Island’s Miracle Premium Aromatherapy Gift Kit

 

A little while ago, I told you about an awesome Essential Oil Diffuser from Island’s Miracle, and this time I’m here to share with you Island’s Miracle’s Essential Oil Aromatherapy Gift Collection. It’s the perfect companion for Island’s Miracle Diffuser. And together these are potent aromatherapy powerhouse that, with today’s streses and strains should be in everyone’s home, like, yesterday!

There are 10 different essential oils in this fabulous gift set, Frankincense, Lavender, Eucalyptus, Lemon, Orange, Peppermint, Tea tree (Melaleuca), Patchouli, Rosemary, and Silver Fir. These are pure, undiluted oils, not loaded with fillers, additives, or “carrier oils” (cheaper oils that dilute the essence of the scented essential oils but themselves provide no scent). And the testing Island’s Miracle uses is bananas! Gas Chromatography, Mass Spectrometry, FTIR Scan (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), Microbial Testing, and Organoleptic Testing… Holy moley! If only our food supply was tested that well in this country! All of them are therapeutic grade and ultra-premium. The gift box they come in even includes information on what effect you can expect to derive from the oil, country of origin, and scent family to expect. And lest you think you’re getting some sample-size collection here, all ten bottles are a generous 10ml size.

And all this for a very reasonable $35.95 with free Prime 2-day shipping. Coupled with their fantastic diffuser, and with the holidays right around the corner, you’ve got a gift that will keep on giving the entire year! This is a good set from a real company that puts a great deal of thought and care into their products and I’m happy to help them spread the word about their goods. I love my set and I know a few people who can expect an Island’s Miracle gift set under their tree soon!

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Island’s Miracle. 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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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.

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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.

Nature’s Nectar L-Arginine Supplement

Hubby has been taking L-Arginine supplements for a circulation problem in his foot for years, and it’s been extremely helpful in that regard. It’s also been a regular staple in his pre-workout powders and regimen for quite a few years as well, so we’re always on the lookout for a newer, better product.

And while it’s a decent supplement, it’s about on par with other’s he’s tried in the past, no better, no worse. It’s also contains some minimal amounts or L-Orinthine and L-Glutamine amino acids as well, they’re not at levels sufficient to have any beneficial effect to your workouts. Taken with his preworkout powder, it’s a nice little boost but the effects don’t last, and there’s even some emerging research that the effects of L-Arginine are purely placebo. I’ll leave that debate for another day and simply state that Hubby had nothing bad to say about this supplement, but at $10.95 for a thirty day supply, it’s a little on the high side for regular supplementation vs. say, a powder.

Nature’s Nectar offers a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, so if you try it and don’t see any benefit, you can get a full refund via Amazon’s return process. So it’s kind of a risk-free situation to try an L-Arginine supplement and see if it takes your workout to the next level!

Connect with Nature’s Nectar:

• Online
• On Amazon
• Get your 30 day supply here!

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Nature’s Nectar. 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.

 

Naturalico: Pedicure Device and Callus Remover #Review #CallusRemover

When it comes to pedicure devices and tools, there are many I have purchased and been gifted that end up not being used. Some are bulky and not worth the trouble of cleaning, like my Spa Foot Bath that released the stress when I soaked my feet, but it came back when it came to dumping the water and cleaning out the unit. I finally gave up and realized the sink may not make bubbles but it was easier to clean and disinfect after use. I like devices that are simple, practical and work! I don’t need to add more to clutter to units that make me feel guilty for buying them.

So far my foot care regimen has been soaking, sugar based foot scrubs and using a callus remover when needed. I don’t like cracked heals and with the weather in Southern California being off the record for Autumn, my feet are showing the stress with the crazy ups and downs in degrees. I wear flip flops around the house (outside) but only sandals if I go out, so I still want pretty feet 🙂 I needed an in-between device to add to my regimen and what Naturalico sent fit the bill perfectly!

Naturalico, sent a rechargeable unit that helps with callus removal and polishing. I know the description states shaver but because the heads are made of a fine grit paper, which moves in a rolling motion, it has no blades and is more of a sander versus a shaver. The unit has a rechargeable battery and the best part, it’s super easy to clean. You just remove the head and can easily use the brush included to remove any debris and the unit is easy to disinfect, reassemble and it takes less than 5 minutes to have it ready for use for next time. No messes or having to clean a bunch of little pieces!

Verdict:
I must admit I went in thinking this would just be a gimmicky device but after just using the Naturalico device once, I became a believer. Now, this is for upkeep and not to be seen as a solution for feet that may suffer from deeper calluses that need an actual shaver (with metal blade) to accomplish removal. You may use the Naturalico for a deep clean and removal, but you would be using up the refills to get the pedicure you desire. I use a callus shaver every 3 months because I use slipper socks indoors and tend to be good about moisturizing my feet and I never walk barefoot outside. The pool tends to dry my feet out with the chlorinated water and I then get thin surface cracks from dryness. The Naturalico is so good that I may use a callus remover every 6 months (if even that) after the first initial use and removal. It keeps my feet perfectly smooth and polished. The unit has two speeds and I was able to use the lowest everywhere and went with the higher speed when used on my heels. It takes a few minutes to polish each foot up just for them took to look like they did after visiting a spa and getting a professional pedicure minus the cost.

Retail Price Point: $29.95 for the unit and the device comes to with 2 heads and even a storage bag. Free shipping for Amazon Prime Members. Refills are $9.99 for a package of two.

The first uses are the important ones and achieving a smooth look will take time. I shortened that time by using a bladed callus remover and then solely went to using the Naturalico unit. After getting my feet perfect looking and feeling, the Naturalico has been able to keep them looking that way week after week. I just use the unit once a week (on the weekends) and about 5 minutes per foot. That’s 10 minutes a week to have beautiful feet with a device you can use at home within your own schedule. No appointments needed 🙂

Connect with Naturalico at:

• Amazon
• #Naturalico #CallusRemover

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

 

SqueakyCleanCo’s Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer

Some days, cleanliness is next to impossible. Some days, my hands are toast from constant washing and drying. And like some people nowadays, I’m hopelessly addicted to hand sanitizer. Like, I have a bottle in every bathroom, in my purse, in the car, in the bedroom, in the garage. When Squeaky Clean offered me a bottle of their antibacterial had sanitizer to try out, I couldn’t say yes fast enough.

Good sanitizers, at their most basic levels, are pretty much the same: Copious amounts of ethyl alcohol in a glycerin suspension. There’s usually some other things to stabilize it, some fragrance, and maybe a moisturizer to keep our hands from becoming dry, cracked like an old catcher’s mitt. And because alcohol is ridiculously cheap, hand sanitizer is  affordable. I usually pick up Target’s Up & Up brand for about $5 for a 32 ounce bottle. It’s not too fancy, it’s got some weird green color to it, but it also does the job. So here’s where brands like Squeaky Clean start diverging from Purell, Up & Up, and almost every other brand I’ve tried: It’s expensive. A 16 ounce bottle is over $14 on Amazon.com. Yikes! Multiplied out, I’d be spending nearly $30 to get the same amount as what I normally pay $5 for at Target. That makes no sense.

In Squeaky Clean’s defense, their product smells divine, and the aloe and vitamin e left my hands smooth, soft and not at all dried out, plus there’s no added dyes to make it that funky green color as my usual brand. It has 62% ethyl alcohol instead of my usual 70%, so it’s more on par with Purell there too. The box it came in looked very chic and high-end, and the pump reaches to the bottom so you’re not shaking the bottle at end to use the last little bit of it. It’s delightful fragrance stays with you for some time, too. But I don’t know that those pluses are worth more than 3 times the price of leading brands. In fact, I’m sure they’re not. I like the product, it does what it says it’ll do and is what it says it is, but it’s far, far too expensive for me to recommend.

Connect with SqueakyCleanCo:

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• Buy your bottle here

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

Taylor Bluetooth Body Fat SmartScale w/ SmarTrack App

 

I’ve covered a couple of different bathroom scales on here, and most of them have been fairly basic. I have one from Ozeri that measures body fat, bone, muscle and water levels too. I’m very happy with it. One even had it’s own “app”. But until now, I’d not had one with bluetooth. In steps Taylor, a Salter Housewares brand, with their Taylor Smart Scale with Bluetooth, model 7222F.

It has the fairly standard tempered glass surface, this time with stainless steel strips inlaid for the measuring of all those extra metrics like body fat, body water and muscle mass. And it then beams those numbers via bluetooth to your paired smartphone or tablet via their SmarTrack app. At least in theory, that is, because I could not get the app to register me, despite multiple tries on my phone, tablet, and over both our FiOS wifi and 4G network connection. Which, essentially, renders the features that most folks paid extra for useless. Shame. The idea behind easy and convenient tracking of your weight, and your fitness, is a good one, but one of these days these companies really need to understand app development and that it’s more than throwing a few dollars at an IT company that bid the lowest to cobble together what amounts to placeholder to be able to say you “have an app”. It has to work, people.

Okay. Deep breath.

Aside from the incredible amount of frustration caused by this, the scale in and of itself is accurate, and while the numbers were slightly off from the other body fat-measuring scales we have here in the house, that can simply be chalked up to the fact that they all use “estimates” from small electrical signals sent through the body, and so many factors can skew that, I’m not going to begrudge a scale a few percentage points here and there. Up to 8 people can use this scale with basic non-bluetooth tracking features, an “athlete” setting for those that work out regularly, and a bright, dual-line backlit LCD readout with “touchscreen” controls. All this and it operates on 3 AAA batteries. Unfortunately, most of the advertised features like true tracking, cloud storage, and compatibility with MapMyFitness, RunKeeper and other popular apps are inaccessible due to the native app being useless. So it quickly becomes less and less a value because, let’s face it, you paid for those features. I wanted to like this product so much more, and I’ve had Taylor, Salter, and Homedics scales before that were fantastic. This scale is, as a scale, flawless. It’s all the advertised extras that caused the premium pricetag that are rendered useless by a non-functioning, junk app. For that reason, I find that I can’t, at full retail, recommend this product, because so many of the potentially wonderful features advertised cannot be accessed, and they’re built into the price tag. Too bad.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Taylor Precision Products.  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.

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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.

 

 

Majestic Bombay: Dental Tartar Scraper and Remover Stainless Steel Set #Review #TartarScraperkit

 

Like many of us, going to the dentist and coming out with zero issues is not only welcoming news but also a positive towards our check book. In my world, I want to walk out after a cleaning and the only thing the dentist has to discuss with me, is my next appointment for another cleaning.

For many year now, I have been doing my own cleaning in-between dentist visits. I will gently scrape any build-up and at my last cleaning, the dentist stated she barely had to do anything and then started questioning me if I went somewhere else before seeing her again. Will I ever make the leap and do the cleaning myself minus the dentist? Of course not! I still need those educated eyes to look and see, plus I don’t do the polishing you get after a do-it-yourself cleaning at home.

In comes Majestic Beauty with their 3-piece Dental Hygiene Kit:

• Dental Pick
• Dental Scaling Instrument
• Dental Mouth Mirror

All the tools are stainless steel and this is wonderful when it comes to disinfecting the pieces. Easy to use and when my mirror arrived overly bent due to shipping, Majestic Beauty quickly sent out a replacement. I only needed to establish contact once to get the small issue fixed and I like that in a company. I have been using the dental tools for a couple months and with zero issues when it comes to the quality of the metal, using the tools, and I’m very satisfied with the performance of the kit. The pick has the proper curvature and my only advice and this goes with any project, learn before you start. The key is to avoid damage from tartar and plaque build-up, not give yourself damage when removing it!

Retail Price Point: $19.99 via Amazon for the kit.  You can save and purchase from the manufacture directly and pay $9.99 via their website.

Connect with Majestic Bombay at:

• On-line
• Amazon
• #TartarScraperkit

 

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

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• #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.

 

Calibre Products Reacher/Grabber Pickup Tool

This is a tall person’s world, and I’m not playing well in it. I got the most awesome Epica Folding Stool last year, and while it has served me well, I am sometimes still just short of being able to reach things on the top shelf. Thankfully, most of the time, Hubby is right here to reach those things. Most of the time. For the times he isn’t, I now have the most awesome Calibre Products Reacher/Grabber.

Yup, I have a mechanical hand now. I’ve gone full Terminator Genisys here, just in time for summer. The lightweight, molded aluminum shaft is long enough to reach anything in my house, and strong enough to safely hold almost anything out of reach. It’s also good for Hubby, because being tall is a curse when his back is borked, and things are on the ground when bending is out of the question. Enter my Calibre Grabber. Yes, mine. If he asks nicely, he can use it, but I claimed it as soon as the box was open.

It has a soft-grip, non-slip rubber lining on the “claw”, meaning what I grab stays grabbed, but the 4.5″ opening is big enough to grab almost anything. Calibre Products claims it’s accurate enough to pick a coin up off the floor, and I’ll be damned if it didn’t do just that on the first try. It’s been used so far for stuff on shelves, stuff in the floor, and even stuff that falls behind other stuff! Because the gripping claw can change orientation by rotating the head, you can fit the Calibre Grabber behind dressers, TV stands, or really, just about anywhere. The trigger is a molded plastic with a easy ergonomic shape and rubberized finish for sure grip. Another plus is the line used for tension is easily replaced should it snap, but no worries there either, because Calibre Products stands behind their Grabber with a Hassle-Free, 100%  Satisfaction Money Back Guarantee.

I love my Grabber and had no idea how incredibly useful it would be until I had it. Hubby better get his own, ‘cuz this one is all mine.

 

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• Online
• On Amazon

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