Oak Leaf’s Double Edge Safety Razor

Hubby has been shaving for almost 30 years now, being as he was an early bloomer and started before high school. He’s been through the entire gamut of shaving devices, from manual to electric, and found out what works well for him and what doesn’t. And while he’s been curious to try an single-blade safety razor for while, this one for him kind of missed the mark.

The shave a was decent enough once he got the hang of the angle of the safety razor. And it seems the refills will be dirt cheap, which for us is another major, major plus. What he didn’t care for was what felt to him like a miniature handle that he found difficult to hold properly, or at least how he’s held his razors for years and years. The handle is so short that he can only hold it with 2 fingers and his thumb. He found the control with that reduced grip lacking and felt the handle needed a couple of inches more for him to feel like he had the control of the blade he’s accustomed to. Another mark in the minus column was that the shave with the provided Dorco blades was not as close as he would like, leading to longer,  very coarse stubble by the evening (I liken his stubble to 40 grit sandpaper, so the shave lasting less than a day no bueno). Lastly, and this may be unique to the handle I was sent, the “butterfly” mechanism didn’t seem to want to “lock” or stay closed, working itself open or loose a couple of times mid-shave.

On the plus side, the chome-coated handle and head seem to resist water-spotting and rust after a few uses, and again, replacement blades should be a pittance compared to whatever grossly over-priced 5, 6 or 7 blade monstrosity Gillette and Schick are pumping out nowadays. The shave is adequate for a daily shaver that didn’t cause Hubby and noticeable razor burn, and almost no ingrown hairs either, which with his extra-thick rhino-skin is no small feat. In the end I feel the $9.99 price point is a good introduction to safety razors, but you’ll be wanting something a little bigger or better if this is going to be your daily driver.

Connect with Oak Leaf:

• Online
• On Facebook
• On Google+
• On YouTube 
• On Pinterest
• On Amazon

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Oak Leaf. 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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BDB: The Billion Dollar Brow, Universal Brow Pencil is NOW Available at Kohl’s! #bdbrows #billiondollarbrows #BDBatKohls

 

 

I have reviewed before for BDB, Billion Dollar Brows and can proudly share I still use their brow products on a daily basis. Having access to products is a must for me. Yes, I will hunt and order online products that are worthy of a shipping cost, but there is nothing like finding your favorite in store, so you can easily pick it up and go. Finally, the BDB product line has arrived at Kohl’s!

• You can order on-line here
• Or just visit your nearest store, which also offers “in-store” pick-ups if the items are not currently in-stock.  Just order on-line and wait for the e-mail when the item is ready for pick-up.
• My previous reviews are here and here if you need to become familiar with the BDB line

 

 

So, this is a win-win for us brow obsessing girls. I have not found a product yet that allows me to accentuate my brows by having them look tame and still natural. The brow obsession is a good thing because it’s amazing how much eyes can change by just making your brows pop BUT it can be taken too far. There is such a thing of too much of a good thing. Many products pile on the brow liner and/or powder. It’s like you can’t apply softly even if you wanted to and you end up with my Husband calls “scary brows”. With Billion Dollar Brows, I can’t error. That is a big thing when you are beginner to a pro applying make-up in a hurry because you hit the snooze button one time too many! I don’t want to work at making a product look right, it has to work from application and beyond. This means with BDB products you can easily blend, there is no fighting or having to worry about dark and thick strokes. The Universal Brow brow pencil allows you to apply in two ways. You can mimic hairs by following your own pattern to making your arch stand-out, by applying a line that then you can blend or leave as applied. This is where other products fall short. I have had eyebrow pencils play the “on or off” game, meaning it goes on and if I touch it, it just vanishes. There is no middle ground. I have had the “brow crumbles”, sort of like when bad mascara fails you, well eye brow products can do the same kind of shedding. With Billion Dollar Brows, I can get to the last part of the pencil and the product performs just as well as when I first popped it open. No drying out, no playing just nice when you have a fresh pencil, their products just do not fail and this why I use BDB products exclusively. I can’t say that about other brands! I change mascaras so often that I dread being asked what brand I use. It’s like asking me a trick question because I use one for length, one to build but that builds too heavy so I use another brand to separate and set. I also use one with a mini short brush for the end of my lashes that was really made for bottom lashed (told you not ask!).  No tricks with BDB and when I have 15 minutes to be out the door because I binged on NetFlix on Sunday night…..I need my brows to not show it 🙂

 

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Connect with BDB products at and don’t forget to order at Kohl’s:

• On-line
• Product Link
• Facebook
• Twitter
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• #bdbrows #billiondollarbrows #bdb #BDBatKohls

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from BDB.  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.

Fifi & Fido All-Natural Oatmeal and Aloe Pet Shampoo

Our little girl is our whole world. She’s the fuzzy center of our universe, and she knows it. She’s also, some days, a barely mobile meat loaf that stays in bed all day and builds up a serious funk. When she does, it’s the dreaded “bath time”, and she knows this because she loses her collar, towels come out, and the hose gets unwound. Her ears droop and she tries to slink back into her room unnoticed, but in the end, she knows there’s no escape. Mano and Mano sent us their Fifi & Fido All-Natural dog shampoo and conditioner for those dreaded days when you can’t outrun a bath.

To start, it has a very pleasant scent and has a choice of a squeeze top or pump top, which can be extremely handy when one has a hose in one hand and a soapy pooch in the other. Our dog has short fur, but it’s very dense on her back and neck, but thin on her legs, underside and head. And it can be a little oily at times. So we usually try to find something that will clean off the accumulated grime without stripping her fur too much, but also not irritating her delicate skin. This Fifi & Fido Shampoo hit those butter zones nicely, but didn’t “foam” all that much so we ended up using a lot more than we planned. That seems to be par for the course with Oatmeal based pet shampoos, so I won’t hold that against this one. Their soap-free formula is free of harsh chemicals, and based mostly from the aforementioned oatmeal, as well as aloe vera extract, so it won’t strip away the dogs essential oils that keep her coat smooth and lustrous. It rinsed away clean and left our girl bright and white again, not the dingy off-white she seems happiest being.

One issue I’ve had with these Mano and Mano products is the price. While this Fifi & Fido pet shampoo is not sporting the high markup that I saw with their hand sanitzer, it’s still quite a bit more than you’d find on Amazon, or Target, or even Petco. At $11.95 for 16 fl. oz., it’s not that far off from the “high-end” products at the local pet retail chains, though, and the ingredient list is comparable to brands costing more, but not so different from brands costing much less either. I feel it was much better than a brand I previously reviewed that cost about the same, and I’d even consider it if I couldn’t find my dog’s usual brand of shampoo at say, Target. Not quite a value, but not so expensive that you would’t consider it. I liked it and so did our dog. After the fact, because while it happens, it’s the worst time, ever. But the hugging and loving she gets after more than make up for that, and she gave the Fifi & Fido 2 paws up after her bath.

Connect with Mano and Mano:

• Online
• On Amazon
• Buy your own from Amazon right here!

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Mano and Mano.  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.

Effenfine Facial Hair Scissors Review

Everyone grooms themselves to a certain degree, some of us more than others. Hubby takes a mostly no-nonsense approach to grooming, with short hair on his head and no facial hair. But, his face have nooks and crannies that a razor just won’t fit into, and that leaves long, unsightly hairs that not only look funny, but bother both him and I. What’s a fella to do?

We thought Effenfine’s facial hair would be a simple and easy solution, that didn’t require cords, batteries, or a bunch of time like so many of the facial grooming products on the market. Sadly, while the Effenfine Facial Hair Scissors are a great pair of scissors, they leave much to be desired for any kind of close grooming. See, there are few things Hubby hates worse than his sharp, coarse stubble around his lips. It’s annoying to him and abrasive to me with every smooch. Like 40 grit sandpaper. A razor sometimes misses at the corners of his mouth and at the peak of his top lip. So he’s been using a pair of my eyebrow scissors, with fine, thin blades. We both though these Effenfine Facial Hair Scissors would be just the thing to get my other scissors back, especially with the blunted safety tip. Alas, it was not to be.

See, these Effenfine scissors are thick, heavy duty forged German stainless steel. Which means they should resist rust and corrosion for quite some time. But, it’s terrible for getting up close to trim facial hair like Hubby’s last pair. Which leaves the same coarse, sharp stubble as before. The lack of a pointed tip means that effectively getting into the corners of his mouth is next to impossible too. If you’re just trimming the occasionally stray hair in a mustache or beard, and closeness isn’t what you need, you’d be golden with these Effenfine Facial Hair Scissors. But the last nail in the coffin here for me is the price. They’re significantly more expensive than I would have wanted to pay for a pair of facial hair scissors, and even moreso than a number of competitors on Amazon offering a similar product. So while they are a very capable set of scissors, and seem well made, they fail at what they’re advertised for for us(facial hair). Although I was able to re-purpose them as sewing scissors, so it’s not a total loss.

Connect with Effenfine:

• Online
• On Amazon

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Effenine.  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.

 

 

Tweez’em: Stainless Steel Tweezers for Ingrown Hair (Majestic Bombay) #MBSplinterTweeze

I have owned every type of tweezer from slanted to straight and like many of us, finding a good pair you can depend on does not come easy. Yes, there are many brands on the market and I must admit that some of my favorites, are “no-names” that came part of a manicure and/or grooming set. I then purchased higher priced brands where a mini tweezer costs over $20 and you can barely hold on to the thing if you have normal sized hands. Drove anyone I ever lend to use that tweezer crazy, but it created laughs while you are trying to dig out a splinter, so I saw it as a great distraction while you are digging into someone’s hand!

Majestic Bombay offered I try out their Twwez’em pair that was normal size and created with a pointed tip, which aids in digging out anything from splinters to ingrown hairs. I find that when it comes to reviewing devices of this kind, it comes rather easy, as they either work or they don’t. I have tweezers I have coveted over the years as the ones you depend on, so I keep those pair in a box safely.  I never had a set that even had a 50/50 rating of getting a hair. Most just snip the hair, cause bleeding and if you are lucky….both occur.  Like I said, you work or you don’t!

Retail Price Point: $9.99 on Amazon for one and comes with a plastic sleeve and a plastic cover for the tip.  The product retails for $8.99 on their website and that is with free shipping.

When the Tweeze’em set arrived, I had a small ingrown hair by my eyebrow towards the lid. One of my many older sets just cut the hair and trimmed it so nicely that the hair remained visible but impossible to pluck! Love when that happens. I tried the Tweeze’em right out of the package and noticed the tips did not meet so well, but I have pairs that look like they don’t but still perform very well. I used the tip and  attempted to lift the hair and it did but could not pluck it. I tried and tried and the skin became red and irritated, I then started to bleed, so I now was left with a visible ingrown that would get a nice scab to go with it. This ingrown hair was making friends! I then decided to try the tweezers on a normal hair that was not ingrown or short in length. Probably should have tried this first before but the idea popped into my head after. The Tweeze’em could not pluck that hair either. I tried another hair and again nothing. The tweezers are also not ergonomic when it comes to holding and using. They are straight and the metal is hard to bend closed, plus the yellow paint makes gripping difficult, as the paint was not applied smoothly. I thought the issues with the paint would aid in gripping but the uneven surface makes how you hold the tweezers difficult and especially if you have even the slightest of length on your nails (the bumps in the paint bother and some look like drips of paint running down). I can only maybe see using the Tweeze’em as a craft tool, where I don’t want paint on my hands and need to hold something that is not delicate or easy to mark. I wanted to like this pair but it just did not perform well in what it was meant to be use for……plucking a hair!

 

Connect with Majestic Bombay at:

• On-line
• Amazon
• #MBSplinterTweeze

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from the Majestic Bombay Company.  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.

 

Cassani Fogless Shower Mirror #Review #Amazon

I recently had the chance to try the Cassani Fogless Shower Mirror thanks to the folks at Cassani. I got it through Amazon.com, and it was here a couple of days after ordering thanks to Amazon Prime. Using patented nanotechnology infused directly into the reflective surface of the mirror, it purports to let you focus on the shave and not the mirror. While at first that was the case, I’ll admit that by use 2 it was a gummy mess. The nanotechnology is actually a coating that when wet turns kind of, well…slimey. While the stainless steel hook looks pretty snazzy, and when left to air dry the mirror does too, at $15 I’m not too sure I’d buy it. Especially when you consider it’s not glass, it’s plastic.

Therein lies the second problem. I’m certain it was just the one shipped to us, but the one we received was slightly “warped”, leaving it not optically correct and closer to a fun house mirror. Which hubby pronounced to be quite distracting during his shave. So while the upside is that a glass mirror would most certainly have been shattered, the downside is, plastic bends instead of breaking.

So, fogless? Check! Shatterproof? Check! It is large, mostly clear, and comes with mountable brushed steel hooks for the mirror and your razor. And hubby has decided shaving in the shower is better, cleaner and quicker than shaving in the sink. The downside is it gets wet in the shower, turns gummy, and is kind of expensive for a piece of oval plastic. I’ll let you decide if the convenience is worth the potential drawbacks.  I do like that the company stands by their products and offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee.  You just don’t get that from companies anymore!

Retail Price Point: $14.99

You can connect with Cassani at:

• You can purchase the Cassani Fogless Mirror on Amazon
• http://www.cassanicompany.com/

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Cassani.  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.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Klout: Completely Bare Hair Removal Products #Review #CompletelyBareSummer

 

Get beach-beauty ready with completely bare!

Got another Klout Perk and this one is package that has four products from Completely Bare.  CB is a line of products that I noticed recently being stocked at our local Target. Completely Bare makes hair removal……..well, more likable and less of a chore, which I thought was not possible. I love Summer but I don’t enjoy what it takes to achieve perfectly bare skin that is nice enough to show. CB takes the hassle away, so I am always up for making the shaving, waxing, plucking…….I wish I could torch them off experience just a little nicer. No matter how much we shave, “they” always grow back!

 

• “Not Feeling It” 

It’s a numbing and cooling spray that can be used before or after you remove unwanted hair. I use the Tria Laser and can say that I do yelp when it comes to the bikini area no matter how low I have the intensity, so I feel every zap. I came to the conclusion that it hurt if I am dialed down to 1 so might as well make the pain worth it and get faster results by just going full power to level 5…..the thought made sense but that zap made me question my bravery! Let’s say I underestimated. I used the numbing spray and I still feel the zap but the yelp is not there except for a few super sensitive areas. I’ll take it! I now can brave through it and just keep telling myself it’s for a good cause 🙂 My spray was leaking due to shipping damage (nozzle was hit and it keeps oozing) , so that is why it’s in a baggy but I could still use what was left.

Product Retails: For about $9.99

 

•  “Don’t Grow There“

I have told my leg hairs that many times but they don’t listen. They have a mind of their own and I think some are even possessed, or maybe one day I was driving and cut the wrong person off and they now have a voodoo doll made of my me, in form of a topiary. I shave and they return sooner than in my opinion they should. My Voodoo Master must be using Miracle Grow! No matter what I try to barter with, my hairs are loyal to my voodoo doll owner. In comes Completely Bare with a potion that makes them listen. More of a lotion that does two jobs, moisturize and it’s laced with a hair inhibitor. Me likey already! I have tried this before from another brand and my hairs laughed at it. Not this time! Results show after 28 days of continuous use, so my magic potion has powers. I have wasted a month doing less than rubbing lotion on my legs and it works……so I claim my voodoo doll back. Mine!

Product Retails: For about $9.99

 

 

• “Bikini Bump Blaster“

Love the names because the products do perform like they are called. These pads are not like the acne pads of before, so don’t worry. These do kill bacteria with salicylic acid but also have glycolic acid to gently exfoliate and most importantly, help prevent the bumps and ingrowns from even happening. That’s Blasting in my book! I also used them on my legs and other problem areas and they work! No bumps and much better than picking, causing a scar, and without even getting the satisfaction of plucking the hair that caused the trouble!

Product Retails: For about $9.99

 

 

•  “Hypo-allergenic wax strips for: Face, Bikini, and Body“

These strips are ready to use, no heating required and the kit contains everything you need.

Kit Includes: 42 wax strips in total: 12 body strips; 18 bikini/underarm strips; 12 face strips; 6 completely off towelettes

You simply rub the strip gently between you hands to create heat, apply, and pull when it has set just a bit. Some areas you will find some wax reside left behind but nothing the towlettes can’t take care of.

Product Retails: For about $12.99

 

• Overall Results:

Overall, I was very happy with the performance of the top three products and found the wax strips performed better than most brands but some areas were tricky to wax due to the shape/size but I blame myself because I was not familiar. This is how I am at first with any wax removal product until I know what piece and/or shape works where. I like that there is finally a line of products that make the task of looking girly much easier! Thank you CB and Klout for this awesome perk!

Connect with CB and find your smooth skin at:

• On-Line- http://www.completelybare.com/store/products/category/32
• FaceBook- https://www.facebook.com/completelybare
• Twitter- https://twitter.com/completelybare
• #KloutPerk
• #CompletelyBareSummer or any season 🙂

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Completely Bare and Klout .  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.

 

Tria: Hair Removal Laser 4X

I usually start reviews by breaking down a product and I will be doing this but there is a new twist to this one, I will be posting my results first because when I was searching on-line about Tria, many reviewers detailed features and did not open up if this was a buy. Yes, the product has a heftier price tag (at $449) than most of the beauty items I purchase, however I measure a product’s worth by it’s performance and can say that Tria is so worth it!

I started my Tria treatments a little after Thanksgiving because it was my goal to enter 2014……well, less hairy. I wanted to simplify my beauty regimen and there were areas I wanted to target because in my mind it would make me happier not worrying about grooming (plucking, shaving, ect.) in those areas. I received the parcel and unfortunately my first Tria laser acted goofy at no fault of the company. The first box delivered was involved in a train derailment in Arizona and I am unsure if the box was delayed because it was in the train that derailed (hit an overpass) or delayed because the train that had the parcel could not pass, nonetheless the laser was exchanged without me missing a treatment. I went from owning a Graphite colored one to then Lilac, but I just care about results!

FAST Results:
Let me begin by saying that I read reviews and noticed the users of the Tria laser that reported success, used the laser once a week even though the product states you can start using it in 2 week intervals. The Tria 4X has five intensity levels and I started on 2, then worked to level 3 while doing the same area, and then to to level 4. Level 4 was my comfort level in week #1 and by week #2, I just used the maximum level 5. People describe the “pain” as a rubber-band snapping, however I disagree. You get certain areas where you will feel discomfort and this is mostly because the laser will get hot as you go. Areas you have nerves a little closer to the surface will feel a pinch and sometimes like you got flicked, but nothing that can make you afraid from proceeding. I find stopping and letting the laser tip cool (30 seconds to 1 minute) helps when you move from one treatment spot to the other and feel heat (discomfort) before pushing the button.

Treated Area Details:
I started on facial and then moved to the bikini area. I am part Spanish and that makes me get hairs on my chin, which I pluck but because I have fair skin, I sometimes was left with a black dot if the hair did not fully come out. I hate that! I used concealer but also disliked using it for black dots. I started treating and by week #4, I was 50% diminished. By week #6 and #7, I was 90% hair free. I may have a straggler here and there but still mostly hairless. Like, none need to be plucked, and no black dots where a hair was or is coming. My skin looks like it never even had hair (no enlarged pores). I even did the “sideburn” area, & the middle of my eyebrows and because hair was finer there, that area was hairless within 4 weeks alone. I may add I use my concealer now ZERO times and I am keeping it in case I get a bad pimple or something. Now, the bikini area is where I do feel discomfort and some pain in certain areas and can only treat so low. I noticed by week #4 my bikini area’s hair was growing at a snail’s pace and there was less to shave every week. I want to treat lower but I may be picking up their “numbing cream” to reduce the uncomfortable factor because I have to stop and go as I treat and want quicker results. I could stay between level 3 and 4 and continue treating but I have to stop and take a break when I do.

Lasting Results:
When you see results it’s hard to stop! It seems too good to be true or like the nightmare I feared, the hairs will come back and with attitude. It’s hard to understand “permanent results” until you see and feel the experience. I don’t have to pick up my tweezers other than pluck around my eyebrows and I take maybe 8 minutes and then I’m done. I own 5 sets of tweezers and now feel silly I purchased them because I don’t need them. I just put on make-up and go and it’s hard to get used to it as before I had to pluck. I tried using Nair and Olay creams but they mostly just made my skin red and irritated while not removing all the hair. Plus, the results didn’t last. I expect 100% removal if a product states so and I am getting there with Tria.

My only Con:
My only negative is something that would not even stop me from purchasing the unit, it’s the size of the unit itself and the circumference of the area it treats at a time. The laser has a large head and I have a small hand so at times I get a little cramp from holding it….no biggie. Now, the area it can treat is great for doing small areas like the face, in between eyebrows, and even above the lip and it’s almost perfect for that. Having to do the legs and larger areas and you will be wishing the tip was larger but then again if it was you could not do the finer details. So it sits somewhere near the middle, which mostly works for me.

Tria 4X needs zero refills or lamps, no silly stuff to replace so you spend once and that is all. With a 90-day Money Back Guarantee, the product has a company that does stand by it. It’s FDA-cleared, so you can feel safe by using the unit and I have not experienced any skin damage, hyperpigmentation or even redness that lasts longer than 20 minutes. I have sensitive skin and I’m very fair so I was concerned with anything like marks or pigment changes but I have only experienced permanent hair removal. I explored many brands and knowing that I would need refills at close to $50 a pop made me shy in wanting to spend and spend. I looked at Spas, Groupon Deals, you name it and again you do not get a guarantee and there is that unknown of what the final cost will be. With Tria you know $449 is the price point and done. I will be looking at their Smoothstart Calming Gel and see if that helps in the areas I tend to be a little sensitive and see if it helps makes it more comfortable.

Battery Life and Life of the Unit Inquiry:
I did inquire about battery life and use and this is the direct reply I received from Tria via e-mail-

The TRIA Laser is designed to work for several years, until the lithium battery no longer holds a charge. The battery will last for more than 400 charging cycles—in other words, you can recharge it 400 times. Of course the TRIA Laser is only for hair removal, so it’s effective only if there is still hair to be removed.

You can find more information about Tria and all their products at:

• On-line: http://www.triabeauty.com/home-laser-hair-removal
• Tria has recently introduced the a smaller version called the Hair Removal Laser Precision, which I have not tried but carries a lower price point of $299. Compare both units here and see what suits your needs best: http://www.triabeauty.com/hair-removal-devices#findThe
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/triabeauty
• Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/triabeauty/
• FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/triabeauty

Purchase only from authorized dealers like Sephora, Ulta, ect., or Tria directly, to make sure you get a real Tria product and to also make sure your purchase is warranty eligible. Tria provides a 1 year warranty with the Tria Laser 4X. Sephora currently has 2X (Double Points) promotion going for Beauty Insiders (free to join) until Monday 1/20. Another deal is also using the 20% off coupons at Ulta because last I checked, Tria was not excluded and I even called and inquired 🙂 . The deals can also be found directly from Tria from eGift cards to percentages off so keep your eyes open and you can find a perk to go with your purchase.