Astringent & Oils

Thayer's Lemon Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera Formula Astringent

Thayer's has been producing natural remedy products since 1847. They primarily sell dry mouth products and throat lozenges, but I did find the astringent. This product is wonderful! Finally an astringent that doesn’t strip my skin! Cleans gently and leaves a subtle lemon scent. Thayer's has other scents also, like peach. This 16 oz. bottle of astringent sells for $9.95 on their website. You can also search their site using your state and zip code and they will provide a listing of stores where their products are sold. A great bargain! Check out their website at www.thayers.com. (If you purchase from www.iherb.com, the price would be $7.66).

Trader Joe’s Vitamin E Oil

Like many of you, I suffer from dry, winter parched skin. On a recent trip to my local Trader Joe’s, I decided to try their Vitamin E Oil. I loved it soooo much the next time I visited their store, I purchased two bottles!

I was skeptical at first. I did NOT want to add what I thought would be greasy oil to my skin. I was pleasantly surprised to find this oil soaked into my skin with absolutely NO greasy or oily after feel. I was left with wonderfully soft skin. Their 4 oz. bottle will run you about $5.00. This is a great bargain considering the beauty benefits.

You cannot purchase this oil through their website though. It is only available through their store. Visit their site at www.traderjoes.com for store locations. If you are lucky enough to be near a Trader Joe’s, take my advice and purchase more than one bottle. You won’t be sorry!

NOW Foods Coconut Oil

I was lucky enough this winter to purchase some great products as you can see. Another of my personal favorites is NOW Foods Coconut Oil. It is called Coconut “Oil”, but actually comes in a 7 oz. container as a solid. You scoop some out of the container and the warmth of your hand turns it into “oil”.

Again, as with the Vitamin E oil I reviewed above, I was skeptical of the oil/grease factor. Again, another pleasantly surprising product! Soaks into the skin with no greasy/oily after feel. Just wonderfully soft, silky skin. They also recommend using it in your hair. I would recommend this only if you have dry hair. My hair can run from normal to oily, and when I used it in my hair (even a little dab), it turned my hair greasy.

For you “greenies” this is the best part; Now Coconut Oil contains 100% natural ingredients. You can search their website at www.nowfoods.com for store locations. (A 7oz. container purchased through www.iherb.com will cost you $4.90).

P.S. I purchased the Thayer’s Lemon Witch Hazel and Now Coconut Oil through a site called www.iherb.com. They sell thousands of personal care products and vitamins at prices that can’t be beat! I purchase many items from them. They also have a flat shipping fee of $4.00; free shipping for orders over $60.00. Give it a try – one stop shopping!


That’s all for now ladies. Happy shopping!
~Andrea

Max Factor Lash Perfection Volume Couture Waterproof Mascara

Hello and wow, it's been a long time. I apologize that the site hasn't been updated in quite some time, but rest assured the site is here to stay. Now, on to the first review in ages!

A few months back, I decided to buy the Max mascara mentioned in the title. I always buy waterproof because regular mascara tends to flake and run a bit by the end of the day. I can't stand that. And when you wear contacts, you do NOT want your mascara flaking. Very painful..trust me. Also, not good for your eyes anyway.

I like the style of the brush (it's made of a rubber-like material) - it really separates those lashes and gives great coverage. Not to mention, clumping is practically nil with this style of brush. It stayed on all day, and in fact, all night too! But, that's the downside to this waterproof and many like it: it's a total bitch to get off. This mascara in particular flakes like crazy when you attempt to take it off, with or without makeup remover. Whether you wear contacts or not, make absolutely sure you rinse first after applying remover before you even think about opening your eyes. The other thing I disliked about this mascara is that even when applying makeup remover twice or more to get it off, some of the product still remained on my lashes. Of course, it could be my makeup remover, but I already know it takes off other mascaras completely, so the problem lies with the mascara itself.

Unfortunately, it's a great mascara until you try to take it off. I have no patience, so I fell back on my old standby mascara. It just reinforces the notion that when you find a product you absolutely love and trust, stick with it. Don't be afraid to try something new, but don't go throwing out your trusted products in favor of trying the new ones. Keep them around, just in case.

And in case you're wondering, my favorite brand of mascara is Maybelline. I like two in their line: Great Lash (everyone's favorite it seems) and Turbo Boost (both in waterproof). They've never failed me.

To visit Max Factor's site, click here: maxfactor.com
To visit Maybelline's site, click here: maybelline.com

~Alison~

Udderly Smooth Udder Cream

I received this lotion in a trial size from my sister. I loved the creamy texture and the way it softened up my hands. I especially like using it just before I go to bed so the lotion can sink into my skin. This lotion is very soft with a non-greasy feel. You can actually see the dryness disappear as soon as you rub it in.

They do suggest you either order their products through www.drugstore.com, http://www.amazon.com/, or purchase directly through your local retailer before ordering direct from them. Go to http://www.udderlysmooth.com/ for a list of retailers. Did I mention they have an “udderly” cute website?!

~Andrea~

Palmer's Dark Chocolate and Peppermint Lip Butter

Hi everyone:

I do apologize that Andrea and I have been silent so long. Between the both of us being busy and other things, neither of us has had the time to do any reviews. However, Andrea just sent me some a few days ago, and I'm posting a new one here today. So, we're back, and hopefully life allows us to be here more often than it has lately. Anyway, on to the newest review and I will be posting Andrea's this weekend.

Palmer's Dark Chocolate & Peppermint Lip Butter

Oh my goodness, you ladies are in for a real treat. I had been looking for this lip butter everywhere and could never find it in the local stores. So, one day, Andrea surprised me buy ordering a couple of tubes of it for me on http://www.drugstore.com/. All I can truly say about this product is that it is so amazing, that I threw out all of my other lip balms (with the exception of my Cococare lip balm that I reviewed previously and a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup flavored lip balm my sister also bought me...thanks Andy!!). I don't want to use anything else. It makes your lip so moist and the flavor is out of this world. I've always maintained that cocoa butter products are the best and my absolute favorites, and I still stand by that statement.

Ladies, you have just got to try this stuff. You won't want to use anything else. It also comes in a Dark Chocolate and Cherry flavor as well. I believe my sister purchased the tube for $2.00. Not a bad deal.

You can visit Palmer's website and Drugstore.com's site by going to our Favorite Links section in the right rail.

~Alison~

Tom's of Maine Natural Whole Care Toothpaste

Well, finally, I've gotten around to writing a review!! Things have been busy around here, and Andrea has been carrying most of the weight, but I am back!! Now it's her turn to take care of personal business, and I shall carry the brunt of the review-weight for a while. Though, she has told me she has plenty more reviews to come, so stay tuned for that! Now, on to my latest product review....

TOM'S OF MAINE TOOTHPASTE
Recently, while grocery shopping at the local Price Chopper, I saw a bin with trial size tubes of Tom's of Maine toothpaste on sale for just 99 cents. So, I figured what the hey and bought two (for two bucks, I figured if I didn't like it, I would just give them to Andrea, I know she uses Tom's). I bought the Cinnamon-Clove flavor but they are also available in Peppermint, Spearmint, and Wintermint. I bought the paste, but they are also available in the gel. There are other specific lines to fit your needs, such as a line of toothpaste for kids. This particular line is anticavity, tartar-control and whitening. Tom's products (they also have others besides toothpaste, such as: deodorant, mouthwash, shave cream and soap) are all natural and free of animal testing, and they are without artificial or animal ingredients. Always a plus!!

Well, I have to say that Tom's Cinnamon-Clove is probably the best tasting toothpaste I have ever tried. Not only that, it lathers up really well (I have OCD and have the compulsive need to feel like my soap, toothpaste, shampoo, and laundry detergent are really getting things clean - if I don't see lots of suds or lather, it's NOT getting clean - yes I know, I'm strange like that, but if you ask my sister, she'll tell you that is normal for me), and I felt like my mouth was really clean and fresh after brushing. I look forward to trying the other flavors as well. I'm definitely sold on Tom's now; what a wonderful product!!

Again, I found Tom's in Price Chopper, but I have seen their products in just about every grocery store imaginable, along with most retail chain stores such as CVS. It is a bit expensive; depending on where you purchase Tom's, it can run you anywhere between $3.69 - $4.79 for a 4 oz. or 6 oz. tube, respectively. However, with all this product has going for it, it is well worth the price. And, a great way to save a little money is to do what I did: if you see trial sizes for it, buy a few. Or, surely they have sales from time to time.

To visit Tom's of Maine's website, go to http://www.tomsofmaine.com/.

~Alison~

Olay and Befine Facial Scrubs

Olay Hydrate & Cleanse Micro-Bead Cleansing Serum

This particular product is easy to apply. The tiny micro-beads gently scrub your face. I had no problem rinsing it off and afterward, my skin was baby soft. This is a great scrub for you fans of Olay products (both Alison and I included!). A 6.7 oz. tube will cost you around $7.99. You can find this and other Olay products at any drugstore or chain store. If you go to http://www.olay.com/, you can see their entire line of products. Also, they have a link for requesting samples. I have requested samples from Olay in the past, and they always sent good ones to try.

Speaking of scrubs….I found another great scrub…..

Befine Pore Refining Scrub

My mother gave me a sample of this scrub at Christmas. I was very impressed with this product’s ease of application. This scrub contains jojoba oil, coconut and citrus. I like the way this product left my face silky soft.

A big drawback is the price: a 3.4 oz. tube will cost you $21.99. I would recommend it if you have extra cash to burn. If you don’t, then I would definitely recommend purchasing the Olay scrub, as it is comparable.

Check out their other facial products at http://www.befine.com/.

Also check out:

Befine Daily Moisturizer w/SPF15

The combination of Rosemary, Pomegranate, Rice Bran and SPF 15 makes this a nice all-around moisturizer. (You still need sunscreen even in the winter!) This product glides on gently. You can actually feel it sinking into your skin!

What I like about the Befine products that I tried is that they use natural ingredients. For those of you care about what is in your products, this product line is all natural - no trying to decipher all those big long ingredient names! These are names you can actually identify with: a very nice product, indeed.

The price: a 3.4 oz. tube will cost you $19.99. Got a birthday coming up??!! Just a friendly suggestion….

~Andrea~

Axe Deodorant Body Spray for Men

Okay, this is for all the men in our lives!

Axe Deodorant Body Spray is the alternative to expensive men’s colognes. First, they are not just for men, but also for young adult males. They have many different scents with catchy names such as Tsunami, Vice, Kilo, Touch, Orion, Unlimited, Essence, Clix and Phoenix. I recently purchased the 4 oz. body spray, Kilo, for my husband ($4.24 at Wal-Mart). I had a really hard time choosing though; all of them smelled really great. Axe Deodorant Body Spray is also available in a 1 oz. size (a perfect trial size in case you are unsure he’ll like it). I also noticed that Wal-Mart had some great Axe gift sets that contained the shower gel along with the spray.

There were some scents that distinctly (to me anyway) smelled good for a man, and some that were scented more toward the young adult male. Axe is also available in deodorant sticks, shower gels and Eau De Toilette sprays in the above-mentioned scents.

Axe body sprays smell great at a fraction of the cost of brand-name men’s cologne.

To visit Axe's website, go to http://www.theaxeeffect.com/flash.html.



~Andrea~