. This has concentrated glycerin. Glycerin is a humectant and is meant to retain moisture. Comes in both Fragrance Free and Original.

Where did I get this from?: I'm a BzzAgent and I got this for free.

Price: This retails for $4.99/2 oz.

Review: I have this at the office and in my bag and have been using it regularly on my hands and my lips. I've also been applying to dry spots on my face (the corners of my lips and the tip of my nose) and it's worked really well. The texture feels a little strange to me though. At times it feels silky, but then when I touch something, I feel an uneasy friction like there's a thin film on my skin. That's probably just the high concentration of glycerin, but don't say I didn't warn you. Out of the Fragrance Free and Original, I definitely favor the Original. It has a nice light, clean fragrance and is very pleasant. It works well on the lips to safeguard it from chapping. When my lips feel extra chapped, I put a little on before I go to bed and wake up with softer, healed lips.

Because of the glycerin, it prompted me to think if this can be used as an eyeshadow base. Neutrogena has said that they recommend using it on your lips, so if it's save for your lips, perhaps it's save for the lid? The glycerin makes this a good base for eyeshadow to last longer and to make it pop with less application.

Purchase again?: I don't think so. I have a lot of different lotions and have tried one that I like more because of the caramel/vanilla smell, moisturizing properties, and the silky feel.

Stella Artois: The Chalice Review

Stella Artois Chalice: Ah, the chalice. Something you think wouldn't make a difference in drinking your beer, but it does. The long and sturdy stem is perfect for holding your perfectly poured beer without heating it up with your hands. After all, who likes warm beers?

Where did I get this from?: The chalice arrived in a neat box from BzzAgent. Not a piece was missing.

The nine steps to pouring a Stella: Click here to view Stella Artois' nine step ritual.

1) purification: Cleanse the chalice by dunking it in a water bath

2) sacrifice: Pour an oz of Stella from the tap, and discard.

3) liquid alchemy: Pour the Stella at an angle

4) crown: AKA the head forming

5) removal: Remove chalice from tap

6) beheading: Remove excess head with flat knife

7) judgment: The excess head flows down the chalice

8) cleansing: Gently swirling chalice in water bath to remove excess head on chalice

9) bestowal: Presentation of the drink

Review: This chalice is a gem. If you can find it, I would HIGHLY recommend getting them. Heck, if I can find them I'll get a box set because I want others to enjoy it as well. One bottle fits perfectly into the chalice. Usually I pour it at an angle so I don't get so much foaming, but for Stella, I poured it straight down because I've experienced that if I pour at an angle, I would get the Stella head and it ends up being more on the flat side. I left the Stella sitting in the chalice for a couple hours and it was still COLD! I was taking sips every 5 minutes and then after a couple hours decided I couldn't wait any longer and ended the review there. The stem is great in keeping your drink cold. It really works. Drinking Stella out of the bottle was getting old for me, and I'm a frequent Stella drinker. I was quite honestly going to quit buying Stella because it just wasn't the same taste as it is on tap. However, this chalice brings out all of the tap flavor and brings the smooth back. If you're sensitive to that and your taste buds are accustomed to a tap pour, then find the Chalice and it'll get you some of that back. I've also found that this isn't just for Stella. Pour your other brews and you'll be experiencing a whole new level of smooth. The aroma becomes more apparent and the taste is sublime.

#stella #chalice

Redbox Instant by Verizon Review

What is Redbox Instant by Verizon?: Verizon and Redbox have teamed up to create a streaming subscription-based service for movies. They're currently in their beta stage and certain people have gotten "exclusive invites" to try this thing out.

How I stumbled upon it: I'm a BzzAgent and they've asked me to review Redbox Instant and gave me a code to give it a swing.

How much?: $8/month to stream movies + 4 DVD credits.

What platforms: It works on most iPhones and Androids, most iPads and Android tablets, some iPods, and most Windows and Macs. I say MOST because that's what the help section states.

Operating System: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8. Apple OSX Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion

Free Credits?: Each of the 4 credits can be used to rent a DVD MOVIE for one night. This doesn't work on Games, although they're on the Redbox Instant site.

Subscription: Here are a few glances of the top movies by release date that you can stream online with your unlimited Redbox Instant subscription. For $8/month you can get movies that you've never heard of or are mostly already on Netflix already anyways.

At Kiosk: A couple glances of what movies you can reserve or pick up at the kiosks. These are where you'd use the DVD credits if you had any left. Now we're starting to see movies that we've heard of...sort of.

Rent/Buy: An intimate look at renting and buying. It turns out that they give you the option to Rent this particular flick for $4.99, Rent HD for $5.99, Buy for $16.99, Buy HD for $21.99.

Games: You can also reserve games at any Redbox location of your choosing. However, you cannot apply your DVD credits to games.

My Honest Opinion: Well... quite honestly these are snapshots. Why? Because for five days now I haven't been able to complete the sign-up for the trial? Why? Nobody can figure it out at the customer service end at Redbox. I got the run-around the first time, asking me to try back later was the final response. The second run-around was a day later and the response that resulted from that chat was that this issue had been escalated and somebody would get back to me in 72 hours. Well, those 72 hours are creeping up and nobody has gotten back yet, but they've got another half a day left to respond with a solution. I asked a couple times if their site was down and after the second time, the answer was that the site was fine, but there were probably bugs. Since this is a beta site, I've been extremely patient, but so far my thoughts of how well the site functions, Redbox customer service, and what I see for a "variety of options" from Redbox... nothing near impressive. What made this appealing at first, before I got a sneak-peek was that I thought it would have the newest or at least newer movies streaming and that would make it a definite one-up on Netflix. Then I thought, gee if it had streaming TV shows, then it'd be an even bigger bonus. Unfortunately, the newer movies you have to go rent from a Redbox location, and this service only streams movies. Not to mention the movies available for streaming are old on Netflix's list. Even some of the Rent/Buy options on Redbox are streaming on Netflix. So, will I make the switch from Netflix to Redbox? Not a chance. I'll keep Redbox as the occasional splurge for when I want to see a newer movie that I missed at the theaters. This "exclusive" chance nearly gave me a bad taste in my mouth for Redbox, but luckily I know that the stand-alone locations have the system down and offer something unique. I can't say the same for the digital version. Netflix it is.

Update: After 5 days, a rep got back to me and the website was finally working again. He tried to tell me it was because of the card I was using, but trust me, I'd tried multiple cards (including the one that worked that day) and nothing was pushing me to the next stage. After having redbox instant for a few days... I'm still utterly disappointed. I tried to do a stay-in movie date and there were no movies we wanted to watch. Most were out-dated by years. Or they were low-budget flicks that nobody had heard of. If that's your type, then you might've found your fit. But if you're looking to stream blockbusters, keep looking.

#redbox

COVERGIRL blastflipstick Review

About COVERGIRL blastflipstick: These dual ended lipsticks are ultra-blendable. You can take any of the 13 colors offered and blend to create multiple one color shades or two color ombre style. One stick can also take you from daytime, to a more dramatic night time look. Each stick comes with a creamy color on one end and a shimmery color on the other.

How I stumbled upon it: I’m a BzzAgent and these were sent to me FREE by BzzAgent.

How Much?: They retail for ~$8.49

Honest Opinion: I love the colors and the versatility of these sticks. I absolutely love the fact that you can get many many different colors with one stick AND different textures (flat color and shimmer) all in one. I also like the fact that you have control over the type of color payoff. So whether you want a more sheer look or a thicker color pay off, that's all up to you. The color selection is very diverse and are suited for all types of seasons and skin colors. There are light colors, bold colors, dark colors, summery colors. It runs the gamut. I also think that the colors are very unique and multi-dimensional. One in particular is Stunner's shimmery end. If you tilt it in and out of the sunlight, the color value changes. It goes from gold to orange to shimmery goodness. They smell great, with a hint of vanilla. There's only one downside. I need my lipcolor to stay on and not transfer when I'm drinking my coffee/tea/anything else. With this, you will need to re-apply throughout the day and it will effortlessly come off. If COVERGIRL finds a way to make a long-lasting version of these like L'Oreal Infallible, then I will go and buy the entire variety of colors, but as of right now, I don't think I'll be purchasing anymore because I need all of my lipcolor to be non-transferrable.

#covergirl #flipstick #review

COVERGIRL blastflipstick Open Box

How I stumbled upon it: I'm a BzzAgent and these were sent to me FREE by BzzAgent.

How Much?: They retail for ~$8.49

What came in the box:

What's next?: Check out my review blog with swatches of three of the colors and my honest opinion on the product. Coming soon!

#COVERGIRL #flipsticks #open box

Burt's Bees Intense Hydration with Clary Sage

What was in the Open Box?

Tons of samples for night cream & day lotion. Full size cream cleanser, treatment mask, and night cream.

About Burt's Bees Intense Hydration: This line of product moisturizes your skin using Clary Sage which is a plant that thrives in impossible environmental conditions. It's excellent at retaining moisture. Besides hydrating your skin, it's supposed to also minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It is dermatologist-tested and noncomedogenic and is 99% natural. As a company, THESE GUYS ARE GREAT! They live by a great model to protect and preserve the environment in which we all live and in which they produce products like this.

How I stumbled upon it: BzzAgent sent me the box full of samples and full size products. The Cream Cleanser retails for ~$9.99, Day Lotion retails for ~17.99, Eye Cream retails for ~$17.99. Night Cream retails for ~$17.99 and the Treatment Mask retails for ~$17.99.

Progress: Winter here has only just begun. I was hoping for an earlier jump on winter so I could really test this out. When I started, the temperatures were still unusually warm for that time of year so the drying and cracking at the tip of my nose and around the edges of my lips hadn't even begun and still haven't. But then again, maybe there was no chance since I've been using this line. So since there was no cracking and peeling, I moved on to the second one on the list; minimizing appearance of wrinkles. I have a ton on my neck, so I thought, let's see if this thing can at the very least, smooth out my neck.

October 30th, 2012

November 7th, 2012

November 11th, 2012

November 25th, 2012

My Honest Opinion(s): Alright, so after about a month of trying the product, I will say that it works really well in hydration. This is important because it's the biggest claim they're making. The statement about smoothing fine lines and wrinkles... I don't know that it did any smoothing, but that's okay because I think the idea here was that your dry crackly skin will become smooth. OR that they'll prevent your skin from drying. I can attest to both of the last statements. It finally became colder here and for a couple days, the end of my nose was dry and crackly. I used the cream cleanser, night cream, and mask and I only had to suffer two days. Then it cleared up.

Re-purchase: I think this will last me quite a while. After all, I only need it during the winter months and my problem areas are pretty small.

Where to purchase: Any big box retailer.

#burt's bees #clary sage #hydration #progress

Open box of Green Mountain K-Cups from BzzAgent.

For full review, click here: http://thereviewcloud.tumblr.com/post/36016302400/green-mountain-tastes

#green mountain #open box

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