Nature’s Bakery Strawberry Fig Bar Review

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snack time!

I received a Nature’s Bakery Strawberry Fig bar in a recent Popsugar Must Have box. Today, I decided to try it out!

It’s self described as 100% natural, cholesterol free, dairy free, 0g of trans fat, kosher, and non GMO. All of the ingredients are recognizable and easily pronounced.

They’re chewy and taste good. Sweet but not overly. Pretty much exactly like a cereal bar (Nutri-grain or the like) so if you enjoy those, you’d probably enjoy this.

Highlights from the nutrition facts panel:

110 calories, 2.5 g of fat, 35 mg of sodium, 20 g of carbohydrates, 10 g of sugars, and 2 g of protein.

Will I buy this? No. But not because it’s not a fine specimen in the world of cereal bars. I just don’t eat grains most of the time. And when I do eat grains, I’m usually going all out and it’s going to be some sort of dessert. Nomnomnom, dessert. But I would definitely recommend this if it *is* your thing.

Some things I have my eye on

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My latest thing has been YouTube. I have been watching many, many YouTube videos. And very recently, I have been watching many many beauty and make up channels. This has been awesome and inspiring and has made me want to get out my make up and play. It has also made me want to shop, and my budget is not really allowing that. Alas. But here are a few things that I *would* be snatching up if I could.

The first time I fell in love with a perfume was around age 14. One of the ways my friends and I liked to spend our weekends was walking around the local mall. Around this time Elizabeth Taylor’s perfumes seemed to be pretty popular and one of the varieties that existed was Diamonds and Sapphires. I LOVED it. Every week, we’d wander through all the stores, and I’d spray myself with the sample. Eventually, when I was a little older, I got a bottle of it for Christmas. It was discontinued, though I’m told one can maybe still find it through the online discount perfume stores. I had forgotten just how much I loved it. Until the other night when I was walking around Meijer in search of a Wet & Wild eye shadow palette (which I did not find. I think I missed the boat on the after party palette.) and I passed a display of Coach fragrances. Two of the three were labeled fruity florals so I sprayed one on each wrist and went on about my business. Then I actually sniffed them. And one of them smells JUST LIKE DIAMONDS AND SAPPHIRES YOU GUYS. I kept sniffing my wrist and happily sighing. I went back to the display and sprayed myself more times than I’m going to admit to. Wrists, neck, coat. As much as I could with it being a stuck down sample bottle. I wanted to bathe in it and buy it on the spot. But I restrained myself. Because it was $45? I think? Maybe $42. More than I could justify at any rate. But that was fine, because then I found it for much less on Amazon and Sephora, which will make it much more do-able. Perhaps if I have any birthday money to spare. Coach Poppy Flower will be mine.

Moving on to the make up!

Next on the list of pretty new things that I would like to own: Divergent Multi-Piece Collectors Kit

I just watched a video reviewing/swatching everything in this kit. Everything in it looks so pretty! It’s a lot more neutral than I tend to want to buy but there is a lot of shimmer, which I am definitely into.

It includes a bunch of eye shadow, a couple blushes, a highlighter, a bronzer, 4 lip glosses, and a dual ended brush. It’s just under $60 and this is why it will not be coming home with me, much as I would love it.

And finally, Divergent Multi-Piece Collector’s Palette

This is a smaller collection with some more similar mostly neutral colors. Still so pretty! It includes 3 eye shadows, a blush, a bronzer, and a lip gloss and is $32.50 (sadly, still not coming home with me.)

I’s still been on the sample kick and have had a lot of things that I’ve been intending to review. They’re coming. Hopefully. Maybe. We’ll see.

Schick Hydro Silk Review: Silky smooth legs that I wanted to touch all day

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Schick Hydro Silk razor

Lately, I’ve really been on a sample-requesting kick. I like getting mail, and I like trying new things, so this works out really well!

This week, I received a sample Schick Hydro Silk razor and I really looked forward to trying it out. I admit to going way too long between shaves, especially in the cold months. This time it had been 3 or 4 weeks and I was really due. Usually I use Schick disposable 4-blade razors. The Hydro Silk has 5 blades instead of 4, and it’s a more compact unit. The blade cartridge is more narrow and the blades are closer together.

What this ended up meaning is that with my leg hairs as long as they were, it took me longer than it would have usually to get them all done. But the shave was also super super smooth. There also is some sort of moisturizing substance built in that really increases the smoothness of the shave. I had delightfully silky legs all day that I just kept wanting to touch. So this was a definite win!

I think this would be best to use when I’m keeping up on my shaving and only have some stubble to remove. I would definitely purchase more blades for this but I will not be giving up my disposables either. They have always served me well and get the job done faster considering how much I let it go sometimes. This may become my new go-to for maintenance though.

Salted Butter, how did I live without you?

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Ever have things that you thought you didn’t like and then you have them later in life after avoiding them for years and years and you find that, yes, you DO like this thing and how ever did you spend so many years being so so very wrong???

So started my love affair with salted butter.

When I was little, we always had margarine. My best friend had real butter at her house. I did not like it at all. I think it may have been the unsalted variety, though, which I *still* don’t like. So I spent years thinking I just didn’t like real butter at all.

Then several years ago, I had dinner at a friend’s house, and I had *salted* butter with the bread. And I LOVED it. And from that moment, my tastes have completely changed. I don’t care for margarine at all now. It’s edible, if there’s nothing else, but bleah. Not my favorite.

Now, I use salted butter at every opportunity. Even when recipes call for unsalted, I ignore them and use what I like. I’m just glad I was eventually forced to give it a shot! Just imagine how many more years I could have gone! The horror!

Nifty things you can buy at the dollar store!

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I love the dollar store. And I mean the real dollar store where all the items cost a dollar, not the discount stores with the word dollar in their title that really just have stuff that is often cheaper but usually more than a dollar.

Just wanted to be clear on that part!

One of my finds there actually wasn’t my own find but my mother’s. (Thanks!)

In the baby section they have what they call (I believe, and I’m going by memory here since the packaging is long gone) “baby snack cups.” They’re small (probably about 5 oz. or so) plastic bowls with lids that are really useful. They come 5 to a pack, so they’re only about 20 cents each.

  • storage of small amounts of leftovers
  • holding ingredients during meal preparation
  • sending samples of home made flavored vodka home with guests after holiday parties
  • serving ice cream when you don’t want a whole lot (or when you’re telling yourself you don’t want a whole lot)

Pretend I don’t sound slightly out of breath through most of this video. Also, pretend that I didn’t drop the stack of bowls right before making this, which is why the “clean” bowl I’m referring to has a couple crumbs stuck to the bottom of it that it picked up from the not-as-clean counter top. Oops. So I didn’t wipe them down yet! Sorry!

That’s a whole lotta cat hair! – Furminator Review

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I wanted a Furminator for a long time before I actually bought one. They were in the $30ish range and that just seemed like a lot of money for a cat brush.

I do have 5 cats, though, and I had seen videos of them in action (sadly, I don’t have one of those for you here. It would have been too hard to make one and brush Mr. Baby Cat one handed.) They just looked so impressive! I’ve seen the video of someone using it on a big dog at the vet’s office and there are just piles and piles of hair!

So eventually I acquired one and when I actually remember to use it, it really is awesome. I have another comb that gets used some too, but it’s more to keep my one kitty detangled, since he develops clumpy mats in his mane. Poor Muffin! He even had to get shaved last summer. He looked ridiculous. So now I comb him pretty much every day, sometimes multiple times.

When I want to get a lot of extra hair off, though, I go straight for the Furminator. Here’s a video of what you get after just a couple minutes of furmination! And I’ve seen worse!

 

Epilator review

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A couple days ago, I decided I would finally go buy an epilator. I had been thinking about it for a while. Shaving doesn’t tend to agree with most of my parts and waxing is just not in my budget at present. I’ve heard good things about them so I figured, why not?

I picked mine up at Sally Beauty Supply. It’s an emjoi Epi Silk and cost me about $40. I can be used with or without the included cord. I found that I had better luck with it plugged in. Perhaps I didn’t charge it long enough. It definitely seemed to have more power and speed when I had it plugged in.

It comes with the device, instructions, cleaning brush, cord, and a soft drawstring bag to keep it all in.

Good things: It actually does work! I found that I have more hairs than I ever imagined, as it did the job of yanking the little suckers out. My skin is not as irritated afterward as it is after I shave. No raised pus-filled (yum!) pimply looking bumps so far, which is my problem after shaving (bleah!) It is easy to use. It doesn’t seem to be dangerous so far. It is small and portable. It is rechargeable and can be used cordless.

Bad things: Sweet baby Jesus is it unpleasant. When it comes down to it, you are yanking out all of your hairs by the root. It also takes a while. It’s not the fastest process. I think it might be best to split it up over a few days actually. Did I mention that it hurts? Like in an OH MY GOD WHY AM I DOING THIS?? kind of way. It doesn’t seem to have as much power when used without the cord. It’s a little loud.

Summary: Go for it if you can handle the pain and hate shaving. It’s worth a try.

I just went looking at the emjoi website and I think I want this: It’s a fancier, more expensive version! I would totally consider this if it worked as well as it is supposed to. They do have a 30 day, money back guarantee. But I don’t know if that’s a “new-in-package, never bothered to use it” kind of  guarantee, or an “I’ve used this product and I really hate it. Please give me my money back” kind of guarantee.

Too Faced Naturally Naughty for Fall 2009

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Ooh! I get all sorts of things in my email but an email I got today from Too Faced really makes me want to hit up a Sephora sooner than later. It’s too bad that I don’t have one anywhere near me and tend to only go when I’m in Chicago. It might be a while before I make it back.

There are a few things in their Naturally Naughty fall lineup that I would love to check out. Here is a list! I love lists!

Absolutely Invisible Candlelight pressed powder: I like things that are supposed to make me glowy. I know there is a chance that it might not be *good* glowy, which is why I want to try these things out in the store, of course. But in theory, it would be a good thing! It’s supposed to be vitamin and antioxidant enriched and warm and illuminate the skin. Wee!

Primed and Poreless face primer: If this worked, it, too, would be fabulous! I use an eyeshadow primer (Urban Decay’s Primer Potion) and it has made such a huge difference in how my eye makeup wears and lasts. I don’t know how I survived so long without it, actually. So if I could find something for my face that would make me similarly happy, then yay! I’m always looking for things to make my skin prettier and this might be a winner.

Lip of Luxury lipstick: There are a few shades I’d like to try. Like Sex Kitten. Bonus that it’s a “sparkly berry wine” shade which I might actually be able to pull off. Mostly I just want it because of the name. I’d also like to try Drop Dead Red and Cupcake.

Hopefully I’ll get the chance to try these out soon. Anyone tried any of the new products yet? What do you think?

MyChelle Dermaceuticals – Incredible Pumpkin Peel – review

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MyChelle Dermaceuticals – Incredible Pumpkin Peel

Looks, smells, and feels like some sort of sweet and spicy pumpkin dessert. Definitely like something I would eat. Well, maybe not me. I’m not into pumpkin desserts. But if you are, you’d want to eat something that smelled like this!

It says on the jar that it will tingle. It does a little. And it felt just a tiny bit stingy at first on a couple breakout spots. My skin is not happy with me lately. I don’t blame it. I’ve been drinking too much, out in the sun too much, not washing it as obsessively as usual, etc. Shame on me!

The box says to leave it on for 5 minutes and then rinse off. I should have noted when I put it on but I didn’t. I’ll go shower in a few and hope I guessed correctly.

After the first minute or so, the tingling goes away. It’s easy to forget I have anything on.

I’d like to say that my face felt different and glowy after I rinsed it off but it, uh, didn’t. It also didn’t make anything go wrong with my skin so far. So that’s good. And I do feel smooth and not terribly greasy.

All good things!

But, I’d have to say that I don’t notice any immediate effects from using this peel.

Where to buy: MyChelle Dermaceuticals

waffle pan

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Do you like waffles? I like waffles.

Do you like pancakes? I like pancakes!

What if you could combine the two? You can!

There is a stove top waffle pancake pan from Nordic Ware. This griddle has a non-stick surface (for easy clean up) and makes up to 7 3-inch waffle pancakes at a time. They come out as crisp round pancakes, with a waffle top! Perfect for drizzling butter and syrup or even fruit! Mmmm.

I want one of these!