LG Watch W7 SmartWatch Powered by Google WearOS #Ad

Hubby is a “Watch Guy”. We all know them, some of us love them. They like and collect watches. Sometimes to an unhealthy degree. And I’ll be honest, while I’ve picked up some of the nomenclature and in’s and out’s of watches, I’ll never be a “Watch Gal”. So I’ll abdicate the bulk of this review to him, because he’ll be able to touch on things that I might miss. So, since we’re a team, here we go…

A watch is an important tool. Anyone with an affinity for them has heard the two stand-by gags of “I have a phone that tells time” and the ever hilarious “A $8 Timex would be the same”, especially if you can appreciate and own a fine Swiss timepiece. But today we’re going abruptly change gears and talk about neither an low-end digital quartz watch or an expensive automatic 23-jewel Swiss investment. This unit falls somewhere in the grey area between those worlds, neither fully digital, and certainly not fully mechanical, despite sporting a Swiss-made gearbox for the analog hands. The LG Watch W7, a Smartwatch powered by Google’s Wear OS, seeks to bridge the gap between a techie with bleeding edge gear and those of us with one foot firmly in a simpler time who still need to wind our watches. The LG W7 can help keep you on-task (with proactive help from the Google Assistant), and keep you a touch healthier with smarter health coaching from Google Fit. And look good doing it.

With that established, I’ve resisted the Smartwatch craze because I have a plethora of watches of all makes and models and, to turn the gag back on the techies, I had a phone and didn’t need another on my wrist. I can now safely say, I definitely see the appeal of something like the LG W7 because it’s pretty handy to not have to dig your phone out with every buzz and beep. And, to put a finer point on it, today’s phones with 6″ screens (and larger!) can not be checked too discretely anymore, whereas a watch can be as under the radar as it gets. I deliberately stayed away from the instruction manual to see if the watch controls were intuitive, and the are. I had the majority of features figured out in a matter of minutes. It’s on the larger side for a watch, but not quite like, say, a massive Invicta or the larger 50mm Casio G-Shock watches. It’s certainly not heavy, but it’s not light either, it feels significant on the wrist and you’ll not forget it’s there. With the right watch face (because they’re infinitely swappable!!) it can look sporty, dressy, or can mimic a classic chronograph with ease. The 1.2″ edge-to-edge screen sports 360X360 resolution (is easy to read at any angle, and the traditional analog hands are a bright silver that can tell the time at a glance without the need for the screens bright backlight. The pull-out crown serves as the main control button, but the capacitive touchscreen makes analog buttons almost an afterthought beyond initial setup and programming. Battery life for the 240 mAh lithium-polymer battery could be better, but unless you’re quite the social butterfly, with the right settings it’ll easily last you all day before needing a charge. A few hours tops it off and you’re set to seize the next day again. In fact, you could select the “Watch Only” mode and LG claims you can get 100 days wear out of this watch. Nice. The 44.5 mm (?) case is right in the sweet spot for a men’s watch, neither too small or too large before needing a recharge. Nice. The fixed matte-black bezel means the gloss silver indices are easily read as well. The 22mm rubber strap is soft and pliable, and a joy to wear. In fact, it has a feature that I would appreciate on some of my nicer Seikos, a simple nub for the push bar that negates the need for a lug tool to change your strap. Anyone who’d ever had to fumble with one of those tools knows it can be a real pain sometimes. The brushed stainless steel case means this watch looks as nice as any I own. It’s fully compatible with both Android and Apple OS’s, so no matter your preferred smartphone, LG has you covered. It has all the features of a full-fledged digital ABC (Altimeter, Barometer, Compass), plus a stopwatch and timer like the finest chronometer. I have yet to master the touch-free gesture controls, but I do appreciate their necessity for some folks and like that the option is there. Full product specs can be found here and here.

It’s not all wine and roses. I have hit wrong keys on the unit a couple of times, hitting the wrong key. I have given up ever using it for all but the briefest of 1- or 2-word replies for a text. The keyboard is just too small for me to use. Being that it’s a touchscreen, I have to go against everything I’ve ever held true about my watches, as touching the crystal all the time is antithesis to what I’ve known. I’m fully aware that some people have made quite a bit of fuss over the analog hands blocking important notifications. While I can appreciate that some would want a clear, uncluttered face, I myself found no issues reading the notifications behind the hands. I would very much like to have had GPS and heartrate monitor functionality, and I’m unsure if it can be added later via an OTA firmware update, but I’m happy with the features included thus far and unless those are “deal-breaker” features for you you’ll not miss them, in my opinion. I wish the water resistance was a little better, because I do tend to treat my watches like tools and water…water sometimes happens. It’ll be fine with a light splash or a little dust, but don’t dunk it in the pool or wear it in the desert or heavy rain. NFC and fitness tracking would be nice as well, but since I don’t use either I’m not feeling the pain of their absence, but I could certainly understand folks being a little peeved at these fairly common features being excluded.

In the end, I have very little about this watch I don’t like, despite my initial resistance to this hybrid device. I like that it doesn’t scream “TECH!!” on my wrist, and could easily pass for a normal fine timepiece at a glance, but still sports most the high-tech features people have come to expect from a smartwatch. I like that it can be easily customized to fit any occasion or style of dress with a few touches or swipes. It feels substantial without being obnoxious. I would recommend it for a watch person who’s looking to dip their toes in this particular pool, and stay ahead of the curve. It’s got enough bells and whistles to satisfy just about anyone. Grab one right here: http://bby.me/8yqyj , if you’re so inclined.

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product.

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#BestBuy : LG TWINWash Laundry System and Savings Package #ad

When we purchased our washer and dryer over 13 years ago, we made sure to research everything from reviews, durability and features. Sadly, our washer and dryer set has seen better days and with deals and sales landing at Best Buy right now, there is no better time to buy. Start 2018 with new appliances and laundry package deals that will save you a bundle no matter if you need gas or electric units.

The new LG models offer appliances to fit any budget and needs. Getting your clothes and linens cleaned will be a cinch and you no longer have to worry about waiting to gather enough articles to do one big load. The new LG Twin Wash system offers sidekick pedestal washers able to accommodate smaller loads. The pedestal no longer just hold things, it is a mini system all to itself! Think about it: No need to wait for the cycle to finish to do that small load of delicates or that tiny load of off colors. You can accomplish twice as much in the same time only with LG’s Twin Wash System. For me? That sold me instantly. Need to use steam? LG has you covered. And all LG appliances are energy efficient, so you continue to save even after purchase! You can choose between front or top load, side-by-side or stacked! LG has so many models that you surely will find the one to make your laundering experience no hassle at all! I love the idea of being able to mix and match, so I can have a pedestal just for mini loads and the other one just for storage. Some of the systems come with Wi-Fi connectivity and that means I can multi-task by just using my smart phone and as new and special cycles become available, I can download them using the Smart ThinQ technology by LG.

 

With Best Buy being an LG authorized retailer, you can count on knowledgeable staff when you visit any Best Buy store. It certainly beats buying sight-unseen and one touch and you’ll want to take them home with you. Most importantly is the abundance of savings that is only being offered at Best Buy. Spend a little or if you are creating the laundry suite of your dreams, the savings may be up to $500!! http://bby.me/m3qxa

You have until April 25th to save, so start Spring with a new LG Laundry Package today!

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free

Luvs Ultra Leakguard Diapers with NightLock Plus™ and Coupon Offer #ShareTheLuv #Sponsored

Pro Parents know what’s up, and Pro Moms and Pro Dads use Luvs. Luvs diapers not only provide overnight protection for your little one, but they also have easy to use large sized tabs, which stretch to allow your baby to stay leak free when moving!  You can expect comfort and dependability from Luvs, with a money back guarantee to ensure not only a happy baby, but also a dry one! (That makes for a happy parent too!) Visit www.luvsdiapers.com for full details and to see all the products Luvs has to offer.  Luvs offers sizes from newborns through 6 and they come in fun designs, but they remain soft and comfortable on your baby’s skin.  Stop chasing after leaks and now only worry about chasing after savings!

 

 

Start Summer with a blast by saving $2.00 from home.  No need to hunt for newspaper coupons, or apps because you can simply print from the comfort of your couch:

 

• Simply visit this link spr.ly/coupluvs32 and print out your $2.00 coupon.

 

• Your coupon is good for 30 days from the date you printed your savings, so no need to hurry out in the heat because Luvs was kind enough to give you time to shop and start racking in the savings.
• You can use this coupon at any mass, discount or grocery stores where Luvs Diapers are being sold. All Luvs Diapers are included in this particular offer, except any trial/travel sized diaper packs.  That is one awesome coupon!

 

 

 

Being a parent and budgeting when kids are off of school can get costly, but that does not mean you have to cut back on quality products.  Saving, is what we are all after because it allows us a break in our budget to spend towards Summertime goodies and Summertime fun for and with our kids.

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I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.  This review was made possible by iConnect and Luvs.  I was provided compensation to facilitate this post, but all opinions stated are 100% mine. 

 

Revel Home’s Wyer Modern Industrial EcoFriendly Mini Pendant Lamp

I’ve needed to update a few of the fixtures in my home, and it’s hard shopping at big-box stores because they only want to carry contractor-grade cheap and make you special order anything nice. Shopping online for lamps and fixtures can be a dizzying, harrowing experience, what with the over-abundance of selection and and sometimes-questionable descriptions and pictures, you can end up with something you hate and live with or have to pay to return. Revel home comes to the rescue with products that not only look as good as the pictures online, I dare say the products exceed expectations and even look better!

This is my second go-round with products from Revel Home, and while the last one, a counter-height barstool, was awesome, this lamp, to me, is even better. Packed well, made well, and looks like a million bucks installed, it was a dream to work with. The drop pendant style is my favorite, but sometimes Hubby has to mickey-mouse what I like to fit into our somewhat shorter ceiling heights. This time adjusting the drop was a breeze, just by adjusting the plastic cord “lock” inside the mounting plate. Installation took Hubby about 30 minutes, because we’v done these types of lamps before, but one huge oversight (which is probably just an anomaly) was the lack of instructions for installing. Thankfully, we know our way around them and it wasn’t an issue. The glass “canister” is thick and sturdy, and the antique-bronze looking metal accents are gorgeous. It swings free when installed so even if your ceilings are slightly uneven, your lamp won’t be. It also accepts incandescent, LED, and CFL bulbs and can be used with a dimmer as well. Revel Home even included a vintage-Edison-style LED bulb, which in and of itself can sometimes run you $10 or more, but Revel Home gives it to you for free.

Therein lies the only minus I could find, and it’s not a shortcoming at all of the lamp, but all of these style of bulbs cast a harsh yellow pallor over everything. When turned off they look stunning, and I have no doubt in the right environment there’s no issues, but in my cream-and white color scheme in the room I installed it in, every thing was yellow. Very, very yellow, and I replaced the bulb with a cool white LED just fine.  At $55.99 on Amazon it’s a little on the steep side, which stops me just short of a 5 star rating, because similar lamps can be had elsewhere for as little as half that price, but I adore everything else about the lamp and the company and recommend them highly.

Connect with Revel Home:

• On Amazon
• Buy Yours Right Here!

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Vivant Skin Care’s Maxilip Lip Plumper

I’m always up for trying new beauty products, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by some and greatly let down by others. This one falls somewhere in between, at least for me and my experience.

I have used lip plumper glosses in the past, such as lipsticks that contain the ingredients that aid with such results.  What makes Vivant Skin Care’s Maxilip Lip Plumper different from the rest, this is not just made in balm form but also provides moisturizing ingredients.  Plumping agents from the past tended to dehydrate and stress the skin on your lips.  In other words, you paid a price for using them and especially on a regular basis.  Your lips would suffer and plumping lips that are chapped and peeling is not a good look, especially if they get red and inflamed.   I have had products even cause a negative reaction and not only do what I stated above, but caused cracks and bleeding.  That is one week of recovery at least with no lip anything but plain moisturizers.  Let’s say I got good at doing my eye make-up!  This balm from Vivant Skin Care allows me to suffer zero consequences and it minimally plumps my lips with no immediate adverse side effects.  I have even at times reached for the balm just to add moisture to my lips, so it’s more than just wanting fuller lips. The Maxilip Lip Plumper balm made my lips healthier plus gave them a little boost, sort of like a comfortable bra for lips with a little augmentation.  My only negative remarks is the petroleum by-products used are known carcinogens (petrolatum), I would love to see that replaced in the formula because Vivant Skin Care’s Maxilip Lip Plumper does have a good thing going here that needs in my opinion some tweaking.  There’s minimal tingling and discomfort, and no pain, but there may be a price to pay for ongoing and continued use. The price point I do feel is a bit high for how the product performs.  Yes, my lips were plumped but not what I feel $28 worth of plumping!  That was a little negative to see because it works but just not that well and the agent that causes the fuller lip look does not last as well as it does in other brands.  I see a $15.99 to $19.99 value, not a $28.00 (direct from the company).  Third party sellers on Amazon have lower price points, so that would be an avenue to consider if I was buying the product.

Connect with Vivant Skin Care:

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Vivant Skin Care. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

Raccoon Brand Lifestyle Clothing

I’ve got a new friend, lately, a creature of the night, if you will. It’s a raccoon. He’s a sweet little thing that comes around every night looking for yummers. And I know feeding wildlife is a no-no, but sometimes you’ve got to break the rules.

See, Raccoon Brand knows this too and kitted me out with a cool Raccoon Brand t-shirt that I wear when I’m out with Sir Charles. Yes, my raccoon friend has been knighted. Deal with it. He also believes in breaking the rules sometimes, and you can tell this by his most distinguishing feature: He has no tail. None. Nada. No ringed caboose for this little critter. Someone chose to live by his own rules. We found him one night crawling up one of our palm trees, raiding the food Hubby would leave for his squirrels. And that’s when he melted my heart with his little tail-less butt. So rather than have him tearing up the hill and stealing from Hubby’s little squirrels, I put out a small plate with some food. We’ve had peace in the yard since.

Raccoon brand’s t-shirt is a screen-printed American Apparel black t-shirt with a quality multi-color screen print and the face of my adorable friend staring right back at me. It fit’s nicely, and looks cool, and no doubt when I wear it out I get to tell people about Sir Charles (or “…’ol chuck” as Hubby calls him. Twerp). And I drop a mention of Raccoon Brand and their entire nifty line. There’s all kinds of lifestyle clothing to be found on their website, from t-shirts, to tank tops, to sweatshiets, hats and beanies, and so much more, and since they were cool enough to send me this shirt, I thought I’d be cool enough to share their site and products with you. Why don’y you give their site a look-see and see if you want to be a creature of the night, like me and Sir Charles?

Connect with Raccoon Brand:

• Online
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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Raccoon Brand. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

HouseParty: Kikkoman Grilling House Party #Review #KikkomanParty #Sponsored

We have been a Kikkoman family for several generations now. No other soy sauce has ever come through the door and my father always treated the brand like the one and only when it came to his soy sauce selections. From original to low sodium versions (red top or green top), the soy sauce sat by on the table with the everyday condiments. Kikkoman over the years has expanded their brand and products greatly. I recently found a Kung Pao recipe and needed Chinese Rice Wine……Kikkoman again was there for me.

Hosting a party for brand you are already familiar with, enjoy and trust is super simple. I already know where to hunt for what items and my only con is that all stores carry a Kikkoman product but not all carry a decent selection of the items they make. I even resorted to Amazon when I could not find what I wanted and knew Kikkoman made it. Heck, I have the bottle with 1/4 left of Ponzu sauce and I knew there was a lime version because I had the bottle in the fridge. Then I found out they also make a chili version, so the hunt begins again.

My Kikkoman Houseparty kit was phenomenal:

• 11 Kikkoman Shirts with the Kikkoman logo
• 11 Free Item Coupons
• 11 Kikkoman Ready, Set, Grill! Booklets
• 11 Washoku (Issue #13) Culinary Insiders Booklets
• Receipe cards
• 1 Set of Kikkoman branded Tongs
• 1 Kikkoman branded Shopping Bag
• An AMEX gift card to help with costs associated (i.e. supplies) with the Party

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I was super excited when I saw the shirts! Yeah, I have this thing about brand logo shirts and sort of unintentionally collect them. Due to Kikkoman being so generous with the party pack and including a gift card, this means I can make this party rock. I even bought shrimps to make a shrimp lo-mein. I went with the easy route of making beef short ribs and chicken sesame thighs. When choosing your short ribs, just make sure they have a decent thickness, as you will be grilling them and you also want your guests to get a good amount of meat from each rib. I was able to find beautiful ones at Sprout’s Farmers Market, which also carries the Teriyaki Takumi line of Kikkoman products. Chicken thighs remain juicy and because again we are grilling, I opted for skin on and they are usually priced economically. The shrimps were on sale the week of my party and because I was making the lo-mein that same day, I went with a mini cooking class on how to make the most from everything and even used celery leaves versus stalks for my entree.

We started the night before by marinating the chicken thighs.  I simply mixed the sauces from Ponzu Lime to Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce and Soy Sauce.  I also added a few dashes of a Schezwan spice mix and big dollop of sriracha paste.  You simply mix the ingredients to taste and then add the meat of your choice.  Allow the meat to marinate over night and this means no prepping the following night.  You simple just grill the thighs until fully cooked and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds while they rest.  The sugars from the sauces allow the seeds to stay in place.

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Then came the Lo-mein.  I first cleaned the shrimps and then made a quick marinade.  I made a medley of vegetables from green and red bell peppers, onions, some chopped fresh ginger and garlic.  The marinade was a dollop of Teriyaki Takumi, Garlic & Green Onion, some fresh onion, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes.  I found some Schezwan whole peppercorns and was able to add a small dash to the mix too.  You start by heating up your wok and cooking the fragrant (harder) vegetables.  I like a crunch still left, so I do not allow them to fully soften.  I then add the shrimps and celery leaves, then the lo-mein noodles.  Quickly toss and done!

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The beef short ribs were a cinch to make to.  The night before I marinated them in the Roasted Garlic Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce and that was all.  Next day, simple grill and you want you can glaze them with the sauce again but we opted not to, as the Kikkoman flavor was perfect with just the marinade.

 

You have simply meals full of flavor and that equals enjoyment!  Thank you Kikkoman and HouseParty for another super event.  Don’t forget to pick-up some pot stickers!

 

Get your Kikkoman Party on started at:

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• #Kikkoman #KikkomanParty #HouseParty

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from . I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

Milumia: Summer Dress in Pink with a Lace/Crotchet waist #Review

Buying clothing on-line can be tricky at times and especially when you need an article for a special event on short notice. I find that everyone’s size small is not the same but at most stores or even internet clothing sites, you can at least run error on the side of caution that you can give or take a few inches. I love it when sites list actual measurements because let’s face it, you are cutting fabric to a certain dimension to give it a size. Sounds simple!

 

 

Not so simple when the measurements do not match the article of clothing. Let me start by saying I range between a size small in some brands and medium in others. My chest is usually what makes me go up on size because I dislike that feeling of sleeves being pulled if a shirt is too tight in the front. In comes Milumia that thankfully lists the measurements in centimeters, but gives the shopper an idea of sizing. Dresses are a safe bet because you don’t usually have to worry about waist and hip sizes with certain styles and especially those worn in Summer. I wanted dresses that have a light fabric, so these being 100% rayon allowed the fabric to remain light and breathable.

 

 

Now, to the second dress I ordered from Milumia. I ordered size small and it was still too baggy on the bottom but nowhere near as the white one I reviewed first. Extra small was available but at 33.1 inches, this left no room for error as I am about 33 inches around the chest and a C cup. The dress featured is a light soft pink in color (in the picture) with a paler pink where the crochet style lays, giving it a nice contrast. You have a beautiful flutter of fabric that rests just below the shoulder and it gives the dress a very fun and just perfect for Summer look! You also have a pearled-like pink button that allows you to have an open or closed “key-hole” at the chest.

 

 

When I received the dress, the dress is not at all as soft “pink” as pictured. At the time I wanted the coffee color but it was not stocked in my size. I went with the pink as the second choice. I notice now Salmon is available and that reflects an even paler color than the pink I received. I can easily say the pink fabric does not reflect in hue to the one pictured and it seems like names of colors are being used freely without really knowing what hue they reflect. Furthermore, that contrast in the picture on Amazon where the lace lays……well, it’s not there. The pink on the crotchet is as deep in pink as the rest of the dress. The cut is also a little odd. The torso is not as long as it should be, making this dress almost have a doll like cut. I’m short at 5’3 and the torso just did not set well when I wore it. The waist is high but because it is not fit to your body, you lose any curvature you may have and it just looks like a child’s dress even though the skirt part is long enough. Very unusual. I have worn high waist dresses and because the cut in sizing was accurate, the dress rested beautifully.  Again, the sizing does not correspond with the one listed. This dress on the “waist” and top are way too baggy. I mean inches here in sizing being off, not centimeters. You will also note that there is discrepancies in sizing by color choice. Yes, Milumia has different dimensions for sizes that go by the color you choose. I have never seen this before. I can sometimes see where one color of fabric is sewn in one factory and another at a different location and you may have a few discrepancies by centimeters, but you have differences in inches here! So before you order, make sure to look and even then like the size small, pink dress I received; the color is wrong (and it goes beyond computer settings), the contrast in fabrics is not there and the seamstress did not even go by the graph present for the color/size. This dress retails for $19.99 and I could see it as a bargain if the sizing was respected and even the contrast in fabric was like the picture. A dress that is just too big and does not represent the sizing listed just makes it a draw of luck. Will the dress you get be the size stated? Who knows! Due to the color being as it is, I will not be trying to fix this one. I may try to wash it and see if it shrinks but then it could be shorter and not something I desire when the bottom is baggy (not airy).

 

 

Connect with Milumia at:

• Amazon
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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Milumia. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

Milumia: White Dress with Crochet/Lace Sleeves and a Tassel Bottom #Review

Buying clothing on-line can be tricky at times and especially when you need an article for a special event and on short notice. I find that everyone’s size small is not the same but at most stores or even internet clothing sites, you can at least error on the side of caution that you can give or take a few inches. I love it when sites list actual measurements because let’s face it, you are cutting fabric to a certain dimension to give it a size. Sounds simple!

Not so simple when the measurements do not match the article of clothing. Let me start by saying I range between a size small in some brands and medium in others. My chest is usually what makes me go up on size because I dislike that feeling of sleeves being pulled if a shirt is too tight in the front. In comes Milumia that thankfully lists the measurements in centimeters, but gives the shopper an idea of sizing. Dresses are a safe bet because you don’t usually have to worry about waist and hip sizes with certain styles and especially those worn in Summer. I wanted dresses that have a light fabric, so these being 100% rayon allowed the fabric to remain light and breathable.

Let me start with the first dress. I ordered size small and it was still not small enough. Extra small at the time was not available. The dress is white in color in the photograph with matching crocheted-like details on the sleeves. You then have a tassel border along the bottom of the dress. The sleeves are kind of bell shaped but not fluted out drastically. So, I felt safe and especially when the page listed the model’s sizes (i.e. chest, waist, ect.) and stated she was wearing a small.

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When I received the dress, the dress is white and the crocheted sleeves are another tone of white, maybe even ivory/cream in color. The difference is noticeable and if the tassel bottom was the same tone, you could see the accents being off color but they are not; the tassels at the bottom are as white as the dress itself. Now, the cut is large. Very large. Like it’s a bell shaped dress that does not rest in the same flowing fashion as it does on the model. Easy fix as I do own a sewing machine and plan to just sew off several inches and this may allow the fabric to rest as it does in the picture. I can’t do anything about the color matching issue but I will be satisfied using the dress after swimming. It’s comfortable and not see through as some white fabrics tend to be. The sleeves are also so long on me and do not rest below the elbow as pictured. More than 3/4 in length and the crocheted detailed would be more appreciated if they were not so baggy that the heavy lace folds into itself. At $25.99 and with the sizing being so off, the color differences in fabric not matching like they do in the photograph…….well, it’s a little over priced in my opinion. I can see $16.99 to$19.99 for a beach dress that you can wear if you want to hit the local shops or catch a quick bite to eat. I gave the dress an extra star because I can fix it and I can’t ignore that fact. I will still end up with a usable dress I can wear but it will be more tailored to look like the picture and not have it look like a tent that hides any curves you may have.

Connect with Milumia at:

• Amazon
• #Milumia

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Milumia. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Influenster: Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Matte Liquid™ VoxBox #Review #VividMatte

I have been a member of Influenster for several years and love the VoxBoxes they share. I was beginning to think I was stuck with Virtual Vox Boxes for life when my dashboard had 4 going and no real products. I then received that Influenster e-mail, which makes you smile. I was getting a Maybelline VoxBox featuring the Vivid Matte collection. Hooray! I have come back to the VoxBox arena.

Maybelline’s Color Sensational Vivid Matte Liquid has been spreading like wild fire and especially when some people shared it was a great copy cat to the Kylie Cosmetics’ line. Am I curious about the line? Yes. The price? No. Hey, I have other things I have my eye on and one thing I have plenty of is lip glosses, lip crayons, lip palettes, oh and the old fashion lip sticks (remember those 🙂 ). So, I keep buying because colors change, seasons change and it really is the one item that I don’t mind splurging a $10 here and there to see what the buzz is about. Copy cats can be colors and not always formulations and so far the two colors I received, #10 Nude Flush and #35 Rebel Red are vivid indeed. The collection features 10 colors in total and retails for $7.99 a piece. A pretty fair bargain!

 

Verdict:

First, I was a bit puzzled by the formula. I blamed the plastic tube for the semi-gloss like finish the colors seemed to cast. I then open the first tube, the Rebel Red and the pigments are vibrant and just saturated with color, but not like any matte finish I have ever seen. I’m into paints from artistic to just plain old house paints and deciding on finishes is where I get stuck sometimes, because some rooms shed a different amount of light from our windows. The Vivid Matte collection would cancel all that, it would not matter what light or amount of it, from real to just coming from a bulb…..these beauties are not Matte. I don’t stop there because so what it’s not a real matte? I did feel they were still pretty. I open the tube and you do get a fragrance from the formula. It’s not faint and noticeable where the Nude hue is more like a sweet floral scent and the Red hue closer to a perfume/cosmetic scent. So far, okay. I apply the Rebel Red. Everything I have been rebelling against just went out the door. The consistency of the product is thick and opaque with a gloss finish. Not a translucent gloss by any stretch and a little goes a long way with at least this color. It’s a night color for me or at the very least a color I can mix with another if I feel daring in the AM hours. The product has a nice moist finish and not goopy like I was afraid it would feel like.

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Next, comes the Nude that has more of a purple note to it versus a pink or pale beige. There are no yellows or oranges in this nude color, it seriously owns purple! The less I apply, the more I feel it appears light enough to be called a nude like product but I mean this is me getting the wand out and using the tip to apply 2 dots at the top portion of my lip, and two on the bottom. There is no wand application going on here. Again, moist and the scent is more welcoming off this product than the former color. I prefer the Nude Flush over Rebel Red because maybe my full head on rebel days are over or I just need a slighter tan to not look so pale in this red. It’s starting to look more like Corvette Red on me. I do like the formulas though and found that application via a lip brush allows the product to flow better against the lip and you get an even finish. Again, these are opaque and not matte in finish, with the red having a more semi-gloss to it but the colors are vivid all the way!

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Influenster and Maybelline. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.