This comes packaged really well! It comes in its own shipping box. Mine came in a bigger Amazon box with other items from an order. So, if you just ordered the palette on its own, I’m not sure how Amazon would ship it. But, inside the Amazon shipping box, there was another brown shipping box with the brands name on it (“Hot Sugar”). It was sealed with tape. Then, when you opened that, it had the palette inside an inflatable air cushion. I don’t see many companies using these, but they are so cool! I feel like it’s the best way to package a palette so it arrives safely. If I had a palette packaged like this and a shade or more came broken, I wouldn’t blame the company at all! I would think the company did as much as they could, more even, but it still happened. Luckily, this palette arrived completely safe, all in one piece, no broken shades. And I believe it had everything to do with how well the company packaged it! I always appreciate companies doing at least the bare minimum to make sure an item arrives undamaged, but it always means a lot when I see a company go above and beyond to make sure an item arrives undamaged. I remember that company did their best to protect my purchase, so I will return to them for future purchases. I don’t mean to ramble on about this! I just had another palette from a different brand that came with not even the bare minimum protecting it and it had a shade broken that got EVERYWHERE! So going from that to this palette being protected so well, it meant a lot! So, i will definitely be happy to buy from this company again just on that alone! Okay, I’m sure you’re sick of me talking about that! Let’s get to the actual palette! 😊

The palette has an outer pink cardboard sleeve. It is made in China. It has ingredients listed on the back, which include talc and mica. There’s a cruelty free logo. I looked up “Hot Sugar” to see if it was in fact cruelty free, but couldn’t find anything one way or the other. The box said the palette was “manufactured for Chongqing Fendai Cosmetics Co., Ltd.,” so I looked that up too and couldn’t find anything one way or the other. So, I can’t guarantee that it’s cruelty free. Just that they have the cruelty free logo on the box.

The outer design on the palette is really interesting! I’ve never had one like this before! It is blue and black animal print. It has a rough feel to the outside. It feels like it’s fake leather possible that it’s made out of. The palette has some weight to it. It feels really well made. Not cheap. It has magnetic closure. There’s a big mirror inside. There was a plastic protective sheet over the shadows.

I did swatches. I did finger swatches on my clean forearm (no primer, lotion, etc.). I did 1 swipe for each one. They were all really soft, smooth, and pigmented. The shimmers are standard shimmers. They aren’t metallics where you get that wet, metallic look. But, they are really pigmented. They pick up very easily with a brush or your finger. They give a nice soft sheen when used dry. If you wet them you get more of a sheen.

Overall, for $19.99 (at the time of writing this review) I think this is great!! The palette itself is very nice! It is really well made. It doesn’t look or feel cheap at all. It has an interesting design on the outside! It’s something different, which I like! The colors are all beautiful. They perform great. They are pigmented, soft, and smooth. They apply nicely on the eyes. They are easy to blend out. They aren’t patchy at all. I’d definitely recommend this!


This review is being written by my Husband.

The Norelco 1050 is my first electric shaver.  I've been using blades since I first started shaving.  I'm now in my mid 40's.  I've now been using this shaver exclusively for the last two weeks.  All-in-all it is pretty good.  Does it give me as close a shave as I got with a blade - no, but it does get pretty close and the advantages I'm about to tell you about make it worth while.

Over the last few years, I swear my whiskers have felt like they were turning into wire.  With the blade it was taking me about 30 minutes in front of a mirror to shave.  I would pull the skin in all kinds of directions and drag the blade over the skin in all kinds of directions.  I got into the habit of shaving using water alone first, followed by dry, followed by an aloe lotion.  By the time I was done with the blade, I had a super close shave.  However, if I was using a new blade, I would frequently have several deep cuts and nicks.  So, I would shave very carefully until the blade was dull.  A dull blade reduced the amount of deep cuts and nicks (but I would still have some to several) but also increased the time required to shave.  Years ago, it would take about a week for the blade to dull enough but, once dull enough, I could use that blade for a month or more before having to switch blades.  Lately, it would take a few days to dull but would only last a few days.  So, getting cut to ribbons much more frequently is what prompted me to try an electric.

The first few days to week with the electric, I was convinced I would be returning it.  During the second week, my attitude changed.  It still took up to 30 minutes to get a shave I was comfortable with.  I still pull my skin in all kind of directions and run the shaver in all kinds of directions just like I did with the blade.  However, as my face has become accustomed to the electric, the time has come down some to around 20 minutes.  I think it may come down a little more as time goes by.  Parts of my face get a shave as close as I got with the blade, especially the mustache zone, under the lower lip, and my cheeks.  My chin gets close.  My neck and the lower jaw (transition from face to neck) are the worst.  However, they are close to what I would get when using a new blade and had to be very careful to prevent gouging my face.

The pleasant items about using the electric include: I have only gotten two small nicks in two weeks.  I only have to spend a minute in front of the mirror to shave around the sideburns (to prevent shaving too high on the cheek) - the rest of the time I can walk around or watch TV.  Cleanup is a snap - pop open the three chambers and rinse with hot water.  The razor burn I had on my right lower jaw bone (which I didn't attribute to razor burn but thought it was a skin condition) is almost gone.

In the first few minutes, the shaver gets the bulk of the whiskers; the remaining time is trying to get a closer shave.  There is a diminishing point of return on time verses close shave which is why I think the shaving time will come down as I decide where that point is.

Since using the electric, my wife said she thinks my face looks better (I think because of the bumps on the right lower jaw bone going away).  She also thinks it feels as smooth as it did with the blade even though I can feel where the whiskers haven't been completely eliminated.

So, end result - not a close as a blade but pretty close with some nice benefits that make it worth continuing to use instead of going back to a blade.


So this is the first time I have ever ordered hair extensions off Amazon. Back in the day when I got my first set of extensions, you pretty much had to get them through a salon. Amazon just sold books back then.

I wanted to try extensions and was excited to see that the cost was fairly reasonable compared to what I was paying 20 some years ago. I thought that the first ones I had were more expensive since they were through the salon and salon has overhead costs, have to pay the stylist etc.

That last statement is only halfway true. There is something to be said for the quality of these extensions as well. At first, out of the box they seem awesome. The color matched amazingly well considering I chose it off the internet. The extensions were shiny, soft, and definitely seemed like human hair. I would braid them at night and take out braids the next day which left a nice wave that matched the texture of my natural hair. I washed them twice a week and used a leave in conditioner. I would also use dry shampoo throughout the week to keep them looking good. Here comes the not so great news...

 I am writing this evaluation after 6 weeks of wear. I would say that these are fine for about 3 weeks, if you don't wash them all the time, keep them braided, brushed etc. After 3 weeks - well.. I hope you like braids!

So at the 3-4 week period the extensions begin to get very frizzy and dry. They will start to hang in strips or chunks. It becomes extremely difficult to run your fingers through them regardless of how much you brush. Even after braiding them at night, they no longer wave. It's extremely noticeable now because my natural hair does have a wave to it. They are like long strips of frizz or maybe carded sheep's wool (if any of you are familiar with sheep?!). I always kept the ends conditioned throughout the day because I was concerned about ratty ends. Well I could add a gallon of conditioner now and it would make no difference really. They just look bad and they look a bit better if I trim it up but then it's only a few days before they're back to being ratty.

So this may sound like a no brainer but you definitely get what you pay for with hair extensions and if you want to know the details as to why there are many videos on YouTube that explain the processes hair goes through before its boxed up and sold to you.

I love the way my hair looked more longer and fuller so next time I will just save up for better quality. Really, in the long run, if you decide you want to keep wearing hair extensions, it's going to cost you more money to buy cheap ones all the time then it would to just invest in a quality set of them.

Lastly I'd like to share my opinion on YouTube and other reviews you find on the internet. There are many reviews out there saying these are great. I've decided that either they are reviewing these right after installation and yes they really are great then. Or, they are being paid by the extension company to say positive things or at least not be totally negative and tell you all this bad stuff about a product.

I should have stuck by the old "you get what you pay for". However, I didn't know if I'd want to do this long term, I figured prices may be lower buying from Amazon vs Salon and it has been 15 or 20 years since I had extensions. They seem more popular now so maybe the price has gone down.

No. No. No. No. None of those assumptions were correct. Quality is definitely reflected in the price so just keep that in mind if you do decide to go with these. Or maybe just imagine how good you'd look with dreadlocks and try that towards the end of their frizzy little life? That's kind of what I ended up doing. I just do a bunch of long braids put em in a ponytail and wah lah now I'm boho, right?


First of all let me start off by saying that between two to three years ago I bought the Oral-B Pulsonic from Amazon and have been using it since. I decided recently to have a change because while the Pulsonic has been great, I wanted something more advanced. Also, the Pulsonic did not do a great job at the back of your teeth, so I wanted something that worked 360. Out of the box you receive the 4000 Brush, Traveler case, a tooth brush head, charger/stand, and an area on the side of the stand (pictured) that you can store extra toothbrush heads. The first thing that I noticed coming from the Pulsonic was how large it was in comparison. The Pulsonic is only on 3/4 of the size of this toothbrush. What a surprise this has been, it feels a lot more comfortable, yet more powerful at the same time. When I say comfortable I mean as in the way it feels in your hand. The Battery Life apparently lasts two weeks (according to the manual) and that is at 2 brushes per day for two minutes. This makes it quite battery efficient, I got about a week out of the Pulsonic at twice a day so this was great to hear. I mentioned earlier that it was hard to brush behind my teeth with the Pulsonic, with this new brush, I do not have that problem at all, this is most likely due to the fact that this brush has a long head and it's really easy, if you want to brush the back of your teeth. This brush also has a red notification light that flashes, if you are brushing your teeth too hard, and it has helped me a lot. With my Pulsonic I could say that I was brushing too hard, because sometimes after brushing I would notice that certain teeth in my mouth, were more sensitive than the others, I noticed this especially when I drank something either really hot or cold.

If there is any cons on this product I will give you two. The first problem is that when you start up the toothbrush it's pretty loud and noticeable. With the Pulsonic when it was on, it was very low volume, I'd say at least half as loud. The second problem, and an issue another reviewer brought up is that there is no LCD screen, despite the fact that it says there is one. This is not a huge issue, because the gray display area is good and gives you all notifications that you would need. Still though, Oral-B has to do something about this it even say on their website that there is an LCD and shows a model on the site (The same exact model actually) with an LCD built in, so there is some type of communication error somewhere. Overall, I highly recommend this brush, especially if you are coming from another brush, first time users, I would also recommend it as it's easy to use and there is a soft mode on this brush so you can start brushing your teeth at a slower speed before moving to the fast speed. This gets a 5 star from me, great product for the money that will last years.

*EDIT: 7/5/12*

Well, it's been two weeks now, and I can confidently tell you that this electric toothbrush was worth every penny. The brush head still looks and feels new, I have noticed a substantial difference in whitening when compared to my Oral-B Pulsonic. The difference I noticed, is that the whitening has been even on both my top and bottom rows of teeth. With the Oral-B Pulsonic, it was only making the front top and front bottom teeth look clean, whereas it was doing a poor job on the sides of my teeth. This toothbrush really is the total package and the best you can do at under $100. I may update again in the future, to let you know how it is all coming along.


What's not to love about this DVD?  You have every type of cardio, from low impact on the floor to high impact on the step.  You also have workout lengths to suit everyone.  You can do a single X10 workout, or mix and match the sections.  When I have the time, I love to workout for at least an hour a day, so I do the 77 minute premix, which includes all the sections.

Workout details:
Step - 26:12
Low Impact -- 24:56
Hi/Lo - 25:58
Cardio Blast - 24:38
Fat Burning Circuit - 28:53

Warm Up - 7:55
Cool down - 5:18

The premixes range from 36 minutes to 77 minutes and include the x10 sections in different combinations.

Here are my impressions of each section:

WARM UP

Pros:
Cathe is a master at warm up movements.  They are just enough to get your muscles warm and the blood flowing.

Cons:
The normal music track (with vocals) was very loud and it was hard to hear Cathe over the music.  This can be remedied by choosing just instrumental or just Cathe's voice. This would be a pain though, because you would have to do this every time you put the DVD in the player.

STEP

Pros:
It's tough! Your heart rate will definitely be up there.

Cons:
My joints didn't care for this section.  I particularly disliked the jumping on and off of the step with 4 risers.  Of course, I don't have to match Cathe's movements.

Cathe doesn't mention any low impact modifications.  I've done step long enough to know modifications, but it would have been helpful for Cathe to mention some.

LOW IMPACT

Pros:
This was my favorite section.  My joints certainly loved this part.  Maybe it's because I'm older and my joints can no longer take high impact.  I like to think it's because I've become better at listening to my body and knowing its limitations.

In spite of the moves being low impact, my heart rate stayed just as elevated during this section as during the other, higher impact sections.

Cons:
None that I can think of.

HI/LO

Pros:
The beat of the music perfectly matched the moves.  This really helps me to give it my all.
I didn't jump nearly as high as Cathe and crew, but my heart rate was up there the whole time.

The music tunes were recognizable to me, even though the words were different.

The Lo section (with weights) was tough!  Cathe uses 8 pound weights, but you can always go heavier or lighter as needed.  Cathe encourages you to use heavier weights once you get stronger.

The unusual moves, e.g. the upright row into a snatch.  It's always fun to do some different weight moves, after all how many ways are there to do a bicep curl?

Cons:
None.

CARDIO BLAST

Pros:
It was at this point in the workout that I started to admire Cathe & crew's purple workout shoes.  This distracted me from the `pain' of the workout.

This section was just as tough as Beachbody's Insanity workouts!

Cons:
Cathe doesn't offer any modifications, so if you need some, you should watch this section before doing it so you can be prepared to do your own lower impact modifications.

FAT BURNING CIRCUIT

Pros:
A true metabolic training workout, mixing cardio with compound move weight training.  Even though I did this section last, I felt a second wind and a burst of energy at this point.

Cons:
None.

NOTE TO SELF:
Do NOT attempt this workout the day after a leg workout like Lean Legs and Abs.  This is what I did the first time I did this workout and I was regretting it.

All in all, a great, fun workout that will get you moving and burning calories


If you're on the fence about these lashes, don't be!
First off, I'm a total newbie at lashes. I'm mediocre at best when it comes to makeup in general (we all start somewhere right?!). I always loved the look of false lashes but would mess up glue on lashes horribly, get mad and give up. I'd spend 15 minutes on one side before giving up and never thought I'd be able to do it. Magnetic lashes are VERY beginner friendly and I feel like learning with these will make glue on ones a LOT easier! I was completely shocked to have both sides done in only 5 minutes! The first time I've EVER successfully put on lashes has been with these magnetic ones. They're absolutely beautiful, soft, and they don't look so horribly fake its obvious. Just look at the difference they make in my photos! I'm wearing the third most dramatic in these pictures, so the third one up from the bottom. They hold up REALLY well too, I've been able to wear them for a full day without even a little bit of lifting or moving. And I have two small kiddos that LOVE grabbing at my face, so something that wouldn't pull off easily was definitely a concern of mine. Much to my surprise, these babies even stayed put during *erm* bedroom shenanigans. They hold up great and come off easy, it doesn't hurt at all! They're very comfortable and lightweight, put then on right and you'll hardly notice them. I forgot I had a pair on yesterday!

The eyeliner is definitely water proof, do NOT skip out on makeup remover when taking it off or you're gonna be scrubbing at your eyes forever, regular soaps and cleansers have not worked for me. Ive had the most luck with actually makeup remover and coconut oil. It's VERY black, probably the blackest eyeliner I own now. Something I'm not a fan of, there's a very obvious iron smell when you're putting it on, that'd be from the iron oxide that makes it magnetic. The smell goes away as it dries, but it's not all that great of a smell lmao. It's also a little goopier and not as runny as I'm used to with liquid eyeliner. It's not so bad you can't get it on easily, but just not quiet as "liquidy" as any other liquid liner I've used and can see this drying out quickly, maybe that's why they send two tubes? If you get any of it on your natural lashes, make a point of cleaning it off before it dries. I had a few magnets trying to stick to my eye lashes instead of my lash line the first attempt because of this.

Make sure you let the eyeliner dry COMPLETELY before putting on any lashes. If you need to readjust the placement and the eyeliner isn't fully dried, it's gonna stick to the lashes when you try to adjust it and then you're back to square one of needing to put on liner first, AND you'll be picking the eyeliner off of the magnets. Cleaning the lashes is easier if you let the eyeliner dry first, there's much less to pick off, if you need to at all. So I'd recommend doing eye makeup as the first step to give the liner adequate time to dry, since lashes are the final step in makeup. Also, the application tool is magnetic too.

The ONLY thing that kinda sucks, there's no better way to store them. The box they come in is it, and while the biz has magnetic strips so you can store then and they'll keep their shape, I wish it was more sturdy than flimsy plastic. Keep the box it comes in if you're worried about storage, the box is better than keeping them out in a flimsy plastic holder. That's my reasoning for the 4 stars, everything is perfect but the storage could be a bit better. I absolutely love that these are reusable, and for the price this is a TOTAL win. My only regret? NOT BUYING THEM SOONER! 💕 I'm definitely gonna come back for a second set of these when these ones have reached their last days!


I've only ever owned this epilator, but in the 4+ months I've had it, I've been pretty happy with it. The epilator itself is very well built, it's very sturdy, I've never had problems with the tweezing mechanisms, and it has a nice, solid feel. I chose this epilator because it was relatively well-reviewed, though I was worried by some of the negative reviews. I wanted to be able to epilate my legs and underarms, and this product performs pretty well. There are a few notes:
The light, this makes all the difference, and I never thought it would. I can see EVERY hair growing out of my legs, even if I'm in a dimly lit room.
The trimmer works fairly well, and it's nice to have a device that is so multifunctional (great for traveling).
Some have complained about the battery, but I've had no problems. Even when I was just starting and took forever trying to get every hair, it lasted till I was done.
The noise is fairly loud and menacing, but it's one of those things you get used to. Roommates may get annoyed though.
I don't have any trouble with ingrown hairs, but some people do, so be mindful of that.
I really wanted the wet/dry capability, but the wetness makes the tweezers slide off the hair, so the hair ends up getting pulled pretty hard but doesn't come out. This feature didn't help me in the least. Also, it's harder to get a good grip on the device when it's wet.

Yes, anything that takes your hair out by the root will hurt, I don't think the best epilator in the world could stop that, so don't ever expect it to feel like a massage. Everyone who is saying the first time is the worst is absolutely right - when I did my underarms the first time, I was seeing spots it hurt so bad. My legs were a little difficult but after awhile it was easy to keep going. I tried the bikini line, but couldn't get more than a few hairs out until it was unbearable. It is a good idea when you're starting to epilate to epilate every few days for a week so that all the 'cycles' of hair can be initially epilated. It got much less painful very quickly each time I'd epilate, though I still can't do the bikini (upsetting because I was planning on completely doing away with razors). Now, legs are no problem, though my underarms still hurt some. Tip: make sure you don't have any deoderant on your underarms when you epilate, it makes the hairs slick and the tweezers don't grip well.

I really love having underarms with no stubble shadow, and they feel much smoother. Even when the hairs grow back, they are tapered, so they are much softer than shaving stubble which would irritate my skin. Similarly with the legs, tapered hairs are much less visible than blunt ones, and I do think it is growing back slightly more sparsely (I've heard with routine use, you can stop a lot of growth permanently).

I also had the same issues with 1) never getting a just-shaven smoothness 2) the finer hairs do break - these are best to attack with the slower mode, which is easier on the hair 3) the hair grows back faster than I expected. I have a fair complexion with fine hair, and my hair doesn't grow particularly fast. I have to epilate my arms once a week, and my legs every other at best, so 4-6 weeks is a pretty blatant lie.

So, I'll give it four stars because it does as good a job as any epilator could, most my complaints have to do with epilating in general. One star penalty for misleading description and useless wet/dry feature.


Some of the most incredible stuff I have ever come by in my life! And this is why,....  FYI, I am from the Caribbean and we have a very great aloe vera, and I am not a stranger to this stuff! Anyway, I originally bought this due to the fact that I suffer from acne, and breakouts and redness and blemishes, lots of irritation due to the fact that I have extremely sensitive skin.  I was very careful, and read that one person used this on their acne and it really did help. I went on a whim, because I have literally spent about $200 in products because I had broken out for two months!  And after the break out, the redness and irritation would not go away… This  rarely ever happens to me for this long, if it does it happens due to stress and only for a short time. I won't have to use any products either, I just use proactive. But not even that was working! I didn't know what to do 😭 I even bought a facial steamer in which I would literally cleanse my face every few hours with just to open my pores and get the oil out, it would get better but then get irritated and red again.  That was the only thing that was helping so far! I do highly suggest buying one of those, they are extremely inexpensive, especially if you suffer from anything that I mention… Even if you don't suffer from it and just like to get a good cleanse, It was extraordinary. Then I came along this product! I just got it and as soon as I did, I quickly opened it and sprayed it on my skin to get a feel for the consistency. I do suffer from  sensitive but dry and oily skin, combinations. The worst… Anyway I remembered I had just cut myself, an actual legitimate cut from the knife that I had opened twice that day on my pinky and on my  Palm. I  sprayed the aloe vera on the cuts and it didn't sting too much but I knew that if did it and it was getting in there, it's not a bad thing. Not two minutes later did I already see results! And I'm not exaggerating either! (It really, really has to make a difference for me to actually go out of my way and  write a review about it, I must've bought 10,000 things and this is the only thing I have ever written for) The cut already looked more closed up, less pronounced, and the redness was already  lessening as well. I hit my pinky various times because I'm very clumsy and it never even opened up again! That's how I opened it up in the first place. I am so pleased, I am grateful. … I already put it on my face, and I was  definitely not expecting to see results this quickly either! The redness has already gone down and my skin feels so hydrated. It was becoming Incredibly dehydrated, then oily 😤  Now it just feels even, Way more balanced already. And it's not a cream! Hallelujah, that's the best part about it, and it dries so quickly.  Because I don't have to use so many products to go back and forth, and just flip-flop which is so unhealthy.  This stuff is mighty incredible, and I will keep buying only, And only from this company, and this product. Everything else I have bought has triggered my skin in the gnarliest in the worst ways possible, And they are very healthy because I have tried everything under the sun. Sometimes you just don't know what goes on… Not even my proactive worked  which I have been using for the past 10 years. I hope  this was thorough and helpful, I'm sure it will help for everything and anything in the world if it will help for the most sensitive things, especially the skin on your face. And it also helped for a very deep cut instantaneously, incredible stuff 5 stars


I had a HoMedics foot spa that I bought from a big box drugstore when I had a foot infection three years ago. It broke after 3 uses. But I liked it, and wanted to replace it with one that was more robustly built, had a reliable water heater, and came with good foot massage tools.
After a lot of research, I settled on the LuxorWare Foot Spa Massager. I've used it a dozen times (my husband has used it, too), and I'm so happy I bought it! Here are the reasons I love it:
• It is heavy and well built. The plastic seems thick and strong, and it seems pretty well constructed, especially the foot massage tools.
• The tub is deep. When you fill it to the maximum fill line, it comes up a few inches above the ankle.
• The water heater is excellent, going from 86 degrees F to 115+ degrees F (I haven't maxed out on the heat, as 103–105 degrees F is super warm). And the heat stays where you set it without variation unless you dial it up or down.
• The timer goes in 10-minute increments and beeps at you when you have 5 minutes left, so you can put down your book and get your towel ready. A nice feature I wasn't looking for, but am glad is there.
• The water, while not swirling or bubbling briskly, does move enough for me, and comes from enough directions to work on the entire foot.
• I use scented Epsom salts in it, and they work fine. Every other time I use the unit, I put a couple of inches of hot water with a tiny bit of dish detergent, insert a pair of foot massager tools, and turn the motor on briefly to get the lightly sudsed water to run through all the openings (the buttons on top of the unit operate different squirting gizmos). I follow this with a freshwater rinse and the unit is clean again.
•Best thing: There are 2 sets of foot massaging tools, that pop in and out easily (I've only changed them with an empty unit before I fill it, so I don't know whether they can be changed with water in the tub.) They both work well and are vigorous enough to really stimulate and massage my feet. I like the vigorous massage, but if you just want a gentle massage, you can simply rest your feet on the devices and they'll feel very mild and gentle.
Here are the cons, though in my opinion the plusses far outweigh them:
– The casters are small and don't roll easily, especially on a rug. I have to use the handle and pull the unit along carefully by the rim to scoot it across the floor. It's not that it feels heavy (though it is, so tall and full of water); it's just awkward to shuffle it along.
– Because it's so tall, it holds a lot of water, and I need a bit of strength to heft it up onto the edge of the bathtub to empty it. The drain spout is down at the bottom of the unit, which makes sense, but you have to get the unit high enough to actually drain the water out into some receptacle, which would have to be so low to the ground that it would be difficult to get all the water out efficiently. So I do make the effort to lift the whole unit up on the bathtub edge and dump it in (pouring over the non-motor edge!).
– This one I learned the hard way: The handle is only for PULLING the unit gently across the floor. Not for lifting it! When the unit has water to the max fill line, the handle does not lift the load from the middle and actually TIPS the water out the front (onto the rug or floor). So just use the handle for a guide, not to lift.
Bottom line: I would definitely recommend this product and would buy it again.


I've been ripping out hair versus shaving since they first invented the Epilady and am now on my 4th hair removal appliance.  For those that are wondering how or why they die, it's not that they stop functioning altogether but rather one will notice/hear a visible motor/rotating slow down during periods of regular/extended use.  In researching what was currently available, I'm upgrading from the Braun Silk Epil Eversoft Model #5316 (yellow and gray case) to the Braun Se 3170 Silk Epil 3 (pink & white case) specifically because it is Braun's latest model with a cord.  Unless one removes her (or his) hair over a multiple day period, a 40 minute rechargeable battery isn't going to cut it for the "all hair at once" period and/or for perfectionists.

There is no body area I can't use it on now -- legs, underarms, upper lip, and even extreme bikini (we're talking "Brazilian" girls!).  I've long since quit using the massage guard and opt for the fastest/closest pull there is.  To be totally fair to newbies, no, I didn't get here overnight.  And, no, it will never be totally discomfort free (one IS still pulling out a hair by its root). However, even the 2nd time will be light years easier than the first.  One is pulling out fewer hairs and they truly, honestly, I swear, cross my heart . . . grow back finer.

Pointers for the first time user: shave first and allow a noticeable stubble regrowth (2 to 3 days worth).  The hair is then both upright and long enough to successfully, easily remove.  Use baby powder/talcum powder to keep the area you're working on dry and the Silk Epil will glide across the skin and target only your hair.  As weird as this sounds, the skin nerves actually start to grow numb from the constant hair-pulling so if the first pass in a sensitive area has you seeing stars -- the subsequent passes will honestly get easier.  Move into a more sensitive area gradually on the slower speed (pulling fewer hairs per second) until you feel comfortable or rather numb enough to make a sweeping pass on high speed.  Personally, I then shave the same area afterwards (in the shower or bath) to smooth/level the hairs that were too short to pull and my legs are literally as smooth as glass for up to several days afterwards.  In my case, this whole process needs to be done roughly every 10 days -- from a visible perspective, I could actually go longer but I do it based on wanting a smooth feeling versus hairless appearance.

If you don't have the time to start with stubble, trim the hair to a roughly 1/4 inch length -- just as they'll do for a bikini line waxing.  If the hair is too long, it'll be more prone to breakage versus removal, and it's also more painful.

As for the upper lip, I'd like to tell you that area gets easier over time, but it's just not the case.  I just suck it up and take it like a woman!

A newbie may also experience some skin tenderness/bruising afterwards but it'll quickly fade in 24 to 48 hours.

Good luck, ladies (and gents)!

PS: Another tip for newbies: Pull the skin taunt/smooth where it's loser (as in the underarm area, around the bikini line, and on the upper lip) to decrease discomfort and prevent accidental skin pinching.  The easiest way to do one's knees is to bend the leg -- the entire knee area becomes smooth.  Conversely, straighten the leg to do the area behind the knee.

For those who become nervous at the site of blood, a newbie may also experience a hair root removal (1 or 2 spots here or there especially in sensitive areas) drawing some blood.  Some roots, the first time around, are well anchored.  The hair then starts to grow back thinner and finer over time making it far easier to remove.


The "Drop the Bomb" BBOSONG Suns stick uses one of THEE best UVA/UVB sunscreen ingredients on the planet: "Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine"! Say that 5 times fast. Or once. lol. It is a broad spectrum, highly photo stable, chemical sunscreen. Chemical sunscreens mean that they absorb rays and disperse as heat before they can reach skin and do damage. The SPF rating of 50+ and PA++++ means that it offers the highest amount of protection that a sunscreen can offer.

Korean skin care, particularly sunscreens, can use super effective ingredients that products made in (or for) USA can not have because the governing bodies have not approved it. It is not because they are unsafe, but because there is a significant amount of bureaucracy involved. No new sunscreen ingredients have been approved in the USA in over 15 years, sad since there are so many wonderful innovations in the rest of the world. We lag greatly behind. Fortunately, we can still buy these products.

The other sunscreen used in this product is, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate (Octinoxate)- a less stellar chemical sunscreen that has mixed thoughts on its efficacy, safety, and desirability. It protects only against UVB rays and breaks down when exposed to light (10% per 30-40 minutes). However, when combined with another broad spectrum sunscreen, it compliments it very well.

The third sunscreen component is, Octocrylene.  Screens out the UVB and somewhat in the UVA II range. It is quite photostable (loses 10% of SPF protection in 95 mins) and is often used to stabilize other photo-unstable UV-filters (octinoxate) It is also often used to improve the water resistance of the products.

As for all the other ingredients- primarily stabilizers, viscosity controlling ingredients, hardeners-- basically all ingredients that make it a STICK than can glide onto the skin. It is formulated to melt into the skin on contact, and yet absorb thoroughly. Basically, you won't even know it is there.

And like so many other Korean skin care items, there are ingredients that go above and beyond the basic sunscreen-- included are skin loving ingredients (emollients, skin conditioners, soothers) such as Japanese knotweed, water lily, gotu kola (centella asiatica), camellia japonica, Lespedeza Capitata Extract (anti inflammatory), scutellaria (ie scullcap/mint), green tea, licorice, rosemary, chamomile

Has a super mild scent- clean, fresh almost like a deodorant, but subtle.

Happens to be a in a container that reminds me of deodorant. Super small, cute. Stick in a pocket or purse. I happen to love using it on my hands. I am in my 40s, and while I have been using SPF most of my life on my face, I figured it was high time to remember to put some on my hands. I like keeping this in my purse or my car, and applying it when I go to drive. That seems to be the time that my hands are most consistently exposed to the sun. Figure, hands on the steering wheel and in front of a big window. So yeh, this is perfect for that.

I have no problem using this on my face.  Doesn't grab skin when used over a moisturizer. If need be can be applied/emulsified in palms then patted on. I prefer it as my "reapply" SPF rather than my first application product (I am used to a cream style). When I do apply it to my face, I always run it over my lips. It is very silky, doesnt have a sunscreen flavor or feel, and it is adding much needed hydration and protection from the sun.

 Again, I am in my 40s.. clear fair skin but with Rosacea (non acne- just redness and visible veins). Leans dry. Loves Korean skin care.

This is so clear, so clean feeling, and so incredibly light that I wish I could show you how it doesn't even feel like anything is on. Not greasy, not even dewy. My skin feels bare.

If I have any complaints, it is the use of fragrance. While it smells nice and doesn't really linger.. it would not make a top choice for use on my face. I do however like it for everywhere else and rather enjoy the light scent before it dissipates fully.

Even so, it is a really good product, so far. If I experience anything else, I will be back to say so.

For all the other ingredients, the each rate 1-2 (very low in terms of hazard to self or environment) on EWG Skin Deep Database.


got 2 dys ago and think its working!  left eye I squish swhile sleeping so a perm wrinkle that can unwruinkle using frownies over night as example..i used this 2 x daily per instructions AND left eye wrinkle that's so so deep you can feel it , was NOT THERE next morning!

I also use INCREDIBLE MUST Have  AHA soufflé 15% aha cream bought on skin rx dot com , not expensive AND its peptide cell turnover expediter cream  too,  that doesn't give acne  but helps it dry up,  and i will NOT be without ,

They are in jars and GIVE NO SHINE but face is SOFT AS BABY SKIN , each day lines around mouth from nose on right side shows never left side of mouth  is noticeable lessened.

I don't have obvious lines wrinkles  Except left eye i sleep and squish all night by left side sleeping.

I use now Frownies at night too  , after products are soaked in by skin hours later..
  . and that is TRULY been like a Magic eraser taking away that deep left line on one eye,

Right eye has no wrinkles until i smile as normal you get some, BUT these have minimized forehead lines i used to get Botox for

GOT TO TRY IT, wont break u out.

AND try red white tube of AHA SOUFLE offered on here perhaps.... but def on skin care rx dot com .

Im in love and use All  2x daily,  skin eats it up

Some small peeling if you rub face hard with wash cloth only, otherwise the jar of skin turnover accelerator helps take excess old skin away .

That too is offered in skin care rx in white jars .

No burning BUT my skin has had laser surfacing so ive built up to these levels and even use home gylcolic peels from skin store rx dot com , starts at 15% peels and goes to 50% for expereinced users.
n i
My plastic surgeon first meeting i asked to guess my age and he said 10 yrs younger exactly than i am, im 46!

And that was before Botox , just by usign home glycolic acid peels weekly .

NoW i have found my  Personal Tried and PROVEN ARSENAL that works , in tandum and wont change it at all.

NO MORE TRYING AND FAILING, losing money on  Drug store products That DONT DELIVER RESULTS

ALL i mentioned  here.. you do SEE IMMED RESULTS in softening of lines and healing of spots,

Acne if you have and  re building collagen with its Hyaluronic acid and peptides in your body naturally,

that cause wrinkles to un wrinkle ,

THESE ADD lost natural collagen and Hyaluronic acid and peptides back in , and are SERUMS so they  go deeper in dermis and puff out the wrinkles .

i cant WAIT each AM to look in MIRROR TO SEE the changes happening!!!

i am blown away day by  day , ONGOING COTNINUED REUSLTS!!

If results are  important and dont want to waste money, then TRY these and as I have done I have  at last  STOPPED trying each so called NEW THING from AVON Etc w out results and have after 2 yrs sof home BUY AND TRY, found my  FAE SAVING for yothfulness and all issues faced as entering mid to late 30s ,  40s and  higher.

PS
 I went on plastic surgeons site to see products they write scripts for and found its OBAGI was predominant for wrinkles!

The strengths  they sold for home use ,  i found safe to use on your own , and they wouldn't sell without DR HIGH HIGH  strengths OC if a DR needed to apply, so I felt safe in knowing that from experience.

Enough real power to make results noticable

I found them on AMAZON at better PRICE AND WILL NEVER STOP USING

I WILL THROW A OTHER creams away  EXCEPT my NEW found RED white tube of 15% AHA another acid
  with peptides copper  etc ive used it over a week .

Each day im amazed the noticeable lasting scar fading,  all over skin firming !  and evening  skin tone too !, its made to do that as well as take away wrinkles, IT WORKS SO WELL, im in luv luv with the RESULTS !

GET THEM ALL

Treat your self and stop the Guess work,  im 46  and know used to get Botox every 4 mos , with these IVE NOT HAD BOTOX OVER 15 months !!

NOW that screams RESULTS !


-I’ve used lots of their products…and I always got compliments, but the final straw was their deplorable customer service. I figure if this is how I’m treated, then they most-assuredly treat all the other paying customers in the same exact manner. They wanted my opinion (not kidding – they really asked) so not only did I respond honestly, but I asked a question. Asked repeatedly. Rather than professionally answer my question, effectively teaching one customer at a time - waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting, continuing to ask. Ha, they tried to give me free products, and I refused them. I Just. Wanted. An. Answer - and not to be ‘bought off’, thinking that they were hiding behind emails, with no individual names, but ‘Team’ this and Team that. This may be a plausible solution for some, but not me. What an unequivocally repulsive way to treat a faithful and paying customer.

-I’m not sure what changed, but Lisa Crary (CEO and owner) used to care. Used to have great staff. Used to respond to questions. But certainly not now. The products are acceptable enough, but expensive, purchasing from retailers (I grew sick of the ridiculous price mark-up) as well as directly from Sanitas. Even directly from the manufacturer, still pricy, but shipping was too inconsistent.

-I’ve used FIVE cleansers (Glycolic Citrus, Enzyme Foaming, Milk & Honey, Lemon Crème Scrub, Lemon Crème Cleanser) seven types of treatment products (Brightening Peel Pads, Glyco Solution, PeptiDerm Eye, Essential Eye Essence, Hyaluronic Concentrate and the Serum, AHA kit, Retinol Peeling Crème, RejuvenA) three moisturizers (Topical C, Antioxident moisturizer, Vitamin C moisturizer) and three types of masks (Cranberry Lactic, Papaya Pineapple, Pumpkin Enzyme). Also, a few of the body products (Redensifying Lip Complex, Hydrating Sugar scrub, Brightening Hand cream, Foot Repair) and serums (Vita Rich, Vita C) just to try. The body stuff I positively hated, but I tried them none-the-less, since I *was a loyal customer. That’s just from memory, and there’s likely more. Oh, and their sunscreen. No one could tell me when it would be available again. The Moisture Mist too.

-Pppfffttt, the money I have spent with that line of skin care. The super weird expiration code nearly drove me nuts, but I finally deciphered it with lots of research and phone calls over time. Some of the numbers don’t mean anything, but the letters are the most crucial – indicating the year produced.
-To refrain from giving Sanitas any more of my money, I purchased online from that *huge retailer that starts with an a, that always ships so quickly – and got a few expired products. Good thing the return policy is incredibly stellar, however my time was still wasted. Well, I admit that’s on me.

-The packaging is nothing short of a nightmare, trying to get all the product out of the container being impossible, equaling a waste of money. Some of these products are in a pump style, in which case not all of the pumps even function. Of course, I called… they just didn’t care. I wish I’d save pictures, but anger forced me to toss it.

-Get this! Some of the spas, dermatologists, and estheticians that carry the Sanitas line will *sell to customers the free products given to them by the manufacturer to further promote their line. The audacity of such is so incredibly offensive, and Sanitas should have removed their products from those retailers – but they didn’t do anything of the kind, because they didn’t care. I can easily say I’m over them, and others should be very cautious.

-*Maybe what I have read on ‘job sites’ (where employees give their personal opinions about their employers, working conditions, work to life balance, management, wages, etc.) is unquestionably true, but it definitely can’t be good for the quality of products. *Maybe that’s the reason for the change. Whatever is the reason, I’ll never *ever use that skincare line again…

…and instead switched to a skin care line from the Far East. Don’t waste your time and money. Know this - there’s better products out there.


A NEW VERSION

I recently picked up the new edition of Oz Pearlman's Born to Perform Card Magic DVD, which was released in 2013.  I was curious how it compared with the original DVD that was released in 2003, and in this review I'll summarize what the differences are, and what the contents of the new edition include.

I bought my DVD of the 2013 version directly from the creator, Penguin Magic, but it's also available elsewhere online including at some retailers and sometimes on Amazon.  The nice thing is that in addition to sending you the DVD of the new edition, Penguin Magic also gives you access to  a digital download of both the 2003 version and the 2013 version, so you get the best of both worlds.  Both videos are videos in *.mp4 format, with the 2003 video being 753 MB in size, and the 2013 video being 1.43 GB in size.

LENGTH

The new edition is billed as an updated/expanded version, and that's clearly evident when you compare the length of the two videos:
2003 version: 1 hour 44 minutes
2013 version: 3 hours 48 minutes

DIFFERENCES

So what's the difference exactly?  Well for starters, Oz himself is now 10 years older, and has a lot more professional experience under his belt.  He has a new look and even a new smile.  Everything has been re-filmed and the explanations have been re-done from scratch.  Most of the content covers the same material, but not exactly - I'll mention what exactly those differences are in the next section.

CONTENT ON THE ORIGINAL 2003 EDITION ONLY

Not everything that was in the 2003 edition of the DVD is found in the 2013 edition, and several sections from the original have vanished.  These are the following:
a) Controls: - Classic Pass; - Hindu Shuffle Pass; - One Handed Top Palm; - Elmsley Count
b) Forces: - Riffle Force

CONTENT ON THE NEW 2003 EDITION ONLY

The new edition is about twice as long, and that's because some of the explanations are more detailed and elaborate, but also because it has some new material. Here's a list of all the new topics:
a) Controls: - Gamblers Cop; - False Overhand Shuffle
b) Forces: - Dribble Force; - Spread Cull Force
c) Flourishes: - Swivel Change
d) Routines: - Slop Shuffle; - Card to Mouth; - Blossom Production

COMPARISON

It's a pity to see some material from the original version left out in the new version, especially the Riffle Force (given its popularity), and the Elmsley Count (given that it is used in so many tricks).  I'm also curious why a decision was made to eliminate the Pass, although this is a more advanced move that is typically beyond the scope of beginners, and perhaps that's why it was removed.  If material was going to be added, the Glide would have been an obvious addition as a fairly basic sleight, so I'm surprised that this continues to be an omission from what is intended to be a good introduction to fundamentals.

But the additional elements are very solid, and the increased number of routines in the new version will especially be welcome to many people.  What I like most, however, is the fact that the sleights and moves are taught in a little more detail, and I think the more elaborate explanations here are very helpful.

Oz himself appears to have lost some of his youthful innocence, and comes across a little more brash and almost over-confident.  I'm still not quite sure what to make of his new business suit attired persona, or whether I prefer the younger Oz.  But he is still an excellent teacher, and that's really what this video is all about.  It's always been an excellent choice for relative beginners looking to get a good handle on the fundamentals of card magic, and overall this enhanced version only makes a good thing even better.

RECOMMENDATION

Oz Pearlman's "Born to Perform Card Magic" DVD has always been applauded for being a great introduction to the fundamentals of card magic, and one of the better entries in this genre.  The updated and expanded 2013 edition takes something that is a proven success, and expands it for a new audience that may not be familiar with the original.  It still deserves to be one of the top recommendations for new magicians, and continues to be an excellent starting point to give beginners a good head-start with their card magic.

- BoardGameGeek reviewer EndersGame


Pure Rosehip Seed Oil Certified Organic Large 4 Ounce Bottle (120 Ml) By Jarosa Beauty - Cold Pressed, Virgin & Unrefined, Carrier, Face & Hair Oil - No Fillers or Fragranc

Jarosa Beauty Organic Rosehip Seed Oil is a super-oil is a staple in every skin care routine and also has many other uses. It deeply moisturizes to create a youthful glow. Used by beauty experts around the world it is now available to you directly from nature, pure and unrefined. This is certified organic by Eco Cert ICO which has the HIGHEST STANDARDS in the cosmetic industry for certified organic. Jarosa Beauty's oil is synthetic free of anything unnatural or harsh, including pesticides, herbicides, dyes, parabens, gmos, or fragrances. This is the ingredient that big cosmetics companies put in their products and charge hundreds of dollars for, for a fraction of the cost and with none of the fillers.

Natural Skin-Care Remedy Works for Multiple Skin Care Issues. All Natural & Certified Organic.
Do you want brighter more brilliant skin? Have you experienced any of the following problems?
Dry, Flaky, or Itchy Skin', Large Pores, Extremely Dry Skin, Scars', Stretch Marks', Dry & Damaged hair
The Benefits of Jarosa's Rosehip Seed Oil are Numerous and Include: Hydrates & Restores Flaky, Dry and Itchy Skin', Reduces the Appearance of Scars, Age Spots & Stretch Marks, Minimizes Fine Lines & Wrinkles, Reduces Inflammation from Red Itchy Skin', Reduces the Effects Sun damage
Comes in a dark amber glass bottle to protect the integrity of the oil from light exposure. It is also also provided with a pump top to prevent exposure to the air caused by repeatedly opening the bottle to remove a dropper

Indications
To REJUVENATE and BRIGHTEN Skin, giving it a soft youthful glow To balance the skins oils, preventing acne and breakouts. To minimize the appearance of WRINKLES, AGE SPOTS, STRETCH MARKS, and DISCOLORATION by restoring elasticity to skin, deeply moisturizing, and nourishing to promote healing. To deeply moisturize dry, damaged skin and problem areas like feet, heels, elbows, and hands. To Treat and soften BRITTLE NAILS and hard cuticles Repairing dry, fragile LIPS As a powerful Carrier Oil essential oils such as Bergamot, Clary Sage, Cinnamon Leaf, Eucalyptus, Grapefruit, Lavender, Lemon, Lime, Patchouli, Peppermint, Rosemary, Spearmint, Sweet Orange , Tea Tree Sage, Geranium, Bulgarian Rose, Carrot Seed, Black Pepper, Frankincense, Myrrh, Thieves, Basil & Oregano

Ingredients
Ingredients: Pure Cold-Pressed Virgin ORGANIC ROSEHIP SEED OIL (Rosa Canina). Our oil is extracted from the seeds of the rose bush. Because it is cold pressed and pure, it is rich in vitamins A & C and essential fatty acids needed to maintain beautiful skin. It's scent is strongly of vitamins and earthy.

Directions
FOR EXTERNAL USE ONLY Great for all skin types. Apply to wrinkles and aged skin and to prevent the onset of symptoms for aging skin. Our oil is a reddish orange hue, which occurs naturally in the oil. Apply directly to the skin; the color does not stay. Do not apply to open wounds, but may apply over scabs to aid in healing and reduce scars. FACE: Use 2-3 drops after cleansing skin in the morning, allowing time to absorb before applying makeup. At night, apply liberally to face and neck after cleansing and allow to absorb for 20 minutes before bed, so the oil can revitalize and rejuvenate the skin through the night. BODY: Apply liberally to problem areas such as hands, feet, elbows, heels and knees to soften and smooth. You may cup in your hand and add a drop of your favorite essential oil. Apply directly to stretch marks and old scars. Has been known to aid in diminishing the appearance of stretch marks, scars, and age spots. OTHER USES: Add a boost of 3-6 pumps to your lotion, shampoo, conditioner, or other skin care product to improve the results.

This particular oil I like because it's a lightweight oil with no other ingredients. There's no strong fragrance and it absorbs easily into the skin. I also use it on my dry frizzy hair and it works so awesome on my hair too! If you would like an all natural product to help with anti-aging, sun damaged skin and help with scars then I highly recommend you use this oil.


Here's the deal:  My husband has the driest, flakiest feet ever! Honestly, It's so bad that I have to vacuum in front of his chair nearly every day because he sits watching TV and picking pieces of dried skin off his feet. Gross, isn't it?  ANYWAY...Nearly every night I rub his feet with Cerave Moisture Cream (probably the best moisturizer ever created without the high price that goes hand in hand with advertising hype)....As I was saying, I rub his feet and they are still dry, rough flaky and horrible. I bought this thing after seeing an advertisement on TV for another brand that is much more expensive than this one is. This one had a pretty good "star" rating, so I gave it  shot.
When our newest toy got here, we were anxious to try it, so I opened the box and read the directions, which basically do not tell you a darned thing about how to use it. The simple act of installing batteries took both of us to accomplish.  The "instructions" show a diagram of a product that is not what you are holding in your hand. It is similar, but looking at the drawing, and then looking at what is in your hand confused my brain.
When I finally figured out how to open the battery compartment, and stuck the first battery in, I realized that I had stuck it in up side down. Normally this isn't a big deal, you just turn the thing over, remove the battery and proceed...Not with this thing. It took hold of the battery and it did not want to give it back.  I finally handed it to my husband and asked him if he had the finger strength required to remove the battery. Fortunately he did.  I corrected the battery situation, installed two batteries and put the cover back on to the bottom of the gizmo handle, flipped the switch and.....Nothing.  I Pulled the bottom from the handle and exposed the batteries once more. This time I gave them a rather forceful push into the battery compartment, and replaced the cover...IT WORKED!
I only ran the thing lightly on my one foot for a few minutes to see how it feels. It tickles. and it burns a bit too. My heel feels a bit warm, even now, but it is most definitely smoother than it was before I figured out how to work the thing.
So far, I think we may like it. I know it will do more for my feet than for Mr. Scaleyfoot, but that is to be expected.  Its a little gadget and his feet are a big task. I am not expecting miracles, just hopefully fewer scales left on the floor.
SO why only three stars, you may ask...Well...the Smoothest Feet Electronic Callus Remover would be worthy of more stars if they actually made replacement heads for their product. They don't. I wrote to the company and asked. What I was told is that there are no replacement rollers for this product, but they are "working on it".  What this means is, that once the original buffer wheel is worn clean, and you have done the same with the single spare that comes packaged with your device, well, you are out of luck.
Bottom line is, it doesn't matter how well a product works fresh from the box. What matters is how much use you will be ale t get from it...and in the case of this Smoothest Feet Electronic Callus Remover, the answer is "not nearly as long as you would expect...This gadget has five star potential, with one star projected serviceability....and that is sad.

4/28/2014 UPDATE
I just got an e-mail from the company that makes/sells this gadget, and I have updated my rating to FIVE STARS, because refills are now available at http://www.amazon.com/UTILYZE-Rollers-Electronic-CR-500B-Pedicure/dp/B00QMV6MCG/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1430095701&sr=8-7&keywords=callus+remover+replacement+rollers
and, by all appearances, the replacement rollers for http://www.amazon.com/CallusShaver-Replacement-Roller-Heads-3/dp/B00NOI5QTK/ref=pd_sim_hpc_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=16CBK77W1XSG4PK6AGVT# may also fit this unit.


I have really high arches so wearing flats a lot puts most of the stress on my instep as there is nothing to support underneath (like in an arched bridge) so wearing heels is actually more comfortable BUT eventually all the weight on the ball of my foot ends up hurting, too.

I have tried all kinds of inserts. The ones I had liked the most were [[ASIN:B0013DAI3C Dr Scholl's For Her Sole Expressions Insole, Women's 6-10, 3-Pair Package]]. They were economical and cute looking. I preferred the fabric over the gel because the gel ended up causing my feet to get sweaty and they felt slippery. I wasn't completely satisfied with them but they had been the ones I liked the most. I felt I needed more cushion, they helped but at the end of the night my feet still hurt and sometimes they made the shoe fit a little tight so I had to account for that when shoe shopping.

I continued my search and found these.  I read mixed reviews but I decided to try them because the concept was different. Instead of trying ease the pain by providing more cushion to help absorb the weight, they were supposed to redistribute it. After all the cushioned inserts I've tried, I've found that this alone is not the solution.

They are more expensive, for the price I could get almost twice as many dr. scholls but I have to say that they have been worth it. I wear a 6.5-7 and I got that size. The shape resembles the outer shape of a small spoon with a fat handle and made of a flexible polyurethane plastic.  I would have preferred that they be covered in a fabric because they make for less slip and sweating but at least its not on the ball of the foot where there is more shifting and could potentially cause blisters.

The thing is that they are tricky to place, they have to be placed just so in order for them to be effective so read the directions! They are placed with the bowl part of the "spoon" at the heel. About half an inch down it starts to get a little thicker and continues all the way down to the handle, which is what they refer to as "the bump".

You start by removing a small part of the plastic liner and placing the bowl about 3mm (1/8in) away from the end of your shoe at the heel part and keep shifting them up or down until they sit just right.  Then you remove the liner and permanently adhere.

If you pull your leg up and take a sideways look at it, you have the ball of your foot that then arches up, at the other end you have your heel that also begins to arch up and they meet in the middle.  The idea is to get that bump right underneath where your HEEL starts to arch up (the calcaneus).  Thats where you want it.  I can't insert any links but google Insolia, fitting tips from the product engineer and you can read more about it there, they do a much better job of explaining, with pictures and everything.

I tried them on a 4inch pair of pumps that had very little cushion and they worked great. They didn't feel like the most comfortable shoes in the world and they mention that it doesn't aim to add comfort. Instead of starting out with a comfort level of 8 and, after all that strain of carrying all your weight on the balls of your feet, 4 hours later you end up with a comfort level of 2, you start out with a comfort level of lets say 5 and end up with a comfort level of 4-5 at the end of the night. It works, I came home after 4 hours, a lot of walking and standing, and my feet hurt a little but they were not throbbing with the pain I usually have even with really cushioned heels.

Since they don't cover the entire length of the shoe, I am going to try adding some cushions to the ball of my foot and see if that works better.  I am also going to experiment with adding the Dr. Scholls sole expressions over them to see if that helps any. That might add to much height and make my shoe slip off but I won't know for sure until I try. But I am definitely buying more of these for the rest of my ridiculously high shoes.

My only real gripe was getting that plastic liner off, I don't know if they are all like that or if I got a defective pair. OMG, it took me like 25min to remove separate those liners. I broke two nails and almost threw them away in frustration.  You would think that company who thought of this brilliant idea would add a little tab or something to help with that.


First Impressions: I purchased this particular product because I am a sucker for OUD scents, I have to tell you, you put OUD anywhere on anything for me , and hey you got yourself a sale. On the other hand my weakness didn't lead me to this soap only because of its scent. I know this company and its owner for a while and I have given this specific product a pre test run. Yes this review is after I got this container the second time. I wanted to write a review that is clear, descriptive and lives to the expectations to anyone that respects this way of life ( wet shaving with straights and DE razors).

Hands down, Douglas Smyth ( the owner of this company) does handmade miracles when it comes to wet shaving. And I am happy that when he knew about my interest in OUD not only he made this scent but came out with another 6 OUD inspired soaps after this. However you might ask me.... "why review this product?" Well out of all the OUD scents that are present under his belt this one is my favorite. This scent is sandalwood and OUD; my first ever purchase of a shaving soap ever was The Art of Shaving sandalwood soap, and sorry but I have to say that it's the best sandalwood shaving soap in the market and will always be. The scent is powdery and woodsy, and what a man should smell like. There are many SW inspired soaps out there by countless makers , the art of shaving is the top in that scent.

Which brings me to the Sangre De Draco !
I remember the first time I opened this container my eyes teared, in joy! The sandalwood in this soap has the same spirit as the art of shaving but the difference here it's stronger and with OUD wood on top of it. The only perfumes out there can think of that can be paired with this is the Aqua Di Parma OUD or the art of shaving sandal wood cologne. I would literally spend hours sniffing this puck and just smile all day. ( I always sniff this container just by entering the den)

Experience: people might say sorry man the smell isn't strong : well hold your horses most shaving soaps are lightly scented when dry. The smell explodes once bloomed , lathered , or when you're shaving . This happened to me although the scent came off as light before I added water to it I knew that scent was going to be a joy once I am shaving.
The container advises to load the brush for 10 seconds. Sorry I load all my shaving soaps a good 30 second. That's what works for me, and I find it easier to dial the water with that strategy to get the best quality lather.
The lather holds a rich white sheen, very slick even if you're not using a preshave. ( you can use the bloom water as a preshave with this product it will put a smile on your face!)
The lather once on the face doesn't dissipate or dries off, I know this because I have used a shavvette, straight razor and a DE razor with this soap. When using shavettes I would like to take my time with my shave in order not to end up slashing myself and causing a blood bath. With some soaps out there I might have to re apply my opposite side of my face to ensure face protection and fresh soap cushion, this was not the case with this soap.

Not only this is a good performing, smelling, and protecting soap , but the feel of slickness I get after rinsing my face off when I finish my shave is amazing. When I use this product I don't waste a drop of lather, bloom water or even a bubbly foam. I use it all on my face because there is something in the artisan way it's created that just makes you feel your  face is dying of thirst for it. Try it and you and your face will thank me.

Ps . Unfortunately the aftershave of this product is not available on Amazon. I kindly urge you if you have the interest of this product to purchase the splash and lotion from the owner of this product through his website. I have the balm and it's amazing. Great feel , the smell is carried with you for a long time, and you know your skin is safe and sound. Shave on!


Grapefruit Scrub for Face and Body - Facial Scrub Exfoliator Cleans Acne-Prone Pores and Brightens Complexion - Body Exfoliator Detoxes and Protects Skin - With Grapefruit Oil, Sea Salt, and Vitamin E

This body scrub is wonderful and has a light and citrucy smell. The scrub is great for the body but if you use it on your face it can be too much and hurt. The granules of the salt are too big. Besides that I recommend this scrub. A great soak and scrub for your feet as well. Makes a pedicure enjoyable!

About the Product
Natural Face Scrub for a Deep Clean: Clear skin starts with clean pores! Our pink grapefruit scrub helps you conquer acne and breakouts thanks to the cleansing powers of Jojoba Oil and Sea Salt. The oil penetrates deep to remove the excess dirt and toxins that can clog skin and cause pimples, while the salt provides a gentle exfoliation. In addition to buffing away dead skin cells, it also boosts blood circulation, revealing a healthier-looking complexion with regular use.
Smoother, Brighter Complexion: Grapefruit Oil helps make this our best face scrub yet! Loaded with antioxidants and Vitamins A and C, it boosts collagen production and reduces age spots for a firmer, softer complexion. Almond Oil also offers anti-aging benefits by fading dark under eye circles and reducing inflammation. And to give you unbelievably supple skin, we made sure to include the soothing properties of Kukui Oil for a creamy-textured blend.
Protect Your Skin with Our Exfoliating Scrub: Our expert formula does more than just rejuvenate your face! It also works as an effective body scrubber, tackling common problems like back-acne and dry skin. And because it includes Lemongrass, Avocado Oil, and Sunflower Oil, it even works to protect your skin. Together they accelerate healing, strength skin cells, defend against bacteria, fight free radicals, and help prevent sun damage.
Spa Quality Body Scrubs: After a long day, nothing beats a little indulgence and in-home pampering. Our luxurious scrub allows you to transform your bathroom into a private spa! Step into a warm shower, relax, and allow the soothing apple aroma to melt away your stress. The great thing about our body exfoliator is that it's crafted with natural ingredients. Salts and oils spoil your skin without the use of artificial chemicals and fillers that can cause harsh side effects.
Love It or Your Money Back: Pure Body Naturals is always developing safe, effective products that will help you look and feel your best! We stand by our formulas, but if this isn't the best facial scrub you've ever tried, you can return it for a full refund. We make your satisfaction our top priority and our customer service team is standing by to handle your questions.

Product Description
Clean, Rejuvenate and Protect Your Skin!

As your body's biggest organ, your skin requires a lot of upkeep. And the fact that it's sensitive to free radicals, toxins and sun damage doesn't make caring for it any easier. From wrinkles on your face to acne on your shoulders, no one product seems to do it all.

The Pink Grapefruit Scrub by Pure Body Naturals makes maintaining healthy skin easy and luxurious! Suffering from acne or breakouts? Our blend features potent ingredients like Jojoba Oil to cleanse pores and Sea Salt for a gentle exfoliation. Together they sweep away the dirt and dead cells that can buildup and cause pimples.

To achieve a firmer, younger-looking complexion, Grapefruit, Almond and Kukui Oil brighten skin, reduce inflammation, and kick collagen production into high gear! For head-to-toe defense, our formula features Avocado, Lemongrass and Sunflower Oil, known for their ability to fight free radicals, protect against sun damage and strength skin cells overall.

A scrub that offers great results and is safe for all skin types? It's all thanks to our natural ingredients! Some of the best vitamins, oils, and antioxidants team up to bring you a creamy blend that's your soon-to-be favorite.

Why Choose Our Grapefruit Scrub?
  • Cleanses and exfoliates skin
  • Firms and brightens complexion
  • Protects against damage
  • Great for all skin types
  • Made with natural ingredients

***I received my item for a promotional discount in exchange for my complete HONEST and UNBIASED review.
My opinions and thoughts are 100% mine and my reviews are based off of my own experience with the product.
I stand behind my reviews and no bargaining or any amount of money will make me change my mind.***


Hello friends, I received a white and pink, sturdy plastic Miropure UV LED Nail lamp (22x15.5x5.9 cm) with UV shielding gloves and two nail emery boards. This lamp also comes with a 12 month warranty, and 24/7 live chat support. It is a made in China product. It has an input voltage of DC 24V and output voltage of 54W (max). The lamp’s upper mouth contains 30 LEDs. The wavelength is 365nmt 405nm. The unit has a LED display screen with 3 buttons. The buttons are available to set the lamp on 30 seconds, 60 seconds and 99 seconds. This lamp comes in low heat mode, it is recyclable, environmentally safe, non-harmful and non-tanning. The UV LED lamp is only meant for drying or curing the nails. It will not tan the skin or be harmful to the skin. The gloves are an added protection for those who think it may be harmful. Some people also wear sunscreen before placing their hands under a UV lamp. Not only does it do a great job with curing the nails, but it is also fun to look at. Once you plug this lamp up, it illuminates in a cool and relaxing blue. The color blue is captured in the outskirts of the lamp, so please don’t look directly at the light. Long-term exposure can cause damage to your eyes and skin. The light under the lamp does put off a mild heat that may be uncomfortable for some people. The gloves will help to shield the hands from that. It runs off a DC adapter, however, I wish it also ran off of batteries so as to use it anywhere, even while traveling. The emery boards are an added bonus that comes in a cute pink. The gloves are a white PES (polyester) fabric. It’s very thoughtful of Miropure to give these gloves away as a gift. The brand of gel that you use and the number of coats you apply to the nail before placing them under the lamp will determine how long it will take for the gel nail polish to cure (bake/dry) on the nail. The opening of the lamp is big enough for me to place both hands (excluding my thumbs) under the UV light to cure. One full hand (including the thumb) will fit in the mouth of the lamp comfortably. Equally so, I am able to place both of my feet under the lamp at the same time. These lamps are used to cure gel nail polish, but you can absolutely use this lamp to fast dry regular nail polish. Once you plug in the unit, it will be in standby mode. The infrared sensors on this lamp come on automatically when you place your nails under the lamp. If you don’t press a timer button the default timer is automatically set at 120 seconds. Also the 30s/60s settings have a memory settings and the lamp will use the last used time settings as the default time. So, say I pressed 30s and cured my nails for that time. Once I take my hands out and place it under the lamp again, it will automatically set for 30s (as the new default) until I fully use the lamp set at another time or it will also reset back to 120 if I place my hand under the lamp but don’t use it for the full time set. The 99 second button activates the low heat mode. Once you select a timer button on the unit the time will count up to that selected time all while curing the nails. I applied gel polish to my nails and it cured for 60s for the first coat, 60s for the second coat and 60s for the top coat. The nails were completely cured with no streaks and no finger nail print to the touch. Regular nail polish cured for 30s for the first coat, 30s for the second coat and 30s for the top coat with no streaks, clean and smooth to the touch. Both polishes can be purchased at Wal-Mart (please see pictures). Both polishes were also applied to natural nails and not artificial nails. The curing time for artificial nails may be longer. Also memorize the curing time of the gel and regular polish that you are using because you don’t want to max out the lamp’s life as the LEDs can’t be replaced and you will just have to purchase another unit. I would gift this item to anyone practicing to become a nail technician or anyone that likes to paint nails.


"It is possible to re-learn the ancient art of communication with fantastic creatures. When approached in the proper ways, these powers can help us. By tapping into these astral sources, we can use the ancient images in divination to gain a clearer picture of what is causing life problems and what we can do about it." - From the Little White Book

From the Lady of the Lake to the Kraken, Griffin to Jenny Greenteeth, the Fantastical Creatures Tarot brims with a dizzying array of gods, goddesses, mythological creatures and the stuff of legends.

Featuring the luminous artwork of Lisa Hunt, each card of the Major and Minor Arcana is dedicated to a specific being (or group of creatures). You'll find dragons, a unicorn, faeries, a werewolf, a vampire, selkies, valkyries, gnomes, brownies, firedrakes and lion-dogs. Pegasus makes an appearance, as does a centaur, faun, minotaur, mermaids, harpies, The Djinn, firebird and The Sphinx.

Titania, the "mistress of glamour and matriarch of magick" finds representation in the Fantastical Creatures Tarot, as does Oberon, Gilgamesh, Kali Ma, Tiamat, Yemaya, Lilith, Quetzalcoatl, Circe and the triple-goddess Morrigan.

The cards retain traditional titles rather than the creature depicted, although Trump XV is cleverly re-named "Chains" in this deck. Minor suits are Wands, Cups, Pentacles and Swords and although Wands are associated with Air and Swords with Fire in this deck, the association isn't obvious by illustration alone.

As always, Ms. Hunt's stunning art shimmers with light and color, enlivening the fanciful world of creatures that are sometimes awe-inspiring and other times frightening, yet remain a ready menagerie of aid for those bold and trusting enough to call upon their energies for magick or insight.

The glossy cards measure approximately 4 ¾ x 2 ½ inches and have a simple circular filigreed motif centered on an ecru background, making the backings fully reversible.

Unfortunately, this lovely deck isn't accompanied by a full-length book--only a 71-page Little White Book by D.J. Conway. Several times, the LWB description doesn't seem to jive with card image. For example, the creatures in the 2 of Pentacles are described as Fey who are "human-sized, wingless members of the Fairy Kingdom". However, the Fey in the card clearly have wings.

Although the brief mythology of each card is adequate, some of the interpretations seem a bit repetitive, as well as the descriptive elements of some of the images.

In addition, some of the choices of fantastical creatures seem ill suited to their particular cards and meanings. For example, the 3 of Pentacles represents mischievous hobgoblins that "like nothing better than to spoil luck, create nightmares, hide things and frighten people". Yet, the divinatory meaning given is "opportunities will soon come from you to learn new skills".

Two quick reference cards come with the Fantastical Creatures Tarot, providing keywords for both Arcanas. A large, two-sided illustrated fold-out with five spreads is also included in this kit. However, the keywords for the suits don't seem right on the fold-out. For example, the Air/Mental realm is said to be made up of "thoughts, ideas, communications, emotions, relationships and love." The first three, yes--but the last three? That's the realm of Cups/Water/Emotions.

If you love Lisa Hunt's artwork, particularly the [[ASIN:0738703214 Animals Divine Tarot]], you'll want to get your hands on this lovely deck. Those inspired by mythology and otherworldly creatures will also likely enjoy the Fantastical Creatures Tarot. (I also think fans Paul Mason, particularly the [[ASIN:0738702749 Fairy Ring]], would also like this deck--especially since Jenny Greenteeth and others found therein).

However, this isn't a good deck for beginners, especially with some of the confusing and contradictory elements found in the LWB and fold-out.

(To see 13 images from this deck, visit the Reviews--Decks section at [...])

Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present (coming Fall 2008 from Hampton Roads Publishing)


I first started using Norelco razors in 1978; my dad gave me one for my fourteenth birthday because, as he told me:  "Your voice is starting to squeak".  That first model, a corded one, lasted me for fifteen years before it finally gave out.  I then went through a couple of cordless models whose batteries would get flaky after about four years apiece.

Then I decided to invest in the model 6885XL "Quadra Action", a $120+ wonder which had a digital readout telling me how many minutes of charge I had left (it was good for about 45 minutes, or two weeks).  Also, I could rinse it out under the tap, which made cleaning it a real breeze.  It would even tell me when to do the cleaning!

Alas, after barely two years, the head assembly broke because of a shoddy little plastic nubbin wearing down too much.  This fact is, I believe, relevant to the model I'm reviewing here, as I'll explain in a little bit.

Feeling completely betrayed by a company which used to produce such a great product, I decided to try the competition.  Remington makes a rotary razor called the Titanium, so I gave it a whirl.  Unfortunately, after about a year I couldn't take it any more:  it gave me such a progressively worse facial rash that friends started to ask me what was wrong.  Even replacing the blades didn't help!

So, about two weeks ago, I broke down and started looking at Norelcos again.  The first thing I ascertained is that the head assemblies in all of the models I examined, be they el-cheapo or mega-expensive, look exactly the same as the one in the 6885XL, meaning that I can reasonably expect them to break in about two years.  Coincidentally, this is the length of the warranty period.  So the expensive razors are out.  After all, if I'm going to buy what is effectively a glorified disposable razor, I might as well not spend a lot of money.  After concluding that I prefer the dual corded/cordless option, the 6843XL, for around $50 on sale, proved to be my best choice.

The razor's instructions advise that it could take up to three weeks of exclusive use "to fully enjoy the closeness of a Norelco shave".  I can assure you that I was feeling the joy on Day One.  The difference between a Norelco and a Remington is like the difference between Rocky Mountain National Park and the Gobi Desert.  Within a week my skin had almost completely healed.

I did notice a few oddities.  As another reviewer also noted, I was quite surprised at how slow the razor seemed to run.  It will be interesting to see if I still get a decently smooth shave in a few months, as the blades start to wear down.  Given how new blades cost almost as much as the razor itself, I would hate to have to buy them more than the recommended once a year.

The other disappointment is that the charge is good for only about a week, not two weeks as with my previous razors.  The instructions warn that, although the razor can be used corded, overdoing it will cut down on battery life.  On the other hand, once the batteries are shot, I'll just (hopefully) use the razor as corded full time.

The charge indicator doesn't tell you when the batteries are fully charged, but if you let it charge overnight, that should do the trick.

Cleaning the razor is straightforward.  You just pop the head assembly off (no hinges on this model), dump out the hairs from the "hair chamber", and use the handy little brush to clean things out.  The instructions recommend cleaning the actual head assembly about every two months.  Fair enough.

The travel pouch doesn't look too sturdy, but I don't do much traveling.  Plus, I can always use the old pouch from several razors back.

Note that, like practically everything else nowadays, the Norelco 6843XL was made in China.  I have terrible misgivings about this, considering how much shoddy merchandise China foists off on us, but it isn't like I have a lot of choice in the matter.  The Remington was also made in China.

P.S. My favorite absurd instruction from the manual:  "When discarding razor, unplug razor ...."

Ummm .... yes.  Thanks for that useful tip.  I doubt the cord would stretch all the way to the trash can!


FCO

I love all things natural healing & natural medicine.
I use essential oils very frequently for natural healing & in my skincare regiment.
A carrier oil is imperative to use with essential oils.
So I'm always on the hunt for a good quality carrier oil..

This Fractionated Coconut carrier oil  has become an absolute favorite! It is so versatile & has so many different uses. It's quite healing, yet functional & perfect in consistency.

Being an absolute junky for all things essential oils, carriers are my second favorite natural healing product to shop for. It is almost just as important as essential oils itself!
Especially with your skin care regiment. The right carrier is an absolutely cardinal part of my skin care! There are so many wonderful benefits if you incorporate good quality essential oils & carrier oils. I have completely switched to these natural skin care treatments, saving quite a bit & still seeing amazing results!

Any essential oil expert will tell you, your carrier oil is absolutely as important as the actual essential
oil itself when used as a beauty product. Absorption rates & healing abilities differ. Most importantly: carriers differ for optimum use for certain skin types.
That's where this coconut oil is just uniquely diverse! It can be used for skin, hair & nails.
It's effective on every skin type as a carrier oil for an extra nourishing, moisturizing, healing boost!

A healthy skin regiment doesn’t have to be complicated to maintain. Finding the right treatment for your unique skin type is imperative. This carrier oil is an incredibly promising & rich carrier oil to start with.

It is very powerful in its undiluted, natural form. It's a miracle in a bottle for all skin types.

I personally have tried many carrier oils to develop a perfect facial skin care regiment. I have come to the conclusion that fractionated coconut oil is perfect for body application for me, but not facial application. I need a thicker, deeper penetrating oil for my facials. Now that being said, I know many friends who are absolute believers in FCO for their facial regiment, so it differs from person to person.

FCO is however, the carrier oil I use the most by far. I use it as a carrier to go with my essential oils for topical application in medicinal essential oil use. The absolute best! So finding a good quality, less expensive one is a win right there! I give this fractionated coconut carrier oil 5 stars.

Here's why.

1. Quality
This is a good quality fractionated coconut oil. Not too thick not too thin.
Odorless. Not too greasy. Absorbs well. Fractionated, so it stays in liquid form. Exactly what I was looking for.

2. Effective:

There is not a more versatile carrier oil than fractionated coconut oil. It can be used on any skin type. It heals and restores luster. Rejuvenates & refreshes.
Furthermore, it has multi-purpose versatility in use & is designed to be used as hair or eye lash serum. It delivers a healing boost in multiple forms.
Moisturizes to soften and smooth the skin and absorbs quite fast.

When fractionated coconut oil is applied regularly, it reduces the appearance of scars, sunspots and stretch marks.
It stimulates collagen and elastin synthesis under the skin to heal the damaged skin.
It can definitely be used for a body moisturizer. I add a few drops of my favorite essential oils with a tablespoon of oil & my skin feels pampered.

This Fractionated Coconut Oil can be heated a little and used on the scalp for a hot oil conditioning. I've used it as a natural hair mask & oil scalp treatment & this one is divine! Nourishes & soothes the scalp & helps with any kind of scalp issue, especially dry scalp.

I use this oil predominantly to dilute my synergy blends and medicinal (therapeutic grade) essential oils for topical use. It is a perfect carrier for dilution.

3. Ease of Use:
The oil itself is fantastic & easy to use. The bottle pump works fine.

4. In conclusion:
This FCO oil has left my skin beautifully soft & supple. I absolutely love it. Rich, thick & luxurious with lasting results.

I give it 5 stars.
If you're looking for a natural carrier oil to add to your skin healing regiment, this is a fantastic place to start!

I put quite a bit of time & care into reviewing a product. My whole perspective in reviewing any product, is to ensure that other people like me get exactly what they want and that a product is as a specified. I hope I helped in this regard.

Voìla! Thank you for reading & if my review assisted you in any way with your decision to purchase or to not purchase this item, please click the "Helpful" button. Thanks!


No, I'm not vain, but I don't won't to look old before my time.  I'm a fifty-six-year-old Caucasian male who just retired after 34 years of government service.  Fortunately, I still look as though I am in my forties.  What is my secret?  Simple.  I don't smoke, I don't lay out in the sun, I drink plenty of water, and I moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.  Lately, I've also learned the importance of using products, such as facial serums, that have retinol, which reduces wrinkles around the eyes.  I don't believe in plastic surgery but I do strongly believe in using topical products that reduce the appearance of aging.  Everyone I personally know who has had plastic surgery ended up looking like a clown with a lopsided mouth and huge, shocked eyes.

  I've been using several Higher Education products as part of a facial cleansing and healing regimen.  The products that I've been using are the NO BRAINER Gentle Skin Cleanser and the GOAL DIGGER Moisturizing Cucumber Crème.  Both are excellent products; I am quite pleased with them.  Thanks to them, my skin looks healthy and glowing.  After I retired, I moved from Virginia to Tennessee and the change in environment caused my face to become badly dehydrated.  I was waking up with dry, irritated patches of skin on my face that sometimes stung.  Thankfully, with the help of the Higher Education products, I have been able to heal my skin and keep the dry patches away.

  I also decided to use the MBA Night Renewing Serum from Higher Education as part of my nightly ritual.  The MBA is to be used only at night.  Also, the consumer is to use it only twice a week and gradually increase its usage as tolerated.  Well, I've been using it every night for two weeks without any issues.  However, I use it sparingly around my eyes.  I've noticed a difference in the three weeks that I have been using it.  Fewer wrinkles and smoother skin.  The serum is light-green and doesn't have a distinguishable scent.  It burns slightly when I put it on but the burning sensation quickly goes away.  I use the MBA after applying my GOAL DIGGER, which moisturizes my skin, preparing it for the MBA.  Like I stated earlier, I've been using the MBA for three weeks and I haven't experienced any ill side effects or allergic reactions such as acne, hives, blisters, or red, swollen skin.

  The serum arrived in a 1.7 fluid-ounce pump bottle with a plastic, transparent cap.  For some unknown reason, I keep forgetting that the tube has a pump.  I want to squeeze the tube as though it were toothpaste.  The cap prevents accidental leakage and spillage.  I think it would be difficult to tamper with the tube.  The tube arrived inside a sturdy, cardboard box, which contained company literature.  The MBA is a good product.  My only issue with it is the expiration date.  An expiration date is provided on the back of the tube's crimp and on the bottom of the box.  It reads as follows:  EXP 09/20.  This is not a good date, especially for a product that will probably be in usage for three to four months, if used sparingly.  I expected it have about the same expiration date as the one I found for the NO BRAINER Gentle Skin Cleanser and the GOAL DIGGER Moisturizing Cucumber Crème, which is 09/21.

  I wonder if Higher Education decided that giving products that would soon expire to reviewers from the Amazon Vine Program was a good means for disposing of aging products.  Whenever I review a food or hygiene product, I always look for an expiration date.  Not all hygiene products have expiration dates.  I think they all should in order to let consumers know whether or not they are receiving safe products with fresh ingredients.  I hope that customers who actually purchase the MBA Night Renewing Serum will obtain a product with a better expiration date.  Nevertheless, I believe that MBA is good for lessening the appearance of wrinkles.  MBA won't remove them completely.  I don't think anything will.  However, MBA will help to minimize them.


I've never seen anything quite like this invisibobble hair toy before. It's a completey new approach for curly-cord scrunchies since you put them on the same way you would put a twist-tie on. Wrap it around your hair and twist the two beads together to lock it into place. Then untwist the beads later to remove it.

The beads are nice and smooth and the curly cord is tightly wound and firmly attached to each bead, yet quite flexible. My beads are pink, which I adore, but I can already tell that I'd love to have them in lots of colors or designs.

The whole thing is smaller than I thought it would be. For some reason, I thought it would be about the size of those figure-8 ponytail holders with a bead at each end that we used to wear when we were little. It's much smaller than those. It's 2.5 inches (6.35 centimeters) from end to end if I just lay it on a table. I managed to comfortably stretch it out to 7 inches (17.78 centimeters) and it could surely stretch more, but I didn't want to force it.

2.5 inches isn't very much when it comes to wrapping it around the base of a pony tail or braid, though, so you'll most likely need to stretch it to put it on. That's a bit tricky to get the hang of, but you can mess around with it on someone else's hair or the ends of your hair if it's long or on a few strands from your mop or a twisted-up handkerchief or anything soft you can wrap it around. Once you get a feel for how to work it, you can use it in your hair.

It's designed to only need to wrap around your hair once, so it doesn't need to be very long. That said, I'd love a much longer one that I can wrap around my ponytail several times. That would make it so I could wrap it around the base of my bun as well, which would be a very cute look. I suppose you could get creative and twist several of these together to form a longer one with lots of beads along it. That would be extra cute, because you'd end up with several beads around your pony tail or bun.

In looking at it, I worried that it would eventually stretch out and no longer work, but apparently the company already thought of that and it's not an issue. If the cord stretches out, you can coil it tightly again simply by dropping the invisibobble into hot water for a few seconds or blowing on it with a blow dryer or setting it in the sun or dangling it above a heater. That's great news and encourages me to experiment with this thing and see how many ways I can figure out to use it.

Some folks have mentioned that these get tangled up in their hair while others have said they never tangle in their hair. I'm one of the people whose hair the invisibobble likes to get tangled up in. I suspect it has to do with whether your hair is straight or not. My hair has a bit of a wave to it, so it likes to grab onto (or be grabbed onto by) whatever it encounters. That said, if it gets tangled around your hair or if your hair gets tangled up around it, you can wiggle the cord to separate the coils and your hair will slide freely between them. Everything on the invisibobble is smooth, so you'll always be able to unwind or pull your hair out of it without pulling any of your hair out of your head or breaking any of it.

For those of you who get one and decide that it's not a hair toy you're comfortable using, it would make a great and very cute bag-tie or you could use it as a cord-keeper for cell-phone cords, etc. It has the added advantage in that you can put it on and take itthem off with one hand, freeing up your other hand to hold the coiled-up cord that you're managing. Not only that, but if you use it as a cord-keeper and want to use the cord, you can untwist the invisibobble, unwind the cord, and twist the invisibobble right back onto the cord, which will hang onto it for you until you need to put it away again. Then, all it will take is a quick untwist, coil, and twist to put the cord away.