08 Nov 2018
by linettefm
in Product testing
Tags: #2018GiftGuide, #RitualsUSA, #TRYAZON, ALLANTOIN, ALPHA-ISOMETHYL IONONE, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, beauty, Benzyl Alcohol, BENZYL SALICYLATE, body cream 70ml, body scrub 125g, BODY SCRUB INGREDIENTS: SUCROSE, Butylene Glycol, BUTYLPHENYL METHYLPROPIONAL, C12-13 ALCOHOLS, C12-13 ALKYL LACTATE, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS (HYBRID SAFFLOWER) SEED OIL, CENTELLA ASIATICA EXTRACT, Ceteareth 20, CETEARETH-12, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Cherry Blossom, Christmas Gift Ideas, CINNAMYL ALCOHOL, CINNAMYL ALCOHOL. BODY CREAM INGREDIENTS: AQUA/WATER, Citral, Citric Acid, CITRONELLOL, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, COUMARIN, eco-friendly keepsake box, Ethylhexyl Stearate, foaming shower gel 200ml, GERANIOL, gifts, GLYCERETH-2 COCOATE, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycine, GUAR HYDROXYPROPYLTRIMONIUM CHLORIDE, hand soap 300ml, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, HEXYL CINNAMAL, HEXYL CINNAMAL. SHOWER FOAM INGREDIENTS: AQUA/WATER, Holidays, ISOBUTANE, ISOEUGENOL, Isohexadecane, ISOPENTANE, ISOPROPYL MYRISTATE, Isopropyl Palmitate, jet, limonene, Linalool, Lord & Taylor, MACADAMIA INTEGRIFOLIA SEED OIL, Macys, ORYZA SATIVA (RICE) EXTRACT, parfum/fragrance, PEG-120 METHYL GLUCOSE DIOLEATE, PEG-4 RAPESEEDAMIDE, PEG-40 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, PEG-6 CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC GLYCERIDES, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, propylene glycol, PROPYLHEPTYL CAPRYLATE, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, PRUNUS AVIUM (SWEET CHERRY FRUIT) EXTRACT, PRUNUS AVIUM (SWEET CHERRY) FLOWER EXTRACT, PRUNUS CERASUS (BITTER CHERRY) EXTRACT, PRUNUS SERRULATA (CHERRY) FLOWER EXTRACT, Review, Rituals, RITUALS 4-Pc. The Ritual Of Sakura Renewing Ritual Gift Set, Rituals of Sakura, Rituals USA, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Skincare, Sodium Benzoate, SODIUM CHLORIDE, Sodium Citrate, SODIUM HYDROXIDE. HAND WASH INGREDIENTS: AQUA/WATER, SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE, SODIUM METABISULFITE, SODIUM POLYACRYLATE, Sorbic Acid, Sorbitol, spa kits, spa treatments, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, TRIDECANE, Ubiquinone, Ulta, UNDECANE

As much as we enjoy a day at the spa, reality is that sometimes the spa needs to come to us. Having products that help renew your space not only helps in creating a relaxing environment, but takes the home space to another level.
In comes Rituals, which provides an array of products that can be used at home or even when you travel. Stress relievers on the go! It is no longer not having time to book an appointment but stress hits us at any hour. It can be midnight and a soak in a tub can be enough to make you finish the rest of the week strong just because you took some time to give yourself some very much needed TLC. I have yet to know a spa available at midnight and going out in my jammies at such an hour becomes a drag if the idea of getting out the car comes into play. Stay in your pajamas and use that travel time at a place that has no waiting room, your home!
Rituals has many sets to choose from and products are sold a la carte or if you wish for a more economical idea, you can get a gift set that allows you try out four products from the same line. These are not only great for self gifting but make great presents because one thing we all share, is needing a touch of less stress in our lives. I opted for the set called The Rituals of Sakura. You will find on the Rituals site that they even have gift sets available in size small, medium and large, again accommodating for every budget and each set comes with a gorgeous reusable box. Men are also not excluded (hear they get stress too 🙂 ), so you can also find products for that special guy in your life. Make it a dual spa day!

The Rituals of Sakura Renewing Set Includes:
All products assembled in the Netherlands (Amsterdam) and disturbed out of Delaware (USA)
Retail Price: $45 and the site advertises free shipping with orders $40 or more. You can also add an item and receive a free gift when you spend $50 or more. A pop-up window will come up and offers you sign up for emails and again offers a percentage off of orders, making the deals only sweeter. You can also access Ritual products at Macys’s, Jet, Ulta, and Lord & Taylor

Verdict:
The scent in the Sakura collection is light and pleasing. The site advertises the scent of Japanese Cherry Blossoms, which is delicate and Rituals did get the fragrance spot on. The scrub has a soft almond scent that is calming when paired with the floral notes. The shower gel goes further than expected, so a small amount is needed when using. I worry as some gels can be irritating but this gel still had a nice scent that remains but is not overwhelming. I also found it nourishing to my skin versus how some gels tend to strip away moisture and leave your skin feeling tight. Not exactly a relaxing experience, but Rituals got it right where this is a foaming gel that lends itself in being kinder and beneficial to your skin’s surface. I was concerned the body cream would be overpowering as some fragrance enriched products can be. I don’t want to walk by someone and make them feel like I beat them with a cherry blossom tree! Again, a sweet cherry scent that is soft to the nose but does not linger to become annoying. The cream is not heavy and my skin absorbed it, leaving a nice even texture with zero dry spots. I would use this lotion daily and it takes the bore out of my no scent oatmeal one I had been using prior. The hand wash was a nice surprise. I thought it was that extra item in the set that I was not too ecstatic about but after several uses, my hands improved so the not so exciting item became a favorite too. Nice scent and cleanses enough that after cooking, I had no lingering unwanted smells left from making dinner. Again, it is nice when a hand wash with perfumes actually washes versus just give me scented hands.
Final Verdict:
I have purchased products from skincare and bath stores with same scents, but nothing has captured the Cherry Blossom experience as well as Rituals. The ingredients like rice milk aid in softening your skin’s texture, so this a true spa quality product versus just scented goodies that have no benefits. Finally, a gift set where each item can be used with no throwaways included! I liked that not only for myself but when I gift a set, I know it is not just filler made to look nice and pretty. The ingredients are top notch, non-irritating, and scent wise it became a desirable fragrance I looked forward to using. This is definitely a must buy and will easily make it to the #2018GiftGuide this year!
To Connect with Rituals, please visit:
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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Rituals USA and Tryazon. 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.
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06 Nov 2015
by linettefm
in Beauty, Fashion, Health and Beauty, Product testing, Review, Samples, Styling
Tags: #AsiSoyClairol, #UnRatoJuntas, 10/NATURAL ULTRA LIGHT BLONDE, 100% Gray Coverage, 2.5/NATURAL SOFT BLACK, 2BB/NATURAL BLUE BLACK, 2BG/NATURAL BURGUNDY BLACK, 3.5/NATURAL DARKEST BROWN, 4W/NATURAL DARK CARAMEL BROWN, 5C/NATURAL MEDIUM COOL BROWN, 5G/NATURAL MEDIUM GOLDEN BROWN, 5N/NATURAL MEDIUM NEUTRAL BROWN, 5R/NATURAL MEDIUM AUBURN, 6.5GN/NATURAL LIGHTER GOLDEN BROWN, 6.5R/NATURAL LIGHT RADIANT AUBURN, 6/NATURAL LIGHT NEUTRAL BROWN, 6G/NATURAL LIGHT GOLDEN BROWN, 6RB/NATURAL LIGHT REDDISH BROWN, 6W/NATURAL LIGHT CARAMEL BROWN, 7CB/NATURAL DARK CHAMPAGNE BLONDE, 8SC/SANDY COPPER BLONDE, 9.5/NATURAL EXTRA LIGHT NEUTRAL BLONDE, 9.5A/LIGHT COOL BREEZY BLONDE, 9.5PB/NATURAL PALEST BLONDE, 9/NATURAL LIGHT NEUTRAL BLONDE, 9A/NATURAL LIGHT ASH BLONDE, 9G/NATURAL LIGHT GOLDEN BLONDE, 9PB/SHIMMERING SANDS, Auburn, beauty, Benzyl Alcohol, BIS-HYDROXY/METHOXY AMODIMETHICONE, Black Hair, Blonde, Brown Hair, CC COLORSEAL TM CONDITIONING GLOSS (3), Cetyl Alcohol, Chocolate Hues, Citric Acid, Clairol, Clairol Nice n Easy, Clairol Nice n' Easy Review, Clairol Nice n' Easy with "CC" ColorSeal Conditioner Review, COLORBLEND ACTIVATOR (2), COLORBLEND FORMULA (1), Dark Hues, DICETYLDIMONIUM CHLORIDE, DIY Hair Dyes, EDTA, FRAGRANCE/PARFUM, GLUTAMIC ACID, hair, Hair Colorings, Hair Dye at Home, hair styles, Highlights, HISTIDINE, Hues, Lasts for up to 8 weeks, Latinas, Long Lasting Formula, METHYLCHLOROISOTHIAZOLINONE, METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE. Hair dyes, New look for Fall, Nice 'n Easy, Permanent Hair Color, Permanent Hair Dyes, Procter & Gamble, Procter and Gamble, R5G/RICH MEDIUM GOLDEN BROWN, Red Heads, Root touch-up, salon, Salon-Formula, SODIUM CHLORIDE, STEARAMIDOPROPYL DIMETHYLAMINE, Stearyl Alcohol, Tones, TRIMETHYLSILOXYSILICATE, Un Rato Juntas, WATER/EAU

I don’t experience gray hairs yet, unless you count the 1/2 one I found two months ago. I figure it’s a warning of what is yet to come but a lot my friends already dye their hair and it’s not just for covering up grays, but they want to change hues, tones, to just wanting a nice fresh new look. The market is filled with dyes, as I recall when I use to dye my hair, it was an avast selection of brands and colors.

One thing a dye user seeks is being able to depend that the box will yield the desired color you seek to achieve. Many times you flip a box over, look down the column and find your current color, but after use, the color does not even closely match the column of the color you were suppose to end up with! Permanent color means that you either learn to love it, or wait some time and try again to avoid hair damage. Not something I ever wanted to do! The other feature I would seek, is a dye that is not harsh on the skin and hair, but still left you with a vibrant shade that lasted. After so many years since do-it-at home dyes have hit the market, sometimes going with what brought you to the game is your best bet!
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Clairol’s Nice n’ Easy says it all. It’s a brand we all associate with from commercials, magazine ads, and most times the intro to being the first boxed dye you ever used. The one that gave you faith that you can do this and succeed. We all succeeded, so we used other colors and then slowly expanded to other brands and so forth, thinking we would yield the same results. Error! This is the area where I got lost and almost lost my locks. I should have gone back to the faithful Nice n’ Easy but I thought because I had so many times dyed my hair and ended up with fantastic results, that would always remain being the same.
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Un Rato Juntas sent me a party kit, which features Clairol’s Nice n’ Easy brand that is part of the Procter & Gamble family. The process has not changed since I dyed my hair, but the formulations over time has improved due to innovations. The box comes with:
- ColorBlend Formula
- ColorBlend Activator
- CC ColorSeal Conditions
- and a pair of Expert Gloves

Retail Price Point: Mass Merchandisers like Target, Walmart and Drug Stores from CVS and Walgreen’s have the boxes ranging from $6.50 to $7.99.

Verdict:
Nice n’ Easy provides 100% gray coverage that lasts up to 8 weeks. The mixing is as easy as can be, so that means no chemist degree needed. The colors to choose from varies by store stock but Clairol has 45 shades to choose from. The days of bad surprises is a thing of the past because you can get an idea by just flipping the box over, finding what color your current hair’s color is, and right on the outside of the box, you can see the color change the dye can achieve. Simple! What I love best than just the results, is the CC ColorSeal conditioner. This conditioner softens and protects your hair and dye. It almost acts like a restorer because your hair is left feeling softer than before you dyed your hair. There are times that even when I did not need to dye my hair, I would pick-up a box and use the conditioner like a hair mask because I love how my hair feels after. Clairol is also generous with portions, so I had glossy hair for weeks. Sometimes moving away from the brands you can trust is what gets us lost. We pick-up boxes that are shiner, make over the top promises and sometimes cost double the price or more. Why waste time and money, when Clairol’s Nice n’ Easy makes achieving beautiful hair easy and affordable!
Connect with Clairol’s Nice n’ Easy and find your color at:
I received the above product(s) free of charge from Clairol, Nice n’ Easy and Un Rato Juntas. 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.
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21 May 2015
by linettefm
in All Natural, Beauty, Health and Beauty, Natural, Product Samples, Product testing, Review, Uncategorized
Tags: 100% Natural, aging, aging skin issues, All Natural, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf (Aloe Vera) Extract, Amazon Beauty, Amazon Coupon, Amazon Discount Code, Amazon promo Code, anti-aging, Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C), ASIN: B00K3FY3GE, beauty, Benzyl Alcohol, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Diminishes brown spots, diminishes brown spots and unclogs pores, Dr. Susan Lark, gentle skincare, Glycrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Extract, health and beauty, Healthy Directions, Healthy Directions LLC, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ingredients: Squalane, Isopropyl Palmitate, Item model number: ZKM02TPRTC1, natural, Natural Beauty, Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, protects your skin from environmental damage, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Extract, Reader Discount Code: SAVERETC, Reduces fine lines, Reduces fine lines and wrinkles, Retinol, Retinyl Palmitate (vitamin A), Review, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Esters, skin care, Skincare, Smoothes and evens out skin texture, Speeds turnover of new skin cells, Trilane, Trilane Retinol + Vitamin C, Trilane Retinol + Vitamin C contains a proprietary blend, Trilane Retinol + Vitamin C sold by Healthy Directions, Trilane: Retinol + Vitamin C Anti-Aging Moisturizer #Review, UPC: 678829251073, Vegan, Vegan Beauty, Vegan Beauty Products, Vegan Friendly, Vitamin C, wrinkles


Trilane is part of Healthy Directions LLC., which has an extensive line of serums, moisturizers to battle all your anti-aging needs.
I was sent a bottle of their 100% Natural Retinol and Vitamin C moisturizer. The Trilane line reflects several acting agents and the ones that stood the most, was Olive Squalane and Jojoba Esters. The rest of the ingredients are familiar from Pomegranate, Cucumber, Licorice and so forth.
- Olive Squalane-
Upon researching what makes this ingredient different and more powerful, I discovered that it is really just an emollient. It is also a Vegan friendly alternative as Shark Squalane is derived from their liver. I’m not a vegetarian, but the latter is not exactly something I want to purchase and much less apply to my skin…..no matter the claims. Olive Squalane provides a lightly formulated oil like substance that is rich in lipids. Much like olive oil when it comes to the beneficial properties, but you have some differences that can be felt in how the final product feels and applies. It’s thinner and provides a rich barrier, something you want to seek out because you want a moisturizer that applies thin and absorbs quickly, but leaves no oily slick behind. I tried seeing if Squalane as an individual source differed greatly when it came to nutritional properties, like is it more potent (percentage wise) but could not allocate any clinical information stating so. After pages and pages, I could only find that it penetrates (absorbs) into the skin quickly at a rate of 2MM per second when the agent is used singularly (by itself). So, it gives you an idea on why it was added to this moisturizer!
- Jojoba Esters-
Jojoba is always identified as an oil and it’s really technically a wax, but still an emollient. You have a wax that has been boiled down to produce a purer and more intensified solution. Jojoba is rich in fatty acids, so you not only get improvement in how a product applies but a richer and more nutritional formula. Due to Jojoba being close to the properties found in human sebum, you can see why it’s so “skin friendly”.

Retail Price Point: $42.53 via Amazon, but make sure to scroll down and use the code to get a discount! Â The product retails for $44.99 (with Auto-ship) via the website.

Verdict:
The Trilane Retinol + Vitamin C anti-aging moisturizer, is simple when it comes to the properties that make-it up, so I was looking forward in trying a product that can cause less interactions, but still provide results. I tried the product for a period of 2 weeks and stopped using any alternate Vitamin C and Retinol product. I figure this was a 2-in-1 product, so let us see how it does on it’s own. While I was very happy with the moisturizer and how well it applied, distributed and absorbed, I did find I was not satisfied with the Retinol level. I have been using OTC products with 2.5% and none was declared on the package from Healthy Directions, but I did feel I needed to amp it up and decided to incorporate back my serum (containing Retinol) back by the 2.5 week point. Then I did get what I felt a better edge on keeping any fine lines at bay and I can say the Trilane line does deliver a lot of moisture and I say this again, because it put up with the weather swings we have been experiencing in Southern California. It’s been cloudy and in the 60’s to then the 80’s three days later! Trilane kept my skin’s temperaments at bay because it likes to misbehave when the weather swings like this.
Connect with Trilane and their products at:
I received the above product(s) free of charge from Trilane (Healthy Directions). 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.
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